The Wolves ***Book One in River Falls Series***

Just Driving

Alexia..... I like the way he says my name. No one calls me Alexia, everyone just calls me Alex. I usually prefer it, but I like it when Logan says it. Aunt Sara must still be at the studio. I know she's busy right now doing a piece for a high paying client. I suppose it is getting late and if I'm going out early in the morning I probably should get to bed, so I go up to my room and get ready for bed.

Snuggling down in the blankets and drifting off to sleep, I can't help but smile a little to myself. I had a good time. I enjoyed myself. And I'm excited for tomorrow.

I'm sat in the back seat of the car with my eyes closed. I have some random pop song playing on my phone, my earphone buds pushed tightly into my ears. I love that smell, the ocean. I could breathe it all day. I open my eyes and look out my window. The beautiful coastline flows by. I can see people on boards in the surf. I never really learnt how to do that. Tammy could surf really well and tried to teach me a few times. But I just preferred laying on the sand soaking up the heat.

I feel something lightly tap my knee and look up while pulling my earphone out. My mum smiles at me.

"Your dad and I were just talking, thinking about when we go to Italy in the summer, if maybe Tammy wanted to come too. Your older now and we don't want you to be hanging around us oldies all the time. What do you think?" What do I think ??!! OMG I can't wait till I tell her. She is gonna go crazy.

"I think that's the best idea you've ever had." I say excitedly. I pop my earbuds back in and lay my head back and close my eyes again.

I can feel something tapping me on the leg again. I open my eyes and realise I must have been asleep for a while. It's dark and raining out side. I turn my head to face the front to hear what my mum wants now. 

"What's wrong mum?" I say.

Then the screaming starts. A loud agonising screaming. That doesn't stop. It just goes on and on. It's hurting my head it's that's loud. Lights are flashing, red and blue lights are surrounding me. Now I'm stood on the side of the road. I see my parents car upside down and mangled up with another vehicle. I run over to it expecting someone to stop me. But no one will. I know. I've been here many times before. No one ever stops me. Because I'm not really here. I wasn't there that night either. I was safe at home.

I reach the car and get on my hands and knees. I'm looking through the windows to make sure my parents aren't still in there. But they are. Their eyes are glassy, and staring straight ahead. They aren't moving, or talking. They aren't breathing. They are dead. The screaming gets louder in my head and I have to crouch down and put my hands to my ears trying to block it out. But it doesn't work. Feeling heat on my face I look up, I'm stood further away from my parents car. I don't know how I got here, but it's a dream, I don't have to know. 

There's a bright orange glow in front of me. The heat is immense. But it doesn't burn me. Just my parents. And the three strangers in the other car. I never got to see them after they left that night. They were 'un recognisable' according to the police support worker. The screaming starts again and I can feel it vibrate all through my  body. I know it's coming from me. But something is different in this dream, different to the ones that I've had countless times since that night. There's another sound. It's louder than the screaming. But it's comforting. It's an animalistic sound. It's howling and it's getting louder and louder.

I jolt up in bed quickly. Despite the cold weather outside my body is sticky with sweat. And my face wet with tears. The screaming from my dream has gone. But there is still a low gentle howl I can hear. I get out of bed and go over to my balcony doors I just need some fresh air. Although it was just a dream I can still smell the smoke. It felt so real. I need to let fresh air fill my lungs.