Page 57 of Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

Confused, I went back upstairs and checked the bedrooms, but they were all empty too, and the beds looked unslept in.

As I made my way downstairs, an orange leaf traveled across the floorboards, dancing and twirling as if stuck in an eternal dance. I looked to my right, stepping onto the landing. The door was ajar and a cold breeze drifted through.

Walking outside onto the porch, I squinted against the bright morning sun. Waves crashed against the cliffs, but aside from that, silence pressed in.

“Evelyn?” I called out. “Lily? Nate? Where is everyone?”

Nothing.

I left the porch and took hesitant steps forward. Something was off, but I couldn’t decide what.

Movement to my left had me pausing.

Max stood with his back to me, looking out over the glittering sea. His dark hood had been pushed down, and his brown hair shifted in the icy breeze. I released a relieved sigh. For a moment, I thought they’d all left.

“Max,” I called out, setting off toward him, the soft grass folding beneath my feet as I joined him.

His devil's makeup had smeared in the night, looking grotesque.

His brown eyes slowly drifted away from the crashing waves to look at me.

“Where are the others?” I asked.

“They’ve gone,” he replied.

“They left without us?” I asked, confused, as he set off toward the car. I hurried after him and grabbed his arm, creasing the wet material of his hoodie. I paused as he turned to look at me. “You’re wet.”

Reaching out to interlace his cold fingers with mine, he replied, “It’s the sea breeze. Come on, I need to take you back.”

“Why didn’t they wait?”

Max opened the passenger door and waited for me to slide inside before rounding the vehicle and opening the driver’s side. It wasn’t until he fished the key out of his pocket and turned the engine that he replied, “You were asleep.”

He backed out of the drive, and I stared through the windshield at the eerie house in front with its broken shutters and peeling paint, the porch swing swaying in the morning breeze. The dark, gaping windows seemed to suck your soul from your body.

Imaginary spiders crawled down my back as Max spun the car around and drove down the dirt path lined by tall fir trees on each side.

The scent of seawater stole my attention and I tore my gaze away from the window. It snagged on Max’s hands on the steering wheel. “I had a terrible nightmare,” I whispered, watching him tap his thumb against the leather.

Max said nothing, but his grip on the wheel tightened as he looked out the side window.

“Nate threw you off the cliff back at the house.” Shivers raised the hairs on my arms. I couldn’t believe how real the dream had felt.

Reaching forward, I turned on the heating and warmed my hands. I decided to change the subject. “Thanks for waiting for me.”

“Someone had to drive you home.”

“It was a crazy night, huh?” I said, chancing a look at him, not wanting to admit that most of the night was a blur. I remembered taking the first pill, but what happened after that?

Max looked at me with his dark eyes—a lazy look void of emotions, before he focused his attention back on the road. “You don’t remember.” It wasn’t a question. Max saw right through me. “Or do you not want to?”

“What do you mean?” I asked as the sun slipped behind the clouds. The trees lining the road seemed taller and spindlier. Branches slapped across the windows on each side.

“You know what I mean,” he replied cryptically, causing me to frown. I opened my mouth to speak, when my gaze drifted toward the windshield. My eyes widened, and I screamed at the sight of the wolf on the road.

Max slammed on the brakes, cursing loudly as the tires squealed. We came to a halt inches away from the furry animal.

Yellow eyes peered at me through the windshield, puffs of air escaping the muzzle. Seconds went by as I held on to the grab handle on the roof, chest heaving. I sucked in breath after breath to wrangle the adrenaline rush that had me in its grip.

---