Part Four: - Ashes in the Evergreen

I was at Milo's feet. He looked down at me, shock filling his face.

"What the hell are you doing here? It's two in the morning,

" he groaned. Milo

didn't sleep though, I knew he was awake, guarding the house.

"It was him.

" I gasped between breaths.

"You saw him again?" He said, his voice turning into the sweet softness it had

once been.

"He chased me, through the forest, Milo. He almost stabbed me.

" I sobbed.

I put his hands down, and picked me up in his brawny arms. I could feel myself

sinking into him, as I placed my hands on his chest, burying my face into him. He

brought his head closer to mine, I could feel the sweet softness in his breath of which I

had missed so much.

"You're safe now.

" He whispered into my ear.I couldn't remember much, he closed the door behind himself, then carried me up

the stairs. Once he placed me on the bed, he sat on a chair across from me, folding his

arms across his chest. He had given me a blanket which was wrapped around me warmly.

"He's been following you, so he knows where you live.

" He said after a long time

of silence

Those words sharpened themselves into me.

"Then I'm not safe there.

" I said

He took a moment, and ran his hands through his thick, brown hair.

"Stay with me.

I felt a jolt of shock when I heard that.

"Just five seconds ago you wanted nothing to do with me.

" I said, sharp.

His eyes became sad, and filled with regret.

"I only did that to protect you. I saw how overwhelmed you were when people

saw us. I didn't want to see you scared like that" He took a moment, questioning his next

few words "I don't like to see you upset, Violet. I care about you, more than you think.

I felt nauseous for a moment. What was he saying? Did he really mean that?

"Wha-what are you saying?" I stuttered.

"You know what I'm saying.

" he said back

"I don't understand.

His eyes became playful, vulnerable even."Need I spell it out for you? You are the first person I would put above myself, I

would sacrifice myself for. You are the reason I live, you are the only reason. You make

me whole.

" His voice became filled with light and love when he uttered those words.

"How do I know this isn't one of your usual tricks, trying to cajole me into other

things..?" I said skeptically.

"Because I love you. And I have never said those words to anyone before, ever.

Those words filled me with reason.

"You know I feel the same way about you.

" I said, moving closer to him.

He looked up at me, a new look in his eyes.

"If I had only been there to help you earlier. Instead, I pushed you away.

" he

battled with himself. I could tell he was beating himself up inside for what happened. I

felt sorry for him. It wasn't his fault what happened. But now, we knew he had been

following me and targeting me. So there was no time for sorrow and fear, we needed to

take action. I watched him as his brows furrowed, leaving creases between them. I was

once again trapped in his beauty. His perfect smooth, soft skin. His dark hair, his deep,

blue eyes. Everything about him drew my attention.

I watched his lips, perfectly soft and smooth, yet masculine. His toned body kept

me engaged and staring. I snapped out of it and looked back into his eyes.

"We need to find out everything we can about this guy.

" He saidI nodded in agreement. What did we know? He has seen me before and has been

following me, yet I knew nothing of him.

"His refusal to show his face is undoubtedly frustrating.

He had a point. We knew nothing other than his body type and smile. He was on

the taller side, skinnier. He had longer arms that reached down to his legs. That was all I

knew, that was it. That and he had a specific taste in all black clothing.

"You're going to drive yourself mad if you keep sitting and thinking tonight.

" He

said. His head was in his hands, running his fingers through his soft hair again. He did

that when he got frustrated or upset, I could tell.

"If I go home, he'll be there waiting. If I go to Dylan's he'll know where she lives.

I cannot put anyone else in danger.

" I said, contemplating everything.

Milo squinted, thinking hard of what to do.

"You'll stay with me. You will be safer here, and tell your parents you're going

camping with Dylan and Leo.

" He told me

It was a perfect plan, nobody was left in danger. Nobody except me and Milo. I

didn't want to see Milo get hurt. I knew that he could hold his own, but we knew nothing

about this guy. I also knew that if I kept worrying about this, I would go crazy. I took a

long look at myself from the mirror that lay against the wall near the bed. I was covered

in dirt and I was soaking wet still. He seemed to notice my realization."Sleep in here and shower in here. I'll stay in the guest room until further notice.

He looked at me.

I could tell he was lonely here. His sister was gone with her friends, his brother

didn't even live here. And his mother only spends her days in bed, wallowing over the

loss of her husband. Milo took care of everything, especially himself. He showed me into

the bathroom and grabbed me a towel.

"I'll be in my room down the hall if you need anything.

