Her Dark Shadow

•Chapter 20: Camden•

I'm gently awoken with a push on the shoulder.
"Camden, bud, I would get out of the way if I were you."
"Who are you?" I ask groggily.
"It's Mr. Lea, your principal. Now, I need you to move, once I break the news to Ezrynn, she won't be in her right mind. Promise me you won't take anything bad she says to heart, she will lash out no matter what. She'll be sad. Do you understand, Mr. Conner?"
"I understand." I say, suddenly wide awake. And I remember I'm on Ezrynn's lap.
How embarrassing.
But that's hardly the situation.
I sit up, and Mr. Lea does the same to Ezrynn as he'd done to me.
"Ezrynn..."
She opens her eyes, but anyone could tell she's still asleep.
"Corbin...you take me...home..." She slumps back down to unconsciousness.
Mr. Lea sighs.
"Ezrynn, it's Dad."
"Hi, Dad." She leans forward to hug his shoulders.
Mr. Lea, defeated, pics her up to where her head's laying on his shoulder and her legs wrap around his torso.
"Mr. Conner, come with me." We walk out to his silver Chevrolet parked in front. "Climb in back." He tells me after sitting Ezrynn down in the passenger seat.
"Uh, Sir, should I...call my mom?"
"Son, she knows you're coming with me. You may call her for conformation if you'd like, I'll be waiting in the car. Here, use my cell phone." He hands it to me, then adds, "Can you be quick about it, please? There's somewhere we need to be."
"Yes, Sir."

I dial her number, and on the second ring, Mom picks up.
"Hello, is everything alright, is my baby alright, are yours alright? Do you need help? I can come to the--"
"Mom, it's me. Wait, to the where?"
"Nowhere, sweetie." She recovers herself. "Where are you now?"
"At the Blake's. Look, I don't know where anyone is, Veronica and Zola, Megan, I don't even know if Aunt Emily's home, I--"
"Camden, go with Mr. Lea, he'll explain everything."
"But, Mom, I want to come home, I--"
"Camden!" She says strictly. "Go with Mr. Lea!"
I sigh. "Okay."
And although there's no reason for it, tears come out of my eyes.
"Okay." I say, again.
"Camden."
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"Love you, too." And the line goes dead.
"I love you to..."

As I climb in the backseat, Ezrynn's dad sees that something is wrong.
"What's the matter?" He wonders.
"Obviously something." I snap. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, son. Can I see the phone, please?"
"Here."
He talks to someone, most likely Mrs. Lea, and after he's done, we drive away.
As we pass by, I have a funny feeling in my gut.
Soon, I know why.
This is the way to the nightmare. The place where I come crazy and leave scarred.
The hospital.
I start hyperventilating, not able to help it, because I know why we're going now, the whole reason Mr. Lea wanted me to get away from Ezrynn, the reason she'd have not been able to control herself if he told her what was going on, the reason Mom sounded panicked on the phone, the reason, the reason, the reason.
Something happened. To Corbin. And Megan.

Everything goes black.