Nate was plunged into a murky darkness. Images flickered like snapshots to his left and right: birthdays, him riding a bike, running through the woods. A single picture hovered in front of him, and he inched closer.
It was a picture of him and Evie and Blake and Aeron, all sitting around their lunch table. Dark tendrils of smoky substance curled around the edges of the image.
He reached out. His fingers hovered above the picture before he took a deep breath and touched it. His stomach lurched into his throat and he became aware of his feet leaving the ground. The world went black.
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It was the beginning of September, but the students couldn't let go of summer. Girls still defiantly paraded around in their shorts and tanktops, and guys had no problem with it. School was still new and fresh and homework-free. Even the teachers didn't want to let go.
Evelyn sat next to Nate, obvious distaste on her face as a girl walked by in short-shorts and platform sandals.
He nudged her shoulder with his and she jumped, tearing her eyes away and focusing on the boys around the table. Her boys.
Nate squeezed her hand underneath the table and she squeezed back. She smiled up at him and warmth bloomed in his chest.
Across the table, someone cleared their throat. "Nathan. Focus. We have to get her to agree."
He looked up at Aeron and grinned. "I'm using my charm on her."
Evie scoffed beside him and pulled her hand away. He frowned as she rested her chin on it. All three boys' eyes were on her, and Nate knew she was enjoying every second of it. They all watched, transfixed, as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She was teasing them, making them wait for her answer.
"Well..." She paused, waiting to be urged to continue.
"Evie, just say it."
"Fine." She crossed her arms. "I'll do it."
Blake gave a hoot, and Blake and Nate exchanged high fives.
"Wait. I wasn't done."
They paused.
"I will go as long as you guys aren't idiots, will teach me properly, and will buy me ice cream afterwards."
"Deal."
The boys erupted into chaos again, and she rolled her eyes. "You guys are idiots."
"Well I'll be your idiot," Nathan murmured, planting a soft kiss on her shoulder. She smelled like green apples like always.
She giggled and pushed him away. "Stop."
She twisted her body out of his reach, and he playfully captured her again. He caught Blake watching them. Something between annoyance and anger settled on his face, and Nate couldn't help but think he was upset with him and Evie. But then Blake smiled when he caught Nate's eye, and it was forgotten.
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Aeron's blue Ford always had a distinct smell to it, like cloves and vanilla and cologne. It wasn't a bad smell. On the contrary, it comforted Nathan. It reminded him of long drives through the country side with the windows rolled down.
Aeron pulled up the truck in front of Evie's house. She poked her head out a window, eyes bright and hair a mess.
"I'll be right there!"
Her head retreated back into her house, and Nate unbuckled his seatbelt.
Blake sat in the bed of the truck. The cab of Aeron's truck could only hold two people, and since Evie bluntly refused to sit in the back, that's where Nate would end up. He opened the door and stepped out.
Evelyn emerged from her house, hair now pulled back and a grin on her face.
"I'm ready."
Nate drew her into her arms and rested his chin on top of her head. He took a deep breath. Apples and lotion and purely Evelyn. He planted a kiss on her hair.
"You nervous?" he asked her.
"Nah. What's there to be nervous about?"
He shrugged.
"Hey lovebirds! Hurry up before it gets dark!" Blake called from the truck.
"I get front!" Evelyn called as she pulled away from Nate.
He rolled his eyes. Like they didn't know that already.
The ride to the clearing was silent, and Nate could feel Blake's eyes on him. He brushed it off as his imagination, for every time Nate looked over, Blake was looking at the treeline. Finally, Aeron pulled to the side of the road, and they all got out.
Blake and Aeron grabbed everything from the back while Nate went up to Evie. She stood, all confidence gone, on the edge of the forest. She looked small and pale compared to the towering forest, and Nate felt like it might swallow her up. Or he could lose her in there.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand. "You'll be fine. It's easy!"
"Of course I'll be fine," she said, feigning fake confidence. "I'm amazing at everything!"
He grinned before tugging her into the woods behind the other two boys. Blake held a briefcase in one hand, and the sound of brass rolling around was the only thing to be heard other than heavy breathing.
They pushed through brush and stepped over gnarled roots jutting out of the ground. Diagonal slashed in tree trunks mapped the way to a clearing Aeron had stumbled upon the weekend before.
He stopped ahead, and the others did, too.
Nate and Evie stood by his side, the clearing sprawled out in front of them. Long, wispy grass came up to their knees, and late summer wildflowers dotted the grassy terrain.
