They Came In Hoodies

Chapter 25: Fear Consumed Me

Short chapter but look out for the <>!

Stella POV 

Over two weeks, Gray had not been back in over two weeks. No one talked about it in school, not even the teachers. It was as if they didn't even care he was gone, ready to forget about him and move on. But I wouldn't. That was why I was here, walked down his driveway to get to his house. I would not forget about him. He needed to know what at least someone was here for him; I was here for him.

With a box of cookies in my hands, I walked up to the front porch and knocked on the door. I waited for a minute, trying to hear any sign of him or his foster mother, but it was silent. The silence caused me to look into the window of his house, hoping I would see any movement, but I saw nothing.

Silently I went to the front door again and tried to open it and, to my surprise, it swung open, letting me walk right into the empty house. "Hello? Is anyone home?" I asked as I closed the door behind me.

I stood at the entrance for a moment, waiting for any sound to come, but there was nothing but silence that filled the room. "Gray, are you home?" I asked again, hoping for some answer to come from the silent house.

I took another step into the house, placing the cookies on the coffee table next to the couch, we studied on what felt like forever ago. As I looked around the room, I noticed that there were items strewn around, as if someone left in a hurry. Grayson left in a hurry.

Unable to fight my curiosity, I wondered deeper into the house, making me realize I had never went deeper than the small family room last time I was here. My eyes scanned the space around me as I tried to find any clue on when he would return and if he was ok. My mind instantly wanted to blame his step mother for this. He wasn't happy with her, that was clear, and maybe she forced him to run away, but then where was she?

Within a minute, I found myself in a small bedroom that had to be Gray's but the clothes laying on the bed. The space was small, but it was relatively neat except a few sets of shirt thrown hastily on the bed as if he was trying to pick an outfit in a hurry. I saw his history textbook on the nightstand, which made me smile lightly because that meant he was actually reading it.

Too quickly, my eyes fell on a note folded with care on the bed. Curiosity filled as I walked up to it. It was written in such beautiful handwriting which told me he took time to write the note. On the top of the letter had my name, as if he expected me to search for him. This only meant one thing, Gray knew I would come looking for him. He left this for me because he trusted me. I read every word on the note hanging onto it as if it was the last.

I put the letter in my pocket after I read it for the fourth time. I knew what I had to do next. Gray wanted me to save him. He wanted me to meet him within the gate and I would do that for him. He needed me and I would go.

In fear that his step mom would return, I quickly zipped my coat back on and left his house. I pulled the note out of my pocket again to confirm where I needed to go. Within the note had specific instructions on how to open the gate and how to find it.

With a nod, I stuffed the note back in my pocket and started down a snow-covered path to where the gate was. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to find once I got there and honestly; I didn't know what I would do once I found Gray. But the note had such urgency in it, as if Gray's life depended on me coming to find time. With words like that, I didn't have time to be afraid because I could only think of Gray. He wrote that letter, asking me for help and he never asked for help, so that meant that this was important.

By the time I made it to the gate small, the sun was already setting behind me. Knowing that this could take a while more, I quickly sent a text to dad letting him know I was going to be spending the night with Alice and would be back tomorrow evening. Within a second, dad texted me back an ok, meaning that I was safe to continue down my path to find Gray.

The gate in front of me was nothing special, in fact, it was rusting on the hinges with the door half broken off. I remembered the time when I saw Gray step out of this place and it looked so magical, but this was nothing of the sort.

I stood in front of the gate for more time than necessary as worry came over me. I knew what the note said; I knew Gray needed help, but standing in front of this gate even thinking about going through it was not like me. It was not predicable or even safe. On the other side of the gate was something else entirely and Gray said before it wasn't safe, so why in the world was I even thinking about doing this.

Finally, after what felt like hours later, I mustered up the courage to open the gate, but nothing happened. A frown fell on my face as disappointment held me, knowing that I would not be able to save him. Then I remembered the note in my pocket that provided me with instructions on how to open the gate.

With trembling cold hands, I took the note out of my pocket and read the instructions. There was a phrase I needed to say as I moved my hands in a circle. The steps seemed so simple that but yet so unusual at the same time.

"I am crazy," I muttered to myself, knowing that was exactly what I was. I was going through a gate to an unknown land for a guy that I didn't even know that well. None of this made logical sense, and I couldn't believe that I was even thinking about going forward with this.

<>

"Come on, just get on with it." I told myself, trying to shake off any doubts I had. I didn't want to think about the facts any more. Gray needed me, he wrote that letter for me, expecting me to save him. No one else would help him, so I needed to be that one person for him.

With a deep breath I said the phrase that was needed, then a second later, the gate glowed slightly. The sight caused me to take a step back in shock and, for a second, I let fear bury me. "I can't do this. Who am I kidding?" I said, as I took another step back.

Just as I was about to walk away, something deep within me told me I needed to do this, not only for Gray, but for myself. Before I thought about it farther, I opened the gate to see a green wooded forest on the other side. It looked so different from the frozen snowy tundra that was Jackson currently.

I could hear birds chirping on the other side of the gate, almost inviting me in. But as I looked into this other world, it was as if something told me I didn't belong, that I was an outsider and I wouldn't be able to accomplish my task if I went in.

Once again, fear consumed me as I looked behind myself, seeing the land that I just became familiar with. If I stepped through this gate, I would leave everything predicable. Through it, there was nothing I knew about the other side. But Grayson was in trouble, I could feel it and I saw his note. I couldn't deny that he needed help. So with a deep breath, I took a step into the unknown, through the gate.

The gate closed behind me with force and a small bang, causing me to jump a little. A warm breeze rustled the surrounding trees, which made me realize my winter coat was too warm for this place. I took off my coat and tied it around my waist, thinking I might need it later.

Looking around the woods, I knew I couldn't stay here. Even though it was peaceful, there was something that told me I had to move forward, find him. So without wasting a moment longer, I walked forward, unsure where I was going but hoping I would see something that would point me in the right direction.