" He said, then placed his

hand on my head

I watched him leave and shut the door behind him. Starting the shower, I removed

my clothes and looked in the mirror again. I was dirty and wet, yet Milo was still able to

confess his feelings to me and not allow my looks to affect them. Steam filled the

bathroom as I watched the dirt rinse away from me and I became clean again. When I got

out, I wrapped the towel around me, and noticed he'd laid some clothes out on the bed for

me. I picked them up and put them on, then walked back into the bathroom, brushing out

my hair. Exhausted, I fell into Milo's bed, feeling myself sink into the blankets. But, I

couldn't sleep. I was afraid. I was scared of the stalker. I felt terror rise inside me, and sat

up. I couldn't sleep without him. I crept out of bed and checked out the different doors for

his room. I found the one that stood on its own at the end of the hallway. I swallowed

hard and cracked the door open. It was dark, and Milo was laying in bed. His eyes were

open, as he lay on his back, hand on his chest. I knew he wasn't going to be asleep.Padding towards his bed, I tiptoed over to him. He raised his head up and looked

at me, propping himself up on the bed.

"What are you doing awake?" He questioned me, concern painting his face.

"Can't sleep.

" I replied quietly.

He paused, then sat up more. He grabbed my arm, placing me on the bed with him.

Then opened up the covers, and I wiggled inside. His bed was so warm, and I was

blanketed by him.

"Go to sleep.

" He said, pulling the covers off of him, and sitting in his bed.

It didn't matter that he wasn't sleeping, either. I knew he wasn't going to. Instead I drifted

off to sleep with a feeling of love and fulfillment.

When I awoke, he was not in the room, the house was silent. Panic-stricken, I

quickly jumped out of bed and flew down the stairs. I was met with the relieving sight of

him. He stood in the kitchen, watching outside the window. Once he heard me enter, he

whipped his head around.

"You're awake.

" he said.

"I am.

" I replied with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

"I suggest you go home and pack. You should also probably tell Dylan and Leo the

news.

" He implied, and I watched him pace throughout the home.

I thought about it, then a thought took over me.

"What about your mom and sister?" I asked"Don't worry about them. My mother is taking my sister to boarding school in

Boston. During the summer, she will reside there, making sure my sister feels at home.

The only person we have to worry about is Luke.

I hadn't thought about that or considered it. Luke would for sure try and strike

again and I was fully aware of it. I knew that he would do as he had always done and go

absolutely mental to prove his authority over his brother, which was foolish. He knew

deep down that he could not beat Milo, and that killed him. As I thought everything over,

the tip of my thumb pressed against my lips, I wondered how my parents would buy the

whole act. I had never lied to them before, and it gave me a sick feeling to know I would

have to start today.

An hour later, I started on my way home, contemplating whether I had made a

mistake deciding to stay with Milo or not. My mind traced every point that could go

wrong, but I nervously shut the thoughts out. I had to walk through the forest, but I

noticed that Milo wouldn't allow me to trek through there on my own, as I saw him

patiently wandering behind me, eyes searching for any sign of danger. We continued for a

bit, the forest once again, seeming more quiet than normal. Something made Milo stop

behind me, I heard his shoes dig into the rocks and dirt.

"What is it?" I asked, turning towards him.

He only stood silent, staring at a tree in front of him, eyes widening. His usual

smirk had formed into a worried frown. His eyes furrowed together and his shouldersdrooped. I strolled to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. I tried to search for where his

eyes were looking, before finding it. On a tree in front of us was a piece of paper

carefully plastered on top. It was another missing sign, this time with Amber's face on it.

It read:

Name: Amber Davis

Height: 5'4

Sex: Female14

She had last been seen two days ago. This was very much unlike Amber

considering she always had plans with everyone and was always seen doing something. I

turned my gaze over towards Milo.

"She deserved it with the way she treated everybody.

My face became angry and I couldn't help but shove him. That was the first time I

had ever been truly angry at Milo. Stunned, he stepped back and looked at me.

"I was joking" He stated "there are more and more kids disappearing. There has to

be a link between them.

" He scratched his head. Together we counted up 4 kids that had

gone missing. All signs we had only seen in the forest. All kids we both knew went to our

school. As we continued on our pathway out of the forest, we did our best to try and

figure out who we thought was the culprit.

"Maybe it's Luke.

" I said finally.

Milo came to a half in front of me, he gritted his teeth.

"It's not.

" He said, a plaintive stare bore on his face"Well" I started "we can't rule him out completely as a suspect.

We didn't move. He only stood.

"I hope for his sake it's not him.

" he stated grimly.

I took his hand in mine, and he kneeled down to see me.

"It'll be fine, I promise.

" I stared into him.

Nodding unsurely, he pressed his forehead against mine. I felt his warmth coarse

through my veins as his eyes closed. I stood up again, slowly, and walked protectively in

front of me. Once we came to the exit I had found the night before, we squeezed through

the bushes, branches and thorns catching onto our clothing. We carried ourselves up the

street, until reaching my house. The sidewalk led all the way to the start of my driveway,

where my family's car was parked. I knew it would deem us suspicious if I took Milo

with me, so I made him stay. I walked inside, and felt the cool breeze of air conditioning,

which felt nice after our "hike" through the woods. My mother was standing behind the

counter in the kitchen, eyes glued onto me.

