Destined

Two

Running had never been my strong suit so that I had managed to run back to my car as fast as I had, surprised me. Talia was waiting for me when I got there panting.

"Krissy, what's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?" She asked taking my arms in her hands.
"I...I," I looked back to where I had come from knowing Vince and Matthew were still there. "I'm fine,"
"Where are you from?"
"I took a walk, you know me, parties aren't my thing." I said trying to smile and play it off.
"But why were you running? You look like you've seen a ghost,"
I took a deep breath to calm myself, "Yeah, it's just while I was down there, someone scared the crap out of me,"
Talia stared at me like she didn't believe me, "Krissy?"
I laughed, "It was nothing. Some guy out for a run," she stared at me. "I know right, it was crazy, are you ready to go?"

Talia nodded and we hopped into the car. I drove back the way we came, wanting to make sure Matthew was okay. I hadn't realised earlier that I had left him with a possible psycho. I know he said they were cousins but even he'd been shocked to see what we saw.

I drove a little slower as I approached the spot where I'd left Vince, Matthew and the other guy, hating that the streetlights were conveniently out in that spot. I subtly looked out the window and alas! Two shadows were crouched over, as though staring at something, or someone. As if he'd felt me staring, one of the shadows stood up straight and looked right at me. I gasped as though he could see me and sped up.

"Whoa," Talia piped up. "Seriously, what has you so riled up?"
"Nothing, still a little jumpy," I laughed. "So, what happened with Tyler?" I asked changing the subject.
She smiled, "He was great. He asked me to have lunch with him on Monday,"
"At school?"
"Yeah, it's not a date, we're working our way towards it," Talia said.
"I'm sure you'll get there," I said as I pulled up in front of the house.
She hopped out, "Are you sure you're okay?"

For a moment, I thought about telling her the truth, about what I'd seen. But I thought against it. I remembered Vince's threat. What if he came after Talia too? I was still mentally shaking from his threat. I couldn't risk it so I pasted a smile on my face and told her I was fine.

We walked into the house and immediately went to our separate rooms. I noticed Liz and Maddie weren't back yet which was to be expected, it was barely ten p.m. I shrugged off my jacket and threw it on the bed then gasped when I saw my reflection in my floor length mirror. My white top was stained with bloody smudges and prints from where Vince had held me. I felt bile rise up my throat and rushed to the bathroom, quickly ridding myself of my clothes and jumping into the shower.

I tossed the ruined top into a plastic bag and then the bin. No way I was wearing that again.

Sleep didn't come easily that night. All I could think about was Vince. I remembered vividly how his arms had felt around me, strong and confident, like they could easily break me in two. Of course that was just the fear talking. And then his voice, his deep menacing voice as he whispered that threat. My heart sped up at that thought. I didn't even remember how he looked. I'd barely seen his face, if anything, the only thing I was completely sure of, was that he was tall and smelt like pine. Yes, through all that, my nose had managed to pick that up.

When I finally fell asleep at about two in the morning, I was subjected to nightmares of monsters who smelt like pine trying to hurt me. Blurry shadows whose arms kept trying to grab me, scratching and squeezing me until I was crushed. Whispers and voices all claiming they wanted me dead.

When I woke up, it was passed seven in the morning. I got up, grabbing my jeans from the floor pulling my phone out of the back pocket and plugged it to the charger. Then I showered and got myself ready for church and found Liz and Talia drinking coffee downstairs.