Chasing Freedom (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Finally Free (Skylar)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Finally Free (SKYLAR)

We walked up the path in a comfortable silence, both me and my brother lost in thoughts of what truths could be lying on the other side of the hill. When we get to the top, I'm surprised to see an old and abandoned house; two floors, covered in crumbling stone, the window panes rusted and broken.

"It looks a lot like Katherine's house," Cole observes and as I continue to stare at it, I can't help but agree with him. "Except a lot creepier," he adds as an afterthought, faltering in his step.

"Are we sure we want to this?" he asks uneasily. "I mean, it doesn't look all that promising."

"You didn't look all that promising either when I met you," I respond flippantly, snickering when he shoots me a dry look, "but I still took a chance on you."

I stare at him openly until he caves and I lean forward and push the door open with my fingertips, it creeks under my weight but opens and we peer in cautiously, seeing nothing but rickety floors and wrapped furniture, cobwebs hanging from the chandeliers and a thick layer of dust coating the picture frames.

I take a step onto the porch and am about to walk into the house when I hear a soft whimper and freeze, causing Cole to bump right into me. "Did you hear that?"

I feel him shiver from beside me but he scowls, "that's not funny Skylar, you know much I hate places like this."

I probably would've laughed if we were under different circumstances but my ears were perked for the sound again and when I hear it, I spin on my heel, heading in the direction the sound it from. Cole whines from behind me but follows after me reluctantly as I creep to the side of the old house, gasping when I see who the sound came from.

Cole, obviously lost in thought, bumps into me again, harder this time which causes me to stumble but he doesn't bother apologizing as his eyes land on the girl in front of us, "who the bloody hell is that?" he semi-screams.

The girl simply looks up at us with her big green eyes, the dress that was once bright pink, now frayed at the ends and stained with dirt. "It's the kid," I whisper, "from my house the day we left..."

Cole curses from under his breath and takes a step back as I bend to eye level with her and smile. "I'm Skylar, we've met before, in The City of Lost Souls; do you remember me?"

Her lip quivers but she nods slowly, her green eyes shining.

"What are you doing all the way out here on your own?" I ask warmly.

"I followed Katherine, she wouldn't tell me where she was going," the little girl says, sounding sad. "I saw her talking to you and then she left but I got lost. I don't know how to get home."

I glance behind me, seeing Cole staring down at us critically, not much help. "Well I think that was very brave of you," I tell her honestly, "your bravery reminds me a lot of someone I used to know."

"Really?" she asks, her mood lifting, "what was their name?"

"His name was-" I cut myself off, squinting as I stare at the little girl, who again, couldn't be more than ten years old; bright green eyes shining so familiarly, fierce determined gaze, curly black hair, bravery like I've only ever seen once before in a child and then I can't help but think of anything other than her features.

Green eyes.

Determined gaze.

Black curly hair.

Bravery.

Green eyes.

Determined gaze.