Walk Through Thorns

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Auntie was eating cold leftovers of fast food when I got home. Yog sat by her feet, just in case she dropped a crumb.

Auntie asked, "Were you out with friends again?"

"Yeah," I said, "Is that okay?"

"Of course," she said, "I'm just surprised. You used to be a shut in. I was worried when you weren't home on a tuesday night."

Auntie was the firstborn daughter, but she didn't have the tattoo either. Greta seemed to think it wasn't a big deal, but how common was it?

"Are you hanging out with a boy?" Auntie leaned forward, judging my reaction.

I could feel a flush hit my cheeks immediately. "No!"

Sure, I was hanging out with Brandon sometimes. There was no chance he was interested in me. Not with my condition.

"Okay," Auntie said, "Just remember that boys are wolves at your age."

"They're not hunting for me," I said.

Before I could head upstairs Auntie added, "I'm waking you up early tomorrow. You're going to the eye doctor."

I asked, "Why? I can see just fine."

Auntie raised an eyebrow at me. "How would you know? Have you tried on glasses?"

"... no," I said.

Auntie said, "Your teachers say you're squinting to see the whiteboard."

Yeah, well... maybe it had been kinda hard to read every teacher's handwriting. I didn't give Auntie the satisfaction of admitting it though

Most nights I would hang out on the main floor. Everything I had seen the last few days drove me to shut my bedroom door. I lay in bed with headphones just to stare at the ceiling.

Avery might be right. Maybe we shouldn't get involved at all. If we just tucked our heads down and finished out the school year we'd be fine. I could get into a college across the country, and never think about Lively again.

But they killed someone. Not just killed, they sacrificed her. I couldn't get the image of her blood out of my head, the wood wriggling like it was alive. If I did nothing they would never see justice.

The front patio light clicked as it turned on. I opened my eyes and sat up in bed. The clock's red glow declared 1am. That light was motion triggered.

I skipped the squeaky stair on the way down. Light spilled in from the porch through the wooden blinds. It could just be a raccoon big enough to trigger the sensor. Or 'it' could be back.

Peaking through the spyhole, I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a girl with moonlight pale skin standing in the driveway. Her platinum hair was swirling around her as if she were underwater.

It was me. Or something that looked like me.

A thunk in the backyard made me look away. It sounded like something metal fell over.

When I looked back she was closer. She started to wave her arms over her head. Her eyes were wide, like she was afraid. Wisps of smoke were trailing from her like open wounds leaking blood into the ocean.

I ran to the kitchen and dialed the number Howard gave me. The phone rang for a long time but no one picked up. I slapped the phone and swore, this was supposed to be a twenty-four hour line.

That wasn't going to stop me. Auntie had a phone book in the drawer. It only took me a minute to look up Love, Howard.

He answered the phone. "Dana?"