The Bites

Chapter 20

Brea gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove the old car down the winding dirt road, the engine growling in protest with each jolt and bump. The boy sat silently in the passenger seat beside her, his small frame barely visible beneath the layer of dirt and dried blood that covered them both.

The surrounding landscape stretched out before them, a desolate expanse of barren fields and gnarled trees, the sky overhead heavy with dark clouds threatening rain. Brea's mind raced with a jumble of thoughts and emotions as she navigated the unfamiliar terrain, her heart heavy with the weight of their recent ordeal.

They had narrowly escaped from a place of darkness and danger, leaving behind a trail of chaos and destruction in their wake. But even as they drove further and further away, Brea couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered like a shadow over their journey.

The boy remained silent beside her, his eyes fixed on the passing scenery with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. His small hand clutched the edge of the seat tightly, his knuckles white with tension as he watched the world outside rush by in a blur of motion.

As they continued on their journey, Brea couldn't help but feel a sense of disconnection from the world around her. The events of the past few hours had left her feeling numb and detached, as if she were merely a spectator in her own life.

Brea glanced at the boy, her brow furrowed with confusion as she wrestled with the thoughts swirling in her mind. "Why me?" she muttered under her breath, the question lingering in the air like a heavy fog. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was the one who had been messing with her mind, but she didn't understand why he had chosen her as someone to connect with.

The boy remained calm, his gaze meeting hers with an unreadable expression. Suddenly, a vision flashed through Brea's mind, causing her to gasp in surprise. She saw herself standing in front of a photo hanging on the walls of an orphanage. The picture showed her at different ages, from a small child to an adult, and beside it was a photo of her donating money to the orphanage.

As the vision faded, leaving Brea reeling in its wake, she cursed under her breath, the pieces of the puzzle slowly starting to fall into place. "Damn it," she muttered, her frustration boiling over as she turned to the boy. "You could have warned me about that."

But even as she scolded him, a sense of understanding washed over her. She murmured, her voice filled with realization, "You were one of the children at the orphanage."

He nodded.

Brea's attention was drawn back to the road as the car hit a particularly rough patch. She cursed again, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as she swerved to avoid a pothole.

Brea couldn't shake off the perplexity gnawing at her mind. "How did you end up here?" she finally asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. "The orphanage is miles away from here. It would take days to drive there. It just doesn't make any sense."

The boy glanced out the window, his eyes lingering on the passing landscape with a distant look in his eyes. Without warning, another vision swept over Brea, engulfing her in a scene of chaos and despair. She saw a car accident unfolding before her, the boy sitting in the backseat alongside two adults. The screech of tires, the shattering of glass, the sickening crunch of metal—all played out in agonizing detail as the vision unfolded before her eyes.

Brea's heart clenched with anguish as she watched the scene play out, her hands trembling on the steering wheel. She could feel the fear and panic radiating from the boy as the accident unfolded, his small frame shaking with terror as the world around him descended into chaos.