The Pariah

Chapter 10

Chapter song: Sleeping With Sirens - Roger Rabbit

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"Erin, Hazel! You need to go right now!" Bridget yelled at us in the dark of the night. The door was swung open and she was standing in its doorway. She had her hand on the knob. Her pajama shirt was unbuttoned all the way down like she was in the process of getting dressed when she decided we had to leave.

Hazel was awake immediately. She pulled me out of my comfortable bed and ran for the dresser that we kept our stuff in. Whatever stuff we had.

"Erin, come here!" Hazel hollered, crouched down in front of the dresser. I joined her and she gave me her old army green backpack and told me to pack clothes. And quick.

I didn't like the way she was talking or the frantic way she was talking, so I rushed to my drawer and stuffed my clothes inside and before I even had it zipped, Hazel had me by the hand and was dragging me out of the room.

Bridget was right behind us.

"Hazel, I'll put everything in the old shack we first met in. Do you remember? It'll all be there!"

Hazel yanked the front door open and I heard the sound of rain and felt the wash over my skin. I hugged the bag tighter to my chest before looking back at Bridget. Somehow I knew this would be the last I saw of her for a while.

Hazel says, "I won't forget." And together, we run into the rain.

That was the last I ever saw of Bridget Skies. She gave us a last name, a name Hazel and I can share. She was the only person other than Hazel I ever felt safe with. And I would truly miss her and all her wonderful splendors.

As Hazel led me through the wet streets in the middle of the night, I thought to myself: Goodbye, Bridget.

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The culprit stirred under my eyes. Myrina stood at the door, arms crossed, reminding me of a security guard keeping watch over the prisoner. She and I didn't say anything to each other, just had a silent agreement to get along for now.

The prisoner was looking very calm, of course. With his hoodie off, I was finally able to get a look at his face. He looked basic. Curly dark hair, not too pale skin, tired eyes that also looked hard. His finger tapped on the table, producing the only noise in the entire place.

It was early in the morning. I hadn't slept again. Thoughts of Bridget filled my mind. She was twenty something the last time I saw her. She looked old in the picture. Like she was eighty.

Another puzzle to solve.

I added Bridget's name to the wall of clues last night.

"So... care to give me a name?" I decided to start simple.

He was cooperative and told me his name in the most monotone, plain, emotionless voice I'd ever heard. "Mordred."

I nodded slowly and could hear Myrina behind me writing down notes. I could almost invision her with her nerd glasses on. I kept my focus on Mordred. "So, Mordred, what's up with the stalking?"

The question sparked a smirk. In turn, it made me feel heavily annoyed at his gesture to act like he was the one in control here. "He knew something that I wanted to know. That's all."

I clicked my tongue. Just trying to keep myself from freaking out on this guy. But he rubs me in the wrong way. "I see. What exactly was it that he knew?"

"I dunno. That's why I was following him." He didn't stop smirking. I could tell that he was finding this fun. He's trying to mess with me.