POISONED BLOOD

Chapter 14

What do I do?! What do I do.. What do I do..? This seems to be an unending thought process as we watch him wander around the room. Is he sniffing..?

"What's wrong with him?" Daisy whispers in horror. I start to cover her mouth before she can say more but I'm out of luck. His head freezes with his nose in the air. I jerk Daisy back and whisper an incantation for invisibility in desperation, holding her shoulder and summoning all my energy, forcing a veil to hide us. Thorns stab my skin as defense; I don't let go. We can still see each other but I feel it in the air. As long as we don't move... it should remain around us.

"Hold your breath." I warn in her ear, quietly as I can manage. Eddy is suddenly in front of us, crouching as if he's an animal. SHIT. My brain doesn't have a filter when it's in fear mode. He stares at exactly where we are.. but doesn't advance. My lungs are aching for air.. Eddy begins to stalk on four limbs in the small space that we share. It takes my entire body and mind control to not shrink back as his face comes within inches of mine. He's so close I can feel him breathing. Don't gag. Don't do it. He smells like rotting meat.. Oh, there's something wrong with him alright. His blue eyes are bloodshot; that's not what causes the echoing scream from Daisy. They are rolling up to the whites.

"RUN!" The spell breaks and he pounces on me. I shove at his chest, finally gagging. Vines wrap around his neck and slam his body against the bookshelf behind him, they retract up to daisy's fingertips; she takes the book I had and whacks him in the head with it. I breathe heavily, scrambling up but he's knocked out cold, no longer a threat. I scan the room for Mrs. Haimon, the librarian and I am relieved to see she's not in here with us.

"How did I do that?" The vines curl around her petite hands elegantly. I don't even know what to tell her. Nervously, I poke Eddy's cheek and notice a black mark beneath his ear that I've never seen. It's red and blistery. Refusing to touch it, I tare a blank page from the book, pull a pencil from my hoodie pocket out, and sketch it quickly.

"Okay, let's get out of here before he wakes up."

We walk in silence but move quickly away from the library and the deranged Eddy. I stare at the wide square windows, watching the clouds roll by and I have a sudden idea.

"Would you be willing to skip school?" Daisy looks at me in surprise.

"Why?"

"I need to go to the library in town... this one doesn't have what I need." I blanch when I see Grey leaning against the drink machine. His posture is stiff, face turned down, and hands in his jeans pockets. He tilts his head up and meets my eyes.

"and I just need to get as far from here as I can." He frowns and starts walking towards us, so graceful that I have to breathe in nervously. Please tell me there's nothing wrong with him. He stops in front of me, inches away and glances at Daisy seeming to look too long that I swear he sees it, too.

"Can we help you?" I ask with a quiver in my voice. Grey leans closer and I back away. He rolls his eyes but doesn't look offended or bothered by my retreat.

"You can." My heart flutters betraying me and a light ghost of a smile floats across his lips. Daisy clears her throat.

"I can stand over there and let you two talk but you better hurry, especially if you want to go through with our plans, Laney." With that said she goes to wait in a corner playing with the white wildflowers on her skin. Grey reaches for my chin making me look at him in the eyes. I take in the deep color and emotion pouring from them in invisible waves. I can't tell what he's feeling, but my heart is in flames... not like earlier, more comfortable and soothing.

"You need to tell me what happened this morning." The comfort dissolves. He'll really think I'm crazy if I even try. But I want him to know it wasn't his fault.

"Umm.. Can you come with us to the library in town?" I don't have a car, so we'll have to walk." He shrugs.

"Fine with me.. Are you going to tell me there?" I think for a moment.

"No, I'm gonna show you. Daisy!" I holler for her and she skips over. I eyeball a thin, snaking vine that's traveling up her neck and she laughs.

"Are you moving them?" She shakes her head, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Not right now, but they aren't hurting me. It actually tickles." She laughs again as a pink rose rubs against her cheek lovingly. Well, at least she isn't scared about it anymore.

"Well, you ready to go?"

"Yep, are you coming, too?" She looks at me and Grey pointedly.

"Mmhm, is that okay with you?" She nods, a blush showing her embarrassment.

"Let's go." I say, turning and heading for the doors at the end of the hall, searching for any signs of teachers or janitors. Grey walks on one side and Daisy on the other. He pushes the door open and holds it for us, not saying anything when we thank him.

"We should cut through the woods instead of walking on the side of the road, no one will see us." He comments. Daisy and I alter our course and march towards the woods. I scan the outer edge anxiously.

"Don't worry I won't let anything get you." I smile at Grey and move into the tall grass, stepping with care.

"Laney, look." Daisy grins at me as a path clears for us. Grey's eyes bulge in their sockets and a small giggle escapes my mouth.

"We're a little strange." He glances at me sideways as he takes the lead.

"A little?" I'm a bit offended until I hear his chuckle bounce off the trees and forestry surrounding us.. Can nature move? I'm referring to the way the tree tops arch over us, acting as a canopy.

"And you just keep getting weirder."

"I agree and Daisy... I think you're home here more than us." Daisy stretches her arms out letting twigs curl around her fingers, caress her skin.. causing no harm to her at all.

"Can you hear them?" Daisy questions to I or Grey, I'm not sure.

"Hear who?" Grey looks around as if he's going to see someone but I think there's only one person who can hear the voices around us.

"The trees.. They whisper."