The Corrupted

Prologue

"Hey, thanks for the lift." I thank Peter as I get into his car.

Peter is my best, and only, friend. We've been friends since year two, which is a long time if you ask me.

"You know I'd do anything to help out." He winks at me.

I roll my eyes and laugh. "Stop Peter."

"To school we go!" He says putting the car in drive and I groan at the thought of school.

It's only a ten minute drive to school from my house, but Peter lives further from the school than me, and my house is on the way to school, so it's easy for him to come pick me up.

My stepmother is a bitch and always makes me walk when Peter can't pick me up. I don't even know what she has against me. Maybe it's because I'm not her actual child or something, I don't know.

I look out the window at the young boy on the path near the lights. He looks about five. He's carrying a lunchbox with a smiley face on it. The lights go green up ahead and Peter speeds up. The young boy comes running towards the car.

"Peter look out!" I yell, grabbing the wheel and yanking the car to the side of the road.

I hear a thump on the bonnet of the car. I unbuckle me seat belt as fast as I can and get out of the car. The young boy lies dead in front of the car.

"No, no, no." I say. "Peter!"

I kneel down next to the little boy and a few tears run down my face. Blood is pooling around his small head and he lies there on the ground, motionless. I hear a car door close and I look up at Peter who is looking at me weirdly.

"We hit a young boy." I say standing up.

"No we didn't." Peter says looking confused.

"Can you not see him?" I ask. "He's right there!"

I point to the young boy, only to find that he isn't there anymore. What, where did he go?

"There's no one there Camilla." Peter says shaking his head.

I stamp my foot on the ground. "No. He was right there. I saw him. He got hit, by us."

"Just get in the damn car Camilla." Peter says, the tone of his voice telling me he is super pissed off. "You're just lucky that no one hit us."

I wipe away the tears that I shed for the little boy that isn't there anymore, and get in the car. Peter starts up the car again and drives through the traffic lights that are green again.

I don't understand how the little boy can be there one second and gone the next. I just don't get it. Maybe I just imagined he was there. That's the only possible explanation.

Peter pulls up into the parking lot at our school and I get out of the car.

"I'm really sorry about before Peter. Thanks for the lift." I say as we part our separate ways.

"Whatever." I hear him say from behind me as I walk through the front gates of the school.