Radley
Reaching the front door of my house, I dug around in my coat pocket until I found the key. Not bothering to be quiet, I unlocked the door, fell through it and slammed it shut behind me, twisting the key and checking the handle to make sure it was locked.
To keep the monsters outside.
I leaned against the door to catch my breath while my mind whirled to keep up with what I'd just witnessed.
What was going on back there?
What was wrong with Alaric?
It looked like he was in pain, but there was no wonder when his body was cracking and popping, his limbs being twisted and turned.
Sweat trickled down my back as I panted against the door. I rested my head against the cold hard wood of the front door while confusion swirled around my mind.
Whatever had happened at the mansion tonight was not right.
Not right at all.
"Radley?"
I heard a soft voice calling my name. I gulped, knowing that whatever excuse I had planned to tell Claudia about why I was out late tonight was now gone. I couldn't keep any of this from her. Something was wrong.
"It's me, Claudia," I called back to her. I shrugged out of my coat and kicked off my boots, then made my way to the closed living room door to my left. The warmth of the house started to seep through my skin, heating my cold body, although it didn't stop shivering.
My teeth chattered as I opened the door to our cosy living room.
Claudia was sitting in the comfy chair next to the roaring open fire. The television was on, playing some late night game show that I was sure I had seen before but couldn't remember the name of.
She had a blanket wrapped around her legs and a cup of something hot in her hands. Her kind grey eyes looked up at me in question as I settled down in the chair next to hers, and stuck my hands out towards the fire to warm them up.
She set the cup down on the coffee table in front of her and turned slightly in her seat so that she was facing me.
"Do I want to know where you were tonight?" She raised an eyebrow at me. She was asking me a question, but she already knew the answer.
I took a deep shaky breath. "I went to the mansion." Despite the icy fingers of fear gripping my heart, my voice came out quite steadily.
"And what was going on at the mansion that you needed to see?"
"A party," I muttered, lowering my eyes to my hands that were now toasty warm, thanks to the fire.
Claudia sighed. "Radley," she started. "What have I told you about parties? About going to the mansion ..."
"I know." I nodded. "I just wanted to see what was going on."
"And what did you find out?" She narrowed her eyes at me. "That we weren't invited? That everyone was having a great time without us?"
I nodded, tears pricking my eyes at the truth she was speaking.
She shook her head and reached for her cup again. "You need to stay away from that house." She took a sip of the hot liquid. "I've told you before. We don't need -"
"I saw something." I interrupted her as I brought my hands to my jeans covered knees.
Claudia frowned at me. "What do you mean, you saw something?"
I breathed deeply. "Something happened tonight. At the mansion. Something happened to Alaric."
Something flickered across her face. Something ... I wasn't sure what it was. Surprise? Shock?
Realisation?
"What happened to Alaric?" Her voice had a sharp edge to it.
I leaned back in the chair, putting a bit more distance between me and her piercing eyes.
"Um, he ... uh ... was hurt." How to explain it? "He, uh, was on the floor, rolling around. In pain ..."
"At a party?" Claudia raised her eyebrows. "He was on the floor, rolling around, at a party?"
I nodded.
"Any chance it was because he'd had quite a bit to drink?" She shrugged. "Maybe he was drunk."
"No, Claudia." I shook my head. "It wasn't like that."
"Sounds like it to me." She raised the cup to her lips again and took a sip.
"No, it was ..." I started to wring my hands together. "He was lying on the floor. Everyone was watching him. His dad was trying to help him."
"Well, if Conri was there, then Alaric will be okay." She waved her hand, a look of relief on her face. "Conri won't let anything bad happen to his son."
"But something was happening!" I slammed my hands down on the armrests of the chair. "Alaric was in pain. His body was twisting and turning and popping out of place. He was on the floor and couldn't stand up."
Claudia shook her head. "That's what he gets for drinking so much alcohol," she tutted. "He'll have the hangover from hell tomorrow and I'm sure his dad will find some way of punishing him. Especially since he was doing that in front of everyone."
I stared at her in confusion. Did she not understand what I had just told her? Alaric wasn't drunk.
Something was happening to him.
