The Runaways

Chapter 4

As the days went on, the cool air gradually became temperatures of freezing. For Cody, it was either go inside, or stay outside and freeze.

It was winter break, while all the other kids were at home spending time with family and relatives, Cody had the opportunity to spend more time in his room.

Cody's family didn't believe in Christmas and for them it was good and well because they didn't have to buy presents-which was taxing on most middle class families.

"Don't you feel like we're being quite hard on the boy Linda?" Cody heard his dad say one evening, ear on the door.

"I don't think we're being any harder on him than we need to be," said Linda in a harsh tone. There fell a silence and Cody climbed into bed.

As he lay there fitfully in sleep, he had an epiphany. He glimpsed a forest, heard the whisper of the wind in the trees, the sound of feet running while crushing sticks and leaves in their wake. He heard a scream. A scream calling a name over and over, but it wasn't possible to understand.

Cody plummeted to the floor. He was awake now, apparent to have rolled out of bed in his fit. Covered in sweat which glistened in the moonlight laboring with heavy breaths, he got up and walked to the window.

A cold, dry, fragrant breeze came through the open pane. Cody caught the sweet smell of flowers his mom planted outside of his window, a special breed that could survive the cold of the Oklahoma winter, the only part he enjoyed about his mother. He heard the fluttering of leaves and the murmur of running water. He knew what he must do.

Using the Tracfone given to him by Juliane, he dialed her number. It rang five times before going to her voicemail. It was long and obnoxious, something to be expected by any teenage girl, and Cody waited impatiently.

The phone spoke to him in its normal rhythm after the person who set up the voicemail ended their rant. "After the tone please record your message, when you are finished recording, hang up or press one for more options. BEEP."

"Juliane, I had a dream. I know what is going to happen and I know what we have to do!" And with that, Cody pressed the end call button.