Come Back

Ch 3

I’m really starting to worry about Lily.  It’s been days since I’ve seen her.  She won’t answer her phone, she’s never home when I go over, and she doesn’t come to school anymore.  It’s really starting to bother me.  Something’s really wrong.

I have seen Brady at school though.  The past few days he hasn’t done anything to me, thank god.  But he keeps looking at me like he knows something I don’t.  Like things are working out for him and he knows they’re not for me.

It’s Friday now, almost a week since I saw Lily last.  School just got out for a long weekend and I can’t wait to go to the woods to try to clear my mind.  It’s not going to happen though.  I notice Brady walking over to me as I’m about to leave the building and he seems awfully smug about something.

“Hey Luke, where’s your girlfriend been?  I haven’t seen her yet this week.” He says and I look at him confused even though I know what he’s talking about.

“Girlfriend?” I ask.  Brady looks at me like I’m stupid and shakes his head in disapproval.

“Lily, where’s Lily been?” he says and I look off to the side.  I don’t want to talk to Brady at all, especially not about Lily.

“I don’t know where she is.  She won’t answer her phone.” I say simply.  He frowns for a second before he fails and smiles anyway.

“You know, I’m proud of her in a way.  She’s stayed strong for a long time.  Just means she’ll snap sooner than later.”  Brady walks away with another smug smile and I look after him confused. 

This is why I want to go to the woods.  I can think there and hopefully everything will start to make sense.  Lily said I already know her secret and Brady actually knows it.  There’s also the comments like this from Brady that make no sense.  I hope if I think about it long enough it’ll all start to come together.  Maybe I’ll remember and I’ll be able to help Lily.  The only problem then will be getting ahold of her.

As I start to walk to the woods memories of Lily start flashing in my mind.  We’ve been friends for over 10 years and I can’t remember a time I spent without her.  Every summer our parents would always joke about how you couldn’t separate us.  It became even easier when we could go where we wanted when we wanted.  Things were just perfect.

Now that I think about it we never have acted like just friends.  Even when we always told each other we were just friends we weren’t.  I guess I’ve always loved Lily like that but I wouldn’t let myself realize it.  I didn’t realize it until she left and I didn’t have her.

It doesn’t take long for the trees to come into view.  They’re scattered at first, just a few big trees here and there.  But even the few trees give just enough shade to make it cooler.  I’ve been here so many times before I barely notice anything anymore.  I know every path and every tree I don’t really have to watch where I’m going anymore.

As the trees become thicker a strange feeling comes over me.  I can’t really describe it, but it feels like I’m being watched.  I stop and look around for a second, but there’s nothing.  I don’t even see any animals anywhere yet.  After a while I just shrug away the feeling and climb into a tree.  Leaning back into the branches I close my eyes and let my mind wander.

After a few minutes the same feeling comes again.  This time it really feels like someone’s around.  I sit up and look around again.  I look at every tree I can see and don’t see anything.  Then I turn around and notice a flash of blond hair dash behind a tree trunk.  I just stare for a second not really sure if I really saw something or not.

“Lily?” I ask as I hop down from the tree I’m in.  There’s no reply as I walk over to the thick trunk I saw Lily run behind.  “Lily are you there?”

When I look behind the tree I see Lily standing there for a split second.  Then she’s gone.  It’s like it was just a hallucination.  I circle the tree a few times just to make sure.  I even look up into the branches but there’s nothing there.

I have to admit that scared me.  I know I’m not dreaming, but I did see something.  I’m not sure whether it was real or if I imagined it, but I defiantly saw Lily one way or another.  And either way it scares me.  One way I might be going crazy.  The other way Lily’s secret is a lot bigger than I thought.  If only I could remember the secret, then all this could be over.  If I could just remember then I could help her and get all of this out of my conscious. 

Frustrate, I grab a branch at my feet and chuck it as hard as I can towards the tree.  It splits in two when it hit the thick bark of the truck.  Then there’s another noise behind me.  I turn around but nothing’s there again. 

“I so sorry I dragged you into this.” I hear Lily say from behind me, but when I turn around again I see nothing. 

“Lily, where are you?” I shout turning every way I can.  But all it does is freak me out more.

“You do remember, I know you do.”  I turn around fast just to see Lily sitting up in a tree but again she’s gone the next second.

Scared out of my mind I start running.  For a moment I’m not even sure which way I’m running.  Eventually the trees start to spread out and I see the end of the forest.  Once I’m out of the tree line I stop to turn around.  There’s nothing behind me but trees.

Out of nowhere all my fear turns to anger.  I find myself frustrated and furious even though I don’t know why.  Without thinking I kick as hard as I can at the tree next to me, which only results in pain shooting up my still healing leg.  I curse under my breath and start heading home.

As I walk my anger slowly turns back to confusion and fear.  I start to worry about Lily again and I stop noticing my surroundings.  When I’m walking through the strip mall I don’t even notice the group of people there until Brady calls out. 

“Luke you ok?  Looks like something scared you.  I didn’t think any of the scary things came out til night time.”  I look over only for a second to see who all is over there.  It’s basically the same crowd that was there last week.  The same people who observed the fight.  I continue walking again but someone puts a hand on my shoulder as I pass the group.

“Hey slow down.  Last I checked you and I have some unfinished business.  I couldn’t finish it at school, but what about here and now.” Brady says without moving his hand off my shoulder.  I don’t even turn around as the anger slowly creeps back.

“Last I checked you already finished everything.” I say slowly and jerk my shoulder out of Brady’s hand.

“What’s wrong Luke?  You scared because Lily’s not here to protect you?”  I pause for a second as everyone starts laughing.  I’m not angry anymore, I’m just curious now.

“Speaking of which, what’s Lily’s secret?” I ask turning around.  Brady just looks at me for a second.

“Why do you think I’d know Lily’s secret?  She doesn’t keep secrets.” Brady says and I just laugh.  “What’s so funny?”

 “Nothing.” I say and turn around to leave.  To my luck Brady doesn’t follow me.  I turn the corner that leads to my neighborhood and my mind starts to spin again.  I need to know Lily’s secret, but how am I supposed to remember.

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Thanks for sticking with me this far.  I really have no idea where I'm going with this, but eventually it'll get to what I put in the description.  Please comment and vote.  -Sally