Surviving the Dark

Chapter 13 - Running

Jamie jut stared at me. Then slowly as if coming out of his thoughts blinked and shook his head.

"What?" he breathed out.

"I can't stay here anymore. I need to move to the next city like I was a month ago." I stated as calmly as I could. I was breaking inside; I didn't want to leave.

"What?!" Jamie shouted. "Izzie, no you can't go!" When he finished, I heard footsteps coming up the hall. Xav and Liv poked their heads in the doorway.

I turned my back to them all, busying myself with packing. I felt someone come up behind me. They placed their hands on my shoulders. I tried to pull away, but my hair was still down and was now trapped under whoevers hands.

'I need to cut my hair again before I leave.' I turned and looked for some scissors, not having time to get it cut at the hair dressers.

"Izzie," I could already hear the pleading tone in his voice. "It's the middle of the night. Whatever it is that has you spooked you, at least get some rest and think about this rationally in the morning. If you still want to leave I'll take you myself in the afternoon."

He is right. I know he is. But I also know I will not get back to sleep anytime soon.

I walked over to my bag and put the scissors down next to it, as a reminder for later. When I turned around, Jamie looked at me expectantly while Liv and Xav just looked worried, about me leaving or about my screaming I didn't know.

Instead of meeting their eyes I pushed past them and made my way to the lounge room. I know I wouldn't sleep so I though if they wanted me to rest the best I could do was watch TV. Even if it was crappy late night TV.

I could hear whispers but I was too worked up to pay any attention to it. The whispers stopped after about ten minutes and then Xav came out and joined me on the couch.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked after a while. I just kept my eyes trained on the TV.

I wanted so much to be able to talk about my nightmare. But if I did I would tell them too much and put them in danger. Even if they just thought it was a strange dream, to me it was all too real.

"I'm going to make myself a hot chocolate. Do you want a tea?" I nodded and watched him walk into the kitchen. I was wondering why he hadn't gone back to bed when I realised it was the early hours of Saturday morning so he didn't have school. He was also probably making sure I wouldn't run off before the other woke up again.

Xav came back with his drink and handed me my tea. It smelt like peppermint.

He must have seen my confused look. I thought he was just going to make me a normal tea.

"It's peppermint tea. Liv used to give it to me as a kid when I woke up from a nightmare. It always helped relax me."

I nodded and blew on the tea to try and cool it down so I could drink it.

I turned back to the TV. We were watching reruns of Celebrity Splash. It was only on air for one season. It was on while everyone couldn't get enough of celebrities doing things. In this show they would slowly learn how to dive like an Olympian. It was boring as hell, which explained why it only lasted a season.

I felt like all I had done was blink, but I must have fallen asleep. When I opened my eyes, Xav was gone, and a blanket was draped over me.

I stretched out, my shoulders clicking and cracking in the process from sleeping on the couch.

"Oh good your awake. How are you feeling?" Liv came over and gave me a glass of water. I took a gulp before replying, still feeling the dryness in my throat from screaming.

"I'm okay." Shrugging and giving her a small smile.

I could already feel my walls going back up.

From the look, Liv gave me she could tell too.

"I heard you and Jamie talking last night." She gave me a sad smile then looked at her feet, playing with a strand of hair that had fallen loose in her sleep.

"I know you want to leave but..." She looked me in the eyes. "J and Xav have done to the preserve, but J and I really need to go out to the next town over for a few hours. Any chance you could help Xav out until we get back? J can take you to where ever when we get back."

"I should get the bus."

"Well then you should have set an alarm, the bus came through five minutes ago." I looked at the clock on the wall and cursed under my breath. It's nine o'clock. I have definitely missed the bus.

"Fine, I'll help Xav out. But only because I missed the bus and Jamie promised to take me to Katkrian."

Liv's eyes lit up ever so slightly. I think she was hoping I would agree; her mischievous glint was back, yet the usual brightness to them was gone.

"Okay, let's get going." Liv then grabbed her bag and started heading out the door.

I followed her out, and we made our way to the preserve. When we get there, Liv leads me to the area around the Peter Pan and Tinkerbell statue.

With summer now fast approaching the boys were in singlet's and shorts.

I was starting to feel the heat myself; I still had my hair down. Liv was right, the amount of hair spray in my hair it did hold, even with the nightmare.

'Oh shit work!' I thought.

"Don't worry Izzie, I called them for you, Told them you're not well," Jamie reassured me. I must have voiced my thoughts out loud without realising.

"Ah, thanks. I should go there before we leave later to quit anyway."

"Do you have to leave Isa?" I couldn't meet Xav's eyes. I knew if I did I would take back everything and stay.

But it's too risky. I shouldn't actually be staying and helping, but I also can't leave them without any help.

I asked Xav what he wanted me to do and got started. As Jamie and Liv were leaving, he got up from what he was doing and walked over to them.

I could hear them whispering and heard my name a few times, but I just wanted to get this done so I could move on.

I didn't realise Jamie and Liv had left until Xav came up beside me to help.

"Why are you running away?"

I couldn't answer. I didn't think I was running away. I thought of it as keeping them safe by putting distance between us.

"I'm not running away. It's just better for everyone if I leave."

"You can't really think that can you? I know we aren't the easiest to get along with, and J really needs to stop with the stupid jokes, but we thought you liked it here. I thought you liked us." I looked up and was met with his violet eyes boring into my own violet orbs.

I sighed and let the silence stretch between us.

"They aren't going to let you leave without a fight; you know that right?"