All That We Are...

Chapter 8

As I approach him he's sitting with his back against the tree with one knee bent up and he's flipping a knife in his hand. I just lean into the tree beside him, we stay like this for I don't know how long. My legs begin to get tired so I decide to be brave and sit down beside him. He looks over his shoulder at me but doesn't smile, he doesn't smile often or talk often either I think he's only said a few handful of words to me and they haven't been that nice.

The sun starts to go down in the distance and i decide to break the silence.

"It almost seems like everything is normal again just sitting here watching that." I close my eyes. When I open them he's looking me right in the eye.

"Yeah but it's not. Time to start living a harder life other then this picture of perfection you thought you had princess." He blurts out with no hesitation.

"You don't know anything about me." Trying to defend myself.

"I know that up until now you have probably been given everything you have every wanted, you probably have never had to want for a thing. But just up there with your dad I'm sure you just figured out that mommy and daddy have kept a lot of fucking secrets and you for some reason want to throw a pity fucking party."

I stand up I have never been spoken to like this in my life. Looking down at him I say

"You know what I don't even know why I came out here, thought I could try and be your friend."

"I don't need friends I can take care of myself."

I turn and walk away I don't need to deal with him I have other things to worry about. Walking into the kitchen I can smell food being made. Some of the older women are all over the kitchen while my dad watches them like he's a guard. Shaking my head I go to find Max.

"Hey," I say to him as I walk into his bedroom and sit on his bed.

"What's up?"

"Nothing just coming to check on you. I was thinking maybe we should go get fire wood or something? I don't really know what to do." I say shrugging my shoulders.

"Let's do it before it gets really dark, I think we can go just to the edge of the woods." He stands and slides what I'm assuming is a knife into his pocket.

"Is that a knife?"

"Yes dad has one for you too, go see him."

"No I'm fine for now, I don't feel like talking to him right now anyways."

"Always stubborn." He says and we walk out of his room and straight to the edge of the woods.

Before we know it we have stacked a bunch of wood already up against the barn. I look at Max we both agree that one more trip will do for now. As we get to edge of the woods I'm feeling good, almost like this has helped me think through some things. Like I think I understand why my parents did what they did, love people always do things for love. Then I start thinking about dirty jeans why does he have such a weird affect on me, I never felt like this when it came to Christian. I'm not even sure I know what I'm feeling he's obviously not feeling the same way cause he really seems to not like me that much or maybe he's just rude, there's definitely more to him.

I hear a snap and I fling my head up. I'm in the woods way deeper then where I should be. Not wanting to holler I start walking slowly to where Max is, I know these woods like the back of my hand I just need to not panic. Then I hear it I don't know where it is but my heart starts racing I slowly turn around. One just one I can't tell if it's a male or female I guess that's better though I begin to walk backwards just so I can keep my eyes on it until I find Max.

I walk right into something hard and cold. At first I think it's a tree but then it starts growling as a arm reaches in front of me. I push away but it grabs my shirt it's tugging on me so hard that I begin to choke. I hear it's mouth chomping close to my ear I decide to just slip out of my shirt and run. Looking back quickly I have two following me and now there's another one coming from my right.

"HENLEY!" I hear Max through the wind blowing by my ears. Trying so hard to get to him I know I'm close I can still hear him calling my name. Almost there I start to tell myself and then I trip on something. Going down hard I try to grab whatever I can a tree, a branch, air. But it doesn't help I still go down and I feel all the scratches being left on my bare stomach I wince. As I start to stand something knocks me back down it must be the growlers I roll onto my back and kick it hard in the face multiple times and I scream.

Almost out of nowhere Max and Carter, Carter really where did he come from? He grabs the growler on top of me throws him back while Max comes in with a knife and starts stabbing it in the head. Carter goes for the one coming up behind Max with one fast move he stabs it and let's it drop to the ground. Max goes for the last one with no care in the world. Like he does this for a living.

"Shit your bleeding and where is your shirt?" Carter says as he kneels down beside me checking my body over.

"One of the growlers had me by the shirt it was pretty much choking me I did what I had to."

"And the blood?"

"Ugh I tripped when I got to here I tried to get back up but I struggled got pulled back down and dragged a little bit."

He just smiles at me and puts his arm behind my back to help me stand, after what just happened I can't help but smile at this small act of niceness. Our eyes lock and I almost forget we aren't alone.

"Henley are you okay! That's looks really deep." I hear my brother say as he jogs up beside us. Then the pain hits it's almost unbearable. I bend over and hold my side as blood starts to pool out.