Don't Let Him Get You

Chapter 2

Two weeks passed quickly and it was now the night before the big move. Kiara and Matt had spent the day together, like all days prior, packing up the rest of her room. The room looked barren with only the bed left standing. All the pictures, posters, and stringed lights had been taken off the walls. The shelves had been cleared off and packed neatly into boxes. Kiara's entire life stood before her, packed tightly into several neat boxes. She and Matt had been fairly silent while packing, just enjoying the time to think about what was next for their friendship. "Do you remember how we met?" Kiara broke the silence as they lay on the hardwood floor, staring at the ceiling.

A smile twitched at Matt's lips, "How could I forget such a strange encounter? I was walking through the park when I came across this little girl with bright red pigtails and a yellow raincoat. You were crouched down and I was curious about what you were looking at. When I walked up to you, I realized it was a huge, hairy spider. Me, being a boy, I thought I would impress you with my bravery and I jumped toward the spider yelling, 'I'll save you!'" Matt laughed heartily at this, the kind of laugh that rumbles deep in one's chest. "You pushed me away when I started stomping my foot around, telling me that I was going to hurt Henry. I remember being so shocked that a girl decided to name a spider!"

"Well I also didn't want you to step on it because then it would start to rain." Kiara snickered.

Matt sighed before replying in a mocking tone, "You and your superstitions." They continued to lay like this, reminiscing about childhood memories, until Matt's phone rang.

It was late at night and Matt didn't want to leave Kiara for the night but a persistent mother had called him away. He promised he would see her before she left tomorrow morning. After saying goodbye to Matt, Kiara climbed the stairs to her room and sat on her bed in the dark. She felt exhausted and yet wide awake, her emotions churned into a jumbled mess, keeping her mind from resting. The thought of having more nightmares also kept her from falling asleep.

Kiara sat in silence and let tears roll down her cheeks, hitting the pillow she was clutching to her chest. She thought about running away so she wouldn't have to move back to that awful town filled with haunting memories. She was strong, but not strong enough to face the past that she had escaped all those years prior. It was an insane thought though, to run away, as that would only cause more problems.

Kiara continued to sit there in the dark as the sky turned from midnight blue to the many hues of the sunrise until her grandmother knocked softly on her door. "Kiara it's time to get up," Moira opened the door and poked her head in. "Oh, you're awake! Did you not sleep well honey, you look ill?"

"I was just a bit restless. I'll try to get some rest on the way to Port Valeau," Kiara lied and stood from the bed. Moira gave her a long gaze before nodding her head and heading downstairs. Kiara slipped out the door after her and headed into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror she was not surprised to find dark bags beneath her brown eyes and tear stains on her cheeks. Kiara decided to take a shower and wash away the fatigue of the sleepless night. She stood beneath the hot water as the steam filled the bathroom and her skin turned red. She let the burn of the hot water settle into her skin and wash away all her worries and nightmares, watching as they spilled down the drain. Kiara turned off the water and simply stood in that steamy bathroom, and as the heat from the shower left her skin, a shiver travelled up her spine. She wrapped herself in a towel and walked back to her bedroom. She dressed as comfortable as she could for the long drive to Port Valeau, in a large t-shirt and leggings.

Kiara went downstairs, the scent of fresh cinnamon buns wafted out of the kitchen. The dining table was almost caving in under the weight of the food Moira and Byron had prepared for their last meal together. Kiara sat down at the table, her mouth watering and her stomach grumbling as hunger settled in. Her grandparents soon followed her to the dining table, their smiles stretched somewhere between sorrow and happiness. "Let's dig in before it gets cold. What would you like Kiara, eggs or hash browns?" Byron asked.