A Slip into the Past (boyxboy)

part five

  The atmosphere was tense while everyone was on alert as we walked through Mr. Bennett's backyard, if it could even be considered a backyard, it was a large field. The wind was blowing strong, rustling through the trees as the birds chirped. It was calming despite how on edge I felt. Walking with my back turned to my mom as I got further and further away from her was suffocating.

  The urge to turn back around and abandon my sudden need to play detective and find a missing boy was strong. What am I trying to achieve anyways? So many thoughts were crossing my mind, swirling around in a mixture of determination and doubt.

  I knew the path I was taking now, the step I was making was the right one yet I was scared for the inevitable. What awaits me beyond that forest I had no idea. What finding James was going to lead me was strangely exhilarating at the same time too.

  I could feel it all bubbling up in my chest, intensifying and expanding more and more. The grim set of lips stretched into a full on grin. The sudden burst of energy put all my negative thoughts on the back burner.

  "Aidyn, it says no trespassing." Eleanor repeated yet again in disbelief." Keyword: Trespassing! Maybe we should enter the forest somewhere else."

  I scoffed. "Who cares? I come here all the time. I only got caught once and haven't since. As I told you the first time, we have to go this way because this is where James entered."

  "You got caught! What happen? What did they do!?"

  I swatted the mosquito buzzes by my ear as I huffed out a breath. This still angers me to this day. "Mr. Bennett was hammered and threatened to 'gut me' if I told anyone about his little talk he gave me."

  Eleanor's eyes widened as the others stared at me in disbelief. "Aidyn! We better leave. You can get in serious trouble if you got caught again. We can all get in trouble."

  "If you guys hurry your asses up and stop talking, then we can get there faster."

  Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Why can't we just entered the forest through there?" She pointed to the forest. "We've been walking in front of it this whole time!"

  "No." I answered absently as I took a quick glance around, making sure no one can see us. "We have to enter through the same exact spot."

  The last thing I needed was some annoying individual yelling at us and kicking us off the property. I'd lose it if they did. The only way I'm leaving is by force and the only people authorized to do that are the police and they'd be sadly mistaken if they thought I'd just leave it at that. I'd be back within hours.

  "Do you think we should break into James room and grab him a change of clothes?" I asked, "He's probably sick of wearing his same ones."

  I felt someone push my back before I stumbled forward. "Don't get any ideas." murmured the perpetrator.

  I let a chuckle as I walked down the trail. I was only half joking. The idea had crossed my mind during one of my many trips here. Everything that made up James Bennett, I knew nothing about. The feeling of being so closely connected to him yet not knowing anything about him personally, didn't sit well with me. He was practically a stranger.

  Though I wasn't stupid enough to risk breaking and entering James parents' house, I did delve the thought further. A bedroom can say a lot about a person. Whether it'd be plain or plastered with posters on every inch of bare wall, I wanted that glimpse into the type of person he was.

  I imagined him countless times sitting in his bedroom listening to some band playing quietly through the speakers as he played video games. His bed would be messy as the floors had junk cluttered everywhere because he was too lazy to clean it up. In that dirty room, the one thought that stuck was him being lonely. That while he listened to music – playing video games – he was sad.