Beautifully Damaged

8. Alone

I raised my eyes and scanned the crowd, for anyone I might know, if only just because we shared the same class. Luck was on my side: I spotted someone. It would be just my luck to find a person who had ditched me earlier at school. Tall, dark and handsome, Drake stood at the other side of the fire talking to people I didn't know.

As if he'd felt my gaze on him, his eyes darted up and bore into mine. A chill stole through my bones at the hard, cold look in his eyes. It was a look of disdain, like he couldn't stand me. Hurriedly, I dropped my eyes, feeling the familiar burn rise in my cheeks. What had I done? What had I ever done to deserve any of this? Alex was right; I shouldn't have come. The thought jumped into my mind before I could stop it.

"Alright," Morgan's commanding voice came out of nowhere, "Time to start with the fun."

Why was it that I got such a bad feeling when she said that?

Cheers floated up from the small crowd, silencing my uneasy thoughts. I was probably being way too paranoid.

Morgan's Cheshire cat smile showed her white teeth as she looked down at all of us from the boulder she stood on. "You know the drill, I choose someone," She paused and turned her stare to me. "You run, hide, whatever else... and we chase."

Quiet chatter rose around me in excitement. Maybe it was just me that found this game unnerving, even before playing it. It was probably much more fun than I thought it out to be.

"Today," She continued, her gaze flicking away from me once again. "I choose... Drake."

It was my turn to settle my sights on him. His face was tight and something like hatred danced in his eyes. I was sure that shock registered in my face as I turned away. For some deluded reason, I had believed that hate that strong couldn't exist in anyone, especially people our age. Apparently, I was wrong. This whole night felt wrong.

"Let the game begin," Said Morgan, anticipation shining in her fire lit eyes.

Everyone took off at a run, laughter and playful screams floating back to where I stood, unable to move. This was beyond bizarre, and I wasn't sure I wanted to be a part of it. Morgan jumped down from her place on the boulder and skirted round the fire toward me.

"Come on, Blaise, have some fun," She took my arm gently and led me to the edge of the forest. "I'm sorry I was being so harsh before, I didn't mean it."

"It's alright," My voice cracked and I ignored the feeling of Drake's eyes on me.

"Get going already," He snapped impatiently, suddenly beside me.

With my heart in my throat, I took off.

It's only a game. Just a game. I couldn't stop the endless chant that did nothing to soothe my nerves. Grass whispered beneath my feet, trees sprung into my path. Amazingly, I didn't crash into any of them. Branches grabbed at my arms and legs, trying to catch any piece of me that they could. It was madness that I couldn't hear anyone else crashing through the brush in the forest- or not, since I couldn't hear anything over my heart pounding against my rib cage.

            Finally, I was able to bring myself down to earth again. This was just a stupid game, why did it matter if I got caught? Slowing to a walk, my breath rasped between my lips and I looked around me, trying to get my bearings back. A wave of dizziness overtook me, sending the world spinning. My chest heaved to bring in cold, fresh air. I so should not have sprinted so desperately. Leaning against a tree, I calmed my breathing.

It was silent in the forest, completely and utterly. Far away, I heard the giggles of some kids but I couldn't place the direction. Well, with all the racket I'd made, it'd be easy to find me. The game would be over soon, and I could go home and never let Bear out of my sight again.

Silver moonlight lit the wood, bleaching everything of individual color and leaving it the same bone white. It was eerie really, but so beautiful. A strand of silver hair fell into my face, more shiny and unusual than ever. I tucked it behind my ear and stepped away from the tree, continuing my aimless trek through the trees.

A dry, brittle snap echoed around me. My breathing hitched. A bird flapped away from the tree next to me, cawing as it went. This time, my heart rate stayed at normal pace, thank goodness.

For a fleeting second, I felt like I was being watched. Hesitantly, I brushed the feeling away. I was just spooked after that strange dream about that girl; this silent forest wasn't making it any better.

That was until hands closed around my throat and squeezed.

My cry was lost, dying in my chest. Blindly, I thrashed out, fighting, surely for my life. This isn't a game. The dread in my heart forced the thought out. It wasn't helping anything. Tears prickled at my eyes as my lungs screamed for air. Let me go! I mentally screamed, twisting and squirming even as my muscles began to fail me. Letmego! My sight began to dim as black patches stained my vision. My legs failed to keep me upright, and I sagged in my assailants grip. I clawed at strong hands, trying to pry my life out of them. It wouldn't end like this. Not after I'd just woken up, it wasn't fair. It couldn't happen. Then even my hands turned to jelly.

This is how it would end.

Letmegoletmegoletmego...

I pleaded, prayed to any god that would listen. It was all that I could do as my chest convulsed, crying out for the air it desperately needed.

LET ME GO!

The scream in my head came out of nowhere, and exhausted my last shred of energy. My body fell to the forest floor, drained of every bit of will to live. I didn't register the lack of grip around my throat and neither did my body. My throat still constricted and deprived me of what my lungs needed. I heard footsteps retreating, though I could still see nothing. Sight wasn't my priority, however.

My chest shuddered, forcing me to take a breath through a tight throat. Sputtering sobs defeated the act, but the determination had returned. I gasped in a small amount of air, coughing and crying into the ground. I held my pain-lanced throat, unable to think past anything but breathing.

Small sips of air were all that I could manage, and in the end, it wasn't enough.

Darkness took over, and I thought no more.