Take This to Your Grave

|Diminutive|

Music blasted through the air like a violent beckoning as we walked along the dark path, distant light darting into my vision through gaps between the trees. Tonight I would loose myself. Vanish into a world of dancing and sweat where the tugging at chest would cease and instead replicate happiness.

Above Abigail and I leaves swayed softly in the autumn wind. A low crackling could be heard nearby, like static against the unbearably loud music. Abigail looked up at me and wrapped her arms around herself as her bare arms shivered. "How far is it?" She asked. "You said it would be a short walk."

"Be happy I'm even showing you the way. If it weren't for you I would have been able to have gone with Ruth." I replied bitterly, goosebumps rising on my arms.

Leaves blew around at our ankles as another gust of wind shook the surrounding foliage wildly. Both of us squinted as the cold air hit our faces.

"Elisa! My arms are going to freeze off!" She whined.

I glanced at my annoying sister. She looked beautiful with the contrast between her grey summer dress and blonde hair, but the dress was so small it would be revealing on a child. It was her own fault her skin was turning blue.

"Stop complaining."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. At least I'm not wearing a band t-shirt and a bowler hat to a party."

The music was louder now, like a roar among the trees. The light was brighter too, and at places the path was bathed in yellow. I fought with Abigail a lot, and I immediately knew how to respond

I patted my bowler hat affectionately. "At least I'm not going to die of pneumonia."

"At least I'm not going to die alone because I wear weird clothes."

I scoffed. "Says a girl who is freezing to death."

The trail made an abrupt turn and we stepped out into a large clearing. Instantly, the cold was forgotten as we were faced with a flood of heat and sweat. The party was in full swing.

A large bonfire was situated in the middle of the clearing, its flames combating the chill. Sparks floated around like an aura as the intoxicated and young danced to music that boomed so loud the dirt ground shook and I could barely hear myself think. Kegs and six-packs sat off to the side on plastic tables, spilled alcohol covering the surrounding ground.

"See you freak!" Abigail yelled jokingly, her voice drowned out by the music.

Her face was alive as she ran off, stopping at a group of people at the edge of the crowd. Out of the entire group of rowdy teenagers I only recognized two of them; Hannah Fisher, and a guy named Jared or Jaron who was in the class above me. I had never liked either of them.

"Bye idiot!" I called after her.

I elbowed my way into the large crowd and by some miracle managed to find my friends by the fire. Denis and Ruth were standing closest to the fire, an arm hanging on each other's shoulders as they laughed. A few meters away Jake, Harry, Lara and Jennifer were dancing with the rest of the crowd. Clara was the only one alone. She stood a meter away from Denis and Ruth, trying to smooth out her blonde hair.

Their bottles and plastic cups of beers rested discarded nearby. I picked one up and took a tentative sip.

Jake was the first to notice me and he announced my presence in a voice that seemed too loud for his body. He was tall and bony - as if there wasn't enough skin to fully cover him - yet his voice boomed even in the midst of the loud music. It wasn't off-putting, just odd. As if it made him slightly more awkward.