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July 2nd 

3:07 p.m.

?I hate you,? Noah said, fiddling with the knobs on the dashboard.

I fixed him with an icy stare, even colder than the air conditioning blasting out of his vents. I didn't have the energy to argue. 

The sun burned hot against my neck as the stare seemed to go on for ages. I finally broke my gaze and turned to the window. 

Cows and cornfields, cows and cornfields.

I never thought we'd be like this. 

It was supposed to be a fun summer trip. Annelise, Mark, Noah, and me. 

Now it was just Noah and me. 

***

July 1st

12:49 p.m.

Lunch was in a dingy restaurant. A small place, dark and sparsely populated. I ordered a burger, Mark ordered a salad, and Noah got a chicken sandwich.

I don't know why I remembered that. 

The burger tasted rubbery, the cheese glued onto the surface. The bun was stale. I chewed slowly. 

?I think we should just go home from here,? Mark said, interrupting the silence. ?Why are we still driving to St Paul??

?Don't you remember the original reason for the trip??

?I mean, yeah, but--?

?Just be glad,? Noah muttered. ?At least your girlfriend's still around.?

Mark's plates clattered as he abruptly stood. ?What did you say??

?Nothing.?

?I don't think it was nothing!? Mark said. ?What gives you the right to talk about Sophie like that? I know you're upset about Annelise-- we all are-- but you don't get to lash out at us!?

I put a hand on Mark's arm. ?Calm down It's fine.?

Mark shook me off. ?This road trip just isn't working. I'm going home.?

?You don't even have a car!?

?I'll-- I'll take the bus.?

I stood up and grabbed his hand. ?Mark, think for a minute. Don't leave. Don't leave me. Please.?

?Come with me, Soph.?

I shook my head. ?We don't have enough money for a bus all the way back to Oklahoma. I'm not leaving! All we have to do is pick up Noah's stuff and then we can go back home.?

?I'm not sitting in a car with that jerk for the time it takes to get home!? Mark shouted. Noah's face contorted in anger, and the few others in the restaurant turned their heads our way. A server came up to Mark and said, ?I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir.?

Mark glanced at him. ?That's just fine? With a glare at Noah, he picked up his phone and shoved it into his pocket. Turning to me, he demanded, ?Are you coming??

I looked at him. Noah. My hands. The table. The server. ?No,? I finally whispered. ?And I wish you weren't going anywhere either.?

Mark's eyes hardened. ?Okay then.?

Tears blurred my eyes. ?Mark--?

But he had already slammed the door shut.

?This is all your fault, Sophie. God.? Noah's words slashed into me like a knife.

And the truth in them left the sharpest cut.

***

June 29th 

7:59 a.m. 

Once Annelise left, it was no fun.

?You driving?? Noah asked. 

?Sure,? I said, climbing into the driver's seat.

?Let me know if you need a break,? Mark said, plopping down in the passenger seat. I nodded but stayed in the driver's seat all the way from Kansas City to Wisconsin Dells. For those 8 hours, no one spoke a word. I kept my eyes focused on the yellow stripes dotting the gray asphalt, blurring into one another as the hours passed.

When Google beeped at me that we had reached our destination, as if I couldn't see the towering orange and purple waterslides, I called, ?We're here!? 

Noah jolted awake, and Mark groggily blinked his eyes open. ?What?? he mumbled.

?We're here, babe,? I said, slinging my blue and white striped swim bag over my shoulder as I stepped out of the car. 

He slammed the car door shut a moment later, Noah right behind him. ?Should I get Annelise's stuff??

Noah's face contorted into a grimace. ?Oh my gosh, I'm sorry,? Mark said. ?I forgot.?

But Noah was already storming off towards the waterpark gates.

?It's okay,? I whispered, lacing my hand through his. ?Just try to remember next time. He's still taking it pretty hard.?

Guilt twisted in my gut.

?I will,? Mark said, squeezing my hand ?I really am sorry. I know it's hard for you too.?

?Yeah, but we're here to have fun. Let's ride some waterslides!? My smile was forced, and so was Mark's, but we let ourselves have at least a little bit of fun over the next couple of hours. 

Water splashed onto my two-piece swimsuit over and over as we rushed down waterslide after waterslide.

