No way am I going to walk home from school alone today, I tell myself as I sit comfortably at my desk. Ever since Quinn went missing I just don’t feel safe anymore. I can’t figure out why she went missing and it’s driving me insane. Was she kidnapped? Did she run away (though I don’t know how she would escape our community)? Did she die?
I wince at the pretend sight of seeing Quinn lying on the ground dead. She is like a sister to me and I just can’t afford to lose her. Unless she’s already dead. The thought drills a bigger hole in my chest and I choke back a sob.
No. She’s out there somewhere. She has to be.
I am really bumming myself out. Cut it out.
Trying to think of something else to think about, I turn to a girl in my class. She looks to be about average height, though I can’t really tell when she is sitting down. Beautiful auburn curls flow down to her shoulders and when she turns in my direction I can see her dark eyes.
“Hey, uh, are you taking the bus home again today?” I ask her. She looks at me, and when she smiles her dark eyes light up.
“Yeah, I’ll save you a seat,” she responds with a kind grin.
“Thanks. Claire, right?”
“No, it’s Paige actually.”
“Hey, I was close!” I say jokingly. I’m not quite sure why I thought her name was Claire, now that I know her real name.
“Not even a little. Aubrey, right?” Paige laughs.
“Yeah, I’m just bad with names I guess.” It feels good to smile. I haven’t been doing a lot of that lately.
The end-of-school bell rings, and everyone jumps out of their seats and swarm out the door. I’m not sure why they’re in such a hurry, school is one of the few places I feel safe. There is a ton of security here, so I’m pretty sure no one will go missing within the 8 hours of school.
I think of Quinn. She went missing in late hours when everyone is supposed to be sleeping. A massive sigh escapes me. No sixteen year-old girl should lose their best friend! I am terrified for Quinn. Don’t think about it, I tell myself. I was told that search committees have been sent out for her and there is nothing I can do to find her. Let the professionals handle it.
On the bus I sit next to Paige. Normally I would walk home with Quinn, but the bus feels more comfortable now. I try not to think about anything. Instead I look out the window. We fly about 30 feet in the air, where everything looks peaceful. In the past there were roads, but they became too hazardous.
My stop comes and the bus slowly lands a few houses down from mine.
“Bye, Aubrey!” Paige calls.
“See you, Claire!” I laugh.
“Oh, Ha Ha very funny!” I hear Paige say as I walk off the bus.
I sprint home, and jam my house key into the key hole. Then I immediately lock the door behind me and let out a sigh of relief. Leaning against the closed door, I see myself in the hallway mirror. There’s not much to see, actually. Just a long, boney body attached to a thin head with dirty blond hair. I walk over to the mirror and lean my forehead against the glass. Now I see blazing green eyes and a few tiny freckles scattered across my nose and cheeks.
I let out yet another massive sigh. Why am I thinking about how I look when Quinn is missing? All of a sudden I realize my thoughts don’t make much sense. No, it’s OK to think about myself every once and a while. I shouldn’t worry too much about Quinn. Professionals are looking for her. Professionals are going to find her. It’s fine. Everything will be just fine. I breathe in and out. In and out. In and out.
Looking back in the mirror, I notice something else about me. I just look so…. miserable. I’ve been sorrowful for too long. Smile, I tell myself. But before I can, I see a flash out of the corner of my eye.
Being the senseless person I am, I walk towards it. I stick my head in the kitchen, no one is there. My parents are not home from work yet and I have no siblings. Crap, this is a really bad time to die, I think.
“Hello?” I ask as my voice shakes a little. It just seems like the most reasonable thing to ask. I listen for footsteps as the adrenaline enters my body. Not seeing any sign that a person is here, I take a few more steps deeper into my kitchen. Nothing. What was the flash, then?
All I notice is a small red envelope sitting on the kitchen table addressed to me.
~~~~
Hey!! Thank you so much for reading! I hope to come out with a new chapter every week or so. Please vote, follow and/or comment :)
Thanks again,
Emmy
rosie4427
P.S. Lots of thanks to @blindsighted for the awesome covers she made for this story!! (The one I used as a cover and the one under multimedia are both hers)
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Running From Lies
Teen Fiction*****CURRENTLY ON HOLD***** I will most likely be re-writing this book, but please feel free to read anyway. I'll let you know when I plan on having the first few chapters up! I won't change too much of the plot (well maybe...) and since I only have...
