Into The Woods

Chapter 2

Thursday-Beginning of Friday

Lark 

I run back to my house. I stop in my mom's study, she is sitting at her desk reading over something for work. What that work is? I don't know. 

"Hey mom." I say from the doorway.

She looks up and meets my eyes. "Yes?"

My mother and I look a lot alike. I inherited most of her looks, with the hazel eyes, and sharp cheekbones. In our faces you could tell that we are related. She has soft features, graceful, and warm. I love my mom, more than anything. She was probably the best person I had ever known.

"I was wondering if it was okay if I stayed at Suze's tonight?" I ask?

She smiles. "Of course. Make sure you make her dinner, Larken. That girl is skin and bones." She says, waving me off.

"Okay, okay, Mom. I'll see you tomorrow." I say, walking out of the room, stepping up the stairs and going into my room.

I grab some pajamas and a outfit for tomorrow and stuff it into my backpack. I walk into my bathroom that is connected to my room, and grab my toothpaste and toothbrush. As I'm walking out I catch my image in the mirror, I run my hands through my blonde hair. There are black circles under my eyes, that show my restless nights.

I haven't been sleeping very well. I wake up in the middle of the night sweating and panting. My dreams are very strange, and confusing. When I wake up I never know for sure what they were about. But they keep me up all night, because I can't go to sleep after the dreams.

I let my mind wander away from my nightmares. On my way out the door, I say goodbye to my little brother, Sky, by hugging him and kissing the top of his head.

As I walk down the street back to Suzette's house, my phone buzzes, causing me to stop to check the message. My girlfriend's face peers up at me through the screen. Her eyes smiling, and her tongue sticking out at the camera. Her message says:

Marin: Wanna come over tonight?

I instantly feel bad, I can't hang out with Marin. I need to make sure that nothing happens to Suze, if something ever did happen to her when I wasn't there then I would never forgive myself. So I text Marin back.

Me: Can't. I'm sorry. Love you!

Marin: Why?

I sigh, she can never just let things just fly by.

Me: I'll explain it to you tomorrow. Like I said before, Love you.

She never responds after that, so I switch my phone off, and continue the journey to Suze's house. A popping noise sounds behind me, I stop again looking around for some sort of explanation. Paranoid, I'm just paranoid. After what happened at Suzette's house I feel on edge. I start to walk again but another popping noise sounds. I clench my fists at my sides, and whip my body around.

"Hello." I growl.

Looking through the branches and green leaves, I see a flash of black. I back away, and start to quicken my steps as I make my way to Suzette's house. I take the home key to her house out of my pocket and unlock the door.

"Suze!" I call out, locking the door behind me.

Suzette comes bounding down the steps, a huge grin on her face. "Hey Lark! Welcome back." She says.

She throws her arms around me, pressing her face in my neck where I can feel her breath hot and soft against my skin. I jump in surprise, but my arms go around her and I stroke her long brown hair. She sighs, and pulls away, her face a mask concealing whatever she is thinking from me.