Page 37 of I Don't Need Your Protection
We sit here in silence.
And more silence.
I was supposed to sort through my feelings, but it’s kind of hard to do that with Caleb sitting right next to me. I don’t know, his presence just…unnerves me for some reason.
I get to my feet. “Okay, let’s head back in.”
***
My legs strain in pain as I push myself to keep running. My body feels like it will collapse any minute, but I can’t take a break, not even for a second. If I stop moving, they’ll catch up to me, and that will be the end of me.
I dash into the forest, hoping the tall trees will shield me from the guys. But I can hear their footsteps growing closerand closer. It sounds like they’re right on my tail.
“Mom!” I call as I push aside branches and leaves that get in my way. “Dad!”
The only sounds I hear are the “pound, pound” as their shoes hit the ground, the crunching of twigs beneath my sneakers, and the random animal in the distance. I think I even hear a wolf’s howl. If those guys don’t get me first, I won’t be surprised if I end up as something’s dinner tonight.
“Mom, Dad!” I cry. “Where are you?”
It’s really chilly out here, and all I want is to snuggle up in my bed, in the safety of my home. But I can’t do that anymore. I no longer have a home.
I call out to my parents a few more times, but they don’t answer me. I’ve never felt so alone before.
Then I see an area where the forest meets civilization. Maybe there are some houses there and I can run to safety. Even though my body is spent, I push myself once more to reach the end of the forest. Just a few more steps and—
My foot gets caught in something—maybe a tree’s roots or some fallen branches—and I trip and topple to the ground, my palms and knees scraping against the dirt and rocks. The footsteps catch up to me and I roll over to see two shadowed men standing over me—
I spring up in bed, my heart galloping in my chest faster than a racehorse. My whole body is drenched in sweat and I’m shaking like a leaf during winter.
Oh, gosh. It was just a dream. I bury my face in my hands as the largest sigh of relief escapes my body.It was just a dream.
I’ve been having nightmares regularly since my parents died. I used to have them every night the two weeks after their deaths, which made me dread going to sleep. Imagine, the only times I actually saw my parents were in my nightmares. But thankfully, they show up less often now, though they always seem to creep up on me when I least expect them.
A noise to my left makes me gasp in silence. But it’s just Caleb. He’s standing by the window, his face practically fused to the glass. His body language tells me he’s on alert.
“What is it?” I ask.
He startles and spins around to face me. It’s hard to see in the dark, but I can tell his eyes are a little wide, like I scared him.
“You’re awake,” he says.
“Yeah, sorry…I mean…” What exactly am I apologizing for?
“I was too noisy, wasn’t I?” he asks as he turns back to the window. “Sorry about that. I just thought I saw…” He presses his forehead to the window and stares outside, as though he sees something suspicious.
“Is someone out there?” I whisper, grabbing Ellie and hugging her to my chest. I also wrap my blanket around my shoulders, as though that will shield me from a potential murderer. My heart rate hasn’t slowed down.
Caleb gazes out the window, shoulders stiff and at attention, and then he wrenches himself away and marches to the door. “Stay here, Addilyn. I’ll be right back.”
“Caleb…” My voice quakes.
“It’s okay,” he says in a soft and soothing voice. “You’re safe here. I’ll only be a moment. Don’t open the door for anyone.” He slips outside.
The room is dead silent, the only sound coming from the clock Caleb hung on the wall. And some small noises outside. Here, alone in my room in the dark, my mind conjures up all these crazy scenarios. Like now that Caleb left, my parents’ killers will somehow fly into my room and finish the job. Or maybe their killers have been hiding in my room all this time and will come out and pounce on me at any moment. The fact that I had a nightmare about my parents’ killers chasing me at the same time Caleb saw something suspicious makes my blood turn cold. Am I psychic or something?
When the door opens, I release a small yelp and nearly shoot to the roof.
“It’s okay,” Caleb whispers as he slips back inside and locks the door. “False alarm. It was just two kids trying to sneak into the dorm. They were really bad at it.”
