Shit, shit, shit. I run past the post office. Shit, I'm gonna be late! Of all the days I could be late, it had to be today. I'm never late, but today my alarm broke when my cat pawed it off my desk.
I run up the street. I'm glad I took track. It really helped improve my running. Now I can run up to 25 m/h. I know I can make it to the bus stop in time. As soon as I hit the curb of the neighborhood's corner store, the bus leaves. NOOOO! I stop when I see the bus leave. Now I have to go through Poppy Route. It's a stupid name, really, and I just don't like the flowers that much. I run to the horrifyingly familiar entrance.
This is the perfect place for couples to have a nice sunset or sunrise walk. With the beach to your left and the jungle to your right and poppies surrounding you everywhere, it's basically a paradise. Or, what I used to call paradise. Now to me, it's the place that I least want to go. I stop before the Welcome sign.
I can feel my chest squeezing tighter and tighter within the second. I try to breathe, but I feel like I'm suffocating. Like someone knocked the wind out of me. I try to find the energy to run. Soon, I'm sprinting faster than my usual speed. Or does it just feel that way? I don't know, but I don't care right now. I just need to get the hell out of here. I hear a noise in the distance. It sounds like crying.
I stop. I hear sniffling. It sounds like it's coming from a huge patch of poppies near the mouth of the jungle. I cautiously walk toward the noise.
"Hello?" I call out. "Is someone there?"
I hear rustling leaves. A figure slowly stands up. Rose red hair falls from the mysterious face. A girl, about 15, is bruised all over her face. Her tear streaked face and bloodshot eyes show she's been crying hard and for a long time.
"Hey, are you... ok?" Wrong move. Of course, she's not ok!
"Let me take you to the hospital-" She cuts me off with wide eyes.
"Please don't. She'll find me. That's the first place she'll go once she sees I'm missing." She gets to the verge of tears again. "I can't let her find me. Please!"
I stare at her with wide eyes. Curiosity fills me but I must respect her boundaries. I see her about to start a storm of tears again.
"Hey, hey, it's ok. I won't take you to the hospital or the police department or anything. Let me take you to my place. My mom will tend to your needs there and she's very kind. She'll promise not to say a word of your presence." The girl calms down a bit.
"T-thank you," she says shyly. "How can I repay you?"
"All I need is your name."
She pauses for a moment.
"Ava."
"Aiden."
YOU ARE READING
The Girl in the Poppies
RomanceAiden, 15, takes a new short cut to school. He decides to go through the flower-filled route in between the beach and the jungle. He doesn't like to go through this route after the accident. But in order to not be late, he has no choice. He passes t...
