Siren Bay

XIX

December 30th | One day until NYE

I was sneaking out of the house again, embracing the shadows once more. After yesterday, on Christmas Day, surrounded by Leah and Benji and all of Henry's friends, we'd all discussed finding nothing. We'd gone back to Siren Bay but there was no information, no small hint on where Winnie could be.

There was no trace of Winnie or Kay.

But grabbing Benji's old bike from the front garden, a rucksack full of everything from food, to a large coil of rope I found in Maureen's garage, I grabbed the helmet from the handle bars and clipped it around my braided hair.

As I grabbed the bike, however, I sighed, immediately taking off the helmet. I looked back to the house. They would all be asleep still, it was still very early in the morning, the sun was only just cresting the horizon.

There was time to leave and not be noticed, to follow the hunch I had, but there was also time to be more open, less secretive, and be who my friends asked of me – a friend, a damn good friend.

I put the helmet back on the bike and walked back inside, being quiet because of Maureen – she didn't like her beauty sleep disturbed – and to the living room where Benji and Leah still slept curled up in their sleeping bags.

Involving them was risky, but I needed them. I needed to let my friends back in, to stop hiding behind secrets. Call it a New Year's resolution – it was time to stop pushing people away and let my guard down.

No more secrets, I'd promised. Even with the butterflies twisting my stomach around, I knew deep down it was the right thing to do.

I kneeled down and nudged them, quietly. "Guys?" I nudged them heard. "Guys!"

Leah groaned, twisting in her bag, so I elbowed Benji. He sat up so quickly that I jumped back in fright, but he was wide-eyed and blinking the sleep away, as Leah rolled up and glared at me. Her purple hair was sticking up all over the place, same with Benji's shorter hair. "What?" she hissed, before she took in my bag and clothes. "What..?"

Benji grabbed his glasses. "Sylvia?" His voice was lower. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded, looking at the two of them. "I want you to come with me," I admitted. "Please."

Leah woke up instantly, registering how I was already dressed. "You were going somewhere?"

I smiled at them. "Not without you two, not anymore."

Benji held my hand and squeezed it. "Love you too Sylvia. Let's have an adventure."

"Bitch, how early is it?!" Leah whispered harshly, wincing at the brightness of her phone. "Sylvia it's five-thirty in the morning!"

I shrugged. "Adventures always start at sunrise."

"You owe me a thousand coffees," Leah said before shuffling out of the sleeping bag. "Let me grab my things, where are we going?"

I stepped back and turned to let them get ready. "Wilberforce," I said. "I have a feeling."

Benji paused halfway through putting on his shorts. "Wait, that's where they were when Kay took them the first time, right?"

I nodded. "If we can find where they fell through that house, where that cave system is–"

"We might find Winnie and Kay," Leah finished, eyes wide.

Benji ran his hands through his hair and slipped on his thongs. "I'm ready, let's go."

Leah practically hissed. "Well some of us sleep in pyjamas instead of clothes so it takes a bit longer for us to get ready!"