alters

07

ONCE again we are drowned in the night when Harry bums the flame of his lighter. The moonlight is thin and shimmering as it fans through the tree leaves. I gasp when I feel an abrupt hold on my wrist appear. Harry grips me so avidly that it begins to sting. ʻʻI want you to stay back, Alice.ʼʼ He instructs darkly, his eyes illuminating. This time, though, it is an eerie shine, like heʼs crazed and frenzied on drugs. Like a vampire who just finished off an entire football team.

ʻʻHuh?ʼʼ I dumbly question. ʻʻWhat are you going to do?ʼʼ

ʻʻI want to show you something...here, hold this.ʼʼ He hands me his lighter and without a break of hesitation I spark it to life. The flame ignites a sense of warmth and comfort in this most uncomfortable time, and it brings vision to my eyes. Harryʼs hair is flatter now, spiked along the sides of his head. His bottom lip is bloody and mangled, like he had been chewing on it the entire time. He looks different with that insane expression in his eyes; bolderーsexier. A creepy half grin makes way across his lips, holding my gaze captive.

ʻʻLucas,ʼʼ Harry voices and pivots around.

ʻʻStop looking for psychopaths and come here.ʼʼ He commands haughtily, running a hand over the front of his slick, black leather jacket. He really does look like a model, I realize, the more I gaze at his posture and the way he holds himself. His personality could use some minor adjustments, especially all that arrogance and mystery he has in him.

ʻʻI wasnʼt looking for psychos, I had to piss.ʼʼ Luke clambers out of a development of bushes after a minute. His hair is matted and tangled with branches and leaves. His nike hoodie has torn in the shoulder and his blue jeans are muddied around the knees. He probably fell. Probably more than once.

ʻʻEw.ʼʼ Harry comments and digs into his back pocket. ʻʻNow, Puke, I want you to stay still.ʼʼ

ʻʻWhat are you going to do?ʼʼ He murmurs.
Harry chuckles under his breath and side glances at me. He smirks. ʻʻIʼm going to be a bad, bad boy.ʼʼ

Then he takes out a knife. He lunges at Luke.
I freeze. What...what just....?

A gargled yelp frizzes from Lukeʼs mouth. I want him to scream, scream for help or anything so someone can hear him, because I canʼt scream. I canʼt do anything. And neither can Lucas, due to the long, bloodied knife lodged in the side of his neck.

My screams are lost to the wind, the coldness finally attacking me in the most brutal, harsh manner. Fear, panic, and desperation cloud my brain as Harry twists the blade further into Lukeʼs throat. Blood spurts out in quick, hasty drops before seeping down his neck. Harry doesnʼt stop, he keeps twisting and cutting and stabbing and killing Lucas.

ʻʻWhat...what are you...WHAT ARE YOU DOING!ʼʼ I scream, finally able to grasp the situation thatʼs happening around me.

ʻʻStay back, Alice.ʼʼ Harry commands gruffly, jabbing the blade down to Lucasʼ shoulder. Blood splatters the murdererʼs pale face and dancing along his own neck.

ʻʻLuke!ʼʼ I cry. Thatʼs all I can do.

I drop the light and it burns out when it meets the forest floor. I can hear Lukeʼs shaky groans and gasps for air and I can barely make out the shadowy outlines of Harry yanking out the knife. I feel droplets against me. Lukeʼs blood.

I take off running, my feet hitting hard against the ground. Mud and protruding tree roots threatens to trip me and slow me down, I fall a few times. But I never stay down; I scramble to my feet and dash off in whatever direction is the clearest. Nothing is clear, though, nothing. Itʼs all a painfully dark blur, mentally and psychically. I have no idea where I am running or what Iʼm running to, I just keep going.

ʻʻAlice!ʼʼ A voice echoes close behind me.

ʻʻGo away!ʼʼ I scream helplessly, shoving away branches.

ʻʻAlice, wait!ʼʼ It begs and the voice sounds too familiar to be Harryʼs.

I pause for half a second, debating and deciding to keep running, but something, someone, slams into me. The impact sends us both plummeting to the ground, caught in the makeshift piles of leaves, broken branches, and roots. I wheeze out small screams when I feel arms wrap around me in a death grip. I kick angrily and pound my fists in whatever way I can. ʻʻGo away!ʼʼ I yell repeatedly.

ʻʻAlice! Stop!ʼʼ His voice.

I open my eyes to his face, Luke. He stares down at me with such intensity that it burns. How is he alive? How did he get away? How? How? This is impossible.

ʻʻL-Lucas...ʼʼ I whimper defeatedly, dropping my head against the dirty ground. Relief floods me like lava from a volcano. Heʼs alright, heʼs fine.

Realty finally snaps. What are we doing? We need to get away. ʻʻLuke, cʼmon we have to go before Harry catches up to usーʼʼ
ʻʻAlice, waitーʼʼ

ʻʻWe can make it to the highway if we hurry! Weʼll get help! Wait, our cell phones! Letʼs just hurry and call the police!ʼʼ

ʻʻAlice!ʼʼ He barks down at me, pinning me to the ground. His hands are roughly on my shoulders, his eyes are a vibrant green.
Green eyes.

ʻʻLuke...?ʼʼ

ʻʻAlice...Itʼs Harry.ʼʼ

ʻʻLuke...ʼʼ

ʻʻLukeʼs dead.ʼʼ

ʻʻLu...ke...ʼʼ

ʻʻItʼs Harry inside Lukeʼs body.ʼʼ

I harshly shove him off me, erupting into an ear shattering scream. Blood smears across my cheek when Harry grabs my face and pulls me against him. ʻʻStop. Screaming.ʼʼ He commands and holds me against his chest. ʻʻIʼll explain everything, Alice, I just need you to listen...ʼʼ

I shake my head weakly, helpless tears streaming from my eyes.

ʻʻLetʼs go. Iʼll get you cleaned up.ʼʼ He whispers and with an elegance lift he pulls me into his arms. He looks like Luke. How can he look like Luke.

Luke is dead. Harry is in Lukeʼs body.
ʻʻWhere are you taking me?ʼʼ I breathe out, squirming in his arms.

ʻʻTo get my original body back.ʼʼ He mumbles and carries me out into the dark forest.
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