Discord

SLIP

An ominous tune tumbled out one of the rundown stands full of random junk and merchandise. Quara stuck closer to me, keeping a suspicious eye on the man behind the counter. I examined the small globe in my hand with fascination. It was made of brass, perfectly melded in a curve around the sphere with indentations where seas conquered.

Quara tugged at my sleeve. "Hey, he keeps staring at us." she whispered softly, discretely gesturing beside her.

"Of course, he owns the place. It's part of his job to keep an eye on us." I replied nonchalantly as I put down the globe.

Quara tugged harder. "Not the store clerk," she hissed. She tilted her head at the same direction. "That guy, beside the clerk."

I furrowed my eyebrows, but I peeked around her. A tall, menacing figure stood a few feet away from the clerk. He wore a dark hoodie, the hood covering most of his face. Even though we couldn't see his eyes, I was certain he was staring at us.

A chill ran up my spine, probably a sign to run. I grabbed Quara's hand and muttered, "Let's go."

I dragged her along down the street, trying my best not to look over my shoulder. Quara let me lead as I maneuvered my way through the stands and the few people who were shopping. By the time we reached the end of the street, I allowed myself to peek behind me. The dark figure was following us.

Panicking, I did the most sensible thing I can think of at the moment. I tugged Quara harder as I sprinted towards Uncle Kwan's house. Quara let out a squeal when I pulled her along.

"You're hurting me, Beckett!"

"Shut up." I growled. I glanced back to see Quara's eyes widen as sweat glistened. In the distance, the figure was running along, coming closer by the second.

"Faster!" I yelled at Quara. This time she didn't complain.

The opening of the forest was yards away. I spared another glance over my shoulder. I almost froze from fear. The figure was even closer, gaining more speed with each thudding step.

At the most inconvenient time, Quara tripped and fell. I cursed under my breath as I scooped her up and carried her. The weight of her body didn't process as I ran into the forest. I completely disregarded Uncle Kwan's warning, but I didn't have time to feel guilty about it. I had to get rid of this stalker, even if it means I die.

Jumping over occasional roots and logs, I sharply turned right. I continued to swerve around the trees, hoping to loose the guy. Quara squealed as she bounced around in my arms. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she buried her face in my chest. That distracted me.

My heart pumped even more, my cheeks burning red. I faltered and my foot got caught on a root. The dirt neared my face as I fell. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around Quara, turning my body so her head won't get in contact with the ground.

They make falling down so painless in movies, but in reality it hurts like hell. I grimaced as my arm stung from the scratches I received. Quickly, I glanced back. He was gaining on us, hands in his pockets. Panic taken over as I pushed Quara out my arms.

"Run..." I muttered, gasping for air as exhaustion caught up.

"But, Beckett I-"

"HURRY UP AND RUN!" I screamed. I was scared of losing Quara. I was scared of what might happen to her, hurt her, frighten her, and kill her. I was ready to die for her.

Quara eyes widened as she stared at the dangerous glint in my eye. Her swallowed hard and made a run for it. Chuckling a little, I slowly stood up. Turning around, I smirked. The figure's face was only inches away.

He had dark hair swooped back under his hood. Hollow, gray eyes bored into mine as a snarling smile tugged on his lip.

"Hello." His icy voice sent a chill down my spine. My knees faltered. I fell on my butt as I looked up in absolute horror.

He bent down, inching his thin face closer. Deep dimples occupied his cheeks as he smiled. "Cat got your tongue?"

My breath hitched. His pale face was only inches away, grinning maniacally. He lifted his boney finger and jabbed my forehead. "Greet a man when you see him, kid."

I blinked. "Wha-"

"And to think I came all the way here to greet you newbies." He sighed as if we did him wrong. "Kids nowadays are so cruel, never bothering to greet a person. They think they're all that, huh."

No words could explain the shock I was going through. My forehead stung from the forceful jab and my heart was having a mini seizure.

"Get up, kid. You're sister is probably dead by now." he muttered as he pushed himself up.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ah, so now you're talking. This place is dangerous, and your sister went running. What do you expect?" he said, pulling out a cigarette box. "She probably won't make it out from there."

I balled up my fists as I got up. "I'm going to look for her." I muttered and turned my back at him.

"Woah, woah, kid." He stopped me. "You go out there alone, you die."

"Who said I'm going alone." I grabbed the man by his collar and yanked him close. "It's your fault we are in this predicament, so you're going help fix it."

The man fell silent as he dropped his cigarette box. After a few moments, he let out a low chuckle. "That look in your eye is dangerous. I like you kid." he said while pushing my hand away. "Complete character change. I guess that shows even a wuss like you can snap."

I watched as he slowly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. After blowing out a puff of smoke, he spoke, "We can't do anything now, especially since it's starting to get late."

"What's out there that's such a danger to me sister?"

A shallow chuckle escaped his lips before his mouth turned up in a empty grin. "A monster."

My eyebrows creased as I asked, "What?"

"Let's go to your uncle. Standing here will do nothing." He dropped his joint on the ground and walked off, causing a potential forest fire. I clicked my tongue as I stomped out the fire hazard.

"You could've burned down the woods, you know?" I said, catching up to him.

He stared blankly ahead. "That would've been nice. He might burn down with it."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The monster."