Script [Forest] (Hiatus)

[11] Recovery

For a moment, it still feels like I'm in the game. The air is frigid and the wind is harsh. There's no snow but the sound of leaves crunching beneath the weight of my shoes seems enticingly familiar. However, there's a parallel to the in game experience that I'm not so keen on experiencing again.

The overwhelming presence of fear.

As I make my way over to the car parked out front of my home, the pit of dread that is my stomach churns the same way it had in the forest. Only this time, a happy ending doesn't seem so likely. At my approach, vapors of cigarette smoke escape from Julian's car window. They, too, are eager to be free of his presence it would seem.

Arms folded to my chest, I wait for him to dial the music down low before I ask, "What are you doing here?"

There's a delay in his response as he types something on his phone, perhaps purposefully prolonging my exposure to the cold as yet another one of his means of exerting his dominance over me. "Get in," he says without sparing me so much as a single glance. Nervously, I glance back towards my dormant home. Everyone has already turned in, even Kai who usually spent most of his nights when we were kids, sneaking out, was down for the count.

Chan's not sleeping, he hardly is most nights because of things like this. There's no light coming from his window but I'm almost certain I see the slightest shift of his blinds closing. At least if I end up missing, somebody knows what happened.

I tug my eyes back down to Julian who's now watching me with unveiled impatience. "Ree, get in the c--"

"Why?"

"It won't take long," he admits, his fingers scratching at the untamed stubble on his chin.

"But where a--"

"Dammit Reese just in the car!" His fist slams against the steering wheel inciting the wrath of the horn. His lips come together and convulse at the rotation of his jaw. His flaring nose, red eyes and slick black hair make his so akin to a bull that I wouldn't be surprised if he charged me any minute now.

But he doesn't. He just continues to seethe and against my better judgement, I slide into the car beside him. His hand reaches towards me and I flinch out of instinctual habit. His eyes flash and he draws his hand near his side once more.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya, I swear. Just quit with all the damn questions, alright?"

I nod, though his words don't exactly invoke any real sense of relief. The car pulls off and I find myself sinking further into the fresh upholstered seats of his new car. I reach for the radio, turning up whatever it was he was listening to before and he doesn't bother to stop me. In fact, the music seems to soothe him in a way that I've never been able to. Not that I mind.

"How was your party?" He asks out of the blue.

"It was nice," I admit softly, "I would've invited you but it was a surprise. I didn't know about it until I walked in."

He scoffs and turns down a street I don't recognize too well, "Yeah right. No point in me being there to ruin your night. That brother of yours messed me up pretty bad last time he was home, I'm not trying to put up with his shit again." I remain silent at this, recalling quite vividly that one instance where Julian simply shouted something he shouldn't have at me and Kai nearly broke his arm. Truthfully, it's a wonder he didn't press charges that night.

My phone vibrates, removing my thoughts from the past and returning them to the present. It's Chan, of course, doing his duty of ensuring that I'm alright. Convincing him that he doesn't need to come out to tail along, I put away my phone when I notice Julian's eyes beginning to linger a little longer than I would've liked. Thankfully, he doesn't address it.