Code: 16B

Chapter Seventeen

 Seventeen

    “Amanda, calm down.” I hear Violet’s voice saying to me soothingly after she rushed into the room, but I couldn’t stop the loud sobs from coming out of my mouth. I could almost feel her strong hands on my shoulders, but the numbness wouldn’t leave my body.

    “I—thought—I—saw—her—dead!” I managed to say in between the loud sobs that didn’t cease to make me feel horrible.

    “Her?” Violet blurted questioningly.

    At first I couldn’t get the name out. Just even trying to form it on my lips would make the sobs much more uncontrollable. But I finally blurted with a loud sob, “Missy!”

    It didn’t take long for Violet to understand what I meant when I blurted the name. “It’s going to be okay. Victor won’t touch her, not without going through us first.” I couldn’t help but notice that her voice sounded malicious. Especially when it came to saying the name of the one person who may, or may not kill my best friend.

    “What if I could talk her out of dating him?” I didn’t know that I already said the words out loud until Violet gave me a thoughtful look. At that point I thought I lost every bit of sanity that I have left. At least that if I lost my mind, I’ll know that I lost it with what dignity I’ve got.

    “What do you mean by that?” she asked with true curiosity in her voice. I tried to look up at her, but the tears were too much for it clouded my vision.

    “Well…” I almost thought that I shouldn’t tell her about my secret plans to meet Missy, but it’s already too late. “What if I meet up with Missy, talk to her, and try to convince her that Victor is…well, bad.” I added hastily. Again, I found myself staring at my hands when I told her.

    “You might be onto something.” Violet said, it gave me the courage to wipe the tears off of my face, and I finally look up at her.

    “Really?” I said almost glumly.

    “I’m positive.” She paused thoughtfully. “I have an idea.” She added as she quickly pulled out her cell phone, and dialed a number.

    “Who are you calling?” I asked almost bluntly, but my dry voice hinted true curiosity.

     She didn’t answer me as she pressed her phone against her ear. Again, like the one time with Cyrus, the person she called picked up on what could be the first ring. “Garrett, it’s me. I just got an idea, but it might be risky.” She paused as she heard Garrett’s side of their conversation, and judging from her reaction whatever her idea is, it might be getting through to him. “What?” she blurted. “Well, he hasn’t even heard it yet. How could he already be against it?” she sighed, and rolled her eyes. “Typical of him.” she muttered almost to a point where I didn’t hear her. “Okay, we’ll see you two when you get back.” She finished quickly before she hung up. Then, she turned her brown eyes on me. “Get some sleep, you’re going to need your energy.”

    “Okay.” I mumbled as I staggered towards the bed, and Violet quietly left the room as she closed the door behind her.

    I really tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t stop the image of myself seeing Missy’s lifeless body in the room from entering the conscious part of my brain. It was the most horrifying sight that will forever be imprinted in my mind until the day I die.

    When I entered the room I saw blood everywhere. At first I almost thought someone entered with a paintball gun with paintballs filled with red paint, and pulled the trigger. But the tell tale smell of blood confirmed it.

    As I took a few steps closer, I saw a large lump under the sheets, but as I got closer to it I could feel my heart beating to a point where it was almost out of control. The moment when my scream came out was when I was at the head of the bed, I lifted the sheets, and I see the bloodied face of Missy Thomas. Her eyes were open, and were staring at me like she was really terrified, and it made me feel horrible. That’s when I screamed the scream that caused Violet to run into the room to see what was wrong.

    Recalling it is why I just can’t fall asleep. I even tried chanting to myself, “She’s alive” over and over, but it won’t go away. I guess that’s why I kept tossing and turning throughout most of the night.

    I looked at my cell phone on the nightstand for the time. It’s almost midnight, and I still feel like a person who’s had their morning coffee.

    Then, a thought occurred to me. Maybe I could finally go to sleep if I try to think of the positives. And that’s what I did. I finally fell asleep after thinking about the possibility of seeing mom, dad, Amber, and all of my friends at school alive and well.