The Attic

Chapter 9

We stood there in the shaded forest. Our eyes locked in a glare. His eyes piercing through me as if he was opening me right up and everything inside of me was on some wicked display. I felt his stare penetrate my skin like a million needed throughout my entire body. The wind soft in my ears and the only noise other than the screaming silence was the beating of my heart radiating off my ear drums and into my throat.

"What makes you so special Charlie Miller?" I asked, trying to swallow my tongue that seem to be taking up my entire mouth. I tried to control beat so I could hear over the fast beating heart. I wanted to run, drop everything that could weigh me down and just run. How far was I into the woods? Was the end near could I make it. Could I scream and someone hear me, would they be too late.

Charlie Miller laughed under his breathe, something soft in the chuckle, something sad hung over him. 

"Nothing Miss, Nothing makes me special, I'm just a man. You should get home there's bad people out here." The sadness crossed over to his face, something missing in his eyes.  A man with a secret, a man with guilt I wasn't sure. There was gray clouds sheltering him. I looked up at him trying to keep the calmness that I've finally have encountered.

" Its just you and I out in these woods, I'm not bad are you?" I already dreaded the question before the words slipped through my lips. This was an opening, would he attack me now, would these be my last moments. Would I be like Adaline. Fear struck me. holding me still freezing every inch of my body. Nothing could move, the air could barely fill my lungs. His eyes were stinging my flesh burning his gaze deep under neath my skin. My bones rattling with the fear that consumed me.  He took a deep inhale filling his lungs with air, was he getting ready to kill me, would I find out what happened in the woods. 

"Haven't you heard the talk of town" He stepped closer I could smell the whiskey hanging in hi s breathe. I took a step back bumping into the berry bush. I had no where to go, I glanced around quickly to figure out a way out, I had to get out. He was dangerous and drunk there would be no thinking involved.

"No sir, My family and I just moved here. We do not get much interaction being out of town" I swear my words echoed circling us over and over again. As I just screamed down a well that had no bottom.  He stood there confused even.

"There's just bad people in this place, its never safe. Not after that night" He looked down at his worn boots playing with the forest floor. I couldn't tell if it was sadness that over came him or if it was guilt that had taken over her face. He looked at me quickly, my back against the berry bush the branches sticking in my back. He began to walk away. I hear the twigs snapping under his feet, slowly growing more faint. I didn't move, didn't breath until he was out of sight and the snapping twigs were out of ear. I could feel my chest bouncing with every breath I took. Trying to keep the noise down so he couldn't hear me, I didn't want him to change is mind. I stood there for what felt like hours, the birds silence, even the breeze still. Nothing but the sound of my beating heart ran through my ears muffling out any other sound. The sound was mute but I could see the woods still living around me. The wind making the tops of the trees sway making the bits of sun light dancing in the spaces of the leaves. I moved a little, hearing the bush behind me shake from the movement. The earth below me sounds loud, as if I were screaming for him to return. I took still, quiet, holding my breath, I wanted to run I wanted my feet to fly me home. Nothing, just me and the trees was he gone, or was he waiting for me to turn my back. My heart felt as if it were to beat right out of my chest and onto the dirt floor. My hands were trembling as I reached down to grab my pail of berries. Berries were being knocked out for the rocking of the pail. Trying to control my body I needed to steady my body, calm I told myself. I checked one more the area around me, waiting for a set of eyes to meet mine. Nothing, my heart was back in my chest the beating stopped pounding in my ears. Then quickly I started running, my lungs too nervous to catch a breath I could feel them caving in and burning when a bit of air reached them. My throat dry and sticky hollow not taking in the little air that went through my nose. The fresh air burned my nosed making my eyes tear up. Trying to blink away the tears so my vision wouldn't be blurred. The pail seem to be a thousand pails the ache of carrying the weight in my arm and hands. I wanted to drop it I wanted to make my feet move faster. I wanted the ground below me to carry me home. My body was already tired, my arm was growing weak I could feel my fingers losing its grip, my chest bouncing trying to catch a a breath trying to keep me going. I kept going, the pain from my lungs and arms roaring through my body. Twigs breaking below me my body screaming for air. I kept running and running I needed to get to home, I wanted to be home.