The Window to the Soul

Chapter 3: Is Friendship Forever?

"Dante?"

He moved out of the shadows just enough for me to see his facial features clearly. Moonlight reflected across his face. His lips curled into a sadistic smirk. The same wave of energy i felt the day before washed over me. It was him that was following me. I pressed my back against the old oak, trying to keep the best distance i could from him. I don't ever remember him being this frightening. Or mysterious and handsome, for that matter. The little, kind, boy I was raised with had changed.

I swung on the old rusty swing set. The chains squeaked as I swung, back and forth, back and forth, until i got dizzy. Hopping from the swing, i trotted happily over to the sandbox. I plopped myself down next to him, my golden pigtail braids swinging cheerfully. Dante looked up from under his little mop of black curls. "I bet i can make the best sandcastle!" he challenged. "In your dreams!" I exclaimed, brushing sand off my pink polka dot dress as I started to work on my castle. I finished it in record time, smiling at the end product. Dante frowned at his. "Wow, this is actually kind of hard, yours looks really ni-....",

" KIDS! LUNCH!" my mom screeched from the kitchen. We both got up and raced through the yard until we made it through the garden and into the kitchen. We ran to our seats, like bulls in a China shop, clattering the plates on the table.

"I WIN!" Dante exclaimed.

I giggled and brushed sand off my dress. "Fine, but you still suck at building sand castles!"

My mom set down a plate of quesadillas for us. Oh, how i loved their cheesy goodness. We devoured our lunch while my mom talked to Dante's mom, who had just arrived to check on us. She was a rather small woman, and shared the same dark hair as Dante. She spoke very discreetly to my mother. Judging by their facial expressions and the way they both continually looked back at us, i had a feling their private discussion was about us. And, it wasn't good news. I brushed the thought aside, and messed around. I stuck a piece of cheese to my face, and we both squealed, inhuman sounds coming from our mouths. My stomach ached from all this laughter.

~

But the cute, sweet, boy i used to know wasn't the same person that stood before me at this moment, a sadistic grin on his face, towering over my slumped figure. An extreme uneasiness crept up inside me. Why did he kidnap me, what use could i be to him? I continued to stare at him as he approached me. From the corner of my eye, i could see shadows darting between the trees. This has to be a dream. None of this is real, I'm still in my bed. This isn't right. Dante reached down and grabbed my shirt, yanking me to my feet. My back ached from the pressure of standing, and i struggled not to wince from the pain. He didn't even say anything to me, and he still had that horrible smirk on his face-as if he knew something that i didn't. He then took me, and threw me back against the tree. As i was recovering from the fall, i saw a lamp go on in my house. It illuminated the whole upper level, and a couple of voices were audible. It felt like a dark cloud had lifted-well, most of it. Dante still was standing by me, but he was glaring at the light. He sweared under his breath, something inaudible, then turned towards me. I was already gone. I had high- tailed my ass out of there the second the light went on. My parents. I just need to get to my parents. I sprinted as fast as i could, jumping over a log here, a bush there. Soon enough i reached my front door. I banged on the door, screaming for my parents. My parents could be heard running down the stairs, their feet thudding against the wooden steps. The eerie feeling came over me again.

" We will come back for you." Dante's breath lingered on my skin, giving me goosebumps. Then, just like that, the feeling was gone.

~

My mom was hysterical, hugging me so tight I thought I was going to throw up. I decided, for the sake of my parents, I wouldn't tell them the full story. They already had enough to worry about; between work and home, they both had their hands full. Instead, i told them a very vague story, and made sure i didn't mention Dante. He may be a creep, but he's a lunatic that I don't want to get anymore involved with. I sighed, and then told them about being dragged into the woods by some pyscho, and thrown against a tree. I answered all of their questions and concerns with as much truth as I could spare.

~

Mom had my back patched up in less than two minutes. She had set up a fortress in my room, complete with an ice pack for my back, some steaming tea, and a holy motherload of pillows. I could hear her walk downstairs to call the police. Sure enough, within minutes I knew there was a dispatcher at our door. His walkie-talkie crackled to life every few minutes, sounding the voices of his comrades. I laid my head back against my mound of pillows. Mom was keeping me home until she thought it was safe, and also requested a patrol car to watch our house 24/7. This only made me more anxious and nervous, that something worse was yet to come. Too tired to worry anymore, I closed my eyes and let myself slip into fantasy.

~

I was on a football field. Standing in the middle of all 100 yards, i took in my surroundings. Everything was so familiar looking, as if I have been here before. I looked across the field to the lit school banner. It was my school. The 'GO STALLIONS' banner swayed in the night breeze. I shivered a little, realizing i was only in my PJs. The stadium lights were the only source of light, and besides the field being bright, everything else was pitch black. A wave of electricity shimmered up my spine. Are you kidding me? Again? I glanced around nervously. Nothing. Nothing but the football goals and I. Suddenly, a black shape darted from the bleachers. A pair of blue eyes glowed in its darkness. I knew those eyes all too well. I turned around, searching frantically for an exit, only to meet another pair of eyes-amber ones.They reminded me of a lone wolf, stalking its prey. I couldn't see who they belonged too, and didn't have time to, either. Everything went black before i could find out.

~

The aroma of pancakes drifted upstairs from the kitchen. Huh, guess mom decided to stay and keep watch over me. I slowly rolled off my bed, my body thudding on the hardwood floor. I groaned a little as i got up--god, i feel like an old lady. Must have been the cut i got from last night...-last night. It wasn't a dream. It had happened. Oh god, it actually had happened. I shook the unsettling thought from my head. I walked down the stairs, sitting at a bar stool by the limestone counter. My mom handed me some pancakes and a bottle of syrup. She didn't make eye contact with me at all....was she just really upset over what happened? She slipped soemthing quickly into her robe pocket. "Mom," I inquired. She seemed to snap out of her trance almost immediately. "Yeah honey?" she replied. "Could i go get my homework from school? Anna said she would collect it for me so that I could keep caught up with school. I don't want what happened last night to affect my grades for the next week," I begged. She seemed to ponder it for a moment...as if questioning its safety. Finally she replied ," Sure, but I'm waiting in the parking lot. We can't go until later this night though, so get some rest until then." I didn't really like the fact that i had to go at night, but hey, I was a good student, and i need to keep up on schoolwork. Even if some freak did kidnap me and drag me into the woods. Well, if my teachers ever asked, atleast i had a better excuse for not having my homework than 'My dog ate it'. I smiled a little at the thought.