Exposed

3

A pair of hands grab me and pull me out of the way of the car and onto the sidewalk on the other side of the road.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I look up, a figure towers over me, he pulls me up and looks into my eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asks, concern flashing across his bright blue eyes. His voice is gravely, his hair is bright red, freckles sprinkle all over his perfectly tanned face. Annabelle would have easily fallen for a guy like him. I shake her from my thoughts and pull myself up.

"Uhm.. yeah.. I just.." I look over and my parents are running down the hill frantically looking for me, shit.

"Please don't do that again..." He pauses and looks at me and I realise he wants my name.

"Gem." I say

"Oh okay, well Gem, don't try that again, I promise things get better" He says. 

I nod and whisper "Okay.. I'm sorry, but thank you." He points to my parents who are now shouting my name. "They look concerned, go back to them" he tells me. I turn away and begin to walk, across the road. All the cars have stopped and the drivers all stare at me.

"Don't forget your promise" Yells the boy as I run off, back to my parents.

"Where were you?!" My father demands when I finally reach them. My mum is in the car crying.

"I needed a break, I'm really sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay, it's been a long day" He says, putting his arms around me. "You've been brave kiddo, let's go home."

That night I dream of Annabelle, her ghost, floating up from her grave and watching as I attempt to get killed by a car. I dream of her, following me around everywhere, haunting me forever. She follows me to my room and hovers over me when I get into my bed. In my ear she whispers, "You could have saved me, this is all your fault" Before grabbing a knife and plunging it into the back of my neck. I wake with a scream and my parents both come running in. I cling to my mum and sob into her shoulder.

"She..she seemed so real" I cry.

She lays me back into bed and kisses me on the forehead.

"Try to go back to sleep darling, it's been a long day"

She leaves and I drift back to sleep, this time I dream of the tall tanned figure who had saved my life.