Alienated [✔] » k.th

17.

V

   I don't know what I was thinking, trying to confess to Joey like that. She has a boyfriend. I'm just her friend. I wonder what this feeling is.

   "Are you all packed up?" Joey asked as she entered the room.

   "I only have five shirts, three pairs of pants and a suit." I replied.

   "You ok? You seem really bummed out. What's up?"

   "Isn't the ceiling up?"

   "No, I mean What's wrong?" She sat next to me.

   "I'm fine." I shrugged.

   "No you're not."

   "You're correct. I'm not." My shoulders slumped. "I lied."

   "I know you lied."

   "Yesterday, when I left. I wasn't planning on returning. My brethern told me that it was best for me to leave, and if I didnt they'd hurt you very badly."

   "How badly?"

   "To the point where you could no longer breath." I explained. "And I left."

   "What made you want to come back?"

   "I... I... Just really wanted to return your hoodie." I smiled.

   "Ok," she chuckled. "That's a good enough reason for me."

   "And... Now I think they're still after me. I don't think they'll stop until they've captured me."

   "I won't let them get you, V."

   "No, Joey. They're too strong for you and there's too many of them." I stood from my spot. "Joey, I don't know what's happened to me."

   "What do you mean?"

   "Yesterday, when I was fighting them off. I kinda blacked out and lost control of myself. That has never happened before. I'm usually very good at self control."

   "Well, maybe it was a fight or flight response." She suggested.

   "Fight or flight?"

   "Yeah, you knew you had to protect yourself so you must have had an adrenaline rush."

   "No," I shook my head. "It's nothing like that. Nothing like that at all. Joey, I think I killed some beings."

   She was silent as she stared blankly at me. 

"Maybe my brethren were correct. Maybe I am a menace to society."

   "No, you're not." She stood and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Don't listen to them. You're not dangerous."

She zipped up my suitcase and handed it to me. "We'd better get going. We can talk about this later."