The Secrets of Cedar Creek

39 : Red

I leave school early and go to Adrian's. He opens the door and before he can open his mouth I'm ranting. "They all sided against me. I was on my own – and then Sylv went and grabbed Jess and oh my God I felt like an exploding volcano. Now I'm hot and fuming and I feel like lava is dripping from my-"

He silences me by reaching out and cupping my face.

My eyes widen and my jaw drops a bit.

"You're nose is bleeding," he says cooly.

I don't remember anything coming into contact with my nose. I cup my nose with my hands and Adrian drags me into the bathroom. The same bathroom I soaked his shirt in. This time, I sit on the counter and he holds toilet paper to my nose. I check in the mirror to see if anything has dribbled onto my shirt.

"Did they hurt you?"

"No, they barely touched me. It lasted five seconds."

Adrian purses his lips as he eyes me warily up and down. "I bet you showed them a good time."

"Damn straight," I say, a small smile creeping onto my lips. "What's the plan for today?"

He tells me about how we will retrace Wittle's steps. Part of me feels like bothering with Adrian's mystery is useless and wastes time. Then I remember the money and being able to thank Auntie and Uncle for raising me. Their new baby will be expensive, too.

We analyse the maps then make the hour drive to Vulture City. Tonight it's quiet, but a focussed quiet. Quiet because tonight we are getting sh*t done.

.

.

.

We retrace Mr. Wittle's steps all night. We find the spot he probably parked at, checked the traffic conditions, and prepared to make the trip back at the exact same time he did. I grab Adrian and I some snacks for the road from the carpark vending machine, then we set our timer and head off again.

The driving is giving me a headache, but atleast after tonight it will be done. For a moment, I wonder what life in Cedar Creek will be like without Adrian. I think back to everyone siding with May and Jess today. I realise that Adrian is my friend – one of my only friends right now. I'll be lonely without him.

"Say we figure it out. Tonight. Then what?"

"Then I finish the script," he says, eyes on the road, can of coke in one hand.

"But you'll go back? Back to Newhaven?"

A smirk tugs the corners of his mouth. "Light me a cigarette, would you?"

I reach forward into the cupholder, pick out a cigarette, light it and hand it to him.

"Would you like to come with me?" he says.

"To Newhaven?"

"No, to the moon." He laughs, for real. He has a nice laugh.

"I think I'll miss you," I accidentally admit.

"I think I'll miss you, too."

At this point, we're almost back to Cedar Creek with perfect timing. We'll be at the Manor with enough time to hypothetically murder a few kids.

"Somethings wrong," I say.

"Everything will be wrong without you."

"No," I dismiss him, "I mean it's... it's... something was here." Then it hits me. The old train station. It was here. "It's the train station. It was here. He never could have made it. He'd have had to drive all the way around it and that would tank on another half hour. This bridge –" I point to the bridge we are about to cross, "this bridge didn't exist until I was in ninth grade."

He heaves a big sigh. "I really thought we were going to crack it tonight."

"It still would have only been circumstantial," I say.

"Tomorrow we will check the nanny's alibi. Or the mothers. Whoever we find first."

"Ok," I say tilting my crown to rest on the window. I start to fall asleep on the cool glass. Then I notice lava. No, not lava... fire. "Adrian, there's a fire." I look around frantically. No, no. "Drive there, now!" I screech, far too loudly for the small insides of his car.

Adrian, for the first time, looks surprised by something.

My breathing rate doubles as we near the house. F*ck – I wished so much I was wrong. But even in the dark and half asleep I'll never forget Sylv's shed. "Let me out!"

Adrian hesistates then stops the car and I sprint as fast as I physically can. Kath and Tyson's cars aren't there but Sylv's is in front of the shed. No, no, no. Please be in the house.

I scream at the top of my lungs as I run past the house. I look in the windows, but I see nothing. I don't want to waste time so I run into the shed. The fire seems to start in the forests and is eating up the shed from the back. "Sylv!" I scream.

On the second floor, I see him. Laying down, lifeless, flames coming closer and closer. I climb the ladder as quickly as humanly possible. The smoke reaches my lungs and the brightness stings my eyes.

Laying on the hay, Sylv stirs. I shake him and shake him and he finally opens his eyes. His expression is blank. I drag him to the edge and jump off with him into the hay. Every inch of my body is screaming run run run.

He walks like a half asleep zombie so I pull him as fast as I physically can out of the fire and I don't stop until we are far away. Adrian runs over, phone at his ear.

I hear sirens wailing in the distance.

Sylv collapses onto the grass coughing. His eyes flicker shut and he falls asleep.

My breathing is rapid. Everything passes in a blur. The ambulance takes him. The fire brigade comes. A paramedic flashes a torch in my eyes. Adrian stays beside me.

___________

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