"I seem normal, for all intents and purposes. That is until the hunger sets in and I lose my mind, then I go on a Bambie killing spree."
Sydney Walsh wants nothing more than to graduate high school at the top of her class. With a scholarship to her...
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The woods bled into the asphalt as nature consumed what belonged to it. Tree roots lifted the black of the road as they sprouted beneath the ground. Some parts even had wide cracks running along its once smooth surface, busting the tar wide open. Muscles spasmed in my legs as I raced across the uneven surface.
I could have run through town, all the way up Main Street, flying past the shops as they closed for the day. I would have passed the small cluster of homes that lined each side of the road. At the far end of town on the last street of Brookfield, I would have reached my home in twenty minutes.
But I preferred the solitude of old Wickery road, even if it made the run longer. It led to the lake and I could easily dash through the woods to get home. Besides the quiet of this forgotten road, it had the most beautiful scenery. Dense woods as far as the eye could see, the sounds of nature trickling into the late afternoon like a soft melody.
Trees on either side of the road spread their branches to both sides, creating a beautiful canopy of greenery that provided much relief from the blistering sun. The final days of summer were slowly trickling down and soon we would welcome fall. For now, the summer heat pressed into my skin, and sweat caused my clothes to stick to my body.
My running shoes smacked against the road, the sound bouncing through the quiet woods. The breeze whipped through my hair, the air slapped at my face in a welcomed cold rush. I kept to the middle of the road to avoid tripping over the large tree roots that were swelling close to the edge of the asphalt.
I eyed my watch around my wrist where my heartbeat pumped frantically next to the time. My times were getting better, far better than anyone else on the track team but still nowhere near Olympic gold. It was close to six o clock in the evening and the sun started dropping in the sky, the light blue and orange signaling the end of the day.
Leland, the obnoxious eight-year-old demon spawn, would be spending the night at Thomas' house and mom would be leaving for her night shift at the hospital. Still, I didn't want to run through the woods at night, and with the setting sun as my guide, I knew I didn't have much time left. I picked up my pace and when I reached the bend in the road, I cut left into the woods.
Small bushes and shrubbery grew all around and I sidestepped past them, weaving around the obstacles had my muscles screaming in protest. My breaths were shallow and already I felt the fatigue start to set in. But this was the last stretch and I needed to end on a high note.
The woods grew denser and the sound of stirring reached my ears as I barreled through the stillness, no doubt rousing a few sleeping creatures. I kept my pace even and thought about pushing at the last stretch until a loud smashing sound brought me to a shuddering halt.
I stopped in a small clearing where the sky peeked through the treetops and strained my ears for any noise. There was none, not even the slight stirring I noticed before. A shiver ran down my spine and I began to amble forward, keeping my steps light. Brookfield was a quiet place, huddled between mountain ranges and dense woods but nothing ever happened here. It was like the whole world had forgotten about this place but at that moment, I didn't feel so alone. I trudged forward with my heart banging in my chest, from the running or the sudden inexplicable fear, I wasn't sure.
