Beyond Her Final Breath (Book 1- Shadowland Duology) | Wattys2015

.Chapter Twenty-Six.

Sage sat on her bed, knees tucked under her and face set in concentration. She spent most of her time holed up in her room ever since her "brilliant" plan. It seemed brilliant at the time, and maybe it was, but time was running out. But at least it was something.

She turned the page of the blue-bounded journal.

Her bedroom window was open wide. The bad weather had disappeared with the Reapers, and it left the weather in a state of confusion, along with the local residents. The predicted early winter had disappeared completely.

If Sage closed her eyes, she could almost believe it was summer again. Summer was that time of year when the days lazed by and time stood still. It was the time of year when nothing bad ever seemed to happen. But the tranquillity of her thoughts were interrupted by thumping on the stairs.

Nathan.

He must be upset, Sage thought. She desperately wanted to believe that he hadn't killed Evie, but there was a part of her that doubted. She hated that part. She wished it was summer, when Evelyn was alive and Sage's world hadn't been turned upside down. She longed for the warm summer days where her biggest worry was freshman year.

The gentle shush of the shower grew in the background.

A breeze drifted in the room from outside, fluttering the pages of the forgotten journal on her lap. Looking back, Sage would wonder if the breeze was simply that: a breeze. Or was it fate? Either way, the pages opened up to a diagram.

Sage's eyes scanned over it, and her heart rate steadily increased with excitement. There it was: her answer.

"Nathan!"

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Blake drove Nathan to his house after school on Wednesday to pick up the things needed for the haunted house. They heaved giant mirrors into the back of his truck and secured it with rope.

"Don't want to get seven years of bad luck," Blake joked.

They fished out old, rusted chains from a garage behind Blake's house and a broken T.V. Nate wasn't exactly sure how all of that would work for the haunted house, but he didn't mention anything. Junk was piled high in the back; the broken leg of a chair stuck out from the mass.

He just wanted to get the volunteering over with. Nate had been bubbling up with pent up anxiety ever since Sage told him she knew what to do. A part of him wanted to know, but the other part- the one that feared the truth- wanted to prolong the moment as much as possible. He didn't know what he would do if he turned out to be-

Halloween was a week away, and somehow Nathan felt like it marked something. He constantly felt a clock ticking down in his mind, whispering incomprehensible things about the future.

"So how are things between you and Sandra?"

Nathan looked up from where he had been picking at the cracked leather of his chair.

"You guys seem.... I don't know. But it's obvious she likes you."

Nate focused on the scent of Blake's truck; it smelled like leather and warm days with the faintest hint of oil and mint. So familiar- unchanging. Unlike them.

"Yeah. I know." He meant to say more, but the words died as soon as they touched his lips.

"I know. I get it." Blake worked the clutch of the truck and stared intently out the windshield. Gushy feeling stuff wasn't comfortable with any of them. "But eventually you have to move on. I'm not saying you have to now. God, it's only been a little over a month."