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Chapter 8: Essence

The kiss lasted no more than 5 seconds, but it felt like it lasted forever. I didn't know how much I longed for that moment until it happened. He pulled away with a smile. I didn't know what to say. My mouth was slightly open, and I was grinning as much as my injured face would let me. Even though my life and home were falling to pieces, I felt as if there was a beacon of light, now parting the darkness. He was the only thing I could think about, and the only thing that I ever wanted to think about. "I really like you Margaret." He said. "I really like you too." I say back. Now it was my turn to kiss him.

I had never been in love before, at least not like this. I have had a few little relationships here and there, but this was different. I felt as though our hearts were one, and I never wanted to let him go. We sat in the corner of the garage for who knows how long, just kissing and hugging and relying on each other to be okay again. 

We just sat and talked for hours on end after that. We talked about family, about school, about friends and sports and television shows. We tried not to mention our current situation, but when it came up, we coped by trying to find the weakness of the masked men, and joking about silly things such as why they would wear masks. I felt bad, making a mock of the situation, but it made everything just a little better. We talked until it was dark, or at least darker than before. I rested my head on his chest and he put his arm around my waist, and we proceeded to fall asleep this way.

~*~*~*~*

We were woken up maybe 5 hours later by slamming on the door. When we look outside, a woman was slamming her hand against the door desperately, as if hoping she could either knock the door down or get someone's attention, and get someone's attention she did. We came over to the door, which had one small window, and looked around for masked men that could be tricking us, and when we found none we moved the cabinet and inched the door open. She came limping in, her one leg being bloody from the calf down. She collapsed on the floor, and we quickly sealed the garage shut again. "They're coming... coming... hide..." she mutters to warn us. I peer out the window again, and sure enough, a masked man was slinking around the corner, and the pits in the mask where his eyes should be seemed to be staring into me, and I crouched out of the frame, in case he saw me, though I knew he couldn't because of the tinted, dirty glass in the window. 

I turned around and Ben was caring for the woman. She looked about two years or so older than us. He had rolled up her jeans to air out the wound in her leg. It wasn't terrible, but it was bleeding a lot. He took a clean cloth from the cabinet and wrapped it around her leg, sealing it by rolling the jeans down back over her leg. I was impressed at his medical skill. "My mom is a nurse." He explains after he saw the look on my face. I nod. It's good to have someone like that around, so I'm glad that I do. 

"So, what happened?" I ask. The woman looks at me. "Oh, uh, ya... Well my name is Diane Hope, I was looking for a place to hide, given my house isn't the most secure. I went to the old warehouse and was hiding out for a few days, when suddenly the masked men came in ...They are so creepy up close... I hid in a closet, thank god for that closet. They performed some... ritual where they chanted about sacrifices to... someone they called "Three." I guess that explains the 3s appearing everywhere." I felt my forehead. My wounds were scabbed over, and I don't think they will leave a scar. "I escaped by making a run for it while they were gone, but I tripped and fell, which is how I scraped my leg, and one of them heard me, so then I had to make a run for it." She finishes. "Woah..." Ben and I say, amazed at her bravery. 

"But be warned, they are set on killing this whole town, and it's only a matter of time before they come for us."