I turn the corner, running back towards the car, stomping my feet loud. Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me, someone’s following me. I speed up a little, but not too much for them to notice. I hear them speed up too. I feel a tap on my back. I jump a little as soon as I feel it; I speed up significantly, never turning back. I pass the car; I look and see it’s empty anyway. That’s weird. The footsteps continue to follow me, getting faster as I do. I sweat, scared, worried, it might be him. Oh dear God, please don’t let it be him. I plead with the Lord. The same hand that tapped me grips my shoulder hard enough to stop me immediately.
I fall to the ground, landing on my back; the wind gets knocked out of my lungs, making it difficult to breathe for a couple seconds. I glace up at see a tan face. “Oh I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” The boy asks me.
“Who are you?” I ask slightly dazed. I was amazed it wasn’t him.
“Zander. But are you okay?” He asks genuinely worried about my safety.
“Yes, I’m fine. Why were you trying to stop me?” I ask befuddled.
“I saw you running and I thought you had saw something bad and needed some help. I could use some help myself, I lost my friend Aubrey.”
“I lost my brother Dane and my ride Dexter. They’re all I have, will you help me find them?”
“I will do whatever I can. As long as you can help me too.”
“Of course I will help you, I’ll do anything to find Dane and Dexter. Zander, is Aubrey your sister or what is she in relation to you?” I request, trying to figure out just how much she means to him. I’m not trying to be rude but I’m just trying to figure him out. He’s really cute and I would like to get to know him, see what his story is, how he got to be out here, what he’s doing.
“I’d do the same for Aubrey, she’s my best friend, we’ve been friends since the 1st grade because she was the only one who would share her crayons with me. She is the sweetest girl I have ever met. I tried dating her once but it got too awkward, everyone, including myself, thinks of us as brother and sister. So I think I broke her heart, she hasn’t been as close with me lately. It upsets me, I miss her being close, I think she still has those kind of feelings for me, I feel so bad…” He trails off, telling me much more than I asked but I think he just needs someone to talk to.
“I’m so sorry Zander. You’re a very sweet, cute, handsome, gentleman and I would love to get to know you better and I wish I could help you with Aubrey. Maybe when we find her I can talk to her for you, maybe find out why she isn’t being as close as before. Maybe it has nothing to do with you breaking up with her, maybe something else happened that she doesn’t want you to know about. I don’t know, I haven’t even met her but don’t always jump to conclusions honey, you’ll go far in life if you don’t.” I giggle softly as I finish that sentence. He laughs too, smiling down at me.
“You know, you’re still on the ground. Let me help you up.” He extends his hand out to me and I take it standing up in the process and dust off my clothes. “Why were you running anyway?” He questions curiously.
“I have a very scary and messed up past and present that I’m running from and I heard your footsteps and it scared me out of my mind, I had to get away. I had to leave. I’m on the run right now. Oh God, Zander, please don’t let him find me. Please, I can’t go back to that place. Dane was there with me, he can’t go back. It’s so horrible there, don’t make me go back, keep the monster away.” By the time I’m done rambling I’m crying. I don’t want that horrid ‘thing’ to find me. I can’t handle going back. Zander’s standing there amazed at the fact that I’m crying. I don’t care what he thinks right now, that man is an appalling beast and if he thinks I’m a baby for crying then he can leave. I don’t care what he thinks, I don’t need anybody.
He surprises me by pulling me into a tight hug. He squeezes me. “You don’t have to tell what’s wrong if you don’t want to. I mean we do barely know each other. But you did say you wanted to get to know each other better. I’d be willing to tell you my past; it’s quite the adventure. If you’d like.” He hugs me tight again, he eyes getting glossed over with tears. One small tear drifts off of his soft, plump, rosy cheeks. “Oh my, look at me now, I’ve started crying. I’m such a baby.”
“Oh darling, don’t you realize, the strongest people I know are the ones that cry slightly at hard times. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, I mean look at me! I’m sitting here balling, wrapped in your arms; I’m the one being a baby. You, you’re strong.” I lean back into him as I tear up more for no reason. “And I don’t even know why I’m crying.”
He hugs me again trying to pull me closer. “You’re not a baby, you’re trying to help me through this, that makes you strong. I want to try and help you but I still don’t even know your name! I just realized that. We’ve gotten to know we both have bad past, you know my name, and I don’t know yours. I am a horrible person. I am so sorry! What is your name?”
“My name’s Skye, but that’s not what I go by, I usually just go by Kimy, only 3 people know my real name expect for you now. Dane, my ‘brother’ knows me as Kimy.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I know how you feel.” He sort of trails off like knowing my name is a bad thing, which later on I will come to find out that it is, it will cause a lot of trouble.
~~
I can’t believe I have to do this to her. What has happened to this world? What’s happened to me? Why is this monster making us do this? What’s going to happen? I can’t take her back there; I can’t ruin her life again. I’ve done it too many times before…I’m surprised she doesn’t recognize me. That ‘thing’ has made me do this too many times. I should stand up for myself. I refuse to do this to her, I’m going to call him and say I’m bring her. I’ll go on the run with her and her brothers. She doesn’t deserve this.
