FREEFALLING

8

Eventually, I was back on speaking terms with Maggie. And, that was a serious improvement for her temper, and mine. But she would still shut me out whenever we weren't in public together, or rather, in front of Hal. I frowned at her never-ending effort to walk away from me as soon as her hand was unhinged from his, and eventually, as I do nearly all the time, I got fed up.

As Hal left, claiming that he was going to go and fix up the trucks, she started walking off. I took her wrist, spinning her around with surprise force.

"What are you doing, Fae?" she hissed, looking around.

"I could ask you the same question." I replied coolly, resting my hands on my hips.

"Look, Fae, it's not that I'm embarrassed around you, it's just..." she started.

"No, obviously you are! Because God forbid you're seen with the freak that supposedly betrayed her boyfriend and had spikes put into her back against her will!" I screamed this at her, feeling my blood pressure rise as I clenched my hands in fists. I saw her eyes widen in fear, and took a step back in realization of what I had just done.

"Maggie, I—" I started. I trailed off, knowing it was no use. There was no use in trying to explain myself, or apologize anymore. I had failed over and over again too many times, and with that I had lost trust of nearly everyone I loved or cared about.

She left without another word, and I backed up against the wall in the dark corridor as I slid until I was on the ground. I didn't even bother letting them see how weak I was then. I let it all out, the tears, the anger, everything. I hid my head in my knees to spare myself from being noticed by many, although I suppose the metal rods jammed into my spine just gave me away anyway. Finally, after I felt dried out and exhausted, my lungs gasping for oxygen, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. It was light, and reassuring.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Hal, much to my surprise.

"Shouldn't you be with Maggie?" I grumbled. As I wobbled to my feet, I kept one hand on the wall until the world stopping spinning. He tried to help me, hold me up, but I just pushed him away.

"Don't." I growled.

"Look, I get that you're mad at Maggie, but you can't yell at her for it." he lectured.

"So what, you're my father now?" I looked up, glaring at him. "No, you're not, because my father is dead! Right along with your mother, Hal!"

I turned on my heel and bolted out of that place. I'm not sure how long I ran, but by the time I got there it was dark. I wasn't concerned about the 2nd Mass, or what they had planned for me, I assumed—no I knew—that everyone else was better off without me. I was a havoc, a wreck. I was the reason that they weren't any closer to getting to Charleston. They could be having hot showers, eating from a feast right now, but instead they were stuck in a cramped little church with nothing but wooden pews to lay their heads down on.

I repeatedly kicked the mulch, tearing out fraying weeds that had grown massively over the abandoned park I had ended up in. Tonight was a full moon, and it illuminated the park like it was in pure daylight. I wracked my brain as I tried repeatedly to remember over and over what these places looked like. They should be clean-cut, and have people in them. But instead, they're deserted. Everything is deserted. It wasn't until I realized the anger that was taking over me, the anger that blamed everything on the invasion. I crumpled to the ground, but when I heard a rustle in the air, I snapped my head up.