The rushing feeling in my stomach couldn't cover my nagging regret. 

***

June 28th

10:23 p.m.

?What's up, man,? Mark said as Noah approached the car. 

?Annelise and I broke up.? Noah didn't look at us, just clicked his keys and pulled the car door open.

First what happened between her and me, and now Noah and her broke up? No way. ?She must be really upset.?

?Yeah,? Noah said. ?She said you yelled at her about how she was always ghosting you for some guy. She said she didn't want to do that anymore. So we aren't together.?

I gasped. ?She-- I-- I never meant to--?

?Well, you did.? 

***

June 28th

9:56 p.m.

?Listen, just because you wanted some one-on-one time with Mark, that doesn't mean you can just forget about me,? Annelise said, cornering me in the kitchen after Mark and I came back to her cousin Serena's house. 

Party music thumped against the walls as she spoke.

?I wasn't forgetting about you. Annelise! It's just so loud in here. Mark and I needed a break. I think you're taking this as an insult, but really, I just needed some quiet.?

?Sure. Then next time I ask to hang out, you and Mark are busy. I'm done with this. I swear this road trip is going to end just the way I thought it would. Maybe I'll just stay with Serena.?

?What? Ann, that's not--?

?You and Mark and Noah can go. I'll see you back in Oklahoma.? Annelise looked down and walked toward the door.

?Fine!? I screamed after her. ?That's just fine! You were never much of a friend anyway. All your crazy schemes, leaving me every time you see a new guy while judging me for hanging out with Mark. I'll see you back in Oklahoma, I guess!?

Annelise turned back, her mouth hanging open. She inhaled sharply. ?Okay then.?

My words sunk in, and I gasped. ?I didn't mean -- I'm so sorry --?

But she had already stormed away.

***

June 28th

8:30 p.m.

The last time we were all together was the disastrous party. 

Annelise had convinced us to throw a party at her cousin Serena's house in Kansas City. Before the fight, I had shoved through the mass of dancing bodies, searching for Annelise's pink shirt and long curls. I wondered why on earth I had agreed to this.

I finally found her sitting on the couch, Noah's arm around her shoulders. He leaned down to move his soda can when Annelise lifted her legs up to the coffee table. 

?Annelise!? I said over the roar of the party. She looked up and caught my eyes. ?Mark and I are gonna leave.?

?What? Why?? Hurt flashed across her face. 

?It's getting kinda crazy. We're going to go downtown and just walk around for a little bit. You can come if you want.?

?No, I don't think so,? Annelise said. ?I'm gonna stay here with Noah.?

?Okay then.? I adjusted my purse and went to meet Mark at the front door.

Downtown was really pretty, the sun glinting gold over the skyscrapers. Mark and I walked around, chatting a bit.

?I feel like Annelise is mad at us for leaving,? I said. 

?Maybe,? Mark said. ?I didn't see her.?

?Or upset. Mark, do you remember how we met?? I asked, suddenly stopping.

?Yeah. It was at some party sophomore year,? he answered. ?Why?'

?That was Annelise's party,? I said. ?She wanted me to meet this ?super hot guy'. I said ?why not', and here we are. She was the one who caused us to become an us.?

?I never knew that,? Mark said.

?And I caused her and Noah to become a couple. A few months later, I introduced her to him, and now here they are.? 

?That's cool,? Mark said, and I could sense the but coming, ?But why--?

?She always worried that dating would get in the way of our friendship, but the thing is, she ditched me and just hung out with Noah when they got together. She's better now about that, but she can't blame me for wanting a break.?

Mark didn't say anything, but I felt his understanding. We stopped at the view of a grassy area, sitting in contented silence for a few moments. 

***

June 25th

7:22 a.m. 

I tossed my pink suitcase into the trunk, the last one, and banged the door down.

?Careful,? Noah said. ?I saved up--?

?Two years to buy this car,? I finished. ?We know. Are you driving first??

?Sure,? he said. I nodded and climbed into the back with Annelise.

?Soph, do you have a bad feeling about this?? she whispered to me as Noah plugged his phone into a charger. 

?No. I'm excited!? I said. ?It'll be fun.?

?Okay,? Annelise said, with a hint of hesitancy, but mostly reassured. So we sped away on our latest adventure. 

