“Looking back up in the mirror, suddenly Mr. Grey was behind me. “
-Amy
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Thankfully, Matt came home safely that night. I didn’t know what to say to him, so I just decided not to say anything. I think Simeon could sense something was wrong between all of us that night as we ate dinner in their house. That was probably why he suggested we go out to the movies.
“What movie?” Johnny asked eagerly, and I realized how long it had been since I’d been to a real movie theater.
Simeon shrugged. “There’re tons of things playing tonight. I think we just need to get out of the house, let’s go to the theater and see who wants to watch what when we get there.”
I, for one, thought it was a fantastic idea.
Matt, on the other hand, didn’t seem too happy about it.
“It’s late,” he stated dully.
“It’s only seven in the evening, honey,” Matt’s mom looked at him with concern.
He just shrugged. “Yes, but by the time we get out of the house it’ll be eight, then we don’t even know what movies will be playing and…”
“Remember that time you went to the movies at eleven thirty one night?” Elly questioned. “Stop trying to make excuses, there has to be something playing.”
Julia and I traded a quick glance, one that lasted only an instant, and then she turned away and tried to look unhappy. I clenched my fists, so angry at Mr. Grey for all of this. How could he possibly be working alone? How could a school teacher just be that good?
How did he survive that fall?
My conscious was always asking that question.
Sometimes love can make people do desperate things.
Got that right.
“Amy?” my mom shook my arm.
“What? Sorry.”
“Will you go run home and get my purse? We’re going to the movies at around seven forty-five.” I nodded, getting up from my seat and putting my empty plate in the Elias’s kitchen sink. Heading for the door, I was suddenly very aware of how dark out it was. And how Mr. Grey could be watching us and we wouldn’t even know it. Then again, he could watch us in the daylight and we still wouldn’t see him.
Julia came running up next to me, not making eye contact. “My dad needs his wallet,” she said simply, slipping on her shoes. As I bent down to zipper up my boots, I looked up at her slightly. I could tell what she was saying. She wouldn’t dare let me go out there all on my own. Not when things were like this.
On the dark street, we both walked together silently, side by side. The dim street light flickered on and off, the darkness made it so that I could barely see my hand in front of me. It was comforting having Julia there, just to know there was somebody beside me. But when we got to Julia’s house, she gave me a look. And I knew what she meant, but I was afraid to admit it. If Mr. Grey was watching, which he probably was, then I couldn’t go into Julia’s house with her. He would know Julia was faking. Even though it was real, I hated the fake fighting with her like this. But if I didn’t leave, he would kill her parents in a heartbeat. And this time he would leave no clues for us to try and stop him.
He was trying to tear all of us apart.
I didn’t want it to happen.
But something in me made if feel as if it were all so real.
I watched as Julia went into her house, and I slowly made my way over to my front door. Never had I been so afraid to walk into the place I called home. Unlocking the door, I quickly switched on as many lights as I could in the entrance. Porch lights, step lights, foyer lights, I needed to see. Grabbing my mom’s purse off the kitchen counter, I quickly hurried back out, my hands trembling as I struggled to lock the door. Still shaking, I tried to breathe as I slowly walked back past Julia’s house. She came out at the right time, and we were soon walking in silence again.
Both of us breathed a sigh of relief. At least for right now, we were both alright.
But maybe, in fact, we should of listened to Matt. Maybe the movies weren’t such a good idea. Maybe then things wouldn’t have started to downward spiral from there.
***
I think Simeon planned it so that Matt, Julia, and I were in the car with him and Julia’s dad, while Johnny, Ethan, and the rest were in my mom’s van. Squished in the back, I sat in the middle of Julia and Matt. I could feel the tension literally closing in on me from both sides, an imminent wall that was one day bound to crush me.
I took out my phone, pretending to text as I always did in awkward situations. A message popped up, and I saw that it was a very delayed reply back from Andrew. It was a picture message. I opened it, and a picture of him pointing to a turkey in his yard flashed onto the screen. Getting ready for turkey day! It was so random, so unlike Andrew, yet it made me laugh. I don’t know how he knew, but I had needed a good laugh, desperately.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Matt glance down at the picture and raise an eyebrow. I quickly shut off my phone and shoved it back in my pocket. I would reply to that later.
