Poison- H.S

Four

            

Songs of the Chapter:

Arsonists Lullabye- Hozier

1983- Neon Trees

"Go, hide in there. Don't come out until I say so," she says to me, her eyes glossing over with tears.

"No! Where are you going to hide? There's not enough room in here for the both of us!" I cry. I can't be the pathetic one who hides.

"Get in there right now, I'll be fine. Don't come out until I say you can, okay?" She asks.

"No way, I'm not going to cower away and let you stand out there alone," I say. There's less confidence in my voice then I'd like.

"Hunter, god dammit, this has nothing to do with you. I can't let you get hurt over something I did. Just please, go in there and hide." Her mascara has begun smudge under her eyes as she pushes me towards the small closet. My body betrays me as it submits to her request, denying my minds request to stand my ground.

She shoves me in the closet and stands in front of it, holding me hostage in the small space. My heart beats irregularly fast and I begin to feel tiny sweat beads roll down the middle of my back. I'm silently screaming in my head and shaking like a rabid beast. I'm so terrified that I can't concentrate or even focus enough to think of an escape plan.

I can tell from the quiet whimpers and uneven breaths coming from outside the closet that she's crying too. She's probably just as scared as I am. But why am I not the one out there defending her? Why is she defending me? I can't let her risk herself for me.

Right as I'm about to go out of the closet and try to convince her to hide, the front door opens and someone walks in.

I wake up immediately, with a damp back and a wet forehead. My heart is still beating unusually fast and my breathing has accelerated. "It's just a dream," I say quietly, trying to convince my body to calm down. Although it isn't just a dream, rather a haunting memory, and one that I can't shake off.

I roll over and grab my phone, checking the time on the tiny screen. It reads 6:22 A.M; eight minutes before my alarm goes off. It's probably easier just to get out of bed now, instead of risk falling into another short nightmare.

It's still dark outside when I step into the shower, even though fall has just barely begun. As the warm water rains down on my body, I mindlessly watch through the small bathroom window as the sky begins to lighten up to a gloomy grey cloud. I go through the motions of a shower, washing my body, shampooing and conditioning my hair, all while trying to clear my head of nightmarish thoughts.

Once I get out of the shower, I comb through my hair and pull on a pair of jeans and a warm jacket. Dad's already left for work but there's a pan on the stovetop with scrambled eggs and a pancake. I grab some orange juice and squirt some ketchup onto my eggs, scarfing down my breakfast before leaving.

The drive to school is almost silent, the soft radio playing a quiet song and the occasional cry from my breaks. I drive to the back of the parking lot and spot Matt's big red truck nestled in the corner. I park my car next to his and as soon as I hop out of my truck, he appears at my side.

"Hey, long time no see, stranger," he says as he strides next to me.

"Yeah, it's honestly been ages. I'm sorry, you'll have to remind me of your name again?" I tease. His eyes go wide and a shocked smile stretches across his whole face.

"Hunter Marie Goode, are you saying you cannot remember a simple four letter name, that of your best friend? I'm offended," he chuckles. We walk through crowds of people loitering in the parking lot. "You still want to hang out tonight?"