Lives Change

Chapter Nineteen - Fear

Author's Note: This is an extremely short chapter, I know. I swear I'm writing more! :P

Raya's P.O.V.

Blaine and I both jump up from the couch when we hear the familiar creak of the front door. We both sprint towards the foyer and end up startling Terra. She snaps her neck to look at us, her blue eyes wide. It takes her a moment to realize it's us, not Jake.

I walk over to her and give her a stern look before saying, "Where the heck were you?"

Terra gives me a weird look, "I needed to go for a run. Why?"

"We didn't know where you were!" I say, throwing my hands up in an annoyed gesture.

Terra gives me a dead look, like I'm dumb. "I was running," she says.

She continues, "You know, that activity you do that's similar to walking but you go much faster?"

"I know what running is, Terra," I snap.

"Congratulations," Terra mumbles.

She pushes past me, softly brushing my shoulder with her own but I don't want to let her walk away this time. I grab her arm, causing her to stop, yank her arm away, and face me.

"What?" She spits, her eyes blazing.

"Terra," I say, my voice cracking, "I miss you."

Terra's face softens but she still refuses to let her guard down. "I'm right here, Raya. There's no need to miss me." She avoids my gaze and starts walking away again.

"But you're not!" I blurt. "You're not here! Your body is here, but you aren't."

Terra spins around and aims her flashing eyes at me. "That's because Jake's not here!"

My mouth opens and I try to speak but end up staring at her. Finally, I manage to say, "You...you still love him?"

Terra throws her hands up this time, exasperated. "No, Raya. I don't love Jake. I don't want him here, but I also don't want him to be gone like this! To disappear! I don't know where he is, which means I don't know if he'll come back!" 

There are tears in her eyes now, she's afraid. Afraid of Jake coming back and finishing what he started. Why couldn't I see this before? Of course she'd be scared! Just two weeks ago, Jake tried to rape her. That would make anyone jumpy. I knew that she'd been scared lately because of what happened with Jake, but I didn't realize that it wasn't from shock anymore, it was from a fear that it might happen again...or worse.

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Derek's P.O.V.

It's hotter here. Little huts that look like they've been slapped together dot the campground. Fire pits smolder, gray smoke rising out of them as most of the men and women douse them with water. Hissing sounds in my ears as the water hits the previously burning chunks of wood. Doors made out of twigs swing shut, tent entrances zip up, and I'm left sitting under the stars with nothing but the sound of crickets singing to keep me company. 

Sighing, I decide to call it a night and douse my own fire. Waving the smoke away from my face, I step around various logs and bigger stones, making my way to my tent. When I'd agreed to go into the Witness Protection Program, I'd assumed they'd at least send me somewhere halfway enjoyable. After all, I'd done a service for my country and all that. But no. They chose to ship me off to an unidentifiable part of some country they wouldn't even tell me the name of. 

Everyone here ignores me, apparently used to newcomers that don't speak their language. I have no one to talk to - after all, no one would understand me - and no one to call my friend. I have no one. 

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Raya's P.O.V.

I snuggle closer to Blaine and focus my gaze on the screen in front of us. Raven's face takes up the screen as she has one of her misinterpreted psychic visions. We're watching reruns of "That's So Raven," which I normally love, but I can't seem to focus on the TV today. Blaine senses this and reaches his arm out to shut the TV off with the remote in his hand.

Shifting his position on the couch, he turns to look at me. "You okay?" he says softly.

I slide out from under his arm and hold my knees against my chest, staring at the wall instead of him. "Do you think Jake will ever come back?"

Blaine sighs, and I can picture him running a hand through his hair as he puts together a response. I turn to face him and that's exactly what he's doing.

Finally, he says, "I don't know, Raya."

I look at him, then nod slowly. Of course he doesn't know. None of us do. That's the point. We should've reported him to the police. Then, he'd be in jail and we'd know he wasn't coming back. Terra could know and she could be safe. She could be happy. 

Blaine seems to realize what I'm thinking and he wraps me in his arms again, giving me a hug. 

"We did the right thing, Raya," he says, "You know how Jake can hold a grudge. If we'd sent him to jail, he'd be thinking of revenge the whole time and he'd just go gunning for all three of us when he got out."

I pull back enough so that I can make eye contact with him, "Who's to say he's not planning revenge right now?" 

Blaine stares at me, his eyes taking on a look of alarm.

I continue, my voice barely audible, "The only difference is Jake's not in jail, and he could come after her, after us, any time he wants to."

Blaine sits there, thinking with his eyes slightly wider than normal.

I look down at the ground and hug my knees to my chest again, "We're not safe."