Shadows of the Tearaway Towers

Excerpt

"What should I be, then, Annie?" He's desperate. His cheeks are red from all the running, his forehead is sweating which he tries to hide and wipe away with his scuffed sleeves.

She pays no mind to him, continuing to trudge forward towards the vast expanse of dark foggy trees. "It's Anne, Luke. Anne."

He reaches an arm out to catch her elbow. She stops and yanks it away, coldly. The gold ember in his eyes dims in the moonlight. They're tired and glassy. His mouth tilts downward as he pleads with her. "What should I be?"

"Be anything you want!" She shouts. Anne breathes heavily, the wind blows her hair across her face and she swipes at it in frustration. "Be anything you want. We're not kids anymore, Luke. You can't be trying to play the hero all the time. You can't be the hero all the time."

"I don't want to be any hero!" Luke scoffs, equally frustrated. "I don't need to be the hero like you think, Annie. I'm just trying to help you!" He approaches her quickly, and she takes a step back, into the fog. He lowers his voice to keep her from moving away any further. "I don't want to be anything if it means nothing to you."

Anne swallows. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth!"

"Don't say that, Luke, you know you can't say that!" Before Luke can stop her, Annie turns fully into the fog, disappearing into the dark forest just as torches become visible atop the hill they've just fled down. Mindless of the light approaching, Luke calls after her, not daring to try and follow into what he believes to be a death sentence. "Annie! Come back!"