24. Run
1653 Words
Jamie What if this is it? This is it. Right?
I took a deep breath, and let out the loudest howl I could manage. I listened to the echo bounce between the trees for a moment, then I launched myself out and into the clearing. In the few seconds I had to look around, I saw Bree still tied to a tree, vampires all around, even more had shown up, and they were all looking at me.
This is it.
I ran into their midst and bit one, darted away as quickly as I could, and circled around to hold their attention. They yelled, some screamed, and most if not all of them chased me. I dodged between them, leading them away from the camp, hoping that none of them would realize this was a distraction.
I shot one last look over my shoulder at Bree and then took off into the woods. The vampires were much faster than I’d expected, and I was running at full speed just to stay far enough ahead that they couldn’t get me. Had Chayton planned that? Was he hoping they’d capture me? If it weren’t for Sabrina I’d let them catch me.
I continued running, and for a moment I forgot I was being chased. I was just running, like I used to, for fun. Because I love running. I could run for hours.
I let out a joyful howl and leaped over a tree, relishing in the way the wind brushed against me, both holding me back and pushing me forward. And I knew, this is why I’m out. This is why I’m free. Because of wind and running.
I didn’t even care about the bloodthirsty people running after me, they were behind me.
I pushed onward, loving the way my heart was pounding. I glanced backward, and they were gone. I slowed to a walk, panting yet smiling.
Until I noticed the trees. Familiar trees. Familiar smells. Familiar house. My heart and tail sank as everything was coming back again. My previously heavy breathing was now close to no breathing, CRUNCH, and my euphoria was gone.
I have to get out of here. Not okay. Can’t. Can’t. Can’t. No! I tried to leave, but I was frozen. Fingers made of ice seemed to be squeezing me until I could hardly think…
Next thing I knew I was on the ground, and I couldn’t remember how I got there. I closed my eyes right after opening them and circled around to leave. Every step, every leaf and twig under my feet, they all were turning into necks and skulls… Crunch. Crack. Crunch. Crack. Crunch. Crack.
Tears started leaking from my eyes, blurring my vision until everything was spinning and dead hands were grabbing at me from the trees and bushes. Why did I have to still be here? Why can’t I be gone yet?
It wasn’t until I got back to where the vampire’s camp had been that I stopped walking and closed my eyes. I had to stop. I had to… What? Would it matter? Bree. Stop for Bree. Bree wouldn’t like you if she knew. She probably doesn’t like you anyway. You failed, you didn’t save her.
I changed back into human form collapsed in an exhausted heap, unable to keep myself awake.
⇎
Sticks poked into my ribs and leaves crunched as I tried to roll off them, only succeeding in rolling onto others. What was I supposed to be doing?
Bree. That’s it. I’m supposed to be finding Bree. I got up, all my muscles aching and my head spinning a little, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten or drank anything in too long.
I circled a little, giving my mind a little orientation, before going over to the tree where Bree had been.
There was something so deep about standing in the same place that Bree had been, as though I was so close to her and yet so far at the same time. Thinking that if it were yesterday I’d be right next to her. If it were yesterday, I could have taken the bag off her head and untied her, and she could have escaped with me instead.
That isn’t how things work though… It’s today, she’s not here anymore, and someone else saved her. Someone else was there for her. It should have been me… Not him.
I turned into a wolf, being sure to close off my mind, and then I began following the scent trail. Circling around the area behind the tree told me that there was a fight, and a vampire got hurt. Was it too much to hope that it was him?
Then I followed the trail for about a mile into the woods, until I came to a small treehouse. I stopped as I came up to a bluish line. My fur bristled; my parents made this. They were the only ones who could make this. Why did this vampire have it? What did he have to do with them?
I tentatively reached a paw out and was surprised when nothing happened. I was expecting to be thrown back, or electrocuted, or teleported to Hell. Was the vampire actually serious? Technically locking me out with the powder wouldn’t have been against the agreement. Why was he letting me in?
Suspiciously, I crossed over the line. Still, nothing. I got up to the door, unsure whether to knock or just walk in. To be safe, I chose to knock. If he had the powder, who knows what else he could have?
After knocking, I had to wait so long that I thought nobody had heard me. Just as I was about to knock louder, the door opened and there was Chayton, glowering at me.
“I thought you weren’t going to show.”
“You sound so disappointed.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, well, how is she?” That’s the only reason I was here anyway. Her.
“Asleep. She dislocated her wrist, but it’s fixed now.”
“How about mentally? Is she happy?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.” His apparent lack of knowledge or caring bugged me. Why did he want her if he didn’t care enough to make sure she was okay?
“Can I come in?” I asked, mostly to test him. I didn’t care if I had to sleep outside, but I didn’t want Bree left alone with him.
He nodded curtly, stepping aside.
I walked in, looking around. The inside was nice, but too nice. He was spoiled and rich, used to getting what he wanted… And what did he want now?
“You look like you’re about to die.” He said it matter-of-factly, not like he was worried about me or even like it was an insult.
“I know,” I muttered, tempted to sit on his nice velvet couch just to get it dirty.
“You were at that other house for at least a few hours, why didn’t you get cleaned up?” Why do you care?
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Well if you actually care about her, do you really think you are good for her? You have anger issues. Panic attacks and your mind just dies sometimes. You don’t care enough to take a shower. You treat her like a kid, ‘Oh here, have a nap and don’t worry!’ And that’s not even to mention the fact that you landed yourself in prison. Not just any prison, but -”
“I get it. I suck.” My shoulders slumped, “Just butt out, okay?”
“Whoa, touchy much?”
“Oh, insensitive much?”
“Sorry then, I forgot this is about you instead of Sabrina’s best interests.”
My fingernails almost cut into my palm, but I stopped myself from doing anything that I might regret. I just pretended that lasers came out of my eyes and fried him.
“You don’t love her,” I said.
“And what would you know about love, killer?”
I didn’t reply. All the things I wanted to say to that… But I didn’t. That’s what he wanted. That’s not what Bree would have wanted. That wasn’t what good people did, anyway. I wasn’t bad, and I was going to prove it.
“Where’s my room?” I asked, as calmly as I could, but I couldn’t hide the hatred and anger that dripped from every syllable.
“Downstairs. First door down there.” I nodded and walked to the stairs, knowing that Bree was probably across the house from me.
I was surprised that my room wasn’t a bathroom or a dump, it was actually a pretty nice room. Not huge, but not small either.
“Take a shower!” I heard Chayton yell.
I wasn’t going to, but as I glimpsed myself in the mirror by the bed I changed my mind. I looked like someone who should be in prison, and I was trying to convince Bree that I wasn’t like that… Even if I did. And my current state fit me.
I would prove that I wasn’t crazy. Or at least pretend.
- Writer
