I laid trapped in a mess of blankets. Maya sat with her arms around me, trying to support and comfort me. Ashton had gone off to find more blankets.
I was so cold, so scared. I couldn’t move or think. Maya was whispering to me but I couldn’t hear her. I stared at the TV that was currently on Phineas And Ferb and tried to follow their crazy inventions. My head was throbbing and I constantly had shivers pass through me.
“Celina honey, you can tell me what’s wrong.” Maya pulled on my shoulder so that I was facing her.
I couldn’t think or even move my mouth, so I just stared at her.
“Or you could be completely creepy and act like a zombie, either way works.” Maya said sarcastically but I could hear the desperation underlining it.
“I found more blankets!” Ashton ran in with blankets over flowing his arms and over his head. He hurried over to where we sat on their couch and threw the blankets on top of us.
“Really Ashton? Did you have to grab our bed comforters too?” Maya glared at him
“How is Celina doing?” he asked, ignoring her and acting like I wasn’t there but I guess I really wasn’t.
“Not her normal self but she seems to be getting some color back into her face.” Maya reached over and turned my head so that I was looking into her searching eyes.
“At least she stopped crying,” Ashton slide on to the couch next to me, “You know how she never cries.” Something lit up his face as he remembered something from our childhood.
“Oh! Remember that one day when we were playing by the river and you pushed Celina into the river. She had broken her arm on a rock and yet she never shed a tear.” Ashton looked up at the ceiling as if it were a movie projector that he was watching the scene all over again.
Maya launched herself over me in the sea of blankets and landed on the unprepared Ashton.
“I did NOT! We were playing tag and Celina and you were running away from toward the river,” Maya was shacking her brothers shoulders now, “and I tagged her and she fell in!”
“Okay, okay! Your right I’m wrong,” Ashton held his hands up in surrender, “now can you get off me? Your scaring Celina.” She was instantly off and stumbling back with worry on her face. I just loved how they acted like I wasn’t in the room then remember.
Feeling a little better, I stood up slowly and tested my legs. I needed to go home and fall asleep in my own bed. Hopefully then, I would wake up and find this all to be a bad dream.
“I think I’m heading home,” I said turning around towards the stairs that lead to the main level, “see you guys tomorrow?” I shuffled a few feet before the twins ambushed me. They jumped in front of me and blocked my exit. Dang, now I was trapped.
“Are you sure its safe for you to drive?” Ashton rushed out, “Are you seriously going in this state your in?” Maya raised her voice over Ashton’s, “You still don’t look good enough to walk and at the least drive!” Ashton fought over Maya’s voice
“You are not going anywhere!” The twins said in sync, which was very unusually for them.
“Sorry but you two are not my mother, and there’s no way you can keep me here.” I defiantly crossed my arms over my chest.
There was a glint in both of their eyes. Oh no, that’s not a good sign. I hurriedly backed up and desperately tried to get to the other staircase on the other side of the room. But having been so weak n the past hour I only managed to get past the TV when Maya tackled me. Yes, she freaking tackled me!
“Ashton! Hurry, throw me a blanket!” Maya pulled my arms back and tied my hands. It felt like my birthday all over again.
“This is for your own good Celina. We wont be good friends if we let you leave.” Ashton said as he picked me off the floor and over his shoulder.
“No you would be normal friends that don’t kidnap their friend twice in two days!” I yelled at the two, my patience was getting really thin.
“But being normal is so…boring,” Maya said smiling back at me as Ashton carried me to who knows were, “I thought we already had this discussion?”
I chose to be quiet as my way of protesting but it didn’t really work. Ashton had carried me to Maya’s room and dropped me on her bed. After checking to see if the blanket was still tight around my wrist, he left to change into his pjs and let Maya do the same.
“Now don’t move while I go brush my teeth.” Maya left the room and I heard the click of the lock. But she did not lock the window! Being on the main level had its advantages.
I hurried to the window, careful not to make to much noise. When I reached the window, I turned around and tried to open it with my bound hands. It took awhile but I finally managed to open the dang window, and the whole time I was freaking out that Maya might come back. The window slide up with out a sound and I tried to go out feet first. With that plan failing I decided to just jump through headfirst. Backing up a few feet I took a running start. I flew through the window quite easily; it was the landing that was a challenge.
I had forgotten that there was a rose bush framing the outside of Maya’s window. I barely got out of that thing alive! Well actually I flew over most of it but still, the thing had dug its teeth into the surface of my arm that brushed it.
Blinking back slight tears, I stood up and hurried to my awaiting white knight that was going to rescue me, my lovely car. I have never been so happy to see that car as I did that night. The thing though was… my keys were in my front pocket!
I tested the doors and I had left them unlocked! I hopped in and struggled to close the door after me. Twisting around I pushed the lock button and the sweet sound of all the doors locking filled my ears. I was safe at last from the twins but now came the tough part; I had to get my hands free.
Ashton has this talent of tying a knot and the only was of getting this knot untied is either by him or completely destroying the knot and the rope. Luckily for me, this knot was made out of a plush blanket and not rope.
I twisted and pulled in any direction I could with my hands. Finally after rubbing my wrists raw, the dang blanket slipped off. I cried out in joy, I was finally free! I hurriedly pulled my keys out of my pocket and slammed them into the ignition.
As my car roared to life, I saw Maya run up to her window. Her face may have been in shadow but I could tell she was screaming at me, mostly because I could hear her. I put my car into drive and started to pull out. I looked back at Maya’s window and saw that she was shacking her fist at me, most likely swearing now. If you haven’t noticed, she has a slight temper.
I got as far as the bridge that crosses the river when that feeling washed over me again. I closed my eyes trying to will it away, but when I opened them there was a little girl in a white dress a few yards in front of my car. I slammed on the breaks but not fast enough. I was going to hit her when she suddenly vanished.
I screamed at the top of my lungs. Only after the car stopped did I take a breath. I refused to open my eyes and my hands were holding the steering wheel with a death grip. Shacking, I slowly opened one eye and saw only the dark night that was illuminated by my headlights. I slowly looked to the right where the bridge dropped off in to the river.
Letting go of the breath I had been holding, I opened my other eye. Standing next to my window was the little girl, staring at me. Her eyes were red just like the other ones and she had a glow to her. Her hair was moving in an unseen current and her lips were blue. She slowly reached her hand up to the window and tried to say something but water came pouring out of her mouth.
I had been paralyzed up until that point. A fresh scream ripped out of my mouth and I pushed down on the gas. I floored the car until I was way past the river and the bridge and also my house. I was way into the forest and mountains until I realized what I was doing.
I slowed down to the speed limit and pulled into one of the trail parking lots. I parked the car and turned off the engine. I opened the door and walked out to the back. I jumped onto the trunk and lay back onto the window, turning my eyes up to the stars.
Tonight there was a new moon and the stars glittered like a sea of diamonds. It was the most wonderful sight I have seen in along while. Ever since I was a child, I have loved to study and watch the movement of stars. My dad had brought home a new high tech telescope for Christmas and I despised the thing. I didn’t touch or even look at it for weeks but the curiosity drove me mad. That first night, I dragged the telescope out onto my patio. The sky was perfect and clear and the moon was new, just like tonights.
I had spent everyday night after that up until the telescope itself broke and I completely forgot about it. I never asked for a new one and I never received another but to night I finally see that mistake.
Under the protection of the stars and the heavens I fell into a deep, long needed, sleep.