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Another rack of shivers rolls down my arms all over again, and I pull my fleece blanket around my shoulders, hating that nothing can warm me up right now. As if the spirits that escaped brought the cold air of death with them.
It’s only been hours, and I’ve already had enough of this. I need to figure it out, and that starts with going back there. Where it all started.
Vera lets out a sleepy moan, and I can hear the rasp of Malik in the background. “Stop,” she croaks at him, and then I hear shuffling and more of his heavy rasps.
“Vera,” I snap, dropping my palm against my face, rubbing my eyes with my knuckles.
“What?” she asks, completely sidetracked.
“We need to talk.” I take a deep breath, bringing my hand down to my mattress and shoving myself off the bed. I walk over to my long, rectangular mirror next to my black dresser, dropping my fleece blanket to my feet as I straighten my slipknot t-shirt dress. It hangs off one shoulder, and is only a shirt, but buying a triple XL makes it long enough that it can be worn as a dress. My fishnets stick to my thighs, and I bring my hand up to my messy hair, a mix of black and purple that I know will dry with too many waves in it. It’s a mess—it’s always a mess. But now that I’m not in school, I honestly don’t give a shit whether or not it’s straightened.
“Is something wrong?” Her voice sounds clearer now, like my words broke her out of her lusty haze with her boyfriend—stepbrother—whatever.
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean…I don’t know. Are you busy? Can you come over?” I groan.
Malik’s gravelly voice rolls through the background, and then Vera speaks. “Malik says to meet at the abandoned house. Can you be there soon?”
I bite my lip. I don’t want to go there right now, and I know it’s becausehe’sgoing to be there. Wherever Malik is, so are his friends.
“I guess,” I grumble. “I’m going to call Blaire and Piper. I’ll see you soon.”
I pull up to the abandoned house in my Kia, the clouds absent from the sky, yet still dim in the middle of the day. A light fog covers the ground, wrapping around my ankles as I step out of the car. I slip my keys into my miniature backpack as I breathe in the heavy, crisp air with the scent of cold water and dark pines.
Piper and Blaire are already here, and as I make my way to the front door, two more cars pull in behind me. First is Malik and Vera in his Rover, then Felix and Atticus behind them in an identical car.
I glance over my shoulder, already feeling the heavy stare of Felix directed at me. I scowl at him as I turn back around, giving him my back. He doesn’t deserve my time. My enemy. Someone both cruel and wicked who I despise with every ounce of blood in my veins.
I hate him.
Stepping up the creaky stairs, the middle one’s completely rotted and broken, the earth underneath showing through the wood. Blaire and Piper lean up against the door with their arms folded across their chests, watching me with curious and worried looks. They know what happened last night; they were there, but the way they look at me, it’s like I’m going to come and save the day.
It adds to the weight of needing to figure this out.
I stop once I reach them, waiting for everyone else. The house is unlocked, but I can understand why they don’t want to go into the creepy house by themselves.
“What’s going on, Hazel?” Blaire asks, her red hair pulled into a messy bun, like she just rolled out of bed.
Piper still looks a little out of it from the night before, still dressed in her oversized sweatshirt and black leggings.
Feeling the heat of Felix step toward me, a panicking, oversized butterfly feeling hits my stomach. I lurch forward, grabbing onto the handle and shoving the door open. “Let’s talk inside.”
Their steps are heavy as they follow me, the sheets they’ve used as curtains covering the boarded windows leaving it absent of almost all daylight. Malik walks around, tearing the makeshift curtains to the side, allowing a small glimpse of light to enter.
It smells of damp wood and stale liquor in here, the remnants of last night still lingering in the air.
“Spit it the fuck out, Hazel,” Malik snaps at me.
I narrow my eyes.
“Malik!” Vera snaps.
I swing my hands out at my sides, feeling like they don’t really understand the shitstorm we’ve stepped into. “Do you guys realize what happened last night?”
“Obviously. I barely slept,” Blaire groans.
“I hesitated even leaving my house,” Piper mumbles, tucking her hands into her hoodie.
“What are we supposed to do about it? We burnt the shit down. Good riddance.” Vera gives no shits, and honestly, she looks like she has more relief on her face than worry about what’s to come.
