Sane

Chapter Fourteen | Salvia

I step into the diner slowly, not looking up. I find my backpack lying on the floor and I swing it around my shoulders. I spot Oakley's bag, sitting over by another booth. I shakily walk over to it, and realize there is a plate sitting on the table in front of it. A plate holding a half-eaten cheeseburger.

Questions rage in my head, wondering if that was the cause of the Insaneness. I shove all the questions out, carefully pulling his backpack against my chest.

Forrest walks over, "Ashton says he owns a place somewhere safe. I think that's the best decision. We need to recover before we decide out next move." I nod quickly and Forrest wraps his hand around mine, guiding me out of the diner. We follow Ashton, who hasn't spoken much.

We make a shortcut through a different part of the woods, travelling towards Ashton's "safe house". We finally arrive at an old white house, small and sweet. Ashton swings open the door, gun ready. Forrest follows behind him, then me.

"All clear." Ashton nods to us.

"Follow me." He says to me, and I do as he says. He takes me up a small staircase and into a room with four bright blue walls. There's a queen bed, nightstand, and rather large closet.

"Make yourself at home. There's a shower down the hall." He nods before leaving. Home.

"Thank you." I say quietly, doubting he heard me. I walk towards the closet, and open it. All the clothes look my size. I take a soft green sweatshirt off the hanger, and pull silk shorts off the shelf. I pull the clothes on, much more comfortable. I collapse on the bed, rolling myself inside of the sheets.

I don't remember the last time I felt so comfortable. It was a matter of seconds before I drifted off to sleep.

Oakley smiles up at me, taking my hand.

Mom looks down at me proudly, braiding my long hair.

Forrest wrapping his arms around me, comforting me.

The little girl bleeding out in my arms from the bullet that I shot.

I shake in my sleep, waking up suddenly. My breath comes out unsteadily, tears rolling down my cheeks. I look around me, almost forgetting where I am. The covers are all off the bed, my body wet with sweat. I get out of the bed, legs weak. I stroll to the closet, reaching up and pulling down a gray hoodie with lace on the bottom. I grab some light skinny jeans before walking to the shower. I find it, and turn the knob inside the shower. A stream of water runs down and I stand there, astonished. I don't remember the last time I had a nice, warm shower.

I undress before hopping in, taking in the warm water and trying hard not to think about Oakley, but the thought keeps returning. I get out of the shower twenty minutes later, feeling clean as ever. I dress into the hoodie and light jeans before applying deodorant and washing my face. I find toothpaste and use my finger as a brush.

I brush my long, dirty blonde hair thoroughly before stepping out of the bathroom. Forrest is standing there, hands in pockets, back against the wall. He pushes off the wall when he sees me, and tries to smile, but it comes out weaker than he expected.

His hair is ruffled up, his chocolate eyes droopy. He just woke up. "How long did you sleep?" I ask.

"4 hours." He nods.

"Did you-" I realize that he could've slept longer but he heard me get out of bed.

"You didn't have to. I'm fine." I affirm.

"No, I did. And it's no problem." He says, running his hand through his hair. I look closer at it, seeing that it wasn't greasy. He must've showered last night.

"I like that hoodie." He smiles, looking down at my new apparel. I smile back, and slide past him, walking back to my room. And, of course, he follows. I throw the sweaty clothes from last night in a basket, and Forrest eyes them. "Sleep didn't come easy for you, did it?" He asks.

I swallow, shaking my head.

"You should try to go back to sleep." He tells me, and I shake my head again. He opens his mouth to fight me on it, but closes it, deciding it's best to just let it go. He reaches his hand out, and I take it gently.

"Let's find something to eat then." He says, taking me out of the room.

Downstairs, Ashton had made eggs and I almost smile at this. It was a funny sight, waking up to breakfast. But I guess that's normal, I wouldn't know. I eat the eggs quick, and Forrest chuckles as he watches me eat.

"I didn't know you were that hungry." He smiles. I shrug, finishing my last bite. I stare at my plate, remembering the hamburger. Oakley took a bite out of a half-eaten hamburger, and that made him go Insane. It spreads through saliva.

"Willow? Are you okay?" Forrest asks.

"Saliva. It spreads through saliva." I state, swallowing hard.

Ashton stops what he's doing, to look at me, deep in thought.

"Oakley ate someone's hamburger, and then he turned Insane. It makes sense. Nothing else could've caused that." I spit out, lowering my gaze.

"Thanks for telling us, Will." Forrest sits back in his chair, studying me.

"Please don't call me that." I murmur.

"Why?"

"Just please... Don't." I stand up suddenly, walking out of the kitchen. I make my way upstairs, and I collapse on the bed for the second time, staring at the ceiling. My father called me that, Forrest.

I hear someone shouting outside, and I shoot upright. I go to the nearest window and stare out it. There was a large fire growing bigger inside the woods. There were people out there. Sane people. I sprint down the stairs.

Forrest and Ashton had obviously already knew, because they were grabbing their backpacks, and Forrest threw mine and Oakley's at me.

"There's people out there." I say, following the two of them out of the house.

"It's best we stay away from them." Ashton tells us. I look at the back of his head, confused. I think different, but I listen. We jog around the fire, running away from it.

I keep my eyes on the people, that can't see me, but I can see them. They are all shouting, struggling to get out of the fire. One particular person strikes me familiar. I stop in my tracks, staring at him. There's no way.

"Willow, what are you doing?" Forrest asks.

I don't take my eyes off him, as he walks weakly towards the crowd of coughing people. I can't control my actions after I confirm who he is. I sprint towards him, anger controlling my speed.