The Gate

Chapter 12

Faye’s insides felt cold.

It was liked ice shards had dug their way through her skin, piercing her veins and entering her blood stream.  If someone were to touch her, Faye feared that she would break, crumbling to ash on the ground.  She didn’t understand why the sudden feeling swept through her, but it did.  It was like something was completely wrong.

Kole took a step forward, his eyes wide.  Faye bit down the urge to call him back to her, to beg him not to move.  Every important official was in that building.  Everyone who was against her and Kole’s being together.  If they were to be seen—and so close—they would automatically be brought to the prison wards.  If they were lucky. 

“This is where the Gate leads, huh?” Kole said blankly, as though he felt the need to say something but really had no idea what words to use.  “To the building that started it all?”

Faye gulped, willing the ice to melt.  “Y-yeah,” she stuttered out, crossing her arms over her chest.  It did nothing for her, however.  She was still freezing.  “We should—we should go.”

Kole twisted around, his eyes meeting hers.  Faye wondered if Kole could feel the ice in Faye’s veins, could feel the same prickling sensation.  She wondered if it affected him at all, if it scared him as much as it terrified her.  She wondered if inside him there was a sense of urgency, a sense that told him to get the hell away from there as fast as he could.  From the expression in his eyes, Faye couldn’t help but feel that no, he didn’t feel that way.  He only felt fascination.  Fascination that they’d found the source of everything, fascination that they were standing in front of the building that had complete control of their lives.

Whether he noticed the fear in Faye’s eyes, Faye wasn’t sure.  But, when he opened his mouth, his words were full of understanding.  “Yeah,” he murmured, sneaking a quick glance at the vast building in front of them before nodding.  “You’re right.”

Faye let out a long breath of relief.  “Okay then,” she said softly, resisting the sudden urge to grab onto Kole’s hand.  “Let’s get back then.”

Kole nodded, taking a few steps back before gesturing for her to follow.  “Yeah, let’s go back.  That’s enough excitement for today.”

With a small smile, Faye followed Kole back into the woods, back the way they had come.

The | Gate

Kole let the front door fall shut behind him, leaning back against the wood.  He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes.  It had taken a lot of willpower not to say no to Faye, to keep going even though she was so obviously terrified.  Kole wasn’t sure what had taken over him, what was still taking over him, but he didn’t really want to find out.

With another sigh, Kole opened his eyes and moved away from the door.  He crept down the hall, listening out for his family members.  Whether they were even home or not, he wasn’t sure.  But if they were, he didn’t want to announce that he’d arrived.  Not yet.  Something about the way his stomach was in knots kept him from wanting to socialize.  In fact, if Kole had any choice in the matter, he’d run upstairs to the bathroom and puke.

“Kole?”

Kole’s eyes snapped up, locking onto his brother as he stood a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest.  Kole could see from the expression on Alex’s face that he knew something was up and he wasn’t exactly happy about it.  Kole held his brother’s gaze, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around himself and to disappear.  He didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling such anxiety toward the only person he ever really trusted in the world.  To be honest, he had no idea about really anything anymore.