Splintered Illusion

» twenty «

Thoughts of Puck made their way back into my mind and I attempted to imitate his growl in frustration.

How dare he invade my mind again? I drank to get rid of him!

With the alcohol buzzing in my veins, an amazing idea popped into my mind and I smiled up at the sky, opening my eyes. "Thank you for your help," I said to the sky, letting out a laugh when the only response I got was thunder and more rain.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I walked numbly through the rain, down my street with only one destination in mind. The anger that came with the alcohol fueled me all the way to the gas station where I first met Puck's friends.

He wasn't there, I noticed with a sigh, looking up at the sky and frowning at it.

Stupid sky. It was the one that gave me the idea!

Shivering maniacally and soaked to the bone, I pouted and looked for refuge in the small, battered gas station. When I stumbled in, the man at the cash register looked up, gave me an odd look and then turned back to whatever he was doing.

I scoured the aisles to waste time, and only realized I was starving when I was met with the mouthwatering smell of food, albeit expired. My stomach gave a growl and I sighed, eyeing the muffins with lust as everything started to spin around me.

Lack of protein in my body mixed with the alcohol did nothing to make me feel anything less than faint. I felt my knees give out from beneath me, my back sliding down and down against the wall behind me.

My eyes drooped and a weird, burning sensation started to build itself at the base of my forehead as my surroundings started to spin around me.

But before anything could happen, a voice attacked my muffled senses.

"Polly!"

Polly.

I heard someone shouting it. Over and over and over again. And each time it was said, the feeling of knives grinding into my forehead made me want to die.

Shutup, I wanted to say. But my mouth wouldn't move, almost as if I had lost control of my senses.

Cool hands frantically made their way to the burning skin of my cheeks, the only realization I got that my head was lolling to the side.

And then, all of a sudden, sturdy arms gathered up my limp body, and I felt the person rising as their footsteps echoed inside my mind like rocks skidding across water endlessly.

"Polly," the soft, gentle voice came again. It sounded familiar. I knew him. But I couldn't find the effort in me to place a name to the voice.

Only when I felt myself being placed down again, a warm jacket being wrapped around my shoulders did I finally start to regain my senses.

First it was my hearing.

Owen. I recognized him immediately, my name on his lips like a mantra.

Then, slowly, my sight, followed quickly with touch and smell.

"O-Owen?" I croaked, staring up at him, his familiar easygoing nature easing my shoulders.

He smiled in relief and I realized we were still inside the gas station, my body placed on a small bench instead of the cold, hard floor from before. The cashier who greeted me earlier was peering over at me from behind Owen's shoulder, however, when he noticed that I caught sight of him, he quickly turned and scurried away.

Owen took hold of my hand in his, the feel of his warm skin immediately easing the freezing state of mine. "God, Polly. I'm really starting to think that you like to worry me. Scratch that, you love it!"

"I worried you?" I asked, an amusing note in my voice as he handed me a water bottle.

Owen laughed as I took a swig it, sobering up. "How could you not? Next thing I know, I'm going to be hearing news of the girl that got kidnapped because she decided she wanted to pay a visit to a friend in this part of town."

"Too late," I said, eyeing him with mirth.

Disbelief dawned on Owen's face as his eyes widened. "The hell," he breathed, running a hand through his blonde hair, the small gesture reminding me vaguely of Puck - whom I discarded from my thoughts immediately. "How did that happen?"

"It's a long story," I said hesitantly, playing with the water bottle in my hands. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

Owen frowned. "I should be asking you that." I raised a brow and he let out a huff of laughter as he remembered his previous statement of finding me to be kidnapped. "My dad. He's uh, thinking of buying this place. He wants to renovate it. Make it a better place."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. Every newcomer who came to town looking for something to buy always left disappointed - too scared to take the risk of taking up the buildings in this part of town. Most of them were already owned by Puck's family, and they didn't want to pose a threat and end up dead instead. "That's...big."

Owen nodded. "Do you think it's useless?"

"What?"

Owen shrugged. "Buying this place. Our goal is to make it better, but... I dunno. Sometimes, I feel like it won't really make a difference, you know?"

"I beg to differ," I said, and Owen looked at me, astonished, waiting for me to elaborate. "Even if you fail, I still think this place'll be left better than found. I mean, look at this place right now." For further emphasis, I eyed the dirty gas station, gesturing at it with my water bottle. "I really think you can make a difference here," I added truthfully, looking Owen in the eye.

He stared at me for a moment before a huge smile broke out on his face, lowering himself so he was sitting at my feet.

"What?" I said at his odd expression, frowning.

Owen shook his head, gazing at me as he tried to fight off his smile. "Just..." He laughed. "It's hard to find a girl like you, Polly."

Whoop! 20 chapters in! Almost half-way through this book (unless I change plans)! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 70K READS!! Also, which day of the week are you guys most free? I'm asking this so I can update as much on those days.