Playing with Fire

13

I honestly don't know why Lee is biting his lip.

Is he anxious?

Is he guilty of something?

"He looks like he doesn't want to talk about it." Daniel tells me.

I stare at him but he looks at me as if he can see me. My eyes catch his bandages over his eyes and he smiles.

"Excuse me, Lee but... can you see me?" I ask him.

"No but I can sense you." he replies. "I can see black but a neon blue as an outline. It's like I am some kind of psychic person."

I grin at him. "Okay."

The river runs smoothly by the grassland where we stand on, the wind runs its fingers through my fringe and all I can do is just feel it brush my face, chest, legs. Everything.

Lee smiles at me in return.

He can see me.

(Shut up. Shut up. Shut UP!!)

I put my water bottle into my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

"Is he helping or is he a bystander, wanting to know what's going on?" I ask.

"He wants to help." Daniel replies.

I nod that I fully understand his statement.

"Right." I stare at them all.

"What are we waiting for?! We need to go to. Now-"

"Where? I can lead you," Lee interrupts.

"Brocklesby." Daniel says to him.

He thanks him and I am there, tapping my foot impatiently. "Come on! Do you wanna die?!"

They all shut up.

"Thank you. Now, follow me!"

I walk through the long grass which coated the green landscape which was also swamped with small marks which engraved the earth beneath me. Ruben identifies that the prints are from some duck nearby but me being me, I haven't a clue what he's talking about since I haven't seen any other animal other than Willow.

I brush the grass away from my path to see a wooden bridge made out of a dark oak built sheltering the river in front of us. It looks battered but stable enough to walk upon.

I place a foot onto the planks and a Ccccrrrreeeeaaaaakkkkk! below me.

"That ain't stable," Adam says behind me.

I turn to stare at him, scowling and I say sarcastically, "Really?"

Adam raises an eyebrow at me and smirks cheekily. "Just saying."

I look back down and I take one step-

Crrreeaaakkkk...

Then another-

Crrreeaaaaakkkk...

And again-

Crrrreeeaaakkkkk-

I place my final foot onto the ground ahead of me and swivel on my feet then I signify that I'm okay by putting my thumb up to everyone behind me.

One-by-one (starting with Lee) treks across the bridge, some extremely unsettled by even stepping onto it.

"Right, so Lawrence, Lee, Daniel, Ruben with Willow and I have gone across the spruce bridge-" (I swear it's dark oak.) "It's just Toboni." Adam informs us.

I see Toboni staring out to us, standing still.

Petrified.

"Come on Toboni," I tell her as I open out my arms like what Nat used to do when helping me overcome my fears and before I notice, my voice becomes so soft. "Trust me."

"No!" she shouts. "Last time I trusted you, I almost died in a fire!"

"Look, that's in the past! Just trust me..." I can sense that she will not listen to me but to my amazement, she does. But she runs and leaps towards me and I catch her in my arms. Her fingers claw my shoulders but I ignore the pain.

I let her go and we carry on walking.

Rustle rustle...

As everyone carries on ahead, I stop and slowly creep towards the rustling bush, fists raised for self-defense.

Slowly.

I approach it.

My heart races and within seconds, a strong force pushes me back and I land in the river.

I can't get up-

I can't swim-

I'm drowning.