A Beast with a Smile {Book 1}

Chapter 13 (Scarlett): Down the Rabbit Hole

It was almost three in the afternoon when I arrived at the untouched town square.

I must be crazy.

I ran to Big Al's and looked for any clues. I looked for broken bricks, dust particles, impact marks on the pavement; I even looked for bits of my hair just to see if I was actually there last night. I found nothing, absolutely nothing.

I ran from building to building for hours, looking for any evidence. I threw in the towel around 6:45 p.m. and sat where the girl in the suit had sat with me.

I looked around to see families happily walking back to their perfect homes. I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I scanned the plaza: a black mark where the girl and the bunny disappeared. It was not as big as it was last night, but it was large enough to take note of.

I must've looked like the town drunk with my huge grin, running around like a fool. The clock began to cheer with me and provided my second piece of evidence. The same familiar voice came into my head and whispered inaudibly something that I couldn't understand.

From the identical smiles everyone had as they walked back to their homes, I deduced it meant smile like a creep and go home with your overly happy families.

The girl knew my name and told me that I was affected by BW. Whatever that meant, it was a clue. She also said that I was smart and that "He" had mentioned me along with my intellect.

I looked at the electrical pole above the mark and realized how she had teleported.

She must be able to change her form and anything she touches into pure electricity. She would just have to find a place with a flow of electricity and add herself to it, like adding a glass of water to the ocean.

I'd stared at the pole for so long, I didn't notice the square had completely emptied, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I knew if I followed the power lines I could find another hint to solving the mystery.

One end went north towards the school and the other went south towards the hospital, but also the residential area.

It's not the smallest zone to look for hints, but I needed to know what's going on because something isn't right. Okay, so this late at night no one would be at the school, but that's another reason to go there since there would be no witnesses for a giant bunny.

I began to walk towards the school.

The hospital on the other hand is always filled with people and the odds of witnesses would be much higher.

I took no more than five steps from the spot before a excited voice said, "You're going the wrong way."

I spun around quickly looking for the speaker. There was nothing there.

"Who said that?"

"Someone who needs your help," he said, still invisible to the naked eye.

"Where are you and who are you?" I shouted into thin air.

"You will know in due time. The hospital will hold the answers you seek. I suggest you go now before they find you here."

"Who do I have to worry about finding me?"

"There's not time to explain. Run, Scarlett Archer. Your friend's life depends on you and you alone."

My heart grew heavy from the promise of hope, "Are you telling me Scavenger is alive?"

"You'll find what you're looking for at the hospital. Now go. Time is short. And remember things are never how they seem ."

My heart was filled with stones and my chest seemed to weigh hundreds of pounds, but I had to move as fast as I could. I ran from the square to the opposite end of town in a new record of two minutes.