dawn

Chapter 8

All I could think about was the fight I had started without wanting to. I wanted to think of how they were even involved but I was too panicked by what I had to do to stop it before someone got hurt.

All I could feel was the impending doom hiding on either option which was as obscure as a choice could be. Was I making one by thinking? Couldn’t I be neutral? Could I just go home?

I’d never wanted to go home so desperately. I wanted to scream and cry and run into the forest and keep running until I found someone who recognized me from one of the Missing posters.

No, I just wanted to run. Not even home anymore. I wanted to run until the world disappeared behind me, run at the speed of light, vanish to those invisible demons ready to hurt me and the people I loved. I wanted to run through the forest and not be seen or found.

But that would never come true. I would always be the defenseless pawn in this world and the problem was that it always was coming to an end. It was coming up faster and faster, things accumulating into a terrifying nightmare, to the end of my useless life. No, I couldn’t let that happen to my uncle. He didn’t deserve to see me slaughtered or to be caught up in it. I had to leave. I had to get out.

He couldn’t go through it.

My family already thought I was dead; they had to believe that. Especially after all those murders in the woods and animal attacks. I was dead to them. I had to be dead to Uncle John too. No, wait, lost. I was lost. My body wasn’t found. I was lost.

As much as I wanted to be in one of my bedrooms, I didn’t care which at that point, I couldn’t go home too early. I had to stay and sit with my friends for lunch.

“Is something wrong, darling?”

I shook my head, not seeing who said it, not caring long enough to—Darren or Jerry.

There was whispering among the boys, across the table.

“Guys, leave her,”

“Wait, wait; let’s watch.”

Huh? I turned up to them and suddenly I was up against the wall, pinned by Rey. Ugh! “Let go of me!” I shrilled a loud squeal as he tickled me. I tried to kick but he had maneuvered himself out of the way. I laughed hysterically, trying to stop him feebly. My ribs began to ache; my laughter was draining my air supply, the only one I had saved before I was snatched from my natural state. “Stop it!”

“Rey, stop it. I don’t want to change her,”

Rey fell away from me and I staggered forward and into Darren’s arms, groaning and laughing breathlessly. He threw me up in the air and I gasped but he caught me carefully, bridal style and spun me around, fast. I tried tying my arms around him but he stopped and set me on my feet. I stumbled forward, the world and ground swishing around, out of focus.

I turned back, trying to see the guys who only chuckled and then I fell into Gerald’s arms. I couldn’t even manage a flush. He set me on my feet and spun me around as though I was in a dance recital, reminding me why I quit ballet at age six. And I fell against Harold who then sat me down.

My forehead slammed down on the table but even that didn’t hurt as I continued to laugh breathlessly, wanting to be angry at the same time. “I hate you guys!” I shrilled in my wiped out condition.

I continued to laugh with them. All of them. Jerks.

While I heard them laughing, I realized something else. They loved me and they were my friends.

That was enough, more than enough, to carry me the rest of the day. I could forget my problems for a moment with that in mind.

I went home with the guys in the limo, letting myself, at least in pretense, enjoy their company. I didn’t have to act very much. They were easy to be around with. While I never did have close male companions, I didn’t have a problem with the band.