Five Blue Birds

Acting Like Children - Emilia

I ran home that night, there was no way I was going out alone. How could he just abandon me like that? In the forest, by myself? I was no where near brave enough to go alone. I try to put up a brave front when I went with him, but a part of me always suspected he'd do something stupid enough to put him behind bars sooner or later.

I rushed back to the cabin, we hadn't gotten that far, and I luckily always carried a compass on my bracelet. Stylish, and practical, comes from living in Alaska for half your life. 

Salty tears started to stream down my face and I just let go of my own umbrella and ran, I didn't want to have it as a burden slowing me down as I ran.

I barely ever cried, but I knew if I stayed out in the open some type of wild creature would get me. Or worse, James. Part of me wished I didn't think this, but Mason and Naomi were so convincing, how could I not think it?

I remember I did cry once before, I was walking back from school a few years ago when three older boys cornered me. I just started to cry as they punched, and punched, and- They wouldn't stop, I deserved to cry that night. I didn't deserve what followed afterwards, my parents re-assured me that it wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault.

The salty stream of tears mixed with the rain water, and soon enough I found myself at the lodge cabin. Warmth seemingly seeping from the inside of it, calling me into the belly of the beast. Twigs had left small gashes on the side of my arms, because I was stupid enough not to bring a coat. 

I burst into the cabin, running in and sitting down near Layla who was just shushing me, telling me everything would be okay. I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't stop. 

I decided not to fight the urge to cry for once, because if I did it felt like a million needles were poking themselves needlessly into my throat. I started hyperventilating before everyone gathered around me asking me stupid questions. A part of me liked James more than I should admit, so I just started incomprehensibly spilling out random stutters and words.

"Go away, all of you!" Layla looked at the others, pure concern and some terror in her eyes for my well being. She never saw me cry like this, not Layla.

Everyone started to walk away but Noah was still by my side, just like the other day at school. 

Noah sat next to me and Layla on my other side, as I hid my ugly tears with my hands and let my drenched hair fall all beside me.

Noah said some words in a calming tone, rubbing my back for security, and Layla did the same. I didn't know what to think. Who was James to me anymore?

"I-I-I-" I just sobbed inbetween, "He-he-" I burst out crying once more before I managed to get two more words out, "Left me."

"Oh that son of a bitch, I'll kill the damn fella the next chance I get!" Layla got up angrily and stomped around the room. She always liked to take care of the others.

"Do-don't!" I managed to say, which got her to calm down, and hug me gently. 

"Sh-shush, it's okay, Emilia," She just held me in for a close hug and I just sobbed like a child. 

"Emilia, you're so brave," Said Noah from my other side. I just stopped sobbing for a second, as I realized I was being treated like a child.

"I-I'm n-not, a-a" I had to catch my breath before the stabbing throat pains recollected themselves in my throat, didn't James say something earlier about Mason and Naomi acting like children?

I shook the thought out of my head fiercely, and then realized that maybe I was the one who left James out in the open. By himself. I knew James all-too-well that he would've come back for me if he had the chance too, but I didn't come back for him? This thought caused my sobbing to stop, and I got up once more and opened the door. 

How could the world look so dark in broad daylight?

"Emilia what are you doing!" Layla half-screamed from across the room, coming to grab my wrist and bring me back, I just shook her off and stared outside. James was out there somewhere, if only I knew where.

"James is still out there!" I said, my sobbing leaving my mascara run down my face, and I rubbed some of it off with my sleeve.

"Didn't you think he was the killer?" Mason looked at me from across the room.

I walked up to Mason, looking down at him, and quickly to Naomi at his side before I slapped him right across the face. And, I continued to do so, It wasn't until Layla had to come pull me off of him that I tried to claw my way back to him, who was I kidding? She was way stronger than me. Tears started to flow back into my eyes and I screamed "Let me go! Let me go!" Mason just looked stunned at me from across the room as Layla tried to control me.

"Your acting like a damn child, Emilia!" Naomi looked petrified that she said that, and quickly closed her mouth.

"James is your best friend, you fucking bitch!" I screamed and tried to throw another blow at Mason before he just looked me dead in the eyes as I continued to talk, "How dare you speak of him that way!" I found myself sobbing more than I was trying so I just gave up, and Layla gave him a disappointed "You better keep quiet" look, and just shushed me even more.

Mason just kept quiet, and was stunned, he knew I never lashed out unless something was serious, Naomi just consoled him, and I saw the red gash I had left across his face.

"James wasn't the one wearing red that night!" I screamed across the room once more, Layla looked at me concerned, as if I was going mentally insane. "You were!"

"No I fucking wasn't you bitch!" Mason got up, this was his last straw too.

"Calm down everyone!" Naomi squeaked from across the room. God how I hate the bitch even more now.

"You stay out of this, you're barely sixteen!" I yelled at her, this got her silent and she sat back down on the twin bed. Clearly still interested in the drama enough to stay.

"James told me that you were the one who let him borrow your clothes that night!" I cried out at Mason, "You set him up!" I screamed loud enough for someone to hear me from across the world.

"Control the bitch!" He pointed at Layla who had loosened her grip on me, and I continued to scream bloody murder at Mason.

"Then tell me where James is right now, you slut!" He yelled at me. This got me quiet.

He calmed down, then looked me in the eyes, "Alright, I'm sorry, we'll set up a search party this afternoon, I suggest, Layla You," He paused, looking me dead in the eyes for a second, then back up, "and Noah, and me and Naomi," He pointed to himself, then to Naomi who nodded.

We all dressed up in large coats (also from the gift shop, as was with most of our clothes at this point), and went out to search, I tied my hair back into a ponytail, and tucked it into my coat, pulling the hoodie up above me. 

"Okay, which way did you go?" I heard Naomi ask me, I looked at her, then back up at Mason who just shrugged.

I trudged along the earth and mud until I came up to the direction in which he ran, "I'm not sure which way it was, either this way, or- I pointed to a different way, that way-"

Mason nodded, "Okay, me and Naomi will go that way, you and the rest take this way," He motioned with his hand to the real direction he went. I should've trusted James, something fishy was going on here, and I didn't like it very much.

Me and my group of Noah, and Layla started walking in the direction Mason prompted us to. 

It wasn't long before we came across a pond, and I gasped. Blood had caused some of the pond to go red. Noah searched around, but I just stared at the blood.

"Was he hurt? Was he okay?" The thoughts crashed through my mind on repeat.

Noah screamed high-pitched and I followed his gaze to where James was sitting.

to where he was sitting, dead.