Chasing Shadows

Part One ~ Chapter Twenty Two

I was lying on my bed alone in the cabin when Andrew stormed in. I assumed he had just finished talking with Amy and was pissed because we hadn’t told him anything over break, and he quickly proved me right.

“I can’t believe you didn’t even at least try to clue me in a little about everything going on at your houses.” I sighed and stood up, but Andrew held up a hand, effectively stopping me from opening my mouth. “Did you forget that it isn’t just you guys involved in this? I’m here too, whether any of us want it that way or not. I kind of hope that would mean you would at least tell me when something like this is happening.”

I cringed at how bad it sounded when he put it that way. We definitely didn’t mean to make him so worried and leave him feeling left in the dark. With everything not only had we wanted to make sure he wasn’t worried nonstop about us, but it had also sort of slipped our minds that he might want to know.

“We really weren’t thinking about what to tell you. We were so focused on everything going on that…” I sighed in frustration. I could never seem to talk about everything easily. It took a lot of effort to keep myself in control about it all. “Honestly, we didn’t mean to make you feel like this.”

“I know, but shit, it’s hard thinking about how it all must have been. Trying to be with your family, probably wanting to talk about what happened, but instead having to fight for life again and again.” Andrew shook his head and dropped it into his hands as he sat down on his bed. I sunk down onto my own, wishing I had a response. He was right though, it was hard. I knew Ethan especially had struggled with himself. He tried to hide it, but I was his brother. I knew how much he wanted to be able to talk to someone about everything. He could talk to us, but clearly it made him upset to think about what happened. He needed someone he could talk to that would really listen to him, help him learn to live through the trauma.

“I don’t know what to do sometimes,” I confessed. “I want to protect us all, but it seems like no matter what Mr. Grey can somehow force his way back into our lives. I don’t understand. Mr. Grey was supposed to be dead.”

“Fuck man, I wish I could do something also. I know I don’t always seem like it, but I really do want us all to end up okay.”

“Oh God, me too.”

***

Breakfast wasn’t as lively as it sometimes was. Amy and Julia were talking with each other in hushed tones, and I assumed it had to do with Andrew and Amy’s talk last night. Johnny, Ethan, and Kyle were talking animatedly about something Kyle did over break. Andrew and I just kind of mumbled to each other once in a while though, not really sure what to talk about. It felt wrong not to talk about what happened over break, as if if we didn’t give it enough attention we weren’t being thankful for the fact that we survived. It also felt wrong to talk about it though, because talking about it was uncomfortable and it was just too fresh to open up again.

Last night, Andrew and I had briefly talked about it before the rest of our cabin came in for the night. Then we had to stop, but it felt like some things were left unsaid. I felt the need to explain what happened with Tim to him, but I also didn’t know how. I was sure Amy had told him, but she hadn’t been there to see what happened in the room. I saw it, and I needed to talk to someone about it all. Talking with any of the others would just lead to them trying to analyze me. I loved Amy and Julia, but I knew that if I talked to them they would just try to be a mother hen.

“Classes start back up tomorrow,” Kyle declared.

“Joy.” Amy rolled her eyes and turned back to her breakfast. Julia sighed and muttered something under her breath, which Amy gave a quick laugh to. “Stop it,” she hissed, smiling.

It seemed like just being back at Hamilton had brightened Amy’s mood a bit. She and Julia were joking around once again, even if it wasn’t in the carefree way it was before we ever came to Hamilton. At least she and Julia were smiling.

“It’s supposed to snow this morning,” Andrew announced. “I heard it from one of the guys.

“If it snows, is there a way to go sledding or skiing or something?” Johnny asked excitedly. “I want to do something fun if it snows!”

“Oh God,” Julia muttered. “I don’t want it to snow. I’ll just get sick probably. Whenever we have the first snowstorm of the winter I get sick.”

“So? I don’t care if you get sick. I want to ski! Or sled! Or anything that is exciting. I love the snow!” I laughed at the way Johnny sounded like a little kid; I was glad that he could still enjoy things like snow. I had feared with everything going on we would all lose the pleasure we got from certain activities, but luckily that hadn’t happened. Johnny seemed just as excited this year by the prospect of snow as he did last year.

"Well, you could do some cross country skiing I guess. It would be pretty boring though. We don't have any good mountains for downhill skiing here," Andrew explained. "There is skiing equipment though to borrow. Also, on the first big snowstorm, everyone usually meets up and has a huge snowball fight." Johnny's eyes grew wide in excitement.

"So we all get to pelt our biggest enemies with snowballs? Sounds great! I hope it snows a lot!" I glanced at Ethan and noticed he was chuckling at Johnny's excitement over the possibility of snow. Kyle was grinning also, and he launched into an explanation of the previous year's snowball fight.

"And after it all was done, everyone came in here for hot chocolate and cookies. It was awesome! I don't think it's going to snow enough for all that yet though. Maybe an inch if we are lucky, but more likely just a dusting."

"Dang. You got my hopes up," Johnny pouted.

"I guess we will just have to wait and see," Amy concluded. "If we're lucky, this vacation will end with a huge snowball fight. Otherwise we should probably prepare for going back to classes."

***

I was walking into my cabin when I realized something. We were without the gun. We hadn't had one on us since leaving Hamilton Academy, and now that we were back we might actually need it. It made me nervous to think about how defenseless we were. If Mr. Grey got to us...

Mr. Grey was supposed to be dead though, so this was all still very confusing. From the path he seemed to set us up on with the motel and the car crash, it seemed like he was definitely alive. But if I thought about it too much, I would get stuck on how impossible it was for him to be alive. He couldn't be. We watched him fall to his death, as gruesome as it sounds. 

The cabin was empty, and I sat down on my bed and relaxed in the first moment of peace I had found since returning. Life was so hectic lately, I never seemed to get the chance to breathe calmly.

My bed crinkled as I lay my head back onto the pillow, and I wrinkled my brows in confusion. Was there something under me?

I lifted up the pillow and saw a plain, white envelope. There was nothing to label it, but it was sealed shut. My curiosity quickly overpowered my sense of cautiousness, and I slipped my finger under the seal and ripped open the envelope.

"Who can you trust any more?

Your hearts are getting increasingly sore.

All of you are so bewildered.

But one of you is much more flustered.

There is a liar among your group.

The secret will throw all of you for a loop.

Your friend is full of secrets and lies.

You should prepare some last goodbyes."

 ---

WOW I AM SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG I'm terrible I know I cannot apologize enough. Thank you to all of those who have kept with this, I promise now that I am back on track with my writing and will continue to upload. The adventures of these seven are not over just yet :)

Tell me what you think!  

--Ella   

Happy feb 4th!