I rested my head on the windowsill. Cows and cornfields, cows and cornfields.

?I hope we get some better scenery,? I commented.

The group chimed in their thoughts, but Annelise's words rang through my head.

Do you have a bad feeling about this?

Trigger Warning: Blood and Gore

All I remembered was darkness; dense impenetrable darkness. Like a thick woolen blanket that smothered its victims. I looked around, lost in that dark world. Then a feeling of despair settled on me.

Drowning me, pulling me farther and farther from the surface.

Then, through that darkness a pinpoint of light burst through the midnight, the only sliver of hope I had of escape. I walked, no, ran toward that light, not wanting to lose my chance of freedom. He looked at me curiously, pulling me out of that memory which I so hated to remember.

His auburn hair tumbling and blowing in the hot summer breeze that ran through the green shrubs.

"I-," He paused, running his fingers through his crimson hair, the very colour of fire, "I thought you were gone, I mean, we all thought the worst."

Coarse sand flooded into the torn leather boots that hung, barely attached to my feet. I nodded weakly, I was tired, confused, hungry and...bleeding. I noticed crimson drops of blood falling onto the sand around me.

That was when I first felt the pain. It blazed like a wild fire up from my ribcage, all the way up to my shoulder A fresh wave of nausea swept over me as I saw a huge, deep cut running from my ribs up to my shoulder, exposing bright red muscle and tissue.

"You're injured!" He exclaimed as he rushed over to examine my wounds.

"Great observation." I hissed, as he felt around the wound, carefully tracing his hand along the cut. The pain was unbearable, and I was so tired I collapsed to the desert floor, panting, my breathing shallow.

"I'm fine" I tried to say between gulps of air; he knelt down beside me and clutched my wound, trying to stop the steady stream of blood that gushed from the deep cut.

"From what I can tell, I don't think you're fine." He said, the edges of his lips curving into a slight grin, even though he tried to hide it, I could see the worry that shrouded his face.

My slate gray cotton shirt was now a deep scarlet, damp with the feel and stench of blood.

"We have to get you to shelter." He said as he slid one of his strong arms around my back. Exerting all of the strength I had left, I stood, leaning on him for support.

"It is only a few yards away," He grunted as I struggled to take a step; he was bearing most of my weight.

"Once we're there, I will get you a healer, and then you can tell us how you got here." I paled as he said this. Was everyone alive?

"They probably hate me. I am surprised you don't." I muttered, sweat dripping down my forehead as the sun shed its heat filled rays on the sand.

"Well, everyone makes mistakes once in their life," He said empathetically, blowing a strand of fire hair out of his green eyes. I frowned.

"Oh yeah? Betrayed your homeland family too?" I said sarcastically a slight tinge of anger hung at the end of my voice; I was surprised to admit it was there.

"Um, on second thought not everyone makes mistakes like that in their life."

I elbowed him in the side, causing him to yelp in pain. Though, moving my arm caused some skin to stretch beside my wound, causing my eyes to water. The pain was excruciating now, and my vision had begun to go blurry.

I stumbled as I steadily became weaker and weaker, blood draining from my wound. Shadows crept into the corners of my eyes, causing the world to steadily grow darker. 

I fell to the sandy floor, the hot sand burning my arms, and hands.

"Aoife!" He dropped to the ground, shaking my limp body, trying to pull me from my trans. The shadow that clouded the corners of my eyes spread farther, slowly corrupting my vision.

"Edrei, Bolivar! Get out here, he's losing too much blood!" He yelled frantically to a little house that stood a few feet away from where we were. Scuffles were heard as two people exited the building and ran to us. Though the only thing I heard before I fell under was his voice

