Freaks

18- Stars

꧁☀︎︎꧂

They find the cabin in the thick black woods, only the light of the moon and the headlights giving them any sight. Their hearts are sore and their brains are washed with fear. These delicate souls have no business to feel this crushed.

Harper has finally caught her breath, somewhat. They all slip out of the truck as their eyes think to themselves on the ground.

What have we done? What happened?

They see, now that they're safe, the underlying effect it has caused on them.

Harper tries to leave that effect behind to tend to Aster, she shuffles over to her and touches her crossed forearms, "Aster." She touches her face and she looks at her like she just woke up, "Aster, let's go inside."

She gulps as the truck lights turn off, holding Aster at her side. She looks back at Luka, "Call someone, please."

All there is to hear now are crickets and the sounds of their shoes against the rock and grass, the rain is no longer pounding against their heads. All of their breaths are quivering and their throats are dry, their bodies shake in a cold, wet shiver.

She and Aster get inside. Aster maneuvers her body so she can walk ahead of her. She stands still, facing away from Harper for a minute. One of her hands seems to cover her mouth as she looks lifelessly at the floor again.

"I'm so sorry." Harper croaks behind her, "I shouldn't have let him...I shouldn't have let him stay behind." Her drowning eyes blink sporadically, and her nails mark into her palms.

Aster walks to the stairs and holds onto the railing as she spins around to sit on a step slowly, her eyes still on the same spot. She's silent for a while, then she tries to speak, "Harper, what did you see?" She doesn't look at her, only at the floor.

Harper keeps drowning in her tears as she uncontrollably sniffles, "Uhm." She sighs a cry, "His hair. I saw his hair." She winces, "He was on the ground. He shot him."

Aster's eyes grow desperate again, and air falls out of her mouth as her brows turn up. Her hand is still gripped on the railing.

"I'm sorry." Harper winces again.

Aster's head leans against the railing, her saturated hair covers her face and she's gone.

Harper can't get her breath back again, the room starts to spin a little. She tumbles in her best efforts to get to the couch. She sits but then lays as she wraps her arms around her chest and squeezes. She pinches her eyes shut as she holds her breath, then lets it go slowly through her nose. She rolls to her side, facing the front door, and lets tears trail into the corner of her mouth and over her nose. She watches Luka from afar as he struggles to initiate words and sentences, too confused to know what to say.

In her head, she starts to think of it as a bad dream. So maybe...closing her eyes will make her wake up. She shuts her eyes, blonde hair. She opens them and sees Luka still. She sighs and rolls around to face the back of the couch, she feels her hot breath against her face, feeling too real. This is no dream. But her brain takes over anyways and soon she falls asleep because her mind can't take it, her body puts it in a doze.

She sleeps for a few good hours. Then she's woken up by a hand in her hair. She opens her eyes to see not much has changed with the light, it must be incredibly early in the morning now. She looks above her where Aster sits and looks down at her, her eyes bloodshot and baggy.