Some Things Aren't Just Your Imagination

Chapter 3

   As the Katie and Austin woke up Maddie, all that was rushing through Katie was waking up that close to Austin. She knew better than to get her hopes up about what it could mean but she couldn't help but imagine what their life would be like if they ended up together. Katie knew she had to stop this to herself, she always ended up hurting herself more in the end. One day she would have to realize that they will never be more than just friends.

   Maddie, like always, woke up and wasn't coherent for a good 20 minutes. In that time, Katie's brain began to function again. She began to wonder what in all of heaven and earth Austin had been near the bat cave and where he learned what in the world the paper was. Katie walked over to her coat and got out a pin and paper. She quickly scribbled down all the questions she had for Austin to discuss with Maddie soon. Katie soon began to question how much Austin knew that she didn't.  Austin was the type of guy that was super athletic but that was glad to hid off in the corner to read a good book. That was something that Katie had always admire about him, a jock with a hint of nerd.

   Slowly, Maddie became more aware of her surroundings and realized that Katie wasn't in the room. She immediately got up to go find her. After what had happened earlier that day, she was scared she might have ran off. She quickly found her sitting in the hallway around her coat with pen and paper.

   "What the heck are you doing out here and why aren't you hanging out with Austin, you guys had something going on earlier."

"You think."  Katie said with a hint of hope in her voice. "Never mind, its irrelevant it'll never happen anyways. I've written down a few questions written down that I think we should ask Austin. The list goes as follows: 1. How did you know where we were? 2. Do you know why the paper started screaming in my ears? 3. How did you know how to make the paper stop attacking me? 4. Do you have things happen to you like we do? 5. How long have you known?" Katie said closing herself off to any emotional feelings. Maddie hated when she did this. Forced all emotion down and locked her heart up. Katie had always been raised to be a lady. And to never let her emotions cloud her judgment. Maddie made a mental note to ask her about it later.
"I agree that we need to ask him those things. He obviously knows more than we do and I want to know how and why." Maddie proclaimed with determination.
The girls marched into the main portion of the cave with a look of pure determination. Maddie walked straight up to Austin and mimicked a police saying, "we're going to have to escort you to an interrogation room sir. We have some questions for you." Austin respectively stood up and followed Maddie down a corridor. Not completely knowing where she was going. She pasted the pedestal room and through a door. It opened into a room with a bed, a desk, and 4 chairs. The bed had white sheets and a brown comforter. There was a very modern lamp resting on the desk and to the right was a stack of books that all had been written within the last 3 years. Katie immediately started to question who kept this place up to date, but she had a feeling it was someone who she'd know, and liked, for a very long time. Austin sat down one one side of the desk, with the girls sitting on the other. Austin had a feeling he knew where this was going and feared they were going to ask about him and Katie.
"Austin," Katie said in a caring voice that made his stomach flutter and his heartbeat sky rocket. "First of all, I would like to thank you for helping me earlier. It was brave of you and kind. I am in debt." Katie took a small curtsy with her dress like her mother had fought her before she passed. "But, it is a bit strange that you knew about this place, and about how the paper was affecting me. And how you knew how to make it stop. Would you care to explain how you gained the knowledge of where we were for starters?"
Austin fiddled with his hands. He was nervous even though the answer was simple. He took a deep breath and said, "I was strolling though the woods and I heard your screams. Not really heard like with my ears, more like. I felt your screams. I felt your panic and fear. I could feel Maddie's confusion and panic as well."
Maddie was the one to do the talking next. She knew that Austin was telling the truth she'd lived with him all her life, she knew when he was or was not telling the truth. "Okay. So like am emotional connection. Alrighty. Then do you know why the paper affected Katie the way it did?"
"Honestly, no. I have not the foggiest idea what happened. It's never happened to me and it didn't happen to you. So I don't know why it happened to Katie."
At this, you could almost see Katie's ears point up like a dog's. He'd been here before. He knew about this, this thing that was wrong with us. He'd read our paper, or at least tried. What if he's the reason we haven't been able to find anything out. What if he is blocking all of the paths we can take. "Austin, what do you mean 'it's never happened to me' have you been here before today? Is there something you need to be telling us?"
Austin knew he couldn't lie to Katie. Maddie sure. But Katie, the girl he loved oh so much. The girl he'd do anything for, he couldn't lie to her. He weighed his options. He reached out and rested his hand on top of Katie's. Fire lite inside of him everywhere she was touching.
Katie took a sharp intake of breath but forced herself not to move. She knew this was not lady like. She knew that this would hurt her in the end. She knew that Maddie was watching as she slowly killed herself. But she found herself paralyzed. She wanted this. This small. Little gesture meant so much to her. And she wouldn't help but shake the feeling that it did to him too.
Seconds passed with the two staining at each other. Finally, Austin took a deep breath and said, "You two deserve to know everything. So I'll tell you what I know. When we were 12, I found some pictures in Maddie's room. There were of stuff I'd seen before but though no one else did. I followed what was obviously a lead. What I found was horrible, I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. I locked myself in my room for days. I wouldn't come out. Not for food. Not for water. Not for school. Not even for sports. I had to figure out what was going on. I did some more research and I developed a idea of what it was that I was part of. I didn't want you two to have to be involved so I put in false information into your pile. It lead you to a dead end and I knew you would never have to worry about it again. Now I had always felt a pull to this forest. So one night, I snuck out and I went into the cave. At the time. There were no names on the top but there was still a paper. Exactly like the other one. Maybe it even is the same. I couldn't read much of it, except the bottom because of it being in English. But it said the same thin it does now. I wanted to keep you save." He said looking directly at Katie. Katie felt her heartbeat soar. "You all. Both of you. You two. That's what I meant." Austin said looking flustered and panicked. "I read all of the books in this building. That's how I knew what was going on with Katie. It grabs your darkest fear or secret if you try to read it. Now Maddie and I read the part that was in whatever language you speak. Like you said Kate, the whole thing was in English for you. I am more than willing to help you two, but I'm scared that it's restating." Austin finished with a hint of fear.
   "What's restarting?" Maddie said on the edge of her seat.
   "The Graveyard Xixa War."