Elysian House: Silver Bullet (2)

Chapter 15: Security Breach

"Leave. Me. Alone." I snapped, dropping my book down on the ground beside me. "What did I ever do to you, Winter? Ever since I met you, you were always insulting me, always telling me Snow isn't to be trusted. She helped me, Winter." I shake my head at her as she looked up at me, for the first time, allowing me to speak. "When I had nowhere to go, no place to run. Those people would have killed me."

She wipes her lips of the blood with the back of her hand and pushes herself up off the ground. This moment was the only moment, ever, that I saw Winter with a look on her face. A look of sympathy for me. A look like she wasn't looking at a stupid person, but a confused and lost girl. She didn't mind me hitting her in the face. She just looked at me. She stared. 

It was a time like this, when I look back on it, that I wished she would have said something. I yearned to hear some sort of kindness from her. But she said nothing. 

I walked away in silence, and the tears streamed down my cheeks.

---

Bradley and Maya and I were sitting in a booth in McDonald's on a Friday night. The employees were very annoyed with us when we came in, since it was so late. Which I kind of felt bad about. As we took our seats, with our drinks in hand, Maya and Bradley got talking. I sat in silence, listening to them badger on and on about how they'd like to try and leave Elysian House for a bit and go on a vacation somewhere. 

While they were talking, I turned my attention out the window. Only for just a moment, before I heard them calling my name.

"Ry, are you in? Let's go somewhere. The Darkness is gone, let's have some fun," Bradley nudges me with his knuckles lightly. "Whataya say?"

"No, no, I can't," I say, thinking back on the prophecy. I seriously needed to figure out who this kid is. Maybe he's a part of the prophecy. If that is so, then I'm on my way to finding two pieces of the puzzle. 

"Why not?" Maya asks me, appearing concerned and confused as to why. 

"The Darkness is still here, Maya. I can't leave."

Bradley huffed loudly and said, "Riley, it's gone. If we don't concern ourselves with the prophecy, then it doesn't exist."

I grew annoyed at my two friends and twisted my straw in between my fingers. "That isn't how it works, Bradley."

"Why not? You said it yourself, it won't come out if you don't say anything."

I slammed my cup down on the table and some of its contents sprang out of the cup and onto my hand. "Damn it, Bradley. I am not leaving Elysian House." The two of them stared at me in shock at my outburst and they looked down at the table, which made me feel quite bad in that moment that I blew up on them. I was about to apologize, when I felt the urge to look out the window. 

So I did.

When I did, I saw that man again. He was walking down the street, with his suit on and a cane. He had a smile on his face. His name was Braham, I remembered. He looked across the street at me, and his smile widened in pleasure. I felt my fist squeeze the Styrofoam cup in my hand. I turned back to my friends and inhaled deeply. "I'll be back." I rushed out of the McDonald's and out onto the street.

He stops walking, but doesn't turn to face me. Still, I knew he knew I was there. 

"Are you following me?" I questioned out loud to him as I stood a few feet behind him.

His shoulders bounce as he laughs and turns around. He lays both of his white gloved hands on his cane and peers down at me. "On the contrary, my dear, you're the one that came up behind me, intruding on my walk."