The Kids Are Cannibals [On Hiatus - See Desc]

Chapter 7

"No... Never" I had answered Beatrice's odd question. "Why?" I asked. "Nothing, really. Just a thought. It seems dangerous to live beside such ferocious creatures. One little wrong sound.." she trailed off, and just as I was about to face her, a pair of yellow eyes appeared over the wired fence, and my blood ran cold. I spun on my heels "I have to go home now, it's late" I scurried towards the ladder, accidentally knocking Beatrice off her feet with the force of my spin. I hadn't noticed at the time, but when I think back, I'm sure I'd knocked something out of her hands when I did so, as a loud thud on the ground startled me. I made my way down the ladder, and peered through the wired fence, only to see the pair of yellow eyes had vanished. Did I imagine them?

"Lisa!" Beatrice had called after me, but I'd already begun fast-walking away from the tree.

"Wait- The pie just won't be the same without you!" I turned my head to see her head hanging out from the window of the tree house. Had I left too suddenly? I hope my panic wasn't obvious. I don't like heights, or trees, or the thought of bears. Definitely not with creepy strangers, after dark. No. I had to get home. In the calmest tone I could muster, I'd said; "I'll try my best to convince my parents to visit you sometime!"

Now that I think back to it, I'm glad I decided against going. Pretending the farmhouse was just too far out and my parents didn't allow me to go. What if her family is a bunch of kidnappers, and she was luring me to them?

But wouldn't that make her some kind of victim herself?

I hold my pen above my page, my thoughts are getting too muddled to put down into words. I realise the more I stare at the page just how silly I sound. Was it all my imagination, caused by my own anxious superstitions?

I think about those questions for a moment, and then, unsure of what else to write, I close my journal, and take a bite of my lunch.

Wednesday, 3rd of December. It's been almost a week since Lara was announced missing. She has not been found, nor has any of her family members. I decided against visiting Beatrice last week. I was a little too unsettled by the things she said that night in the tree house. I've promptly avoided Beatrice, actually. Although, by avoiding her, she has made herself quite popular, and I feel my classmates growing distant from me. As if I'm old news. I hate it. I also have had to reject some offers that involve too much sneaking around, since police are out and about, even searching school grounds, and still questioning students. I've kept my lips sealed about Lara.

"She was a quiet girl, she seemed a bit sad at times, which had me concerned, but she seemed to want to spend time alone, most days, so I let her" is all I would tell them.

Something hits me in the head, causing me to snap out of my thoughts, and look in the direction that the paper ball was thrown from. On the other side of the tall fence, separating me from Grizzlyfield High, Miles waves to me. I move my stuff closer to the fence, and deadpan a "what?".

"Any news about Lara?" He asks. I shrug. "How could I know". "Well, she was your classmate. You would probably get updated before me" he explains. "I guess".

"Sooooo, I take it you haven't told them" he looks at me expectedly, and I feign ignorance. "Told them what?". He frowns. "You know what".

"Yeah, Miles" I hiss in a whisper "I told them I took money from a highschooler who stole the keys to the gate, so I could sneak into High School grounds, where I stalked La, watched her buy drugs, which I then witnessed her-" I almost said too much. I scratch my hair stressfully "No, of course I didn't tell them". Miles leans against the fence, seemingly deep in thought. "I get it. But if she isn't found soon... I think you really have to just bite the bullet and come clean for the greater good. You can add some white lies, say you were a concerned friend." He suggests, and he's not wrong. I could find a way to do it, but it just puts me in a risky situation. Plus I can only excuse so much. How will I explain following her home? And everyone in class knows I wasn't close with Lara. I might be able to fool the adults, but my reputation here might be ruined, and it's already on shaky ground right now.