InvaSUn

21

"You're absolutely insane. Crazy to think that I'd leave you out here in the middle of the desert, Riley." James hissed as we drove down a long and narrow dirt road. I told him a few minutes back that I wanted to be dropped off here.

The little girl was here. I felt it. I needed to meet with her, but James was sort of getting in my way.

"Don't worry about me and just stop here." I huffed.

"Stop here?" James pressed on the breaks and put the car in park, before searching around. There were no stores, no people, nothing. It was the complete middle of nowhere. All there was around us were cliffs and rocky roads. "I'll drop you off in the city." He reached to change gears but I stopped him.

"No, this is where I need to be."

James blinked at me multiple times before groaning. "What the f—"

"Aiden," I sighed, cutting James off mid-sentence. "I hope you can get back to your father, stay safe. This is where we part ways."

"Are you sure?" Aiden frowned.

"Yeah. Take care of yourself, and be nice to James. It was very nice meeting you. I hope you'll  grow up to be an amazing person, more amazing than you are now." I patted his head and rubbed his brunette hair softly. I gave him one last smile and reached for the door.

"Riley, wait." James grabbed my arm and stopped me. "You're not telling me to drop you off here because of your hallucinations are you?"

"It's not a hallucination." I snatched my hand away. "Why do you care anyway? You won't ever see me again, you should be happy." I spat, and he threw his head back against the seat angrily.

"Suit yourself. Get out of my car." He snapped back and unlocked the doors. "Don't regret it when you come to realize that you'll die out here."

"Trust me, I won't." I reached for the door again and hopped out, after grabbing my notebook and bag of extra clothes. Then I slammed the door, and he sped off. The dirt got in my face as he drove away, and I coughed and brushed my curls out of my face.

Even when parting, he still was rude. I definitely wasn't going to miss him.

I fanned the dirt out of my face and walked towards where I felt the little girl's presence. I didn't see where she was exactly, but I knew she was here. I took a few steps forward and studied my environment.

There was nothing but clay and sand and cacti out here. "Hello??" I called out. My voice echoed out into the desert. "Is anyone there? I'm sure you are, but you asked to meet with me and I can't see you!"

The silence was the only response I recieved. I sighed and sat down. It wasn't a hallucination, was it? I'm sure it wasn't.

"I'm right here." A soft voice called out to me. The little girl appeared in front of me, and I jerked back.

"Jesus!" I shouted. "You've got to stop scaring me!"

"There's no reason for you to be afraid if you knew I was meeting with you." She grabbed onto my arm, and it glowed. It freaked me out a bit. She was so tiny, the size of a kid, acting like she was 10 years older than me. "Ah, so you're not hostile." She hummed like she confirmed something.

"I don't understand what you mean?" I brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You were given these abilities because you've been assigned to hunt me down. But obviously, you have no idea what you're doing or how to control them." She smiled at me.

"I was assigned to hunt you down?" I blinked at her. It didn't make sense. I didn't even know who she was.

"We have time, I'll explain it to you."