Sage (manxman)

Chapter 7 - Good as Gone

Chapter 7 - Good as Gone

            The walls were aged with time and only a small semblance of the once beautiful floral wallpaper remained. Surprisingly the stone and wood building still stood but nature had begun to creep in with weeds emerging from the floors. Old rotted furniture. All of this was lost on the drunken partiers whose minds were on finishing their alcohol, smoking their weed, and lusting after each other.

            Audrey and Hudson stood near a table where bottles of vodka, tequila, and beer were placed. Ford felt uneasy about it. Audrey looked eager to embrace her new life with Hudson. She eyed Angela with her long blond hair and slender body. Carter embraced the girl in his muscled arm. Levi laughed with them and almost knowingly glanced up at Levi at the exact moment. Their eyes connected for a moment and Ford turned to his shoes. He wouldn’t mind being a wall flower, if only for a little bit.

            Somehow, the Audrey he still knew was in there. She avoided the inner circle of “popular” kids, but mingled with others. She would slide away from drugs she deemed more intense but be pulled towards alcohol. Ford wondered if the drunkenness brought about in the girl came from alcohol or a mental disposition to fit in.

            She stumbled into Hudson and Ford knew where it was going. Slipping aside into what used to be the kitchen, some kids that Ford didn’t recognize were laughing near the sink. He moved passed them into a long hallway. It was dark and a thickness in the air seemed to stick to the walls. The eeriee sense that something was going to happen, something bad, started to grow in Ford’s heart.

            Then, it was behind him, something. Spinning around, Ford pushed the larger, lanky thing onto the wall. Levi coughed getting the wind knocked out of him. Ford quickly withdrew and retorted, “what are you doing here?”

            “Enjoying the party?” Levi took in a deep breath, “You’re eager to creep away.” 

            “Not my scene.” Ford replied the music had died down in the distance. He looked at the taller jock, slender and handsome.

            “Then what is?” Levi continued to stare at Ford, his eyes looking deep inside of Ford.            

            “I told you I’m not joining a sports team.” Ford tried to move past Levi but the boy blocked his exit. Ford scoffed, although Levi stood a head taller than him, he was much stronger that the jock. He didn’t look it but Levi knew it. Ford had stopped the jocks picking on him on more than one occasion once he got his powers.

            “What if I just want to get to know you?” Levi smirked. Ford didn’t believe it for a moment.

            “Why?” Ford questioned then a group of guys followed by one girl brushed past the two and continued down the hallway with only the light of a single lighter.

            “Looks like it’s already started,” Levi eyed the group fade into the darkness the flicker disappearing into a bigger room. Levi must have seen the quizzical look on Ford’s face because almost instantly he continued. “The hunt, you know about Gwendolyn Monlore right?”

            “She died here, sad story.” Ford mentioned.

            Levi nodded, “Part of the ritual with this party is, and we go find her. So, everyone splits up to look for her.” Instantly, Ford headed back through the kitchen towards the main room. Levi continued as he followed Ford. “Most people use it as an opportunity to go with their lovelies to.” The main hallway was almost entirely empty. Audrey and Hudson were gone.