Swirls of Fate

Theo

"By the way you all coming to my band performance then? 5 at Joe's." Jay looks around at each of us, expecting an answer.

"I'll see, I have basketball practice in the evening." I let the aversion be obvious.
Carla beams, "I'll be there champ!" winks at Jay. They exchange a fist bump.

But as everyone's talking I start getting a little worried of Avana, she had been gone for quite a while now.

"Will be there" Lewis said followed by Maya's thumbs up.

"Looks like everyone will be there but what about Avana? You should invite her as well." Archie voiced.
"Oh yea, where is she though?" Jay asked.
"She might be upstairs, me and Maya mentioned how there were books and beanbags." Carla gave a cheeky smile and continued to sip her drink.

"I'll go check on her." Lewis stood up but I beat it to him,
"It's okay, I'll go." I patted his shoulder slightly to reassure him to which he gave me a nod and sat down.

I moved past people, made my way through the seating and was about to climb the stairs when I saw Avana coming down in a hurry.

"Woah there what's wrong Avie?" I see the expression on her face, concerned and slightly out of it.

"Nothing. Let's leave."
She grabbed my hand, hard to ignore the slick sweat on her palm. She was scared. Or well, more like nervous...

"Hey is everything okay? What's wro-"
"Shh. Don't ask." She leaves my hand to swipe a frantic hand through her hair, clearly hiding something. "I'll tell you when we're out of here. I can't..I just. We need to leave quick."

We meet the others, give an apology to leave early and we're out before anyone had a chance to convince us to stay for dinner.

"Seriously Avie. I'm getting worried now." I can't hide my worry because truly what the hell was happening.
Her eyes were in a frenzy, passing through the traffic until we were on the street across, a long distance away from the group.

"Not here." She breathes out puffs of vapor due to the cold temperature, pressing her coat tighter as we practically sprint across pave walks and signals.

After what felt like eons, she stops at a lake hidden by heavy trees, away from earshot might people hear. She's breathing hard, from all that rush, and so am I.
My heart is beating frantically from the worry so I propel her again.

"What is it Avie. I know something happened."
Her eyes meet mine and I see confusion yet fear.
"While I was up, you know reading my book..."

I urge her to continue through my eyes.
There was no noise except the wind, our breaths and the twigs creaking beneath our feet.

"It got empty so quick, I hadn't noticed. I was immersed in my book, when..I heard the window latch opening." She sighs,
"I heard someone. I'm so sure of it. But there was no one. I decided to go near the window, find out what had made the noise. But it was just a box sitting there with a black and orange bow."

"A box? Like a present?"
"No. Not a present. It seemed...uncanny. I know this isn't the moment but exactly like how in those horror movies a person receives a creepy box full of their pictures."
My heart skips a beat.
"What do you mean...did you.." I needn't say more cause she understood, shaking her head.

"It was so messed up Theo...there were pictures of me. My mom and our house, our bakery too." Her eyes were starting to tear up.
"And then also you in one of them, when we were leaving school premises."
My breath comes short now.
She takes a gulp and continues,
"But then, at the end of the box was a note."

"What'd it say?" My voice came out shaky.
"It said...
You've got what we want and we'll come for it again."

There's a silence between us as soon as she finished. As I'm processing the information, I couldn't think of any reason what Avana could possess.
"Where's the box?"
"I left the box there but took the pics and note. They're inside my purse."
She hands me her purse.

I don't know whether it was anger or fear or both, but the pictures made my blood feel queasy. My fists were becoming tighter as I held those pictures. The note worsened it when I saw the dark crimson lettering, almost in blood.

"I just..I'm scared. I don't want to lose my mom. She's my only one. My everything." Avana falls to her knees, against the tree.
"I'm not scared for myself if this is some sick stalker trying to induce fear in me, but the fact that he knows where I live and can hurt her physically makes me sick."

"Hey." I sit beside her, placing the pictures and note back in the purse.
"He won't hurt you. Or she. Whoever it is. For all we know it could be someone messing around with you. After all it's a small town Avie. Plus, it says they'll come for it again. Which means we should expect something next time and be aware."
I could tell she wasn't convinced though.

"I don't know what to do.  I feel so bad for your friends, the way we left without a proper goodbye." She sulks.

"Oh don't worry about them, I'm sure they'll understand."

She looks at me with those glossy eyes, I really liked them. How would I ever tell her..

The sun was setting and soon it would be dark.
"Let's get you home. And if anything happens, tell me. We'll do something about this later."
She nodded grimly.