Unstable (Sequel to Twisted)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

The van looked suspicious.

I noticed this immediately as I walked down the brisk, crisp sidewalk that had thick lines in between each foot; random puddles of thick cracks and wedges worn out through time. The trees lining the sidewalk were large and substantial, casting just the right amount of sunlight to block out the sun's thin rays, which were just peeking through the clouds rolling in. The sky was greying gradually, a small storm vastly approaching, which was the reason why I needed to get back to the apartment pretty quickly.

There was a white van that drove slowly, just a gait faster than how fast I was walking. I didn't know if it was just me and my peculiar mind that noticed the van's suspicious speed. I was just in the middle of sending a text to my friend, Francine, letting her know how my failed job interview went. I had tried to get a job at a restaurant as a waitress, and I thought it would be perfect for me because it was an Italian and American restaurant-and since I was American, I thought the job would be perfect for me.

But after trying it out for one day, I already got fired.

Who knew that working at a waitress was so difficult?

I decided to hold off on sending the text; I'll just tell Fran in person when I got back to the apartment. I felt terribly guilty because I was the only one out of three of us who had yet to get a job. Perrie worked in the Couch House, a traditional restaurant that paid a pretty good amount, and Fran worked as a maid in a local Inn; she mostly worked in the mornings and got off before dinnertime. But here I was, the only girl living in the apartment who couldn't get a single job. Sure I had some leftover money to use for rent, to put my share into the amount, but I still felt like I needed to do something more.

And I've been through interview after interview. However, this was the last time I was going to try to get into a waitress-it was obvious I wasn't cut out for memorizing orders and carrying a lot of things without falling and dropping something.

I shivered just thinking about the disaster that had happened today.

But my eyes strayed over to the van again, and I stuffed my phone in my purse. A strange feeling pooled in my stomach, a feeling of familiar dread. Even though I lived in a safe neighborhood, with close neighbors that watched each other, I knew of what was out there.

I had experienced it firsthand...

Don't think about it, I chastised myself in my head, forcing myself to walk faster.

But no matter what I did, I kept watching that van. There was a guy a few feet behind me with thick headphones over his ears; he was a tall guy with simple attire, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes lowered. But in front of me was a little girl riding a bright pink bicycle; it was the kind of bicycle with training wheels and the small ribbons on the ends of the handle bars. Her bright blonde hair practically shone in the meek sunlight, her smaller body even visible for me.

The van had begun to slow down, and I noticed it was slightly angling towards her. Immediately my entire body stiffened in concern, the worst coming to mind.

And then it happened.

The little girl suddenly let out a yelp as one of the training wheels loosened, the entire bicycle jerking off to the side. Her little body went sprawling off of it, her head going towards the grass next to the sidewalk. I wasted no time in taking off in a run, especially when I saw the van lurch to a sudden stop, the wheels screeching a bit.

No.

I was breathing heavily by the time I reached the girl; two grown men were scrambling from the van. No they weren't wearing dark masks-it looked like they were wearing college shirts. But I wasted no time in running in front of the little girl, who was trying to lift the bike from her body.