Chapter Twenty Two

I would've been afraid of my own shadow if I had one. In these woods, there wasn't enough moonlight shining down through the canopy to cast one. I trekked through them fearlessly, stumbling over rocks, mossy logs and fallen branches in pitch black darkness.

Usually, I avoided them at all costs. I often heard howling at night and I'd seen the silver gleam of wolf eyes from my backyard more than a few times. That night, being ripped apart by a pack of wild animals seemed like mercy, so I was certain nothing would come for me. There was also the thing about them being able to smell fear and whatnot. If that was the case I was covered doubly. I couldn't imagine the smell of hopeless loser stirring up any feeding frenzies around there.

Nope, Regal roast wasn't high up on the menu.

In these woods I didn't need a sense of direction, common sense was enough. I couldn't see the highway from where I was, but I could hear cars sigh as they sped down it on my right. As long as that continued, I'd eventually run into a creek, then a park and town was on the other side.

It took me longer than I cared to admit to reach the water, but once I had, I didn't bother looking for rocks to step across. Clear of the trees, there was plenty of light to guide my way, but I had a flair for dramatics when the mood struck. And right then, it struck. I took running into the creek in the most literal sense. The water was a lot colder than I had expected. My socks were instantly soggy. The move only served to awaken my senses to how chilly the nighttime air was.

It wasn't quite fall yet. Leaves still clung to the trees, but were changing in color. I shivered and clutched my arms close to me as I trudged through the park in darkness. There were lights, but they'd turned off already, so it was past ten. That was my best judge of time. I couldn't tell from the moon's position in the sky. I wasn't an astronomer.

I started to feel a bit better once my feet hit actual pavement. I came up with an idea for where I'd stay for the night. I had to walk another mile, but I figured I'd crash at Josiah's. We weren't as close as we were in our soccer days. Actually, we weren't close at all, but he wouldn't turn down a cousin in need. He still owed me a favor. We'd never settled up after I saved his life that day at the trampoline park.

Getting there would suck.

My legs were already worn down and he couldn't have lived further from me in Solon if he'd wanted to. It wasn't possible. The town was shaped like a boomerang and we lived on opposite ends. Thinking about the journey ahead sapped the energy from my stride.

I must've been a sad sight drifting along the main road toward that faraway run of quadplex homes. Someone honked at me. I ignored them. They could go around. Nighttime traffic was so light in Solon, you could get away with street racing, not that anything that cool would ever happen.

A second honk.

They laid into the horn that time. I took a few steps to the side until my shoe brushed up against curb, then waved them through. My chest tightened when no one passed. Whoever it was, they were there for me, so I didn't want to turn around. The one person I could rule out was the only one I wouldn't have minded being there. I knew how Saylor's engine sounded.

As I kept walking, I heard the vehicle start to pull up next to me. I turned away before anyone could see my face, before I could make out the car. Something in my head told me they couldn't be sure it was me, but for all I knew, they could've circled the block several times already. I hadn't been paying attention.

The third honk made me lose count. It also scared me. It was the spastic mashup of someone who'd clearly lost patience. I turned around in dread, fully expecting to see Mom.

Oh, how I wished it had been her.

It was Blake. He wasn't alone. I ran full-sprint.