Authors Note:
Here is the next chapter of Petals, hope you loves love it! Vote and Comment and fan! Thanks if you do!
Chapter Four
Rose
My eyes felt like they were on fire. I was so tired I couldn’t believe it! I looked at the clock on the stereo and saw it was two-thirty, I should’ve been home by now but the sluggish cars in front of me wouldn’t budge for me to pass them. Even if I could’ve passed them I didn’t think I’d have the brain power to actually do it. Maybe the radio will wake me up; it usually does spiking me into overdrive. I pressed the radio on and then went through the preprogrammed radio stations, I had gotten the car used and whoever owned it really liked pop music.
“I’m wide awake!” Katy something yelled in auto tune instantly jolting my eyes open like a shot of coffee. Good thing too because an innocent squirrel decided to break the train of cars and run out into the road, I hit the brakes and swerved into the other lane since no one was in it, I really hoped the guy behind me was paying attention and hit his breaks. I checked the rearview mirror seeing a very red faced middle aged guy with a toupee glaring at me through his thick-rimmed glasses. Whatever guy I’m not gonna kill an animal because you were texting and weren’t paying attention! Jeesh the nerve of people! Pressing lightly on the gas starting my ford explorer up again I was back in my lane playing “follow the leader” with the big white van.
Thankfully Red Ridge ended and I was alone on Darkness, ironic enough!
Ten more minutes. I think to myself, that's all it would take to get home. But as I'm passing Old Man Harris's place I see him at the end of his driveway waving frantically at me. Pulling over I can't help my jumping heart, what's wrong with old man Harris? I get out of the car leaving the music on to help the old man.
"Something wrong?" I ask him not even close to being out of breath, I run a lot so sprinting half a block to Mr. Harris wasn't much.
"Oh no I just wanted to tell you that I'm going away to see my sister down in Oregon, stubborn old thing won't come up here with me!" In all the years I’d known old man Harris, which has been all my life, I'd never heard about his sister. Violet would've heard about her more likely though, whenever our dad would spiral out of my control I'd send Violet out to see old man Harris. He was a nice trustworthy old man, one that I could count on to help us. And many times he did, he used to say that Violet and I were the kids he never had.
"Your sister?" I asked baffled, he smiled his old man grin and spoke softly:
"There's many things about this forest you don't know," then back to his booming voice that filled the forest; "I'll only be gone for a month or so, finally taking my vacation time." besides the weird warning (which I would ignore blissfully) old man Harris was the same as he always was. Is.
"Oh ok thanks for that I guess." I admit knowing that my closest neighbor was going to be gone for a month was a little nerve wracking, but I'd never had to run to him yet. I was more concerned about Violet who was used to fleeing to him for help. But now she has her friends and ... And she'll be okay. I have to keep telling myself that.
"You both do something for me?" He asked coming closer to me, he leaned forward and whispered; "just try and stay out of the forest while I'm gone?" I was a little shocked by his request, I was nineteen and could handle myself I knew that but if it meant that Harris wouldn't get sleep at night then I'd tell him I’d stay clear of the forest.
"Sure no problem." I lied through my teeth; the forest was just trees and deer. Nothing to be afraid of, in fact Violet is the one that shouldn't go in the forest since she managed to bring a pack of wolves to our back yard.
