Page 79 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

The reality hits me all at once that I’m alone … in the dark … in a forest. If there is someone out here with me, there’s a very high chance they don’t have good intentions. Parks at night are not exactly Good Samaritan Central.

So, what in the fuck am I doing out here alone?

I skid to a stop, my sneakers digging into the dirt.

And suddenly, the world is too quiet.

So quiet that the air feels thick and heavy. Even breathing becomes difficult.

I lay a hand on my chest to try and count my heartbeats, to try and ground myself in my own body.

But my heart is hammering way too fast to count, and I am quickly losing control.

This was a terrible idea. A stupid, horrible idea.

The wind blows, rustling leaves to my right, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Hello?” I regret the word the moment I speak it. I sound like any of a hundred dead girls from slasher movies.

There isn’t anyone there. I know that. And yet, I swear I can hear the low rumble of laughter coming from between the trees.

Even though I’m standing perfectly still, I can imagine myself finishing the curve, pushing aside the overgrown branches that reach across the opening in the trees, like arms trying to block the way, and stepping into the small grove.

The place where The Incident happened.

I see shadowy faces and figures standing in a circle around a girl propped up on the picnic table.

There is a cell phone on the table with the flashlight turned on, casting everyone in harsh, ghostly white light. There are flashes of light as people take pictures of the debauchery.

Then, there is Nico.

He turns around with a phone in his hand, the screen bright and illuminating his face. He is the only one I can make out, but I see his surprise shift to anger at being interrupted.

And when I turn and run, his is the voice I hear bark out the order.

“Chase that bitch down!”

Back in the present, I don’t realize I’ve started running again until a branch whips me in the face.

Today is a new day. Nico Barber is gone. He isn’t chasing after me. He isn’t coming for me.

Yet, I can’t stop running until I’m back on the main trail.

The lights along the sidewalk are designed to look like gas lamps, and the light they emit is wavery and thin, but it’s better than being in the dark of the forest trail.

I prop my hands on my hips and throw my head back to look up at the sky, taking deep, shuddering breaths.

“I’m an idiot,” I huff, shaking my head.

I had a flashback, but I didn’t discover anything new. I just nearly gave myself a panic attack.

As far as I can see, I’m still alone in the park, but I feel safer with the wide-open space. Without the tree branches pressing down on me, I feel more in control.

So, when I hear footsteps behind me, I jolt in surprise and spin around.

I see the shape of someone walking along behind me and I feel silly for being scared. It’s a public park, after all. Other people are allowed here too.

I chuckle softly to myself, but just before I turn around, the person walks past one of the lamps, and I catch the leather jacket and the patch on his shoulder.

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