UNLEASHED

Chapter 4

I shivered as my cold skin tingled. I groaned as bright light tried to becken me awake and birds sang around me. I opened my eyes to see the road in front of me, ‘What the..?’ I sat up to see me wearing the same clothes as yesterday covered in dirt and something reddish-brown. I looked over at the woods to my left. I was sitting on a patch of grass between the woods and the road. My hand shot to my neck then I looked down at my arm. Both had unbroken skin covered in dried blood and dirt. ‘I know last night happened. Right? It did… happen..?’ I shook my head, staring at the blood on my arm. I licked it, ‘It’s blood. It happened.’ I shivered, gabbing my jacket. It felt stiff as I slipped it on and stood up. My legs went numb and I crashed back to the wet grass. The blood rushed to my head and hissed. I waited a minute and stood up slowly. 

I checked from anyone outside who would question why I had blood on my neck and hands. I slipped on my hood as my eyes stung from the light. A low fog lingered as I walked through the streets. I whined as I realized my bag of chips wasn’t with me when I woke up. ‘Gosh dang it.’ My eyes watered as I yawned loudly. I crossed the street onto Maydale Street, staring at the bright blue house on the corner. A thick ball formed in my chest as I stared in jealousy. ‘It’s so pretty and put together. We used to be like that; the prettiest house in the neighborhood.’

I looked up at the white two story at the end of the block. I could almost see it; blue trim, bright flowers, gnome and fairy statues in the yard, a little pond in the corner by the door and the garage. I blinked and it was gone. The statues had lost their color, the pond murky and dirty. I hung my head as my eyes watered. ‘I’m sorry, mommy.’ Her proud garden was shameful. I dug in my pocket and sighed in relief when my finger touched the cool metal of my keys. My eyes stilled on the blue and yellow sign on the door. The ‘Come and Have A Laugh’ sign mom hung up when she heard the neighbor’s call us anti-social. 

I quickly unlocked the door and slammed it closed, running upstairs. I stripped as I walked into the bathroom, turning on the water I stood under the stream. I closed my eyes as my nose burned and twitched. Swallowing hard, I hugged myself, falling to my knees. ‘What am I going to do?’ I cried, my tears mixing with the water. I screamed silently before it turned into a sob. 

When I stopped crying and just sat staring at the drain, I stood up and started to actually shower. After my body was washed and my soul down the drain, I got out and got dressed. My foot thud against a small box in the closet and my heart stopped. I picked up the box and set it on the bed softly. My fingers delicately pushed through the box of pictures. My eyes watered at the smiles on our faces, when dad could stand to be near me- or even look at me.

 Mom’s goofy faces while baking cupcakes, dressed as Jane from Tarzan for Halloween, with me as a baby bundled in her arms. ‘She was so beautiful, and sweet, and caring. She didn’t deserve to die.’ I curled up next to the pictures and cried again. ‘If mom was here, last night wouldn’t have happened.’ I cried until my nose was sore and my head hurt. I focused on my breathing- in, out- until my senses drifted away and my body sank into the bed.

⏩

A frantic beeping assaulted my pulsing head and my hand shot out to smack the alarm. I groaned opening my eyes and stretching. I got up and put all the pictures back into the box and put it away. I put on my shoes and brushed my hair and teeth. I grabbed my school stuff and my phone. I tried to turn it on as I rushed down the stairs into the kitchen. I sighed as I realized it had died last night. ‘Frick.’ I munched on some toast while staring at the grey stone backsplash. I glanced at the time. “Shit!” How long was I zoning for? 9:17 AM.

I ran outside, locking the door and jumping into the truck. I drove to school and ran inside to the office window. A girl with dark hair and a nose ring looked up at me in surprise. “Hello, Cat. Coming in a little late, don’t you think?” I rubbed my head as I signed a late form. ‘Reason? Oh, you know, I got attacked by a vampire last night. No biggie.’ I wrote down that my alarm didn’t go off and rushed off to class. “No, running!” Jennifer yelled. I opened the door to my math class and waved nervously.