Silent Wood

Chapter 4

"He's a pretty hot guy," Bailey says as she rocks on the swing that's on our front porch. She's wearing a dark blue rain slicker over her favorite yellow sundress.

I sit across from her in the rocking chair, the back and forth movements relaxing me. "He is pretty gorgeous," I admit, leaning forward in the chair. "Those eyes..."

Bailey snorts. "Keep dreaming. You're never going to get any guy. You're a mess," she says derisively, twirling a dark lock of hair around her fingers. "You haven't talked in a month, what makes you think any guy will find you attractive?" she sneers.

I look down, away. She's right, of course. And I deserve to be talked to this way.

"I'm sorry-"

She cuts me off. "Stop apologizing. We both know it was your fault I'm dead. And don't forget mom and dad," she jeers, as water begins to drip from her hair and dress, forming a puddle around her bare feet.

"What makes you think you have the right to be happy while the rest of us are dead?!" Bailey screeches. "What makes you so much better than me that I died and you lived? You ruined my life!" she wails, before lunging at me.

I scream as her slippery hands go around my neck. I try to pry her fingers away, but my hands keep slipping. I look up into her eyes, those familiar blue eyes once filled with love, now containing a burning hatred. Water streams down her face, drips from her lashes.

She starts to shake me, and I scream again. I thrash, trying to get her off me, trying not to be strangled to death. I gasp for air.

"SKYLAR!"

A shout suddenly has me jerking my eyes open, the white ceiling of my bedroom greeting me.

All a dream. Just another nightmare. Not real.

James is leaning over my bed, his hands on both my shoulders. "It was just a nightmare, Skylar," he says soothingly.

I cling to the front of his t-shirt, my body quaking with cold and fear. He puts his arms around me comfortingly, if not a bit awkwardly.

"Another nightmare?" Rachel asks from the doorway.

"Yeah,"James replies, rubbing a hand over his face.

"You go to bed. I'll sit with her for a while," Rachel says, kissing his cheek before taking his place by my bed.

She begins to rub calming circles on my back. I flinch away from her touch, even though my body craves the comfort. She sighs before sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I wish you would tell me what makes you scream like that during the night," my aunt says softly. "I wish you would tell me how to help you."

She places a kiss to my temple, then leaves the room.

A mournful howl resonates in the distance, a heartbreaking sound that reverberates in my chest.

I stare at the wall for the rest of the night.


__________________

Rachel supervises me the next morning as I get ready. To appease her, I put a green cardigan over a white shirt, and dark wash jeans. She nods approvingly when I'm done dressing.

I pull my hair up in a messy bun and add a little mascara. Nothing can be done for the dark circles under my eyes. I frown at my reflection.

The ride to school is completely silent. Rachel is surprisingly quiet, a worry line present between her brows. I know she has an appointment at the doctor today for the baby, and she's incredibly worried that something will be wrong with the baby, or that she had a false positive and isn't actually pregnant. I think that would tear her apart. I found out that my aunt and uncle have been trying for a baby for almost a year now.