Chosen

The Aspen Report

Naperville, Illinois

Aspen had headed home for awhile after the incident that happened with the alpha wolf. While Katie was grieving over a comatose Evan, Aspen had taken a Greyhound heading to Springfield, Illinois. Her hometown of Naperville was only a day drive from there as she took a window seat and plugged in her earbuds, letting herself faded into the music. While she was concerned for Katie and Evan, she never seemed close enough to them to care. She had only known Katie for a few months, meeting her after attending an addiction help meeting at the Rosewood Institution.

Aspen had always had a problem with cocaine, snorting more than once a week became a sick habit. She knew it was time for a change after she started ending up in the hospital after being found passed out in the alleyways of Nevada City. But it was Katie who really helped her along the course of quitting. After every meeting, she'd join Katie wherever she was and just sit and talk. She never realized who she was until random people would gossip about her being in the No Losers, some even asking for autographs at times.

Soon after it was revealed true, Aspen found herself begging for her to tell stories and talk about the others. But in all her efforts, Katie would refuse. Aspen always wondered why she did that. Wasn't it good memories? Still to this day, it is uncertain to her why Katie would never reveal a word to her.

Then there was Evan. That guy, he is so familiar for some reason. When she walked into Katie's home finding him with her, she instantly thought that the two were together but she refused that too. But she remembers staring at him the whole time of them sitting there. His voice, how he looked and acted—it was all so similar to someone she knew from somewhere.

After leaving the station finally, taking her seat, she'd put her music in as well as Google the Evan guy. Apparently he was a gamer on YouTube for most of his life, playing titles such as GTA and Gmod. Aspen always had a like towards the violent yet fun nature of the GTA world and how it was complete freedom. Wonder what the world would be like if we all had that much freedom. After awhile, she decided to watch a few of his videos, a smile growing on her face as Evan and his friends trolled each other. That would have been a fun bunch of guys.

A few hours later, the bus would come to its stop and everyone on board would pile off, just landing in almost a foot of snow. Aspen had felt the cold rise up her leg as she sunk into the white. "Careful now," The bus driver would say. "They got about six feet of snow last night." Awesome. I just walked into winter wonderland.

By the time she had gotten her hands on a vehicle, she found herself staring into the abyss wondering how the hell she had survived. Katie was good and she knew that but the fact that her only companion was the one who got hurt in the process. Aspen had admittedly gone to the hospital right after, waiting until Katie had left Evan's room before entering. She'd stop over him, the sound of the EKG and huff of the ventilator made anyone tense up. She stared for a moment before sinking into the chair beside him, still warm from Katie's heat.

"Why do you try, Evan?" She whispered towards him, hoping for no such reply. "You know that I was joking about you two being a thing. I mean, I know you guys been around each other before—"She stopped to watch the lines on the EKG before shaking her head. "It is just so hard you know. This look of mine, it is just an act—I never really felt like me." She gestured to her punk purple hair. "You know what it is like, don't you? Not fitting in—feeling like you're somebody else? I know you from YouTube you know. You act like Vanoss when you're in front of that computer but your friends know you differently—they know who you really are."

She gave a sigh, looking down at the tile floor. "I wish I knew who I really was."

Aspen realized she had zoned out, turning her attention back on the road. A few hours later, she arrived at the sign reading Naperville. It was good to be back. She had pulled into the truck stop just before heading into town. After filling up the tank, she decided a snack would be good.

She would enter the stop, being gazed at by seemed like hundreds of eyes as she made her way to the sodas. After choosing a cherry cola, she headed around to the chips, deciding on a nacho cheese one. The clerk gave her a warily eye as she approached him. "$2.45." The clerk would say as Aspen handed him three dollars. He took them and slipped them into the drawer before handing out her change.

She turned to exit the stop, feeling the eyes slip from her. Pushing the door open, she stopped just outside it to open her cola. It would hiss after turning the lid as the bubbles floated effortlessly up. After a few seconds, she popped the lid off; relieved it wasn't shaken up too badly. She observed the people around her for a moment before taking a sip.

She was about to head towards her car when she suddenly heard a voice behind her. "Well well, isn't it the punk ass with the purple hair."

She turned on her heels, just to find herself face to face with a nicely shaved man. He suddenly had his hands on her wrists, twisting them up painfully as Aspen found herself meeting the concrete below her just moments later. She gazed up at him with a dark look in her eyes. "You son of a bitch! How'd you find me?"

The man grinned darkly. "Why would I tell you? Because if I remember correctly, you and your little boyfriend were suppose to tell me where Katie was."

Aspen narrowed her eyes, spitting at his feet. "You'll have to kill me first."

The man laughed. "You really think that you can fight me?"

"Don't have to because Katie will be after you first." She spat back, rising to her feet.

The man raised his brow. "You don't say." He turned towards the Hyundai parked next to him and opened the back door, forcefully pulling out a young girl. She was struggling in his grips, a burlap bag over her head as he let her fall to her knees. He pulled the bag off her a head, revealing a bewildered face with scratches and bruise, her dark hair tied in braids. She met Aspen with a scared look as she sobbed to herself.

Aspen let out a sharp gasp. The man watched the girl tear up until she was fully crying. He glanced at Aspen with a stern look. "Then tell her to come get me—because I have her daughter."