❝Leave out all the rest❞

7.

❝Don't be afraid❞

▬ ☪ ▬

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked mom, as I ran around the house looking for my purse.

"I'm... Going out tonight. Is that ok?"

"Sure, I just wanted to know. Don't be back too late, though." she said, again, handing me the purse she got from behind the couch. How did it even get there?

"'Course-mom-thanks-love-you-bye!" I rushed out the door.

I created a thousand scenarios in my head for what was about to happen: Isaac's deep dark secret and so on and so forth. I got so lost in my head I barely realised the train had stopped. At first, I ran outside, but then I stopped and took a deep breath so as to not give away the fact that I'd been waiting two weeks for that night.

It's cool, just another night, I don't even care. In fact, I almost forgot to come...

There he was.

Sitting in a bench at the train station, head hanging low, looking at the floor. I approached carefully and said a small "Hi".

"Oh, hey." He said back, smiling nervously.

We stared at each other for an awkward moment.

"Isaac?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, right" He got up. "Sorry. Uh, follow me."

He led me through town until the edge of the forest. We walked awkwardly in silence.

"Thanks for coming." He said suddenly.

"No biggie."

"I mean, thanks for trusting me. And for giving me a second chance. I know we started off sort of..."

"Weird."

"Yeah, that."

"Very weird."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising, Isaac." I smiled and punched his arm.

"I'm just glad you came."

We crossed the last street to where the trees began to take over and Isaac entered the woods. I fell back.

"Aren't you coming?" He looked back, confused.

"Where are we going, Isaac? It's dark..." I took a step back.

"I know the way. We won't get lost, I promise. Here" He threw me something. "I brought this for you."

It was a flashlight, I realised, turning it on. Isaac held a tree branch up, so I could pass beneath it.

"What the hell am I doing?" I asked myself in a low voice, peaking inside the woods.

"Don't worry, I promise you are not in any danger."

"That is really reassuring."

We walked through the woods in silence for a while. My heart couldn't stop pounding against my chest. I was starting to feel very afraid. What the hell was I thinking? Following some guy through the woods at night? Do I have a death wish?

"Hey" He put his hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I tried to contain a small jump.

"I also brought you this, in case you felt scared." He handed me a freaking taser gun.