mania; ski/x

forty- vengeance

forty- vengeance

A bleak, thin wind it was, like a fine sour wine, searching the marrow and bringing no bloom to my cheek as it brushes over it. Meanwhile, my arm hangs out the window of the vehicle as the northern Florida air floods the car so swiftly. His gaze was on the empty road and his hands were gripped tightly around the steering wheel, a hum falling from his lips as he tapped his foot against the mat beneath his feet to the beat of the song.

The sun had disappeared hours before, though, leaving us with a starry night sky for the rest of the time being. But the stars were a promise of life in this darkness that surrounded us, a sense of warmth springing from the cold. It was a vastness to bring humbleness and an eternal space to bring gratitude for the coziness of a home; yet I didn't feel comforted by the balls of light, instead I was left with a feeling of apprehension. Was this even gonna work? Am I making a mistake?

"You're gonna like it here in Trenton," Stokeley suddenly said, catching my attention within the matter of seconds. "It'll remind you of Anniston."

I mentally sighed, finding myself saying, "It seems secluded."

"Yeah, it is," he replied quickly, a smile forming on his face. "That's perfect, though...the farm is really nice as well."

"...Farm?" I questioned.

"Yeah, it was my grandpa's," he retorted. "I used to come up here in the summer when I was little, sometimes exploring the woods behind the barn to search for these little bugs I collected."

My lips purse in a thin line as I turn to look out the window, a look of sorrow plastered across my face. It's crazy to think that life months ago was somewhat going smooth, everyone at ease and any sort of negative energy stayed irrelevant to my group of friends. However, things changed drastically in almost the blink of an eye. But here I was, cooped up in a car with the killer of my ex thinking persuasion is possible in the time being.

And God knows I wanted to push doubt to the side and ignore Royce's constant bickering about this whole situation, but in this moment I found myself thinking otherwise; it was scaring me more than ever.

"Oh, that's cool," I mumbled under my breath shortly after.

He was suddenly turning the radio up a notch, the sounds of classic jazz erupting through the speakers of the car. And moments later I was closing my eyes, practically feeling the gentle rise and fall of the road beneath us. I couldn't imagine what was in store for these two days, but I shouldn't think about it as much for the sake of staying composed. The last thing I needed was a headache from all of this negative energy. But the ride and this car was smoothing—probably the last bit of peace I'll have as of now.

-❀-

The abrupt feeling of my shoulder being shaken was the only reason for me waking up from my  slumber. And just as I thought, it was Stokekey that was suddenly waking me. "We're here," he said to me shortly after before shooting me a shy smile.

In addition, I looked out the window, noticing the headlights of the car were shining on a cabin and barn. The two buildings were a couple feet away from where the car was parked; we were halfway down the trail that lead to the residence. But the place seemed dull with it's eerie vibe, the cabin looking as if it was once burned with it's deep brown wooden walls. And some windows were broken while most were covered by a plank of wood. But, the grass on the outside was a dark green; the only thing giving this property life.

"Do you like it?" he asked me, his voice softer than usual.

I found myself turning to face him with a sheepish grin. "It's alright, I guess."