"I can't calm down!" Bass screamed at his sister. "She's out there! She could be hurt! I have to find her!" He insisted, his eyes burning. Sonia looked as though Bass had slapped her. Bass never raised his voice. He had never even yelled at Trumpet, not even when Trumpet had kissed French. But Bass had just yelled at Sonia. He felt terrible, and her face made him feel so guilty that he couldn't breathe. He wanted to apologize, to beg Sonia to forgive him, but his mouth would not form the words. "Maybe she doesn't want to be found." Sonia said in a voice the size of a mouse. Her fear of her brother leaked into her minuscule voice. Bass let go of the tears that choked his throat and burned his eyes. He turned away from Sonia.
Bass was out in the park without another word to Sonia. His tears still waterfalled down his face, dripping to the leaves on the ground. "French!" He screamed.
Why had he kissed her? Why had he been so stupid? Bass sniffled and cracked a stick. Large, black birds with skinny and featherless necks flew up into the sky from somewhere to Bass's right. Curious, Bass jogged to the place where the birds had taken off from.
The river ran its sapphire blue finger through the clearing. On the soft mud of the banks, a perfectly white and meatless skeleton was stuck. Black feathers littered the ground around the skeleton. A silver flash nearly blinded Bass, and he knelt to examine the source.
The bracelet had a small silver heart strung on its chain. Bass's fingers fumbled to open the heart. It snapped open. Bass's heart clenched and he dropped the silver. It was a picture of Bass and French. The bracelet belonged to French.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She woke up screaming. Her terror level had spiked to the point that she had jumped out of bed. The white sheet was tangled on the floor and the purple comforter was thrown against the wall. An oversized white t-shirt hung off her shoulders and blue yoga pants brushed against her mid-calf. She looked around wildly, whimpering in pain. The girl raised the hem of the shirt to the bottom of her ribs. Her flat stomach bore no marks, no scars, no blood. She was okay. The girl let the hem of her shirt fall. She opened the door to her room and peered into the dark hallway. Cautiously, she padded down the hallway in sock feet.
The living room was still dark. The early morning light had yet to break through the windows. On the couch, a bulk of twisted quilts had wrapped themselves around the bulky figure of a person. Anxiously, the girl sneaked across the carpet toward the figure.
He was breathing hard in his sleep, like he was in pain. His fingers twitched in his frightened sleep. "Andrew!" The girl hissed. A muscle in Andrew's jaw twitched. The girl gently touched Andrew's jugular, calmly whispering his name. "Andrew, I had another dream." She breathed. Andrew sucked in a sharp gasp and his eyes opened, glazed over in terror. "Holly!" He gasped. His arm flew to catch her wrist. He held it tenderly. "Holly, are you alright?" Andrew's eyes, colorless in the dark, beheld her with the greatest concern. It pained Holly to see him this way. "I'm fine, Andrew. Are you okay?" Her fingers brushed his neck. "I'm okay. You're okay. We're okay." Andrew smiled softly. "If your dad found you in here before he got up, he'd kill me." Holly rolled her eyes. "You're a real dork sometimes." Andrew grinned sideways. "I know. That's why you love me." "Don't bet on that." Holly brushed the skin over his jugular again. Andrew sat up and kissed her cheek.
Why had he kissed her? Why had he been so stupid? Bass sniffled and cracked a stick. Large, black birds with skinny and featherless necks flew up into the sky from somewhere to Bass's right. Curious, Bass jogged to the place where the birds had taken off from.
The river ran its sapphire blue finger through the clearing. On the soft mud of the banks, a perfectly white and meatless skeleton was stuck. Black feathers littered the ground around the skeleton. A silver flash nearly blinded Bass, and he knelt to examine the source.
The bracelet had a small silver heart strung on its chain. Bass's fingers fumbled to open the heart. It snapped open. Bass's heart clenched and he dropped the silver. It was a picture of Bass and French. The bracelet belonged to French.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She woke up screaming. Her terror level had spiked to the point that she had jumped out of bed. The white sheet was tangled on the floor and the purple comforter was thrown against the wall. An oversized white t-shirt hung off her shoulders and blue yoga pants brushed against her mid-calf. She looked around wildly, whimpering in pain. The girl raised the hem of the shirt to the bottom of her ribs. Her flat stomach bore no marks, no scars, no blood. She was okay. The girl let the hem of her shirt fall. She opened the door to her room and peered into the dark hallway. Cautiously, she padded down the hallway in sock feet.
The living room was still dark. The early morning light had yet to break through the windows. On the couch, a bulk of twisted quilts had wrapped themselves around the bulky figure of a person. Anxiously, the girl sneaked across the carpet toward the figure.
He was breathing hard in his sleep, like he was in pain. His fingers twitched in his frightened sleep. "Andrew!" The girl hissed. A muscle in Andrew's jaw twitched. The girl gently touched Andrew's jugular, calmly whispering his name. "Andrew, I had another dream." She breathed. Andrew sucked in a sharp gasp and his eyes opened, glazed over in terror. "Holly!" He gasped. His arm flew to catch her wrist. He held it tenderly. "Holly, are you alright?" Andrew's eyes, colorless in the dark, beheld her with the greatest concern. It pained Holly to see him this way. "I'm fine, Andrew. Are you okay?" Her fingers brushed his neck. "I'm okay. You're okay. We're okay." Andrew smiled softly. "If your dad found you in here before he got up, he'd kill me." Holly rolled her eyes. "You're a real dork sometimes." Andrew grinned sideways. "I know. That's why you love me." "Don't bet on that." Holly brushed the skin over his jugular again. Andrew sat up and kissed her cheek.
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