17. AFTER
I'm at Raymond forest right now, though, for the life of me, I'm not quite sure why I'm here.
And then, suddenly I find myself running. I'm running so hard my legs burn and my chest feels as though it's been set on fire. At first I think I'm running from something but then I hear a voice - a young boy, so achingly familiar, is calling for me.
And that's when I know I'm not running away. I'm running to someone.
Except, I don't think I can reach him on top because I just keep on running and running, on and on, and the forest path seems to unravel endlessly. I'm so tired but I can't stop. Not when I'm so close.
"Matt, help!" the voice screams, which only makes me run faster and the blood pounds in my ears. I feel my heart threatening to burst out of its ribcage as the voice gets louder and louder.
"Matt, help me!"
"I'M COMING!" I yell. "I'M COMING FOR YOU!"
"MATT!"
I don't know how but I've ended up on the top of a hill - it looks familiar too but I can't seem to place anything in my mind right now. What's going on? How did I-how is this possible?
Suddenly, I notice a little boy in front of me and he's staring at me with cornflower blue eyes. He's so young, he can't be more than six or seven years old, and he has blonde hair that looks like it hasn't been combed for days. He's sad. He looks so unbearably sad that it makes me want to scream.
"You called for me," I say. "Who are you?"
He smiles in a way that makes the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. And suddenly, the boy's taller now, more striking-looking, and he sneers at me contemptuously.
"I felt sorry for you," he spits. "Did you know? It was only because I felt sorry for you."
"W-What?" I ask, my mouth dry.
"You were never a good friend to me," the boy continues and he turns his back to me and begins to walk slowly towards the edge of the cliff.
"Careful!" I warn and he turns to look at me curiously. "You'll fall," I tell him.
He rolls his eyes and continues to walk upward but I seem to be rooted in my spot. Move, I tell myself. Move, you idiot!
"Oh, but didn't you know, Matt?" He's facing me again with that same, calculating smile. Then, he stretches out his arms as though he's about to take flight and he cocks his head at me. "I already have."
"What're you talking about?" I find myself yelling. "Who are you? What's going on?"
His eyes remain fixed on mine, so cold, so ruthless. He looks like someone I know but he can't be because he doesn't remind me of him at all. He reminds me of...he reminds me of...
"It's your doing." I let out a gasp because, now, there's a different boy standing in front of me and he's grinning, his sharp, white teeth flashing at me dangerously. His hair is the colour of ashes and those eyes - my skin turns to ice - blue, blue, so blue they could kill you.
"It's your doing," he hisses and I'm reminded of a snake. "All yours."
For some reason, I look down at my hands and they're drenched in blood.
And then I scream.
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