“I stopped keeping track of the years a long time ago.” She waved her hand, brushing away the passage of time as if it meantnothing. “You should leave now. I do not want to speak with you anymore.”
Hunter swallowed a bitter groan. He probably had hit his head harder than he thought.
“I am lost. I do not know how to find my way back. I came from the manor.”
“There are many manors here,” she said coolly. “Walk that way, keep the stream behind you, and you will find the one made of red brick.” She pointed without looking at him, guiding him away from her and the shattered tree.
“I cannot just leave you here,” he said, his voice cracking with guilt and worry. Images of blankets, hospitals, and police officers churned through his mind. “You need help.”
“Do I, really?”
She tilted her head slightly, though she still faced away from him.
“Leave now.” Her voice grew heavy and powerful, vibrating through the brush until the earth itself seemed to tremble.
You are imagining this. There has to be a rational explanation.
“I am sorry, but I can’t just . . . ”
She had given him one warning. That was all she would allow. She turned and parted her lips. He thought he heard the first soft notes of a song, but then the world faded until nothing remained except darkness swallowing him whole.
5
CHAPTER FIVE.
Hunter’s knuckles throbbed. He had been clutching the worn leather steering wheel for so long that his fingertips had gone numb. In their place was a slow, burning ache, as if the blood had been drained from him. But it wasn’t just the blood that was missing.
What am I doing here? How long have I been sitting here?
It took him a moment to unclench each stiff finger. The joints protested with soft cracks. A hiss slipped through his teeth as he forced his fists open, scowling at the dull pain settling in his hands like an old bruise.
You just got off the bus after the field trip. It was the end of the day.
“Hey, you look like shit,” Sadie yelled, banging on his window. The sudden noise left Hunter wondering if he was on the verge of a heart attack.
Hunter had been sitting alone in the school parking lot, frost covering most of the glass except for a small patch where his head must have rested, warmed by his breath.
Did I not go home?
He made a mental note not to let anyone know he was losing his memory.
“I’d say call for a sub, but it’s the last day before break,” Sadie continued. “Throw on a movie and chug a gallon of that crappy coffee from the lounge. You wouldn’t get your paid vacation break if you missed the day.”
Hunter trembled, pulling his shoulder back to reach for the door handle. A burst of cold air overwhelmed him, the wind whipping the door back so violently that Sadie jumped away before she became a casualty of winter’s wrath.
“You look like you haven’t gone home, unless your new thing is copying those tech CEOs who wear the same thing every day.”
Hunter tried to step out but was yanked back. He clutched his chest while Sadie stared at him like he was a lunatic.
“You gotta take your seatbelt off, chief. You’re not drunk, are you? Dear God, please say no.”
Hunter shook his head. The click of the buckle released him. The seatbelt slid off his shoulder and retracted behind him.
“Maybe you should take the day off. The principal will freak out, but honestly, those administrators need to be kept on their toes.”
“I’m fine, Sadie,” Hunter grumbled, standing and shoving the door closed against the wind.
His gold watch jingled with the movement. He stared at it. The last time he was here, he’d been leaving to look for it. Apparently, he had found it. It had gone missing after the field trip. Hadn’t it?