The sound of his own heart beat dulled the continuous thumps, crunches, & snaps coming from the uneven ground spread around his view. With the morning dew dampening the cloth now clinging to his legs for dear life, he paid no attention to anything but running, desperately jumping away from the howling beasts behind, snapping at his ankles. School hadn't started, yet they found him; the walls that held him during daylight , didn't keep the monsters locked away when the moon held its place within the darkness. They had found a way to wedge themselves into his dreams as well. now, after what seemed like hours of pushing on, he could finally begin to see streaks of white angelic light pierce through cracks in the woodlands. The creatures wouldn't be able reach him if he made it back home.
CRASH! She dropped her glass. She ran to the front door, hoping to whatever god there was it wasn't the television throwing itself onto the hammock, (which would ruin both the hammock, & the television). It wasn't. Instead, there he stood, heaving, sweating, muddied, & soaked. Confusion bubbled in her tone.
"Dani? I thought you were going to sch-", She cut herself off , "What the ---- happened to your face?!"
She stared her brother down. His face bright red, with big black, & blue splotches covering his left eye. Water pooled below his disgusting, used-to-be, black shoes, (now brown, & sopping wet).
"I came home to change. I fell." He lied straight to her face, her confusion boiling into anger.
"You fell? Really?! You fell?! On what?! A lake of rocks?!"
He smiled sheepishly, "Yes?"
She stomped over to him loudly, parking herself less than a foot away from his face.
"Before I call the police, do you want to tell me what really happened? Or are the cops gonna arrest some pebbles?"
Dani rolled his eyes, pushing his way past her, making his way into his bedroom.
"Don't call anyone, Pat. Im serious. This, this is nothing! You should she the other guy! Really! Whaddya think i am? weak?!" His nervous, exaggerated laughing filled the room.
She stared at him, leaning on the doorway.
"Don't lie to me, we both know what's going on. Just tell me what happened." her eyes focused on his darkened face, the pleading look sharpened her usually joyful eyes. His laughter was anything but true. He knew she knew, yet, Dani was fixated on seeing his act through till the end of Pat's temper. He slipped off his shoes.
"Nothing happened! Jesus woman!" He continued to exaggerate. "Nothing Happened! I just fell!" His laughter, & lies filled the air, intoxicating whatever trust she had left for him that morning.
He made a big show of finding clean clothes to change into, hoping she would leave in a fit of frustration. As always, she was far too persistent. She shoved him aside, grabbing the first thing she saw from the edge of his bed, (pajamas), roughly slamming the handful of cloth to his chest.
"Get changed, then get in the car. Say one word, & i'll drag you headfirst to the car myself." She spit, "Im serious."
He did as he was told. Lifting his shirt from himself, casting it aside. Taking much more time than he needed, Dani tried to avoid his soon horrific, anxiety causing fate for as long as he possibly could. He ever so slowly inched his way out of the house. Sneaking a few glances at the filled drivers seat. Pat's eyes burned into him, speaking in a language he begged he couldn't understand. She honked the horn with a huff, trying her best not to scream, as he blatantly crept towards the vehicle. When he reached the handle, he prolonged even further, already feeling the specks of lava-like fury ripple off her like street water into a drain. Her miffed expression stained the atmosphere the entire drive.
