Human

18.

            When I got home I immediately raided the fridge.

I was starving from skipping lunch and then having that altercation with Carrianne. I was still confused by what had happened, but I decided I must have just really shocked her when I punched her in the face. I giggled out loud to myself at that thought. I had actually punched another girl in the face. If I'm being honest, I have met plenty of girls I wanted to do that to, but I haven't ever acted on it. It felt kind of awesome.

I grumbled under my breath when I saw that there was no food in the house. I suppose that was just me being dramatic. There was plenty of food, but nothing I wanted. I grabbed some cash out of the jar on the counter and dug my old red bike out from the garage and started off to the supermarket. I was craving a pizza lunchable something fierce.

I walked the aisles, browsing all the different snacks and junk food available. I threw some sun chips in my basket, then some Oreo thins. I was turning to hit the drink aisles when I saw Garrett and his brother...Garrett's dad.

They were in the middle of the aisle, only partially hidden by a display of snack cakes. Dalton was red faced and inches away from Garrett's terrified looking face. My mind didn't have time to process what I was seeing. Dalton brought his elbow hard into Garrett's ribs, causing him to let out a gurgled yelp as the air was knocked from him. I advanced on them quickly as Dalton grabbed his son in a chock hold from behind. Neither of them saw me coming until I shouted. "Get your hands off of him!"

Both of them seemed startled, but Dalton didn't release his hold on Garrett's neck. I looked around for other people, hoping that someone else was seeing this, but there was no one around. Garrett's poor face was beginning to turn a purplish blue, all the while Dalton stared at me with his dangerously handsome face twisted into a sadistic smile. He was enjoying this. "You must be Cadence James." He whispered menacingly. "You're the reason this is happening to him right now." He said as he tightened his grip. Garrett had his hands up around his father's arm but it wasn't helping. Dalton was clearly much stronger than him. Garrett's eyes were starting to bug out as he was running out of air.

"Get. The. Hell. Away. From. Him." I warned him, enunciating every syllable in each word. I could feel the fear in me rippling into fiery anger. I felt heat rising through my body and when Dalton dared to smile, pleased with the reaction he was getting from me, I lost my cool. "Now!" I screamed. As the word escaped my mouth, the ground shook, and the lights flickered. Dalton stumbled back away from Garrett, and Garrett fell to the floor on his hands and knees gasping for air.

"What the?" Dalton muttered as he regained his balance.

I grabbed Garrett by the arm and pulled him to his feet as Dalton began to walk back toward us. "Run." I said urgently into Garrett's ear.

We took off together to the front of the store and out the door to my bike. I was beyond grateful that there had been a freak earthquake. I was used to them back in Cali, but I didn't know they had them in Missouri too. "Where are we going?" Garrett asked as he slung his leg over the seat of the bike and I stood on the pegs behind him.

"My house?" I suggested as I kept my eyes on the front door watching for Dalton to come after us.

"That's the first place he'll look for me."

"Ok, then anywhere, let's just go." I urged him.

He began peddling and headed up the highway, out of town. We were going way faster than I would have thought possible for us to go on my ancient bike, or with two people. I had to remind myself that Garrett was stronger than most. "You know what I just thought of?" I shouted over the sound of the wind whizzing around our heads.