The Lady In White | **COMPLETED**

4. Escaping the Mad Lady

Location: On our way home...

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Holding Jaela's hand, I couldn't believe that I was still alive, much less walking home with my boys. We've been doing this since we were kids yet nothing ever seems to be the same. Jonathan was walking up ahead with Josh and Dante behind him and Mark's hanging around just in front of me.

He's blushing red and I wouldn't harass him because I understood his feelings.

'What happened to you guys? Everybody kept talking about it after Mark left class.' Jaela said aloud.

Mark turned crimson at the mention of his name and the other three glanced back quietly still walking.

'Nothing happened, Jae-Bird. We just had a little accident.' I told her and she scrunched up her nose at me.

'Are you guys gay?' Immediately we froze and the uncertainty that we had just heard what we had clearly heard was written over all of our faces. 'Harry said that Mark liked JJ so that made him gay. And when the teachers found you together...'

'We are NOT gay!' Dante shouted . 'At least, I'm not.' He turned back around after defending himself, a bit too dramatically, but this was Dante.

'That's not true, Jae. We just had an accident but we weren't hurt.' I told her calmly before we continued to walk again.

None of us stopped blushing and I knew we would have an awkward walk back but it's not like it was even normal to begin with.

'What does it even mean?' Jaela asked and I smiled at her while Mark released a deep breath that he had been holding in. At least she was still my sweet Jae-bird. The same young innocent girl that I used to baby sit years aback.

We kept on walking on our way. We had already walked out of school, past the security booth, past the parking lot, past our parent's diner spot, past the small corner shops.

All we had to do next was walk past 'The Manor', an old "haunted" mansion that took up acres and acres of land which no one used even in broad daylight.

After that were two streets before we passed our old kindergarten and the playground beside our old primary school which we usually met up at. Then there was the long stretch of road afterwards that was just before our village.

'How are we supposed to show our face in school after this?' Josh asked aloud while Dante shrugged off Josh's hand from his shoulder.

'Thanks for bringing it up. Again.'

'I'm serious man.' We all remained silent for a minute before Dante jumped in with an answer.

'How are you even thinking about going back?' My mind races just thinking about it. What if it happens again?' Dante asked, his voice cracking clearly stating what all of us were thinking; what if we never woke up this time and actually...

'What's going to happen?' Jaela asked and Dante froze.

'At my place guys.' I told them knowing that we'd need to talk this out or no one was sleeping tonight or any other night for the rest of their lives. They all nodded and we continued moving.

We walked past all the buildings and were finally on the long stretch of road before the village. We all slowed down, which has been a habit for the past two weeks.

I couldn't blame though because I too felt chills. We caught each other's eyes before nodding once and all saying 'Let's go'.

We rounded the first lonely corner to the first street lamp before stopping short.

At the centre of the lonely creepy road was a creepy loner; Lady Louisa.

She was and still is the village seer lady and one of the few that deal with spirits; basically a person that you should avoid. She slowly made her way across the street, hunched over slightly with something in her hand.

Her wrist was alike an automatic hinge, moving up and down while shaking something invisible to our eyes just yet. As she reached the right side of the road she turned and faced the direction she had started from.

Across the roadway was a red line of what looked like dried blood. Lady Louisa's hand had a wet red rag being shaken with the simple flick of her wrist, over and over, dripping a steady stream of liquid off the cloth and onto the warm pitch where it dried instantly on contact.

Alike the basement, Dante was the first to make a move. He sprinted off without thinking about anyone.

Soon enough everyone got the memo and we were all off. By then, Dante was long gone, probably already inside of my home.

We were honestly making good time and there was no way that an old lady could follow us at all while keeping up since she was alive and not a pigment of our imagination trying to kill us.

Halfway down the road though, I remembered something which was confirmed by Mark when he had glanced, back eyes wide.

I skidded to a stop and then started to sprint in the other direction, already out of breath.

Jaela.

I ran all the way back to see her from a distance, talking and walking towards Lady Louisa with a curious facial expression. She was only three steps away from her when I neared. I snatched her up as quickly as I could and placed her over my shoulder before running again.

I know I sound "badass" by just snatching her up and running again but I honestly am a guy who had had a responsibility. Before we could reach the end of the street to the village, our weights started to tire me out badly.

I had to slow down and put a laughing Jaela down onto her feet.

'That was fun.' She said while grinning up at me. Breathing hard, I leaned down to her height.

'It's never happening again.' I huffed out in a wheeze and she laughed at me.

'You're afraid of Lady Louisa?' She asked unbelievably and I just stared at her, mouth hanging open. 'Why?'

I ignored her question and held out my hand. 'Let's go.'

I lifted my head to see Mark standing in front of me, appearing out of nowhere which really made me jump backwards.

'Let's go.' He insisted and grabbing Jaela's hand, I took off this time at a slower pace hoping to deter any downgrading thoughts to my character by my neighbours.

 How could a senior be afraid of someone that intrigued an eleven year old? Okay she was almost fourteen but that wasn't much different.

Scared as I was, I ensured that Jaela was safe.