Unless ...
No.
Not possible.
But ...
It looked as though he was turning into the creatures I often saw glimpses of in the woods.
The creatures that ... scared me.
I didn't realise I was so buried in my thoughts until Claudia reached over and squeezed my hand.
I raised my tired green eyes to meet her wise grey ones.
"Don't worry about him, Radley." She smiled softly as she held my hand. "Alaric will be okay."
I nodded numbly, not sure what to think any more. I mean, I know what I saw ... did I? Did I really see what I just did?
She leaned back in her chair, setting her empty cup on the coffee table. "Why don't you get off to bed? Sounds like you've had quite a night, watching Alaric get himself into trouble."
I nodded again and stood up. "Do you need a hand with anything?"
She shook her head and smiled up at me. "No, I'll be fine."
I leaned down and kissed her soft cheek. "Okay, Claudia. Goodnight."
Forcing my weary legs to carry me upstairs, it wasn't until I reached my bedroom that I realised just how tired I was. My legs felt heavy after the panicked run from the mansion, my head ached, my arms felt limp. I heaved a sigh as I pulled my hoodie over my head and sat on my bed to pull my jeans down.
Standing up, I moved to the full length mirror on the back of the bedroom door and stared at my reflection, taking my small frame, tired green eyes and pale face. My dark blonde hair was sticking up in all directions.
I needed sleep. I looked like crap.
Shaking my head as I stared at my reflection, I silently chided myself. I should have known that was how Claudia would react. I knew that if I asked her why there was another party going on without us being invited, she would huff and wave away the question. Tell me that it was best we didn't go anyway.
I knew she only told me that to make me feel better.
And it used to work.
Used to.
But I was older now. A little wiser, or so I liked to think. And when I looked back over the years of being left out, of not being included, the more I realised how lonely I truly was, with not a single friend. I had Claudia, but she had brought me up. She looked after me. Of course, she was my friend.
No, I was thinking about a real friend. An actual person who wanted to spend time with me. Share memories. Actually want to be with me.
There was no one like that here.
It wasn't like I had any friends growing up either because I had been homeschooled. Always kept at home. All the other kids went to normal school, got along with each other. And I was left on the sidelines, wanting to be included, desperate for someone to notice me.
And watching.
Always watching.
Yawning, I raided my closet, looking for a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
Pulling them on to my exhausted body, I crawled into bed, realising as soon as my head hit the pillow that I'd forgotten to turn out the light.
Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed and almost crawled to the light switch, feeling my body become heavier with sleep with every step.
Flipping the switch, I trudged back to my bed, throwing myself down on it and burying myself in the covers.
Closing my heavy eyelids, I welcomed the sleep that overcame my body, making my limbs heavy and my breathing even.
Just before I was lulled into a deep sleep, a howl pierced the air.
Shooting up to a sitting position, I held my breath as I strained my ears, willing my thumping heart to quieten down.
A soft breeze blew past the window, rustling leaves as it rolled past.
My heart was hammering in my ears.
The distant clatter as Claudia closed the kitchen cupboard downstairs.
But nothing else.
No other sounds.
Deciding I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I checked outside my window, I swung my legs over the side of my bed and stood up, stumbling carefully in the dark towards the window across the room.
I heard the wind rustle past the window again as I approached it.
Grabbing the curtains, I pulled them open slightly, just enough so that I could stick my head through the gap.
Blinking a couple of times until I was used to the dark, I glanced around our backyard and the dark woods beyond.
No movements other than the wind lifting tree branches.
No sounds other than the rustle of the leaves.
No creatures.
No howling.
Maybe it was all in my head. A memory of what I thought I'd seen tonight.
I mean, there were creatures in the woods.
Strange creatures.
Scary creatures.
Maybe I had just let my imagination run wild tonight?
Rolling my eyes at myself, I let the curtains drop and padded back to my bed, covering myself with the blankets and breathing a sigh.
Did I really see what I did tonight? Or was Claudia right? Was Alaric just drunk?
Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and tried to empty my head.
But Alaric's silver eyes kept staring at me through the darkness behind my eyelids, making me realise that I would probably dream about them tonight.