asylum [kai parker] editing/rewriting

Four

S I M O N E
He's gone.
That's all I can think about as I'm running through the trees towards home. I should be happy, cheerful, anything but what I'm feeling right now. I'm feeling rebellious. What if I don't do what he says? What If I blow his cover, and let the cops deal with him? It's an entire police force against one teenager. I like my odds.

But then again, the threatening voice he had, his serious tone. He killed his family easily, I can't imagine the things he could do to me.
I stumble through the leaves and dirt until I come across my back porch. Instead of going through the back sliding door I head to the front and push it open. I should probably talk to Dad about locking the doors. But who would want to break into the sheriff's house? After checking my recent messages to Dad, I walk into the kitchen where he's sitting, eating his soup.

"Hey," my voice cracks.

"Well it's 'bout time you came home." He drops his spoon and wipes his mouth with the white napkin.

"Sorry about that. Got caught up."

"I told you to stay home." He counters.

"Sorry." I look down at my feet.

He nods, continuing to eat. Dad has been lenient as far as I go. After all, I did loose everything. So did he.

Dad doesn't talk much about his wife and child that were lost, so I don't ask. He never asks about my dad's death, or my life before the fire.

Walking into the kitchen I pass all the food and go right into the hallway and heading to my room. I've just had what you call a dramatic experience, and I can't eat as of now. I lock and close my door.

Why didn't I tell my dad? Kai should be behind bars.

I'm not in the mood to eat, sleep or do anything. The sun has set and it's about six thirty. All I have the power to do is ly down on my bed and think about what had happened. Where did Kai go? How did he just disappear? Maybe he went into the other room while I wasn't looking. Maybe he went down into a trap door in the floor. There are so many things he could've done. The possibilities are endless. My own curiosity is going to be the death of me.

There is no way that I will be able to find sleep tonight. Even if I am able to stop thinking about Kai, I can't stop thinking about the fire. When I close my eyes I see the flames. But eventually sleep finds me.

When the sun shines through the curtains, my eyes crack open. The clock reads eleven. God I slept a lot. There's a soft knock on my door. "I need to head to the station," Dad informs me.

"Okay," I mumble tiredly.

"I'll be home before four. Nick might stop over to drop off some of his mother's pie." Dad continues.

"Okay." I repeat.

Mostly, my life at home is easy. Living the apple pie life comes with secrets. I've earned a good life after what I've been through. How many bullets must I take before I can go peacefully? How many bad things can happen until something goes right?

I close my eyes once again and only open them when I hear a knock from downstairs on the front door. I'm up quickly, fixing my hair and putting on decent clothes. Taking the stairs two at a time I come face to face with the front door. Opening it, a smiling face greets me. "Hey Nick!" I greet him and open my door. He holds two pies which he sets on the kitchen counter when I let him inside.

"Hey Sim, how's it been?" He asks curiously.

"Fine, how about you?" I return the question.

"Good. Lots of stuff happening at the station though. That guy we found, someone gave his description to us after her store was robbed." He sighs and looks at me with his green eyes. "It's something about that guy that's so familiar...."

"What was taken?" I have a sudden curiosity of Kai's crimes.

"Money. Lots of it." He shakes his head.

That's not suspicious. What would Kai need so much money for? "What all happened?"

"The suspect held a knife to the store owners neck, and she gave him the money." Nick looks at me. "Why so curious?"

"No reason." I reply a little too quickly. This guy is a cop. Calm down.

I can guess that he needs the money to get food and such, but where does he hide? Would he really stay at the house he killed his family in? Where are his parents. He didn't kill them after all.

Nick leans against the counter calmly and looks at me. "I better get going. Tell your dad I said hello," he stands straight and stares at me for a second.

It's safe to say that this man is my only friend.

Nick heads to the door and walks outside, turning when he gets out the door. "See you tomorrow." He smiles slightly.

"Okay," I nod. I see him every day when I take the bus to the station. "See you then."

Closing the door behind him, I turn around and head upstairs.

The rest of the day is spent binge watching Netflix shows and endlessly watching YouTube videos. When Dad comes home he doesn't come up and check on me. So it's about nine when I finally find sleep.

I'm running. Running through Darkwood like I can somehow find the finish line. I'm barefoot, my feet padding through the mud as I step on sticks and pebbles. Blood covers my face and nose. There is someone behind me.

"Come out come out wherever you are..." A sick voice sings through the dark woods.

There is a reason Darkwood got its name. At night, there is no light among the forest floor.

"I know, I know you're not very far." The song continues. But the singer skips a few lines. "Come out, come out wherever you are, come out come out from under that star."

I stop in the woods, the voice becomes more faint but the singing is still there. My hair is everywhere. The voice continues, coming closer.

"Yes, and indecently mentally I'm not up to par. So come out, come out wherever you are..." And that's when Kai's face peeks out from behind the tree. His sickening voice singing the lyrics. He is expressionless with a straight face, which just makes it scarier. Kai walks closer, whispering in my ear. "So come out, come out wherever you are...."

And then I wake up.