Beautifully Damaged

26. Truth

Alex had told me the truth. He had told me exactly what he was, and I had pushed him to lie again. Taking back what he had said, he had brushed it off as if he’d meant to humiliate me again, tease me.

“So you do know?” He asked, grinning as if my world hadn’t just turned upside down.

I nodded, at a loss for words. “But I don’t know what happened after Chris went to pick up Kate. I really don’t.”

“I believe you’ve seen it before,” He assured me through pale, thin lips. “But if you need a reminder…” Reaching forward, he touched a frozen finger to my forehead, and the world fell away from me.

Droplets of water cooled on my skin, the cold burrowed deep into my bones. Groggily, I forced my eyes open. To my surprise, a dark sky, devoid of stars hung above me. It was totally dark. It was the type of murky, inky black darkness that sent chills up my spine, as my brain played with me and created images that weren’t there. There was no moon.

I had seen this before, but I didn’t need to replay the horror. What had happened before this was what I needed, and I willed my mind to open that part of it and allow me to really see.

Images, emotions, and sensations… they all crowded for my attention as they flashed past my eyes, a blur of a life in only a couple of seconds.

I had stayed behind after school to get extra help with physics. All of the concepts in the science were difficult to wrap my head around. As a general rule, I didn’t take anything in without knowing the reasoning behind it. I couldn’t go with ‘just because that’s the way it is’. Perhaps that was my problem.

After even my physics teacher had to leave, I stayed in the courtyard to finish the rest of my homework. As much as I loved my family, it was difficult to concentrate with all of them around.

It had been a good idea at the time, to stay here and finish up, but it was getting dark; I’d let time get away from me. Diana would start to worry soon. My mother wouldn’t be happy when Diana told her how long I’d been without telling them that I’d be out later than usual. I slipped my books back into my bag and slung it over my shoulder, glancing at the darkening skyline and pushing my pace as I hurried out of the schoolyard.

It was a long walk back to my house, and I criticized myself once again for leaving at such a ridiculous time. With this type of thing, I’d be lucky if I wasn’t grounded. My mom didn’t like me to be out at this time. She worried for all of us, like any mother should.

The temperature didn’t fall, but I wish it would. The humidity clung to my skin, making it uncomfortable to walk home, even in the cooler hours of the evening. When it came to a turn off, where I could either go straight and take the long way round, or turn left and cut down a street for the short cut, I lingered at the crossroads a little longer than usual.

Normally, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought; I always took the long way. My mom would kill me if she found out that I took the short cut, but I figured I couldn’t get in much more trouble than I was already. I had killer instincts, and nothing was telling me that this was the wrong choice, so I turned and headed down the ever-darkening street.

Only five minutes in, and night had descended on the outskirts of Detroit. I kept close to the houses, knowing that I wasn’t supposed to be here. Only a few more minutes and I’d be on the home stretch.

Movement shifted on the poorly lit street ahead of me, and my step slowed. My senses shot into adrenaline induced overdrive, and I could sense movement behind me. I struggled to keep my composure when I noticed the darkly clothed figures, brimming with pride and hatred toward the opposing group.