Escaping Darkness

2

Hands are grabbing at me, scratching at my throat, my wrists, my stomach, my chest...it's like licks of fire all over me, and I realize it's my hands, my hands scratching, making me bleed-Wake up Sarah, it's not real, wake up wake up

WAKE UP.

I gasp, sweating. I sit up in the too-small bed with my too-itchy sheets tangled around my legs. My bangs are plastered to my forehead with sweat. The room is dark-which is, at first, why I don't realize that there's someone rooting through my closet, and not being quiet about it.

"Oh, you're up. I think you were having a nightmare." First, I think, no shit sherlock, then, oh my god not him again.

I am scared, this time scrambling to stand up, wrapping the sheet around my shoulders like a cape. And it is him again, him with his hulking shoulders and broad arms and angry blue eyes.

"What do you want to take this time? My tampons? Considering how you like to steal my stuff."

I'm an idiot, I think. Then, he turns his glare towards me, and I think, no, I'm not just an idiot. I'm a fucking lunatic. This guy is huge.

"Okay," I backtrack real quick as he starts stalking forward, "you don't have to take the tampons. I'll keep those."

"You have a smart mouth," he says. And he doesn't come closer and kill me, so I'll count that as a win. Go me.

He's got a bag this time. I have no idea what I have that he could want so much.

Then, something strange. He starts emptying it out into my closet.

It's my books, I realize. He's returning my books...

He says nothing.

He leaves me alone in the darkness. I don't fall asleep for a long time.

* * *

Something good that I actually do like about this place is the "nature walks." Basically, we get to walk around for a while outside and we get to be alone if we want. This place is all fenced around, so it's not like we can escape.

Like animals in a pen.

I'm walking, counting my footsteps. Then, footsteps behind mine.

I stop, they stop.

"Are you following me?" I ask the boy who had been in my room in the middle of the night not only once, but twice. I don't know why I asked, because it's pretty obvious that he is.

His mouth quirks a little bit to the side, amused or maybe annoyed.

"No," he says, first. He clears his throat. Then, "Yeah. Maybe."

"Why?" I ask.

A shrug.

"You gave my books back," I say. I don't know why I say this, because yeah, we both know he did.

He says nothing, just keeps walking a step behind me, like he's my shadow.

"Why?"

Another shrug.

I roll my eyes, and keep walking. "Okay, whatever." Then, "You never said sorry for stealing my stuff."

He snorts. "Sorry." He's so sarcastic that the apology means nothing. His voice is soft, despite his hulking frame.

I sigh, resigning myself to the fact that he was going to follow me, and not be pleasant.

"So what's your name?" I ask.