"Are we almost out yet?" I moaned, trying to keep up with Emmerson. Not even bothering anymore to brush the dirt off of my jeans after I tripped for the fifth time, knowing that I would undoubtedly do it again.
"Ya." He said, finally glancing back at me for the first time since we started the trip.
"Oh and Kate," he began, making me turn to look at his unbearably stupid, smug face and hear him say, "nature doesn't look good on you."
He turned around again, that ugly smirk was most likely still on his face. I didn't even need a mirror to know how awful I looked.
Our adventure through the woods, and my gift for falling, almost falling, and running into nearly everything had definitely caused my curly, dark hair to become dirty, sweaty, tangled, and full of twigs and leaves, my clothes were torn, dirty, and covered in bodily fluids. Not pee of course, because that is disgusting, but definitely blood from all my cuts and scrapes and disgusting, sticky sweat covered me like a second skin, causing the dirt to stick that much better.
I was about to give him a piece of my mind, when I suddenly heard it.
The beautiful whooshing noise of hundreds of cars rushing around. We were nearly out of the woods and I could finally go home and forget about this horrible event!
"This is where I leave you."
I turned to look at Emmerson who just looked bored. And then, right before my eyes, I watched as he seemed to lose substance and pigment until he was what looked like a glass boy.
And then, it was like he turned into water. Gravity was no longer holding his figure up; I screamed as he was absorbed into the ground. Not leaving a trace, almost like he was never here to begin with.
I couldn't take my eyes off of the spot he had vanished from. I tried to take deep, calming breaths so that I wouldn't begin to hyperventilate.
Maybe he was never here to begin with. I tried to reason with myself, but the thought that I had followed someone who wasn't even really there for three hours while trying to escape the woods was not a comforting thought.
Then, as I was contemplating my mental health, the honking of a horn brought me out of my dismal thoughts.
I need to get out of here! I ran towards the noises that ensured that I would get home safely, however I would most definitely have more than a few bruises.
I tripped and fell yet again, and then again, but nothing could deter me from my goal of reaching civilization, or in this case a road.
I nearly fell again as I reached where the woods met the road. I nearly collapsed from relief, but then a new thought caused the smile that had formed only a moment before to slide off of my face.
How was I going to get anyone's attention? And even if someone did pull over to help me, how did I know they wouldn't kidnap me or do something else horrible? I was, after all, all alone by the side of the woods.
I sank to my knees in defeat, trying to figure out what exactly I should do, wondering if I would ever get back home. Then, I felt a mixture of shock, horror, and relief.
My hand went to my back pocket and I grabbed the cell phone that has been there the whole time. How did I forget about it?! Am I really that stupid? How many teenagers leave their phone anywhere?! Of course it would be in my pocket.
I sigh as I unlock it to see that not only does my phone have full service, 4g, but it is also at a beautiful 98 percent charge.
I groan and run my hand through my hair, wincing as it gets caught on knots and I can feel all the debris that will take forever to wash out. Everything could have been so much more simple if I had just checked in my pocket in the beginning.
Dialing my mom's number, I put my phone up to my ear and pray that she will answer. Finally, one ring left to go, she answers.
"Oh hey Kate, do you need anything?"
I suck in a shuddering breath as I try to think of something to say that won't cause my mom to freak out, and or ground me for life.
"Oh nothing." I replied, obviously I'm not thinking straight as the fear of having a disappointed parent consumed me. Then, I suddenly feel my phone being ripped from my grasp and all I can do I gape at the tall, blond girl who suddenly appeared out of nowhere next to me.
She rolled her dark eyes that seemed really familiar, but I couldn't place them so I just continued to stare.
I vaguely hear this mystery girl tell my mom where we were and ask for her to come and get us. Something weird was going on.
The phone is handed back to me and I glance down to see that my mom has hung up, so I guess she isn't too worried, or at least not worried enough to ask me if I'm okay.
"Gosh Kate, you really are dumb. Did we really walk around for three hours and your phone was in your pocket." Then she paused, "But I guess it was also slightly my fault, I should have expected you to not be fully there since you aren't even a complete character."
I have reached a new level of confusion. What was this stranger going off about? What did she mean not a complete character? It's not like my life is a work of fiction, this is reality.
"Who are you?" I asked, completely confused and slightly afraid. Had this girl been stalking Emmerson and me?
She let out a sigh and answered "Emmerson."
Silence. Blank. Confusion.
Those were was nothing going through my mind as I looked into the dark eyes of Emmerson.
She let out another sigh before attempting to let me know a bit more of what was going on, since I had absolutely no idea and couldn't fathom any explanation.
"I am the same Emmerson you met before, I'm just, slightly different now. You don't understand what's happening yet, but soon you will."
And just like that, Emmerson became like glass again, and I watched in horror and awe as the glass girl melted into the dirt, without a trace.
I sank to the floor and put my head in between my knees, taking deep breaths, trying desperately not to allow myself to think anything except, I'm not crazy.
And that's how I was an hour later when my mom came to pick me up.
I'm not crazy.
