Escape

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The last week of August arrived faster than I had anticipated, but the thought that it was the last Harvest Week I had to survive here was oddly comforting. The familiar dread settled in the summer heat, the entire town was holding its breath, waiting for the monster to pick its next victim.

Now I didn't see the Rhododendron, but I noticed my parents' strange behaviour. It was the fifth Harvest Week I experienced while being actually aware of what was going on and I knew by now how they usually behaved during that time. But this year was different. They were more on edge than ever, I heard them arguing faintly in their bedroom and a few times, I saw the tears in their eyes.

Dad made Ronny's favourite food twice this week. They let her eat ice cream for breakfast. She was allowed to stay up way past her bedtime, until she fell asleep on the sofa.

I realized it after three whole days and I drove to my childhood friend's grave and cried and screamed for a very long time.

I came home late at night, Ronny already fast asleep in her room. Mom and Dad were in the living room, watching TV. "When were you going to tell me?", I straight-up asked them, voice still trembling.

"Honey..." Mom stood up and tried to reach out for me.

I took a step backwards. "Not at all, right? You would have just waited until she's gone. You wouldn't let me say goodbye to my fucking sister."

"She doesn't need to know", Dad supplied. "It's easier..."

"Easier for whom?", I interrupted harshly. "You know what? That's not happening. That thing won't take her."

"You can't do anything about it." Mom was crying now.

"Try me!", I hissed and stormed towards my sister's bedroom. I wasn't going to let her be taken away. Not that I wasn't terrified of the thing in the shadows, but if it wanted Ronny, it had to get past me first.

I threw the door open and shook Ronny awake. She blinked at me, obviously confused.

"We have to go, dear", I told her. "Come on, get up!"

"But it's late. I'm tired!"

"I know, I know, but this is urgent. Come on, Ronny. You can sleep in the car."

I held her hand as we climbed through the window to avoid our parents, who would definitely try to stop us. I knew what I was doing was dangerous. I hadn't forgotten the story they had told me four years ago. But I wasn't a killer. I wouldn't end a life, I was trying to preserve it, and there were still two nights left before the thing would come for my sister. I just knew that if we managed to leave the town, we would be safe. It wouldn't be able to hurt us past the town's borders.

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