flare | JACOB BLACK [2]

~ TWENTY ~

~~

Portland, Oregon

After my tears had dried I noticed a letter on my dresser. It was in a light blue envelope, Evan's favorite color. I went to go open it and inside was a letter. It was handwritten. Evan's handwriting was dated yet, elegant.

Dear Avery,

I am writing you this letter to let you know that I think I am being watched. I am not sure who it is but, I know it is not a human. I fear that it is the Volturi, considering I told you about them and that is another rule broken on top of many others. I have decided for, not only my safety, but yours as well, to leave Portland. If my suspicions are correct and the Volturi is watching me, then I will most likely be killed.

Avery Howard, you are one of the most extraordinary people I have met. Thank you for making my time here in Portland just as extraordinary.

Your friend,

Evan Charleston

No, this couldn't be happening, Evan couldn't be leaving me too. It was too late to go out the front door without being noticed so, I began to climb down my window. I had to see it, I had to make sure Evan was really gone because it didn't feel real. Everyone that I had loved and cared about was leaving me.

As I ran I began to think, why? Why was I being targeted like this? Why did the world think I deserved this much pain? Why did it have to be me?

I stopped in front of Evan's house. There were no lights on, not in his house or the surroundings ones. I could tell no one was inside. Evan always had this feeling of happiness eminating from him that was noticeable even outside of his house but, it wasn't there anymore. Suddenly, it wasn't Evan's house anymore. It was an ordinary house on an ordinary street. And all I felt was loneliness. Complete and utter loneliness.

I walked back home, no tears fell and no sobs escaped. I felt nothing but terrible emotions that I had no control over. This was what life was now and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop anything.

...

I was sixteen when it happened. The first time I experienced real fear. Fear was an emotion I stopped believing in when I was fifteen because fear could never be as bad as sadness, and I was always sad.

After Evan had left I would go by the house he used to live in. I would look up at the windows and stare, just waiting for his head to pop out from behind the curtains. I used to go there about twice a month, when things got overwhemling. Going there made it feel like maybe if I thought about him hard enough he would come back. And if he came back then I could talk to him and things would be alright.