How Could You Forget The Sun

XVII

ANA’S POV

Toby was trying to coax me out of my room for the seventh time today. I had holed myself up under my blankets ever since I had finished speaking with the Slenderman. So far, I think it has been four days. At least, that’s what Toby tells me.

“Come on, Ana,” he tried begging me. “You need to get out.”

“Why?” I snapped, burrowing deeper in my bed.

“Come on!” he begged exasperatedly. “I don’t care what we do. Just get out of this room.”

I sighed and reluctantly slid out of bed. Toby turned his back respectfully as I changed my clothes from pj’s to jeans and a black long-sleeve. The brown-haired boy was more and more replacing Andrew as a best friend. Andrew would always be my best friend, but Toby was edging pretty close.

I tapped on his shoulder when I was finished and he crashed me into a headlock. He then proceeded to drag me out of the room, laughing as I grumbled angrily at him. We arrived in the living room and he let go of me, finally. I stood up and punched him hard in his arm, to which he winced and threw me a heavy glare.

“She lives!” Laughing Jack announced to his “audience”. He then growled a string of curses under his breath about that fact.

“Oh yes,” I snarled at the clown. “I feel so loved.”

“That’s great!” he spat in my face, striding up to me. “I can’t wait to see how loved you feel when I cut off your head and string your guts all around my circus tent.”

I was already reaching for one of Toby’s hatchets when Laughing Jack was knocked away from me. Instead, I was now looking at a seemingly pleased Masky. Sometimes, I wish I could get a glimpse of his face.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, examining me.

“Loved,” I sarcastically responded, which earned me a light laugh from behind his mask. “Where’s Trinvie?”

“Trinvilla?” he checked. “Oh, she went home after she finished baking. I’m pretty sure she didn’t want a repeat of Laughing Jack devouring everything she makes.”

I nodded in sad agreement, remembering how impossible it had been keeping the clown away four days ago.

“Twinny told me to give you this,” a glitchy voice said from behind me.

I turned, recognizing the cute voice of Hoody. He was holding my favorite: white-macadamia. ‘Thanks, computer-tongue,” I teased him.

“You’re welcome,” he responded, not even bothering to protest his new nickname anymore.

I shuffled past, ignoring the mutters and grumbles from the others and sat in between Jeff and BEN, ready to simply fall back asleep. When a heavy weight jumped onto my lap, I screeched loudly in surprise.

Toby was holding his eyes and giving me a vicious glare for screaming so loud. BEN and Jeff weren’t too pleased either. “I told you we’re going to do something!” the boy with the axes reminded me.

“Then what do you want to do?” I asked, feeling tired and I wanted to be left alone.

Toby shrugged and threw me off the couch, yanking me back down to sit on his alp rather than him sitting on my lap. I began to get up and find a new sitting place, but he barricaded me with his arms.

“Dick,” I muttered, hunching my shoulders and feeling hatred at the world.

“Hey!” Masky protested, whacking Toby. “I thought you said she could sit on my lap if you got to see her first!” The Masked Man pulled me off of Toby.