A Whisper in the Woods

Chapter 3: Won't Be Ignored

Thank you for reading!

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My necklace burns my throat as I walk out to Silas's truck after our shift at Rosa's. I couldn't truly believe Rosa actually let Silas cover her beloved diner with all that green crap, but that was before I learned she was sick and had left Silas in charge. A severe lack of good judgement on her part, I must say. 

"God, I hope Rosa doesn't find out about this party." Silas says as we slide into his cab.

"I'm sure no one will ask why the diner opened on hour late. Or why the employees were dressed in green. Or why green confetti was literally everywhere." I roll my eyes and look out the window. 

Silas sighs from beside me. "Why do you always have to do this?" His tone is tired, much different from the upbeat guy I'd been talking to all day.

"What do you mean?" I say as I turn my head to look at him. His eyes are fixed on the road and his hands are gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"You have to be snarky about everything. I'm just trying to do something nice for you, like throw you a birthday party, and all you do is talk down to me." He shakes his head as he turns on the blinker to turn onto my street, Sharon Street. "You're impossible to please, and honestly, I'm kind of done trying."

I cross my arms and try, and fail, not to get defensive. "Well, sorry you feel that way, but I never asked for you to do these things, Silas.  I don't know why you feel the need to give me special treatment." He pulls into my driveway and puts the truck in park.  The rumble of the engine is the only sound as we remain silent.

Silas sighs again. "I'm just trying to make you a little normal, okay?"

My blood runs cold. Make me normal. 

My voice is cold and taut with tension. "I understand that being my friend is a liability to your social standing; I understand that you could have such a great life without me weighing you down." Silas moves to interrupt but I continue. "I understand that I'm weird and that people think I'm crazy because of what happened to me and those other kids in those Goddamn woods. And I'm sorry that these things affect you, truly. But don't ever try to change me. I'm never going to be normal, okay? I'm never going to live in the same sunshine and rainbows and life is just grande world as you, okay? I don't need your pity."

I yank open the door and step outside, gathering my Rosa's apron from the seat.

"Look, Liz, I'm not--"

"Thanks for the necklace." I slam the door shut with a loud bang and head up the walkway, seething on the inside. All I want is a warm shower and the leftover pizza in the fridge. I half expect Silas to come after me to apologize, but as I enter through the garage, his tires roll across the gravel as he drives away. Well, I guess I'm not riding to school with him on Monday.

Aunt Mandy's car is absent. She must be working late or have some unexpected clients.  The sun is setting as I hurry inside and flip on the lights, not wanting to be caught in the dark.  The shadow disappeared once we made it to Rosa's but I know it still lurks.

The garage door leads into the laundry room, where I take my shoes off. Hanging up my apron, I pause when I hear a suspicious shifting sound deep within the house.  Maybe the house settling, I think. But the sound is distinctly human: the rustle of clothes or a tennis shoes on the linoleum floor of the kitchen. No one should be in the house. Aunt Mandy doesn't have a significant other, and we don't have any inside pets, only an outdoor schnauzer that slips into the house unnoticed on occasion. The hope that the movement inside is a mischievous May getting into the garbage can is dashed when I hear another shift and a very human sigh directly on the other side of the laundry room door.  Cold fear pumps through my veins and the hairs on my arms stand up.  I got to reach for my phone in my back pocket but but don't feel it.  I turn to feel the pockets of my apron, but don't feel it there, either, and realize I must have left it at work or in Silas's truck.  I start to back out of the house, but the darkness outside makes me pause.  Do I want to face a possible burglar or the shadow lurking outside?