Hollows In Time (✔️) | 'Hollows' Book Ⅱ

Chapter Twenty-One

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H o l l o w s   I n
T    I    M    E
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I listed all the people that could help me in this situation in my head. A geographer—unavailable. The mayor of the town—he's probably not in on the secret of the Academy. The police force—they would never give away confidential information away to a sixteen year old girl. Einstein—dead.
Carter—
Jameson—

Gone.

Everyone is gone.
It's all gone.

I have no one.

I'm all alone.

Alone in a world I thought I wanted.

12/09/16
Twelve months ago

A double knock was heard on my door as I picked out some clothes, in only my towel after a much needed, but barely relaxing, bath.

"Hang on!" I yelled, fumbling around with my towel, exchanging it for a dressing gown. I padded over to my door when I was done, kicking my diary and my map under some laundry next to my wardrobe as I did so. I turned the handle and opened the door a little bit, peaking round the corner to see who had decided to crash my pity party.

"Knock knock, your cavalry is here."

I frowned, opening the door wider to peer at my strange best friend.

"Why do I need soldiers?" I asked her ludicrously.

"To fight off your bad mood." She poked my sides, smiling when I squirmed away. She kept her eyes on me as she brushed past me and flopped down onto my bed.

"Welcome home, honey." I joked, closing my door behind me as I stalked off to retrieve my pyjamas from my vanity chair. I left the room without a word to change, and came back with a towel to dry off my hair.

I laughed at Lexi as she lay sprawled out on my bed with an arm over her face. I jumped onto my bed, sitting by Lexi, picking up locks of her almost black hair and braiding them.

"What's up, Buttercup?" I asked her, waiting for a reaction as I continued braiding her hair.

Suddenly, she sat upright, leaning back casually on her palms, "I was going to ask you the same thing." She rose an eyebrow at me and I averted my gaze, letting go of her hair.

Silence overcame the room for a few moments.

Then Lexi spoke up, "Do you miss him?"

I froze.

I turned to face her, watching her silently. Her eyes watched me too. "Hmm?" I hummed in response, hoping she hadn't clocked me already, that she didn't know my secrets.

Her facial expression didn't change. "Carter. Do you miss him?" My heart sank. A hollow ache spread in my stomach. How much of a heartless person could I have been to worry about my stupid secrets when her heart has always been breaking in the background? She was Carter's best friend too.

I cringed. And I hoped she couldn't tell that I did. "So much." I responded. "But you're here," I smiled up at her. Her eye twitched—that was the only change in her expression. "And they'll find him." I answered, looking away from her face, and instead finding a framed photo of Carter and I. I stared at it. It was at that same family barbecue from the news report, in fact, it was the exact same photo. I was wearing that same skater dress and flower crown. I was still kissing Carter on the cheek as he had wound his arm around my waist. I stared at us. I wonder what it would be like if we had known what would become of us. If I had known what I would do to him.