Restless Soul

40

   The high was familiar, but she didn't know where. Her legs ached from the distance she'd walked, but determined more there ever, she pressed on. Her heart thumped against her ribs not from the effort of her march, but the urgent need to get to him... or was she getting away from him?

   Around her the wind picked up and her eyelids fought to stay open, threatened by the heavy breeze. She blinked, and suddenly the empty street that was before her had vanished and she was alone.

   Amanda looked around. Seeing only the abyss surrounding her. A strange vibration spread from her leg up her torso. The feeling caused her to kick the air as a reflex, whipping around to see fog seeking up behind her. She stepped away, her head turning as an unidentified sound pierced the silence.

"Sky. Get back here!" an angry voice declared behind her.

   Startled, she turned, finding the space behind her now lit up, outlining the silhouette of a man, watching menacingly. She knew that voice. She'd heard it before. But whose memory was he from? Hers or Sky's?

"Sky! Damnit, they'll find us. We can't stay!" the man growled before taking off after her.

   Instinctively, she took off, letting her feet carry her as the man chased after her. He was angry, enraged even. Somehow she knew it wouldn't end well before the strong object collided with her backside, sending her flying before she tumbled to the ground. Her skull collided with the cool pavement and she groaned lowly, giving voice to her agony.

Her vision was a blurry haze. When a shadow came hovering above, she only groaned further when she was briskly lifted off her floor by her color.

"If only you'd listened to me," the man gritted, cloaked in shadow and a sinister presence.

   The redolence of cigarette and motor oil preceded the earthly scent that permeated the air all around before she grew heavy, weighed down by a blanket of soil until lights flickered in the darkness of night. The red, the blue, hazy as it may be left a final imprint on this restless soul. Because then there was light, but she was no more.

"Amanda, for fuck's sake!" an angry voice shouted close to her and her eyes shot open.

Amanda sat up so fast that Matt went tumbling back, falling hard into the gully, barely catching his breath when he began to berate her again.

   Amanda scanned her surroundings, lost as she gazed around the familiar street. Lorna's house was a short walk back. How had she ended up here? The last thing she remembered was being in her room getting ready for bed.

Unease caused her skin to prickle. Looking down at herself, she let out a sigh of relief upon glancing at her still-clothed body.

"Do you realize how bad this looks? For once in your whole life, Amanda could you at least pretend like a give a damn?!" Matt's angry voice pulled her out of her head.

She turned to look at him, finding him now standing glaring at her.

"How did you find me?" she mumbled after a while.

Matt's hands that were planted on his hips flew up as he whispered a curse.

"You know what? No, I'm not letting you get away with it this time," Matt said after a few seconds of deliberation.

Walking towards her, he gripped her by the arms and yanked her up.

Amanda whined in pain, "Matt what the hell?" she chastised him but it didn't loosen his grip.

His jaw was set as he pulled her towards his car.

"Matt, you're hurting me," Amanda whined as he opened the door.

Without further argument, Amanda got it and only then did he let go.

   Within seconds they were on the road. A charged silence settled between them as Amanda caressed her arm, sure that a bruise was already forming in the shape of his hand. With one glance, Matt noticed the action and his jaw hardened. He'd been rougher than he needed to be. He was just furious and scared when he saw her lying there, in the middle of the road. He'd thought for her someone had run her over! Maybe he'd interrupted her plan? Maybe she had a death wish. But upon finding her perfectly okay, he saw red.

"Unless you want me mouthing off to Mom and Dad about this, I'm gonna need you to set a few things straight," Matt said as they went up the hill to the house.

Amanda sat in silence, cradling her arm as if she hadn't heard him.

The moment the car stopped she was out.

"Amanda!" Matt called out as she ran inside.

   Matt watched from the foyer as she fled up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Sighing, Matt didn't try to speak to her again that night. He'd treated her like a petulant child. Worse, like an abusive boyfriend, and then he tried to blackmail her to get his way. He was only trying to protect her. She could've gotten herself killed wandering around the streets at night when a serial killer was on the loose. What could've possibly pushed her to take such a careless risk?

The answer was locked in her bedroom with her, a place where he wasn't welcomed.

Meanwhile, Amanda was locked in her bathroom, her breaths coming in heaves as it was all so clear now. Tears streamed down her face in regret and fear.

Matt may not have gotten his answer. But she had.

   The closest people can hurt us the most if they can find a reason that justifies it. She knew who'd killed Sky nineteen years ago. She'd whispered his name to her for years. Like a chant of death masqueraded as a sweet lullaby. Just then came the ghostly whispers, emitted by the choir of the dead who'd learned the hard way what he was capable of.

"Steven..."

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