Arriving at the cinema, I felt a little pang as I remembered coming here so many times with my friends. I hadn’t seen any of them since I’d gotten back, because I had been with my family and also so hung up on Mr. Grey.
All of us kids decided on seeing Wreck-It-Ralph, because it was playing in ten minutes and we didn’t want to wait for anything else. The grown-ups decided on something else that I didn’t remember the name of. Having been very out of touch with the real world at Hamilton, I didn’t even know what the new movies out was about. I felt as if I was stepping into a new world, one that I had once knew. But my point of view on everything had now changed. No longer did I find the simple joy in sitting down in a dark movie theatre with a giant bag of popcorn. Now I was constantly looking behind my back, wondering if there was a serial killer behind me, waiting to strike.
My little bubble of ignorance and youth had been burst.
I sadly looked over at Ethan and Johnny in the seats next to me. They were too young. Too young for all of this, all of this pain, all of this fear. But I had had this conversation with myself many times before. There was nothing I could do to reverse what happened.
The movie was okay. Everyone in the theater seemed to be enjoying it, but I couldn’t find it in me to laugh. I just kind of sat back in my seat, finding it harder to breathe as the movie went on. I could feel tears coming to my eyes, followed by the overwhelming sensation to just cry.
After we exited the movie, the blinding light of the bathroom made me take a couple steps back. I went to wash my face with water to wake myself up. The lights started to flicker as I turned the tap water on. I bent down to splash water on myself. Looking back up in the mirror, suddenly Mr. Grey was behind me.
“Hello, Amy.” He reached for something in his pocket.
I screamed.
My eyes fluttered open, and I saw Johnny next to me shaking my shoulder. The credits were rolling on the screen, and I sighed in relief. It was just a dream. When we got out the door, I sent a weary look at the bathroom door, but did not dare to go in. We all sat on a bench while we waited for the grown-up’s movie to get over.
I gave Johnny and Ethan some quarters so they could go enjoy themselves in the arcade. At least they still knew how to be happy with those little sorts of things in life. I admire them for that.
When we all got in the car, I was still shaken up by my mini nightmare. I could sense a feeling of fear that hung heavy in the air. We all sat in silence as we drove down the dark road in the night. Although it wasn’t very late, the highway was clear of most cars. There was just us, my mom’s van, and one other car off in the distance.
I tapped my hand impatiently on my knee, not sure what I was waiting for.
Next to me, Julia was gazing out the window, and Matt’s eyes were closed as he rested back in the seat.
What happened from there seemed to go in slow motion.
We were crossing a layover bridge, in the lane closest to the railing.
The car behind us was approaching faster.
There was a slow recognition in my mind as I remembered that car in the movie theater parking lot. I don’t know why it had stuck in my memory, but it just did.
“No,” I whispered, but it was too late.
There was a flash of bright light as the car rammed into ours, sending us flying into the railing. I felt the wind knocked out my chest as I was flung backwards, and the window shattered over us in a rain of glass.
The car just barely hung off the bridge, the railing just barely holding us off. The pain from all the glass was getting sharper and sharper, and I could see a light in the distance as my eyes fluttered shut.
And I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Peace.
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AHH SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPLOADED IN AWHILE.
It's been literally like 17 or 18 days :/ I don't think I've ever taken that long. Truth is, I just haven't found the time to write this chapter. I knew what was going to happen, but I was too busy or I would just start and get distracted. Blehh.
Anywhoo, here you go. I promise to try and get the next one up soon. When I figure out what it's going to be about.
What do you think of this chapter? Who was in the car? O.o What's going to happen to Ames? Wreck-it-Ralph was the only movie I know about that was out during Thanksgiving... So yeah. I just saw Les Miserables last weekend though, so AMAZING<3 If you haven't seen it, go see it.
Sorry if this is sort of repetitive with the whole "ah i'm so scared for my life poor me we're all going to die." Things are starting to get more dramatic, I promise. Well, not really. Eh.
Oh, and please vote for Hamilton in the watty awards! We are under Mystery/Suspense and it would mean a ton<3333
Love you all!
Peace
xx
Ella
Comment, vote, fan<3
And feel free to message me if you want me to check out your book or help advertise support for you in the Watty Awards(: