The Whispers

3: Earthworm Messenger

"People fight, they get angry, they do drugs, and they do crazy things." - Steve Adler, American lawyer and Democratic politician

-Two years ago-

Maggie and I are playing grounders with Dallas and his brothers. The park is empty, it's almost dark, and I haven't lost one round. Easton, Wyatt, and Jack have continuously been it, Maggie's been it once, and Dallas is currently staring at me from the bottom of the play structure.

"I'm coming for you," he says.

"You're just bitter that Jack caught you," I tease. Jack, Easton and Wyatt are triplets and two years younger than Maggie. All with sandy blonde hair and bright eyes. All bad at games, and especially at this one.

"I'm actually more annoyed that you haven't lost yet," he smirks. He quickly sticks his arm through the bars of the structure and I jump back so he doesn't touch me. Maggie and his brothers laughing at the situation. "Come on, Rosie, it'll be fun."

"It won't be," I assure him. Running on up a slide with my eyes closed only to fall in the ant-infested sand just doesn't sound like a good time to me.

"It will be," he laughs, "Just come closer and let me touch you."

"That sounds wrong," I laugh.

"At least Stella isn't here," he smirks. I want to ask him why he would care if Stella were here - I'm sure she would find it funny - but I think better of it. He's always making those sort of comments, there's no need to say anything.

I slowly back up and take a step to the lowest part of the play structure where the kids are. They're huddled together in a corner but Maggie's smarter than them - she knows he's not going to lay a finger of anyone but me - so she's calmly watching us and laughs when the triplets scream

"If you don't forfeit," Dallas taunts. "I'll have to climb up there and grab you."

"You can try," I laugh as he lunges at me through the bars, "But you'll fail."

"I'm faster than you," he states, getting closer to the stairs of the play structure.

"I'm smarter," the triplets cackle at my remark and Maggie's trying not to smile. If he tries getting up here, his eyes will have to close, and one movement from me will have him missing his target and blindly stumbling around the structure. Even if I'm cornered, I'm sure I can duck given my size.

"You've left me no choice, Rosie," he sighs before sprinting towards the structure and shutting his eyes. I jumped away from his wandering hands and escape under his arm, hurrying to the sand. If he yells grounders then I'm screwed.

I'm running. Running as fast as my legs will take me, as far away from the structure as possible without leaving the park. I can't get caught. I've gone so many rounds without being tagged, I am not starting now.

Without warning, a body crashed into mine. They're tall and lean and tackle me to the ground. Suddenly my joy has ended, my adrenaline of needing to win has faded, and I don't recognize who is on top of me but I feel like I should. They're familiar. Their body shape, their weight, everything. Just not the face. Their face is bright red.

I scream. Loud.

The face comes closer to me and all I can hear is buzzing. Buzzing like a bug is near me and taunting me before it speaks.  I realize that the man's face is made of bugs - red ones that clustered together to form the shape of a head. It makes me wonder if his whole body is made of them and they're just covered by clothes.

I continue to scream. Bugs are underneath me, crawling from the long grass to my ears, talking to me. There's too many to comprehend any sentences or words, but I know they're talking to me.