"Aoife, you'll be alright, everything is going to be fine."

~~~~

"Is she awake?"

"Will she be alright?"

Voices hushed and urgently whispered above my head as I slowly pulled myself out of my sleep. I opened my eyes. Dusty sunlight filtered through the window that sat beside the little cot I was lying on. The smell of singed flesh and hair hung in the room, causing a fit of coughs to wave up from me.

I was in a room, a small room. Very plainly decorated with only needed bits of furniture. The walls a musty beige colour.

Standing over me, the young man with fire hair smiled, hidden relief flooding through his handsome features.

"Good to see you are finally awake." He said still smiling; walked over to a crude wooden table and grabbed a glass of water off of it and brought it to me. I grabbed the glass gratefully and drank the entire contents, feeling the icy water flood down my throat.

"I-I don't exactly remember your name." I was ashamed to admit it but I remembered him, but not his name. He grinned his green eyes lighting with mischief.

"The names Kenneth" He sat beside my bed, where I was laying, inert and injured though, feeling better. I nodded, Kenneth, or born of fire. I liked that name, it fit his character.

"So," He began, running a hand through his fiery hair. He always did that when he was thinking hard, "What happened?"

I cringed as I tried to sit up. My ribs still burned, as well as my shoulder, though I was feeling a bit better. I was about to speak when two people entered the room.

"Ahh, Edrei and Bolivar." Kenneth stood and beckoned them toward me. I smiled weakly as I remembered the two twins who I had fought beside me so long ago. Bolivar, a very big burly man. Hair as black as night, his name meant mighty and warlike. I shuddered as an image flashed across my eyes of him ripping a man's leg from his body.

Despite his seemingly brutal looks, including the grisly scar that ran

down his thick neck, he had a very kind heart. He was considerate and sensitive, though brutal when he needed to be.

Then there was Edrei, she had every look of a warrior. Her long raven black hair woven into a braid down her back. The many daggers, sabers, and swords attached to her black leather armour.

Her name meant blessed guardian.

This name portrayed her character only in part. She was truly a

blessed guardian, she would do anything to protect her friends and allies. She would jump into the thickest battle without a second thought Though I felt her name should mean something more like, cruel war hawk or bloodthirsty conqueror.

"It is good to see you, Aoife." Bolivar said gruffly as a grin spread across his round face. He walked over to my cot and wrapped me up into a warm hug. Edrei smiled and walked over to me, her black hair matching the very colour of shadow. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it in hers, a smile playing across her thin lips.

The scene in front of me flickered, shafts of light flashing through the room. The smile from Edrei's face disappeared, and was replaced by a look I had never seen her wear, fear.

Bolivar shot up, his back rigid and ram-rod straight. His face wearing the same exact look, his deep brown eyes echoing pure terror. The scene flickered again, shafts of light cutting through the room, along with the sounds of distant screams of terror.

I shuddered and fell back onto my cot, causing a cloud a dust to fly up into the room, suspended in the air above me as if held by strings. I clamped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut as the screams echoed again only louder.

Kenneth looked over his shoulder, a look of urgency on his face. I could tell he was listening for something, watching for something. The scene flickered again, coloured light cutting through the scene causing my head to spin.

Edrei knelt beside me, her had gripping my arm, her dark black eyes shadowing what I thought was hope. The screams sounded again, but instead of light cutting through the room, veins of darkness slowly began to snake across the walls.

I tensed, I hated the dark, the smell and feel of it. It reminded me of death, I shuddered as a too familiar image flashed across my mind of thousands of hands clothed in shadow pulled at from all directions, I heard the screams.

Edrei shook me, calling my name. "Aoife, you need to listen closely," She looked over her shoulder as Kenneth and Bolivar quickly pushed the lone table and chair in front of the crude wooden door. But a part of me knew that wouldn't stop what was coming.

"Aoife, you need to remember."

Something deep inside of me stirred, it whispered of a thousand ages. I pushed it away No I thought, not now.

"Aoife!" Kenneth shouted as he pressed against the wooden door, exerting all his strength, more veins of darkness slivered up the walls.

"Aoife remember!" He yelled, Bolivar growled as he pushed up against the door. The something inside me stirred, it rose and almost over powered me.

Don't! I thought, Don't let me feel the dark! I pushed the something further down inside of me.

The veins of darkness on the walls shuddered and spread almost entirely covering the room in darkness. Kenneth's green eyes met mine, a look of trust filled them.

"Aoife, remember." Was the last thing he said before he stepped away from the door, letting whatever was chasing us inside. Then it was dark.

I screamed, letting all the sorrows and tears of the past escape me. The feeling inside me rose, spreading its wings, releasing its call.

Then I woke to up. It was all a distant memory.