The Survival Project

Chapter Two

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-People don't want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas. Their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left?

Just the Big, Scary Unknown.

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Chapter Two



It's been two days since I got the letter. Nothing's happened yet, which is more reason to believe it was just a prank.


Life has been extremely boring without Aislin. We normally do everything together but she's visiting her dad for the next week. You know what that means? Hermit week, aka stay inside on my laptop all day week.


My thoughts are interrupted by a few short raps on my bedroom door.

"Come in!" I call out. The door opens and my mom walks in.

"Can I help y-" I begin but my mom interrupts.

"Get out of bed and get ready right now. You're going out. I don't know where and I don't care. Just get out of the house," she rants, her hands on her hips.

I let out an exaggerated sigh and climb out of my bed. I grab some clothes from my dresser while my mom watches me with a shocked look on her face.

"Oh, you actually listened to me. Good." She smiles and walks out of my room. I roll my eyes and change into a pair of high waisted shorts and a tucked in aqua tank top.

I go to my bathroom and brush out my long brown hair. I smile as I remember the day Aislin and I got the tips of our hair dyed; mine hot pink and hers teal. The hot pink in my hair is starting to fade but its still really noticeable at least.

I apply a little bit of make up; smokey eyes, winged eyeliner, some blush and light pink lips.

I grab my small white purse and my keys before bounding out of my room and heading to the garage. Our garage is a huge four car garage that holds three of my parents cars and my small green slug bug that I got for my 16th birthday a month ago.

I open the garage door and slide into my slug bug. I slowly back out and am looking in my rear view mirror when I hear a tap on my window. I quickly stop the car and glance to my left.

It's our next door neighbor, Mr. Rodriquez. He's a tall, skinny mexican man with a goatee and a top hat. I roll down the window and look over at him, a confused expression on my face.

"Hello, Bri! Looking stunning as always," he compliments with a smile. I force a smile back.

"Thanks, Mr. Rodriquez," I say.

"Oh, please call me Dante," he insists. I nod and glance at the steering wheel before looking back at him.

"Oh, you're in a hurry. I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask you, uh, do you know my son Ryan?" he asks. His son Ryan is around 5 years older than me, in his early twenties or so.

"Yeah, I know him. Well, I've seen him a few times but we don't talk. Why?"

"Well he wanted me to ask you if you'd like to, perhaps, grab a bite to eat with him some time?" Dante looks at me with an almost begging look on his face. Ryan's not really that cute and he doesn't go out that much. He probably doesn't get too many dates either.

"Uh, I don't think that'd be a good idea. I have a boyfriend and all, so..." I trail off, hoping he understands.

Okay, so that's not exactly true. I did have a boyfriend, but as of two weeks ago we broke up. It really broke my heart because we had been dating for almost two years and things were serious.

Don't think that I'm just a rude person and that I won't give Ryan a chance because he's not that attractive. I'm just not ready to start seeing anyone yet and I don't want to get his hopes up.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, it was nice talking to you." He smiles and walks off. That was really strange, I mean, who has their dad go and ask someone out for you?




-


I walk inside the front door of my house and put my purse on the coat rack.

"Hey, sweetie. How was your day?" my mom calls out from the kitchen. Suddenly, like a wave, the smell of freshly cooked chocolate chip cookies hits me and immediately makes my mouth water.

"It was fine. Did you make cookies?" I eagerly walk into the kitchen, sitting at the barstool.

"Oh, no. That's just a new candle I bought. Do you like it?" she asks while wiping off the counters with a rag.

I accidentally let out a groan.

"It smells great and all but it seriously got my hopes up. I really want cookies now..." I look up at my mom and give her my best pleading look.

"Make em yourself. Now tell me about your day. What'd you do?"

"Dropped in on Kate. We went to a coffee shop and then the movies," I tell her while examining my nails.

Kate is my other best friend, although she's not as close as me and Aislin. She's extremely hyper and ecstatic constantly, though, so she's the perfect person to go to if your feeling depressed.

"Well that sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it was. Oh and Mr. Rodriquez came over and talked to me for a few minutes," I casually add. My mom stops washing the counters and looks up at me.

"Oh really? What'd he say?" she leans up against the counter, all of her attention on me now.

"He wanted me to go on a date with Ryan," I say.

"Please tell me you said no. I'm sorry, Ryan seems like a sweet boy, but he's too old for you. He's in his early twenties and he's never had a job, either..." She picks up the rag and keeps washing the counters like before.

"Don't worry, I declined. I was nice about it, though."

"That's good. Well I'm glad you had fun."

"Mhmm." I start walking up the stairs to my bedroom. I quickly strip into a pair of pajama pants and a tank top and collapse on my bed, falling asleep instantly.



-


I wake up the next morning with a strange, wet feeling on my leg. I sit up, groggily rolling up my pajama pants to examine my leg.

I gasp at the sight. My leg, pajama pants and bed covers are completely drenched in blood. The source of the blood is a long, deep cut running from my mid thigh to my ankle. I instantly think of the strange letter I had received.


What makes it worse is that there's a bloody knife resting right next to my leg.