The Game of Hearts

Chapter Six- Annabel

BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ. My phone is vibrating on my bedside table. I open my eyes sluggishly and roll over. I pick it up and yawn. I press it to my ear.

"Hey Lexi," I say into the phone.

"You have to get over here," Lexi's loud voice says. It seems to jolt me awake.

"Why?" But she just hangs up. I have no idea where she means, but I believe it's her house. I pull myself out of bed and chuck on some appropriate clothes and pull on my sneakers. Its midnight, but I need to check it out; anything could be happening. It could even be the apocalypse, you'll never know with Alexis. I sneak out through my window and climb down the guttering, as I have done many times before. When I land on my feet I take off running in the shadows, towards her house. When I reach her street I slow and spot Lexi. She's standing in the middle of the road, her dark hair billowing in the midnight wind. I walk towards her tucking my hands inside the pocket of my jumper.

"Annabel," she grabs my arm with her cold hands and pulls me into her yard. She drops my arm when we reach the base of a large willow tree. She shoves her boot in a notch, carved out, and begins to climb the tree. She reaches the lowest branch.

"Coming or not?" she calls down. I flinch at how loud she was and follow her up. I swing up onto the lowest branch, where she previously was.

"Come and look at this," she says. I climb up and perch on a sturdy branch next to her. Her finger is pointing at something carved into the tree. I squint to read it in the moonlight.

You look beautiful at midnight. That's what's carved into the tree.

"What do you think that is?" Lexi questions. It all clicks into place in my mind. Matthew.

"I don't know," I lie. Where does this lead to?

"Whoever did this knew I come here at midnight," Lexi ponders.

"Hmmm," I nod. This tree is Lexi's look out tree. She comes here every night. I look around the dark, I can see Lexi's room from here. I glance at the other houses, each one quiet and oppressing. A movement catches my eye and my head whips to a window in a neighbouring house. The curtain flickers shut.

"But, come on, look," Lexi pulls herself up onto another, higher branch.

"Is that safe?" I ask. It's really high off the ground.

"Yes, it's safe," Lexi says. "Coming or not?" I sigh and hoist myself up. She's pointing to another message carved in the tree.

B001 desk twelve. It's a clue.

"I know where that is," Lexi says.

"Where is B001 desk twelve?"

"B001 is my Maths class," Alexis says quickly. "And if you count the desks along, I sit at desk twelve. Every single time."

"So these are clues?" I ask.

"I suspect so," Lexi says. Her brow is creased.

"Whoever this person is, they think you're beautiful," I hint. She doesn't take the bait.

"I have to go to my Maths class," she stand up from her squatting position.

"Not right now," I say.

"No," she swears under her breath. "I'll go tomorrow. I have Maths third period."

"Okay," I say.

"Thanks for coming out at midnight," she smiles at me as she swings onto a lower branch.

"No problem," I say as I follow her down. When we reach the base of the tree Lexi's brow is crinkled in thought again.