Crescent

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"I can't do this," I say mostly to myself, but L isn't far behind.

After the words were spoken, I'd stormed out of the house. L was in the living room when I stalked by still in the clothes Daniel gave me last night. She'd jumped up out of Zach's arms, a worried look on her face. "With me or not, I'm leaving," I'd said to her in passing.

I had driven back to my mom's house in a daze, not even sure which turns I took or how fast I went. Now, clothes are strewn about my room and I start shoving them in my duffle bag, not caring if they are clean or dirty. There's sweat rolling down my back and my long hair is hot on my neck. "Hair tie . . . Where the hell is a hair tie?" I groan in exasperation.

L, who had been standing in the door way quietly, jumps forward with something black in her hand. "Here, here! Take it."

I grab the hair tie from her with a breathy 'thanks' and pull my hair into a messy brown bun atop my head. I breathe, letting my hands fall on either side of my duffle bag on my bed, leaning against it. My heart is racing. "I can't do this. I can't do this."

She reaches for my shoulder, flinching as I jerk away. "It's not that crazy, Riles," she tries to reason. "If you just listen to what they have to say-"

"Listen to them? Are you insane? They believe - they think they're - No, this is- this is some childish game, or-or a cult, or something!" I zip up the bag, my thoughts circling the excuses. "Yeah, yeah, it's a cult. They have a leader, right? They're being brainwashed. It's so obvious now." Taking deep, calming breaths, I grab my bag in a daze and walk back downstairs and out the front door. L follows.

As I throw my bag into the backseat of my car, Maggie tries to grab me again. "Riley, you can't just leave. You know its real. It's not a cult."

I pull my arm back roughly. "They must have got to you too," I mutter, climbing in my car. I back out of the drive, realizing I left my unfinished painting and all my paint supplies at the house. 

Mom will be upset that I left early.

Mom!

Bracing my knee against the wheel, I wiggle my phone free from my pocket to dial her, and then remember what Daniel said. They may be crazy, but there's still doubt in my mind abut my parentage. I put the phone on the seat next to me.

I drive to my apartment, leaving L alone at the house. She has her truck and can come home whenever she wants, but I don't want to listen to her try and convince me that this is all real.

After a half hour or so, the stress of the day must be catching up to me as my eyes start to droop. I do everything I can think to stay awake, turning the radio up high, slapping my cheeks, screaming at the top of my lungs, but nothing seems to help. Seeing a sign for one of the nicer chain rest stops, I pull into the middle of the parking lot. I'm close enough to not be in the sketchy section, but far enough to not attract the attention of customers going in and out. I set an alarm for an hour and triple check that the doors are locked. With a sigh, I lean my seat back to get some rest.

Almost as soon as my eyes close, a loud howl sounds in my ear. I jerk awake, looking around to realize I'm not in my car. I'm surrounded by trees and underbrush, wet grass and nutrient-rich dirt caressing my skin. My shirt and jeans are damp from where they are touching the ground and I quickly stand up. The soft soil squishes under my bare feet and I shiver, wrapping my arms around my torso in some attempt for a false sense of comfort. It's dark, dewey, dissonant - no animals or critters making noise as they should at this time of night. Not even the cicadas are socializing.