Freaks (Ticci Toby) ((Sequel to Outcasts))

Chapter Twenty;

Kerigan

Isaac squeezed my hand, looking shaken and worried. He kept glancing at my mom in the front seat, who was rambling on about all that I've missed. Hailey kept shyly giggling at the faces I made at her, while Adaline snored in her car seat.

"K-Kerigan... where are we going?" Isaac whispered. I squeezed his hand and looked up at him. His eyes were that same pumpkin orange that they were the first night. He had dropped the facade of dark brown now, so he could look me in the eyes. The orange would morph back into chocolate once we were within seeing distance of other humans, but for now I enjoyed the unique colour, and the sense of safety seeing them gave me.

"Oh- I--.. I didnt even think to ask if hed be.. coming home with us. Do you want to stay in a hotel? I work at one and could get you a--"

"NO!" Isaac and I yelled at once. My mom glanced back at us in shock.

Please dont make me sleep alone tonight! Isaac's panicked thoughts slammed into me like a freight train and I cleared my throat.

"Please dont make him stay in a hotel. Weve both been through so much, I dont know if either of us can handle being away from eachother right now." I whispered. My mom teared up and nodded. Running through Isaac's head were images of hatchets impaling his stomach, of bodies that looked all too much like my own, blood covering the both of us, worried panicky thoughts that were giving me a migraine. The whole thought-reading thing was new, but already a familiar sensation. I gently pulled my hand away as I rubbed my temple. He hesitated before rubbing my back.

I hope shes okay. Her human body might take longer than mine to readjust to the overworld. Isaac thought quietly. His worry for me overrode his worry for his own life, and soon, all too soon, we pulled into the driveway. I carefully carried Ady out of the car, with Ley holding onto my hand. Isaac followed closely behind me as we stepped up onto the porch.

"Welcome... welcome home." Mom whispered, opening the door for me. I stepped inside. It smelled like oven-bake pizza and cigarette smoke. I took Ady to her bed, which was in the living room where mom slept, (Mom, and Ry for that matter, hadn't been able to sleep in their rooms the entire time I was gone. They kept waiting for me to walk through the door.) Quickly kissing mom goodnight and hugging Ry, mom dismisses me to sleep. I must look exhausted to her, gaunt face, dark bags. I nod and lead Isaac up to my room, and open the door.

The blood is gone from the carpet, but I can still smell it. I quickly light some incense to get rid of the smell and punch my perfectly made bed a few times. Mom mustve come up here sometimes to sit and miss me, because it's way too clean. The blanket was my backup comforter, and I can only assume the cops took my other one.

As I'm inspecting the room, Isaac collapses against the bed frame, and I twist around quickly, trying to help him. He whimpers against me, and I sigh.

"Isaac... C'mon, let's get you into bed." I mumble, trying to scoop him onto my mattress. He groans and tries to protest, but the sun will be rising in a couple minutes, and he warned me about this. About this... jet-lag of sorts. After existing for so long in an internal night, the sun rising was going to ravish his body. "Here. Go to sleep." I whisper, and his eyes fly open in fear, bright orange again, and I wince, shaking my head. "Sorry. Bad wording."

"Where are you gonna sleep, couch witch?" He asks quietly. I sigh softly.

"On the floor. Dont worry about me." He grumbled softly in protest, to which I hushed and shook my head. "No. You need the bed more than me." I insisted, and he sighed heavily, far too gone to argue. He drifts off, and I carefully get my blankets around and curl up on my bean bag chair.

I dont sleep until theres enough light in the room for me to make sure no ones hiding, waiting, watching. I wait until they can't get us anymore. And finally, I drift off.

I dont know when, or how I got there, but when I start to wake up, Isacc's hand is tangled in mine, my arm propped up against the edge of the bed, his dangling off the end. He was still snoring, and upon checking the alarm clock, I came to realize it had been almost seven hours.

Maybe hes not the only one with interdimmensional jet-lag. I thought groggily, gently unfurling our fingers to get up. My side and hip hurt, and my stomach roared familiarly. I was always hungry. I made my way to my bathroom, flicking on the light to find a thin sheet of dust covering everything in the room. My clothes were still sitting in the corner, crumpled. I had stripped out of them just hours before Drake had been decapitated. I gingerly lifted the shirt, the soft cool black fabric smelling and feeling like home. It was my Voodoo tee, the shirt I wore to my first date with---

Tears pricked my eyes. I slid the shirt on over the tank top I was wearing. It was about 3 sizes too big. I removed it again, looking at myself in the mirror.

Memaw is right, I thought wearily. I look ghostly. My cheeks were gaunt, my stomach was covered in stretched skin that didnt quite tighten up after I lost all the weight from not eating. My arms were muscular but way too thin. My neck looked like a twig. This time, the tears spilled over, and, clutching the shirt, I backed away from the mirror and sunk against the door. I was a ghost, a ghost of who I used to be. I was sickly and scared, and my head still hurt, and I was shaking so bad that I could hardly breathe---

NO-- No!! Where is she! Where is she!

Isaac's panicked thoughts slammed into me so hard that I gasped. And suddenly, I was sucked into his mind's eye. I could see him ripping the blanket off, tripping over my blanket, could feel his heart pounding out of his chest. I could feel his relief when he noticed the bathroom light on. Could feet the wood on his knuckles when he knocked gently on the door. Could feel his voice rumbling through his chest and out his throat. "Couch Witch?" He asked, only I couldnt answer. Terrible thoughts of my bloodied body filled his mind, and his stomach churned as he called out, "I'm coming in!" Before turning the handle. Could fee the fear as he gasped, could see myself, sitting on the floor, face slack, eyes glowing blood red, red tears tracking their way down my cheeks---

I gasped as I slammed into my own body. His hands clamped on my shoulders, as he yelled my name. My ears popped, and static filled my mind for a moment. That's new. I thought, blinking away the stinging tears. He wipes the wetness from my cheeks, glancing at his now bloodied hand, wiping it shakily on his pants.

"I'm okay." I whisper.

"What happened?" He breathed softly, genuine concern in his eyes. He sat down in front of me, and I stared at him for a moment before looking at the shirt clenched in my fists.

"Y-You were so scared, your thoughts hit me so hard, I think... I think I slipped into your mind? I could see, hear... feel... everything you did. I think it was because you were so scared. L-Like a panic response? A distress signal." I rambled, finally looking up. His cheeks flushed rose red, and I noticed freckles along the bridge of his nose now, his eyes framed by long black eyelashes, his blond hair now looked golden in the yellow lighting of the bathroom. My stomach fluttered.

What--- no! You stop that!

"You were... in my mind?" He asked in confusion. I shrugged and felt my cheeks heat up, brushing my bangs back put of my face. They flipped right back into place.

"I-I dont know, I said I th-think." I muttered halfheartedly in response. He let himself fall back onto his butt, and had just opened his mouth to speak when my stomach rumbled loudly. My cheeks burned more as I clamped a hand over my stomach like that would shut it up. He laughed softly and got up, offering his hand to me.

"Cmon, little Witch. Let's go eat."

I took his hand, and a zap skittered up my arm and down my spine. The tingle remained long after his hand released mine.

And I tried not to think about how nice it felt to be so close to him.