Prehalia's Demons(Completed) I #Wattys2019

2 I HIS RETURN

"Keels, you should totally go out with me and Casey this weekend! I saw those red stilettos and I just have to have them now." Jess, the nosiest, bitchiest and also, richest girl in our school (alongside with me), happens to be my best friend. Her blonde locks and baby blue eyes are a cliché for her mean girl image but well, if that will help you sleep better at night, the way it helped me, her hair is naturally brown: she bleaches it every two weeks.

Why do I know? Because I have to do everything with her. And by everything, I include going to the toilets with her, going to the mall with her, heck, even going out with her when she decides to throw the trash.

I guess all of those would be slightly more justified if I clear out another thing: Jessica Samuels is actually my younger sister.

"Jess, you know I hate going to the mall every day." I sigh and look at her, ready to end this conversation as soon as possible. "Going once a month is alright. Maybe twice...but every day? Come on."

"But you know..." Her voice suddenly lowers with a familiar glint of accessory in her gaze. "I have to look my absolute best for Riley." She twirls a strand of her bleach blonde hair around her finger as the infamous Riley Stone passes by and gives her the signature 'hey, baby' look accompanied by a cringeworthy lip bite that looks more hilarious than sexy to me.

"Oh, Jess, your taste in men is as good as my grades in chemistry." I close my locker loudly and make my way down the hall, not waiting for her to get my joke.

"Wait-" My sister shouts when I'm about to turn the corner. "But your grades in chemistry are awful!"

I guess you could say that Jess isn't the brightest mind in town.

She pouts and crosses her arms in front of her chest in a protective manner. I give her a small mischievous smile as she proceeds to call me 'Jerk' lovingly.

I grimace at her and continue on walking, shaking my head. There's only one thing worse than chemistry and Stone taken together and that's my sister's sense of humor.
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After my classes end, I try to get out of school as fast as I can. I feel out of place in here. Even the scent of freshly cleaned floors in the hallway or the artificial smell of flowers in the classrooms make my lunch do a 180 up my throat.

I basically run towards my car and the moment I'm in, occupying the driver's seat, realizing that for the first time in about a month, I'm finally Jess-free, I throw myself an imaginary party and let it play out in my head, feeling triumphant for something that is stupid, but still makes my miserable life a tad bit more enjoyable.

But, as always, I'm too fast on making conclusions because Jessica promptly sits on the seat next to mine, just when I am about to zone out.

"Jeez!" I try to scream at her, but only end up sounding like one of those squeaky toys. "You scared the crap out of me!"

However, when I take a look at her all surprise and grumpiness leave me.

"Oh god, drive, Keely." She says in her most serious tone, demonstratively putting on her seat belt and looking at me with such sternness that I almost feel her eyes carving a hole in my head. "Keely, d-r-i-v-e." She spells the word out as if she's talking to a little kid or her servant. She should know better that her older sister doesn't take orders from anybody.

"I'm not your personal driver, Jessica! Go get a licence and stop bugging m-" My nagging is interrupted when the girl next to me grabs my arm and starts shaking me.

"Drive, Keely! He's here!" This time she reaches for my shoulder, her face terrified, in hopes to tell me what she shouldn't by only using her eyes. Trying to keep me and my secret alive.

But I'm gone. The fear takes over me the moment she says that he's here. He's back and that means my world the way it is will be flipped again, as if I'm a plastic bag in the wind.

My grip around the steering wheel tightens until the tips of my fingers go numb, the knuckles turn white. Flashbacks haunt me and in those seconds I'm Keely from when I had nine lives, from when I belonged here. Or so I thought.

He's finally here to finish me off, to put me in my place. To destroy everything for good.

"Jesus, Keelian, drive the fucking car!" Jessica slaps me across the face and my senses are suddenly back. Before long, I've turned the ignition on and we're flying down the road, passing by posh stores and the mall where those shoes that Jess wants probably are.

I drive and drive, and drive. I pass our home and my sister, with a frown on her face, asks me where we are going. She tries to reassure me that we're fine, that I'm fine but I don't listen.

I have to get away. I have to get away.

Let me get away.

I don't tell her where we're going because I simply don't know. I just need to get out of here, out of this town full of lies and away from that boy who nearly ruined me forever. Nearly finished me off, without even leaving a track behind him.

We stop close to the border with Haptorium and are greeted by a tall, iron wall that looks equal parts terrifying and surreal. It's way taller than what it needs to be, however it's there, making sure to oppress the ones who had been deprived of their chance to live life at its fullest— people who were probably not even remotely at fault for losing that possibility. Those are the unlucky ones.

But as much as I realize that they probably envy my place in Pretorium, I can't help but believe I am even more miserable than them.

I get out of the car in need of fresh air and sit on the front of it, beer in one hand, the other twisting a strand of my dark brown hair. A habit that me and my sister both have.

She follows me soon after that and quietly sits next to me on the still hot engine.

Her mean girl persona is gone, at least for the moment. She doesn't have to pretend in front of me.

Even though next to us is the giant iron wall, in front of us we can see the city of Pretorium with all of its greatness and beauty.

The city of the rich.

The city of cowards.

"Why is he back? I thought he was gone for good." Jess takes a sip from my beer and gives it back, pouting like a little kid and having her hands folded in front of her chest in a protective manner. "He almost killed you, Keely."

This time, I take a sip and subconsciously take Jessica's hand in mine, trying to mask the shakiness that suddenly takes over my body.

We stay there quietly for minutes that turn into an hour. And it feels like the longest time in my entire life. I watch as the sunset sets and the last breaths of the day are stolen away by the night. I smile bitterly.

I am the day and he's the night.