The Fragmented Luna

Truth or Dare Continued

"Ok, so you choose truth", Ian stated with an intrigued expression on his face. He tapped his fingers against his face while squinting his eyes pretending to be in deep thought. Valerie who sat on the left side of him elbowed him in the ribs. He yelped rubbing his side as if he was deeply injured my her action. "Alright, Alright, stop trying to kill me", he said. "Rowen, what is your favorite hobby?", Ian asked as everyone turned their attention towards me as they waited for my answer. 

"My favorite hobby is painting", I answered without thinking. It was true that painting was a hobby that I loved spending time doing. I thought about the disastrous mess of the paint room that Samuel invaded. I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach as I thought of Samuel messing with the only place that made me feel safe. Too many memories resurfaced from all the painting I did throughout the years. It was a hobby but it was also something Ann liked to say was my calling. I hadn't understood what she meant until all of those paintings were gone. 

"Impressive, I'd like to see your paintings sometime when I come over", Ian stated as he nodded his head appreciatively. His voice brought me out of the haze that I felt clouding my thoughts. Ian wrapped his arm around my shoulder then turned towards Nixon. "Alright Nixon, Truth or Dare", Ian asked. I took the arm that he draped around my shoulder flinging it away from me apprehensively. Nixon looked at Ian with a seeping hatred in those blue eyes that made me shrink into the couch. 

"Dare", Nixon stated tersely. "Really Ian. You should keep your hands to yourself and leave Rowen alone", Nixon stated possessively while staring at Ian with contempt. Nixon looked like he wanted to reach over to rip out Ian's throat. I felt something foreign stirring inside of me as Nixon showed his dominance over me. 

"Fine, I dare you to kiss Rowen", Ian said. Nixon stiffened in the seat beside me with a grim expression in his eyes. He looked towards me lost in thought as his eyes ran along my features to rest on my lips. I felt exposed by his pervasive exploration of my eyes from the bottom of my toes to the top of my head. 

"Not going to happen", he stated as a pained expression crossed his face. He brought the cup up to his lips taking a sip of the drink inside. Even though I felt conflicted towards Nixon I also couldn't ignore the deep sadness that his rejection caused me. 

"You will have to give in to it one of these days", I heard Valerie whispering to Ian. The pair of them seemed very secretive as they sat close to each other silently communicating. Sometimes it felt like they were on a different wavelength than me because of how in tune they were with each other. Then again I didn't have any siblings to share that bond with. 

"Alright Val it's your turn", Nixon stated grumpily from his seat. After Nixon placed his cup down onto the table I noticed it was completely empty. I wondered if Nixon would refill his drink with some more of that concoction but he didn't. Instead of refilling his drink he took the cup in front of me to pour some of my drink into his own cup. It didn't matter if he took my alcohol because I wasn't going to be drinking tonight anyway. 

"I choose truth", Valerie stated loudly. I looked over at my friend who seemed to be dizzy as the alcohol took effect on her. I was worried that maybe Valerie would be angry if she had alcohol but she hadn't showed any signs of anger just yet. "Why don't we change it up. Let Rowen ask the question", Valerie queried. Ian agreed with his sister then they both turned to me waiting for my question with a curious gaze. 

"Ok, Where is your favorite place", I asked her as I said the first thing in my mind. 

"That's easy. The forest is my favorite place. Especially the trail  called Pine Hills", Valerie said to me. I stiffened in the seat beside Ian as I recognized the name of the woods near my old house. "It was only about 10 minutes from the trail we used to go on as kids. I used to go there on winter nights but my parents warned me that there were monsters in the woods", she said with a grim look on her face.

"Oh yeah. I remember we used to go there with Skylar sometimes", Ian stated dourly. A tension seeped into the room as Nixon looked over to Ian with seething hatred. "Yeah mom and dad wouldn't let us go because they found some girls parents murdered out in those woods", Ian agreed. I felt my stomach dip at the mention of my dead parents because people knew about them when I didn't. 

"I remember it like it was yesterday. Those poor people some psycho just ripped open their throats and left the little girl behind. I heard they found the girl in the woods right over where we used to play covered in blood from head to toe. No one ever saw the girl. It was like she just dropped off the face of the earth.", Valerie stated grimly. I felt my body grow faint as images raced around in my head in a swirling vortex. 

It was beyond a doubt that these things happened to me but I just couldn't remember that night at all. The only thing I remembered about the forest were those hauntingly tall trees. I felt myself transported through time as I remembered the trail with the swaying trees in the night sky. I was drawn into a darkness of those swaying trees as they tried to swallow me up into the forest. The crunch of the leaves under my small frame brought me to the earthy trail. There was something else besides the crunch of those leaves but I couldn't quite hear the sound. I thought that maybe it was the sound of footsteps getting closer to where I lay. If I could just stay in the memory for a little bit longer I might be able to see what it was that followed me. 

"Rowen, wake up Rowen", Valerie stated. I blinked my eyes open to see Valerie standing with a worried expression on her face. "Rowen whats wrong", she asked as she watched my face grow pale. She went to place her hand on my arm but I didn't respond as memories were pouring in too fast for me to catch up. 

'Gabby wake up' my mother's voice spoke to me in my bedroom. 'Remember Gabby, there's magic in this song. One day you will find out what I mean by that', as she held the music box in her hands. She stood over my bed with that strange look in her eyes. 'Don't touch it until you're ready', her voice whispered as the memory faded into darkness. 

"Rowen come back to us", Valerie said nervously. I didn't respond to her but remained trapped in this strange world.I felt Valerie's hand imprinted on my face as she sound of her hand hitting my cheek broke me from my trance. I really looked at Valerie, Ian and Nixon who all looked relatively calm for having to awaken someone from a trance. 

"Rowen, where did you go?", Ian asked with a knowing expression on his face. I shifted in my seat nervously as my head filled with that familiar ache between my eyes. It happened to me anytime I remembered something important. I knew where I needed to be now I just had to wait until we went back to the bedroom. 

"I'm fine. Sorry I was just thinking of a painting I have at home. You guys should come see it. It's a picture of the woods looks just like your old painting", I said with a ghostly smile on my face. Despite the fact that everyone seemed dissatisfied with my answer they all went back to playing. I wondered if whatever Samuel had been looking for was with me all along.