WE STILL EXIST

Chapter- Twenty-Seven- Realization

NOAH BLAKE

Coden and I are riding in his car together back to the camp while Andrew and Maddie are in Andrew's car behind us. We woke up around noon today and Coden said we all needed to go back home for the weekend. Maddie wanted to stay back with Andrew, but Coden wasn't having it.

It is mostly because of what he walked into when we fell asleep in my bed, but I know that he would feel better about the Avery situation if we were all together. I know that I do, Avery can't hurt us if we are all together.

We are almost back home, the long highways are slowly turning into dirt back roads and the street lights are turning into trees with boulders next to them on the streets. Coden has decreased his speed to fifty-five instead of seventy and the radio had quieted down.

I keep my gaze out of the window to look at everything as we pass by, the tension in the car has heated up since we left. I tried to ride with Andrew and Maddie, but Coden refused to let me go with them. Blamed it on the loneliness he would feel if he was by himself.

He hasn't said one word to me since we drove off from the house. His eyes are focused on the road and his hands are ten and two in the wheel.

The cool air has shown through, and summer and fall have swept behind us as the Winter months come forth. The rain hasn't come yet, but I know that it will start in the next couple of weeks, it will be crucial for the setup in the reservoir to finish in the next week if we want to test it sooner rather than later.

I am hoping we can get everything ready, but from what Coden told me last night, I don't think it will happen. The proposal will be dropped or put on hold until the Spring or summer, anything could happen between now and then. I hope it will work out, especially if my dad won't be here to see it.

It needs to work for him, it has been his life's mission since forever. Time is ticking for all of us, we need to make this happen, with or without the unknown monster wanting to kill us.

"Last night, you said you would tell me about Avery." Coden merges over to one lane going narrow, "Tell me what he did."

There goes my hope.

"He was just trying to get me to go with him, nothing else." My gaze set on the dirt road outside of the car, "It's not a big deal anymore now that you're here."

Coden clears his throat, "it is a big deal, Noah." He slowly turns right on the path leading towards a field.

"He deliberately went after you and tried to hurt you." He glances at me and winces, "he did hurt you."

The bruising has swelled from last night and the tendernes are starting to come in. Another reason I wanted to ride with Maddie, I know she has makeup. I wanted to cover this up before we got back, so I didn't have to show my dad this.

Maybe I could stop by James's house to do this, Maddie would help me. Coden probably wouldn't mind seeing that he can't even look at me without shuddering away.

"Do you think we could stop at your house before we do anything?" I look into the side mirror, "I don't want my dad to see this."

He sighs, "Stop changing the subject." We get through the field with Maddie and Andrew behind us, "tell me everything."

"From the second you felt something off to the moment you saw me." He turns left down a side road into a forest, "I need to know everything."

"You don't need to know anything, Coden." I cross my bruised arms over one another, "Avery is gone and that is all that matters."