Whisper of the Woods

•20•

Lea

I put my phone down, my knee bouncing up and down uncontrollably as I waited impatiently for her. Jane only lives a few blocks away so she would be here shortly.

I didn't want to tell Will or Drew, I was afraid of what their reaction might be. But Jane is my best friend and I knew that she was trustworthy.

The door bell rung and I immediately sprung from the couch, racing to the door. Jane stood in front of me dressed in her pajamas. 

"Hey you sounded worried on the phone, you alright?" She frowned, walking into the house. 

"God I'm so sick of people asking me that! No I'm not fine Jane. I'm not," I unintentionally snapped.

"Alright," She held up both of her hands in a surrender. "What do you wanna tell me?" She took a seat on my couch but I remained standing. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath before I spoke.

"I-I haven't been honest with you. The day before Blake went missing," I took a pause, not sure if I should go through with this.

"S-something happened."

* f l a s h b a c k *

I slipped my phone in my back pocket, walking down the vacant school halls. I had just came from a meeting for Lacrosse next year. Lacrosse has always been my favorite sport, I was pretty good at it. 

I walked toward the back entrance of the school. I shivered under my leather jacket when the cold wind hit my exposed chest.

I stopped in my tracks, fumbling for my keys. But suddenly my body was pinned to another, an arm wrapping around my stomach. A black gloved hand then clamped over my mouth.

The lint of the glove entered my mouth the more I tried to scream. My body was dragged backward, out of the public eye and I stumbled over my own feet.

"Answer my questions and I wont kill you," A deep male voice spoke, sounding rushed.

"I'm gonna move my hand from your mouth. You scream for help and I snap your neck right here right now," He threatened. I nodded accordingly before he removed his hand from my mouth.

"Now. Lea," He began. A chill ran down my spine at the sound o my name leaving his lips,"You know Blake Taylor correct?"

"I-I dont really talk to her," I spoke truthfully.

"Good, you do. I need you to do me a favor," His arm still buckled around my torso.

"Hand her over to me. I'll be waiting near the creek by her house," I felt something being shoved into my back pocket. "If I don't have her, I murder your family and make you watch. You tell the police or anyone else, I come find and kill you got it?"

My heart hammered against my chest. "Y-yes. I'll do it."

"Good," He let go of my torso, leaving my knees weak. I collapsed to the ground with a few tears lingering on cheeks.

Still frazzled, I found my keys and walked to my car with my knees still shaking and heart pounding.

What am I going to do? I had to hand Blake over to some man in the next twenty four hours. I took the piece of folded paper he put in my back pocket once I was safe in my car. 

I looked down at the crinkled paper. It was a makeshift map, with a red circle sloppily circled around a certain location. Directions were written in the corner in black marker. How am I even going to do this? I don't talk to Blake, she's a nobody.

But then again, that made it that much easier. She was a nobody, therefore nobody would even care.

An idea popped into my mind after thinking it over for a while.

I could make this into a prank. Jane, Will and Drew would definitely want in. I knew I couldn't tell them the full truth though. To them it would be an innocent meaningless prank.

* e n d  o f   f  l a s h b a c k *

"You what?!"

I flinched at Jane's sudden yell.

"You helped some crazy man kidnap Blake?"

"What else was I supposed to do?! He threatened to kill me and my family!"

"Oh I don't know," Sarcasm dripped from her voice, "Call the police!"

"My life was on the line!"

"So you put the life of another girl on the line too?" She shot back.

"I cant believe this. I have to text the boys," Jane pulled out her phone. 

"No. Please dont!" I begged. She shook her head as her thumbs scrambled across her screen. 

"It's too late. They're already replying."

"Oh my god," My stomach twisted in knots, "I'm gonna be sick."

"Yeah well what you did was sick," Jane snapped. "And selfish! You dragged us all into this mess and made us be a part of something dark without us even knowing."

"I-I know," The guilt burned. 

Tense silence hung in the air until the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, Will and Drew both stormed into my house with stone hard expressions. 

"What. Is wrong with you?" Drew's tone was so calm it was chilling. I could see the anger rising in him, his hand was balled into a fist and his chest began to heave faster by the second. 

"I don't even have any words right now Lea! Blake is dead because of you and your stupidity to not go to the authorities!" Will shouted.

"Before I moved here the same exact thing happened to somebody I loved," Drew spoke with a pained expression, "Sh- she went missing and the police couldn't find her. It wasn't long until they pronounced her dead."

"Just like Blake," Will uttered, and Drew nodded in concord.

"Was is it your girlfriend?" Jane asked curiously.

"I don't wanna talk about it. Matter of a fact, I don't wanna talk to you ever again," He points his index finger at me, his jaw tightening.

"I don't even wanna look at you right now," Will added. 

"Guys. Please don't tell," My eyes burned from my rising tears. 

"And why shouldn't we?" Jane crossed her arms. 

"Please?" I whispered desperately. 

"Fine we won't tell," Drew answered. Both Will and Jane looked at him, puzzled. 

"Thank you," I let out a breath of relief. 

"Drew we have to te-"

"I'd rather let the truth eat you alive," Drew's loud confident tone interrupted Will. "I can see that it's already torn you apart. The truth will come out soon - and that I can promise you."

With those words left in the tense air, Drew left. So did Will and Jane. Jane - my own best friend didn't even look at me.

 I stood in my same spot, motionless. Stunned. This was exactly what I was afraid of. They say the truth sets you free, but I felt the polar opposite. If anything, I felt even more isolated.

I told the truth and everything blew up in my face.

_________________________

A/N > OOOOOO LEELEE IS BUSTED lol.

I hoped you guys enjoyed it.

Votes/Comments are much appreciated xx. I love reading all your comments ;)

-kya h. ∞