She ran the whole way. The farther she ran the farther away he seemed. Her mind played tricks on her. The scenery changing right before her eyes. One-minute pavement was under her feet and then nothing but the abyss. Nothing but time and wishes. Time that flew by on the wind.
The only way for her to keep going was for her to only concentrate on him. Only concentrate on the pull that has always been between them.
Waves and waves of thoughts and beliefs crashed in on her sucking out her own thoughts, yet she ran.
Once at the park she collapsed next to him and pulled his limp body into her arms.
"I didn't do anything but touch him, I swear. Is he okay? What's happening? Should I call someone? Should I do something?"
The other girl's panic is what finally reached her. She cared for him. She didn't even know why, but she did. She cared, that was the most important thing.
Paisley took a deep breath and try to muddle through the fog and noise trying to take over her mind. "He's okay. He's not alone. They're talking to him, they.... why did you choose this park?"
The house he had grown up in had been torn down when she was sixteen and a bigger house put up. She remembered the day it happened. She cried like he had left her all over again.
Yet there it stood looking exactly as she remembered it. Old and scary to a child. Now it just looked sad. Lonely.
Days and nights slid by in just a blink of an eye.
"I used to live on the other side of this park. Why does it matter?"
"There're no houses.... oh, there they are. They went up long after Jay moved away. They were still there yesterday but now they're gone. All of it is gone."
Mack's grip on her shoulders was the only thing that kept her upright. "Are you okay?"
"It's too much. I.... my phone is in my pocket. Call Lisa, they will come for us. Let her know, we're okay."
"Who's talking to him?"
"I don't know who they are, but they feel like him. They want to go too fast." She laid down next to him and took his hand, then she closed her eyes and hoped that would help with the dizziness. "Be careful of the water coming in. You better get to higher ground."