Double Back - Mistwater Chronicles #1

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hey guys! This is another long chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed the last one. I saw If I Stay today and wow, do I recommend it. The book is fantastic and the movie was amazing as well, so go see it!!

Anyways, here's the next chapter. It's long so I hope you enjoy! I might post again this week since I have a half day on Wednesday and no school on Thursday due to Rosh Hashana :D

Please vote and comment if you enjoyed! Nobody comments anymore and it makes me really sad :(

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Morgan

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I wait ten minutes in my room, taking my time to slide out of the pretty dress Delilah lent me for today. The heels come off next, making me about four inches shorter than I was an hour ago. I keep the makeup on, though. God knows how long that would take to get all of it off.

Looking around, I find a clean pair of jeans and slide into them, wiggling around to slide the denim up my thighs as I locate a shirt to wear. Finally, I find one that I don't really care about, a pink long-sleeve that's been looking pretty worn out for a while now. I just hope people don't notice me and ask questions about why I changed clothes.

Digging around my room, I manage to procure a flashlight as well. Good. I'm going to need it for what I'm about to do.

Most of the people have left the house at this point, only milling around to gossip about Annabeth and if she's going to be okay. They don't even take a second glance as I slip into the kitchen and grab a knife, walking away as I shove carefully in the back pocket of my jeans. Luckily, I have deep pockets, but I still keep a hand on the handle of it so that I don't accidentally stab myself in the butt or drop the knife on the floor. Both would lead to some awkward questions that I know I don't have time for.

As I walk quickly down the hall, my head is alive with questions. How did someone get poison into my drink? There's no way Paulina would have done it; she's too nice for that sort of thing. What if this is some form of a family grudge, and Annabeth just happened to get in the way? Did she know that I had poison in my glass – was she trying to protect me? Better yet, if she knew, why didn't she just say something was wrong with the Shirley Temple? Why drink it, knowing that it wasn't just sprite and grenadine syrup?

There's something not right with this situation, I think to myself. I don't think Annabeth would have knowingly subjected herself to being poisoned with a high dosage of wolfsbane, but rather that it was an accident. Someone was trying to get to me as usual, and she just happened to get in the way. But why today? Why do it at a highly publicized event like my Luna Announcement, knowing that a ton of people would be there? Why not just try and poison me at work, or put something in the water? Why here, and why now?

The door to the garage opens easily under my hand, and I lock it behind me. There's no one in here, thankfully, since everyone's parked up and down the street. The trapdoor opens to my touch just like Adrian said it would, but I don't have him to catch me right now. Braving the jump, I say a silent prayer and manage to land on my feet. The shock makes my teeth clamp together, and I watch as the trapdoor closes on its own.

Clicking on my flashlight, I swing the beam back and forth as I navigate the twists and turns of the maze down here. I manage to remember which way Adrian and I walked while we were down here, relying on the faint and stale scents that are left. Once I make it to the prison, the guys guarding in front give me questioning looks but let me in nonetheless.