Mysteries of Riverwood

Chapter 52 :- Strength In Numbers

Alex was trapped in a nightmare, vivid and terrifying. He saw June dying, and the face of her killer was unmistakable: Dylan. The horror gripped him tightly, refusing to let go until he jolted awake, screaming June's name.

He sat up in bed, his body drenched in sweat, his heart pounding like a drum. Nausea churned in his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he hugged himself, his body shaking with sobs. The images from the dream clung to him, refusing to fade.

At the end of his bed, Lily, the neighbor's dog, stirred. She lifted her head and blinked sleepily at him, her eyes full of concern. Alex reached down to ruffle her ears, seeking the comfort of her familiar presence.

"It's nothing, girl. We're okay," he whispered, though he wasn't sure if he believed it himself.

Lily settled back down on the bed, her eyes drifting closed once more.

Alex knew he had to make this right.

...

At school, Alex spotted Noah walking up the front steps and hurried to catch up with him. Noah looked as bleary-eyed as Alex felt.

"Wow, you look as bad as I feel. Didn't sleep well?" Noah asked, his voice rough with exhaustion.

"Nightmares. You too?" Alex replied.

Noah nodded ruefully, rubbing his eyes.

"I can barely think straight. Pretty sure I called my mom a fascist for asking me to take out the garbage this morning."

Alex managed a weak smile at that, grateful for the brief moment of levity. The two friends walked together, each carrying the weight of their troubled nights but finding a measure of solace in their shared struggle.

Alex and Noah stepped through the front doors of the school, Alex's mind still clouded with the remnants of his nightmare. As he walked down the hall, he spotted Andy coming from the opposite direction, looking just as exhausted as he felt.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Alex asked, trying to offer some support.

"Hanging in there. How about you?" Andy replied with a tired smile.

Before Alex could respond, mocking voices cut through the corridor's noise.

Hey, Andy King! Did you throw that game on purpose, or are you just a one-hit wonder?

Bet you're glad those spiders showed up, huh?

Nice excuse for ditching the game early.

Andy flinched, his face contorting with anger. He turned toward the source of the taunts, his eyes blazing.

"Hey, you wanna say that to my face?!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.

Without another word, Andy stormed past Alex, chasing the mocking laughter down the hall. Alex watched him go, a mix of empathy and frustration tightening his chest.

Noah appeared beside him, shaking his head.

"We gotta do something about Dylan before one of us cracks," he said quietly.

Alex nodded, his jaw set in determination.

"Well, I for one am done taking hits. It's time we start hitting back."

Noah looked at him, both hopeful and anxious.

"Okay, totally. So, uh... what do you want to do?"

Alex took a deep breath, "Homework," he said with a grim smile, pulling out his phone.