"And then I heard she..."
Good gods Karen was hurting my head. We are walking home from Averdale High and she hasn't shut it since we left the gates. I look at her mouth and it just keeps flapping open. Silence is golden, and Karen is wood.
"Kindred. Kindred! Are you hearing me? They kissed!" she flaps.
My door comes into sight, the ornate handle gleaming off the afternoon sunlight. Sanctuary. I quicken the pace unnoticeably and she follows. We reach the driveway.
"Alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow Karen."
"Hey, can't I come in?"
"Ah, I would say yes, but the dynamic duo are home, and if they see so much as a fingerprint on their 'items', I'm dust." I say items because my parents spend more time with their possessions than they do actual children.
"Okay, later Kin" She walks around the down the street and out of sight. Finally, silence.
Upon opening the door I am greeted by the stone floors and cold air of the house. It isn't even a very big house, but it's dressed in fancy crap, so my parent's egos remain intact for the time being. They aren't actually home, but Karen can't know that, or I wouldn't ever get me time. I stalk to my room and dump my stuff down. I lay down on the bed and shut my eyes for a few minutes. After that I go to my desk, made out of some fancy wood of course, and do homework.
I must have been sitting doing homework for a while, because my parents car crunches into the driveway, then the garage. The door opens, along with the polite conversation.
"It's not like you would ever do it!" Lynette screams.
"Oh yeah because you do soooo much around the house" Adam yells.
They take to the kitchen and spot me leaning against the wall there.
"So what's it this time, guys?" I say placidly.
"Your father thinks he has done the gardening, ever"
Sheesh, they remind me of gargoyles. I almost laugh at the idea or them having furrowed brows set in stone and wings that won't fit through the door. Almost.
I sigh and start helping mum make dinner. We cook in silence and wash as we go. Mum tries to make small talk, but I blow it off. We have dinner and I go upstairs. I use my computer before I drift to sleep.
Blood. Red that stains the walls for all eternity.
I wake and get ready for school as usual. It feels like I dreamt about something, but quickly forgot it. The sun is so bright it essentially feels like I already have sunburn. The parents have left, surprise surprise. I catch up with mouth flap to walk to school with. And, for once, she has interesting news.
"Did you hear about the Stalker they spotted last night" She says with a smile, she know I don't know. But I am stunned. A Stalker, cool.
"No I did not, Karen"
She forages her phone and gets a video up. A male news anchor looks pristine on the small screen, and a little concerned. He starts the report "Authorities last night tracked a Stalker all the way to the edge of Averdale. Parents are issued to the notice to keep children inside whenever possible, to reduce the amount that Rise." A picture of a shadowed blur with a spotlight attempting to follow shows on the phone, and the replay button comes up.
I just stare at the screen. It could have marked any child to Rise.
"I kinda hope I got picked" Karen remarks.
"Why? You know what the initiation is. I wouldn't even call it initiation. You will do it no matter what."
"Yeah, but to get outta here, why not. Plus I hear Stalker guys are super-hot!"
"You need surgery on that brain, K"
School is just like all the other days. Nobody is doing the work set for us and looking for a distraction. The only exception is that they have found one. Kids are talking about Rising at every turn. Things flare up in English when I small kid asks Mr Terng 'What do we do if we Rise?'. Terng thoroughly went off at the kid to the point of tears.
Walking home stayed the same, with K not shutting up.
"Steve and Evan got into a punch up because..." It never end with this girl.
Today I have Karen over. My mistake, as all she can talk about is the Rising. I remind her I'm not interested. Karen says her goodbyes and heads home. Imagine if she did get picked. I shiver at the thought. My parents have nothing to say about the Stalker, but apparently debating who does the washing up may get someone killed. I don't even bother with my computer tonight, just straight to bed. I crawl under the covers and wish for darkness. But I get more than I wished for.