"Wow," Evie said.
"Gorgeous, isn't it? But we're not here to take in the view. We're here to turn you into a true West Virginian girl," Aeron said. "But before we begin, we need to flatten the grass a bit."
They got to work trampling down the grass. When they finished, Aeron clapped his hands.
"Alright. Nate, I need you to go get some stuff to use as targets. Blake and I will start setting up."
Nate gave Evelyn's hands a quick squeeze and left the clearing. He scrounged the ground for something to shoot at, but the only things he could find were rusted soda cans and beer bottles. He returned with his arms full.
Blake had already opened the briefcase on the ground, and the watery sunlight that escaped through the tree branches glinted off what was inside.
He pulled out a pistol and opened the chamber, inserting brass bullets in the cylinder. Evelyn watched on with a slightly sick expression. Blake looked up at her from his work and grinned.
"Trust me. You'll love it. You're not a true West Virginian if you don't like to shoot."
Evelyn swallowed hard.
"Look," Blake began, "I'll demonstrate for you. And then it's your turn. Remember, there's ice cream in it for you."
Nate walked up and dumped the junk on the ground.
"I see you've begun to teach her already," he said, nodding to Evelyn.
Blake's face closed off, the easy smile leaving his face. "Yep. Could you throw a soda can out there?" His words were curt. Polite. Cold.
Nate frowned but did what was asked.
"Now, Evelyn. Watch my stance," Blake instructed.
Blake held up the gleaming pistol an arm's length away from his face. Both hands kept the gun steady.
"If this was a different model, you'd probably need earplugs. But this one's pretty quiet."
Evie took a step towards Nathan, like he could somehow protect her. He grabbed her and pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Blake tensed, muscles taut from her shoulders to his forearms. His thumb flicked upwards and clicked off the safety. Inhale. A a squeeze around the trigger.
The gun jerked in his hands, and the can he aimed at jumped. The gunfire echoed off the dense pines, and a sharp, acrid scent hovered in the air.
Blake lowered the gun and grinned at Evie. "Your turn," he said as he handed her the pistol.
She took it from his carefully, holding it like she would an egg. Or a bomb.
Aeron appeared beside Nate, a similar gun in his hands. "Maybe you should start with this." He offered the gun to Evelyn. "Less of a kick. Great for beginners."
Evelyn gave an appreciative smile before giving Blake his gun back. He face slipped into disappointment, but was gone as quickly as it came.
She held the gun away from her body in an attempt to copy Blake's stance. Her shoulders were hunched her her ears and Nate sighed.
Nate walked up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Relax," he murmured into her ear.
She loosened under his touch.
"Now aim and pull the trigger."
She inhaled sharply and pulled.
Silence followed the gunshot. She missed the can, and instead a patch of grass a couple of feet away unearthed itself. She exhaled a shaky breath.
"I did it." She turned towards Nate, shock on her face. "I did it!"
She squealed and threw her arms around him. As quickly as she threw herself on Nate, she pulled away.
"You guys owe me ice cream."
Nate laughed and pulled her close again. "Of course."
The boys continued to shoot some more, with Evie politely refusing each time they offered her another try.
Nate looked upwards to the sky. "Guys, we should start heading back. It's getting dark."
Aeron nodded and went ahead to scout the way back to the truck. Nate gathered up the cans and bullet shells, putting them back in the briefcase.
He looked up.
Time slowed.
Evelyn stood talking to Blake, looking like she was trying to reason with him. Her brow was furrowed. His hand shot out to her arm.
"Please." Nathan couldn't hear him say it, but he could read his lips perfectly well.
Evie pulled away and shook her head. Hair was falling out of her ponytail. Such an odd thing to notice.
And then time sped forward into an incoherent mess of images and noise.
Blake's eyes flared and his mouth tightened into a grim line. The way he grasped the pistol in his hands made his knuckles white.
There was a bang and the fluttering of bird wings as they escaped.
Evelyn's eyes widened with fear, shock, and hurt. The betrayal kind of hurt. She clutched her stomach.
Time slowed again, like a sick joke. Nate lept to his feet and ran to her, but every step was painfully slow. His mind whirled and screeched until it was an incoherent mess, too. When he reached her, he knew there was nothing he could do.
She was already dying.
Wow. Did you guys see that coming? Even me, the writer, didn't. What do you think happens next? Leave a comment in the comments below!
Also, this story is so close to being finished! I think there will be 34+ chapters. So keep holding on!
-Sophia ^_^