I'll Be Back

Eleven

I settled into my bed that night, I hadn't felt like sleeping.

I guess you could say I told Nana- Mary how my day was.

I checked my phone quickly. Maybe the present- the future Nana had replied. I watched the screen flicker on and I gulped. Hardly any battery left.

Roxanne-

I suppose you're not joking. I trust that you actually are safe, not with some weirdo.

-Nana

I didn't bother to reply.

Maybe that would hurt Nana's feelings.

I can't worry about that right now, though. I'm lucky, though. School began on a Friday, for the stupidest reason.

Tomorrow was Saturday. I could visit Paul, if he wanted me there. Or he just gave his address to be nice. It was obvious I had no friends. And John? He's being John. I'll ask Mary to not let him near me.

I shook my head. Too many thoughts. I shut my eyes tightly, only to open them again, seeing the dim moonlight filtering into my room.

Nana sat in the kitchen. This was the future Nana. The one I left.

The phone rang.

She picked it up.

".....Hello?" She gasped.

"Seth?" The phone dropped. "Seth? Seth?"

There was a knock on the door.

With a startled gasp I woke up, drenched in sweat.

It was the pink room again. Gloria was standing in the doorway.

"Where's my little cutie?" She asked, picking me up. She made whooshing sounds and she spun me around.

"Put her down."

"But, Seth, I'm doing nothing wrong."

"Put her down."

I felt my feet touch the carpet as I was set down.

"Good."

Gloria left, leaving me alone with Seth.

He grinned at me.

"Want to have some fun?" He asked, approaching me, his hands outstretched. I wailed. He was scary. I ran around him and down to Gloria, crying.

"Shhhh...." She said, stroking my hair.

"We'll get you to Nana." She whispered.

I woke up. For real, I think. I checked my surroundings. The room wasn't pink. It wasn't the other house.

I sighed and looked outside. Day already?

I got dressed and walked downstairs.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked, grabbing my pullover.

"Some toast or something." Mary glanced at me. "I thought you didn't like having breakfast."

"I don't."

"Alright."

"I'll going outside."

I opened the door and stepped outside and opened my bag. I pulled out the slip of paper with Paul's address.

I knocked on the door and a woman answered.

"Oh, you must be the girl James was talking about."