"Where are you going?" she asked, eyebrows narrowing.

"I'm going camping with Leo and Dyl.

" I said. I wasn't really "present" for the

conversation. I was focused on packing and getting out of there as fast as I could.

"That's really interesting, Vi.

" My mother began.

She sounded almost suspicious of me.

"Oh really?" I scoffed "and why is that?""Dylan and Leo came over looking for you.

" her words sharp as nails.

I panicked. Think think think. The words shook in my head.

"Yeah, I wanted to come home early to pack.

" I lied

She cocked an eyebrow.

"It's three in the afternoon"

Shoot. Fear ran through me. Had I really slept that long?

"Mom, seriously. Why can't you just trust me?" I pleaded with her.

She exhaled, and set the dishes she had been washing down on the counter.

"Violet, I worry for you. Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"

I hadn't and frankly, I didn't want to. If I looked in a mirror, I would see him

standing right behind me; I was not prepared for that.

"It's fine mom.

Those were the last words I said to my mother that day. I sprinted upstairs and

packed as much as I could, tossing clothes into the duffle like they were nothing. I zipped

it up and then got everything else I needed. Once I was finished, I ran down the stairs, my

shoes thudding against the wood. My mother was no longer downstairs. She was on the

porch outside, crying. Pain stabbed into me. Did I do this? I wondered. Her head was

buried into her hands. I felt so sorry for causing her this feeling. I reached my hand out

for her, then drew it back in. What I was doing was for her protection. I numbed myself

of that pain, then slammed the front door shut, ready to start my new life. As I walkeddown the driveway, I noticed Milo standing, pressing himself cooly against the mailbox,

arms crossed. A girl who looked about our age stood in front of him, her cheeks red. I

heard her squeal with laughter, and it made my body cringe.

I didn't want her to notice me yet, so I kept my distance, hidden from her view. I

couldn't understand what they were saying, but I could hear her flirtatious giggles and

tone from a mile away. I watched her place her hand on his shoulder, shoving him

playfully. Her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail wrapped together with a ribbon. I had seen

enough. I barged down the driveway, claiming my territory like a lioness. She looked up,

then gave me a disgusted stare.

"Who's this?" she scoffed.

Milo opened his mouth, ready to defend me, but I spoke over him.

"A girl who's lawn you're standing on.

" I snapped

Her eyes widened, cheeks red with embarrassment. She let out a snarky hmph!

Then looked back at Milo, slowly backing away.

"Call me.

" she mouthed at him, then

blew him a kiss, and skipped away.

"What was that about?" I questioned.

He gave me an excited smile.

"Well, we have lots of information now. I cajoled that poor girl with my flattery

and irresistible charm into spilling some of our town's deepest secrets.

"And what did you learn?"He clicked his tongue, holding a cocky stance.

"There have been kids disappearing for about a week and a half now. All

attending Stonewall Prep. Her father is Sheriff Gray and he thinks it's a student

there.

" My jaw dropped. There was no way. But, now that I thought about it, the

figure was much smaller than Milo. But then and again, that was the case for

everyone.

"Well then I suppose we take a look at our fellow students.

" I said

He nodded, then took my bag from me. We started back to his house, fully aware

of the long night that awaited us. His house wasn't too far away, and I was exhausted

from last night. Once we reached his house, I threw myself onto the guest bed, and began

unpacking my things. It took me around an hour to get everything in its place, and once it

was there, I felt secure. I shut my door and headed into the bathroom. Starting the shower,

I could feel the steam soaking into my skin. I smiled and felt the warmth touch me. I

undressed then stepped inside, shutting the glass door behind me. I felt a surge of

uneasiness, as my eyes searched around the bathroom.

I squinted, trying to make out the figure in front of me. There was a tall-shadowy

shape that stood, in the corner of the bathroom. I clamped my mouth shut, biting my

tongue in fear. The figure moved towards me as I backed further into the corner of the

shower. I couldn't see its face because it was cloaked by a jet-black hood. I saw it's

vicious smile printed across its face as it hobbled closer to me.15

I shoved myself back further and further, whimpering under my breath. He pulled

a knife from his pocket and raised it, the blade's shiny tint reflecting in the light. I

squeezed my eyes shut, sliding down the cool tile of the shower. Once I touched the

ground, I slowly opened them, and saw there was nothing there. Nothing had been there

this whole time. I was the prey, he was the predator. I curled into a ball, wrapping my

arms around my knees and sobbing into them. Once I had pulled myself together, I

thoroughly wrapped a towel around my body and opened the bathroom door, watching

the obscene amount of steam poor out like water in a dam. I stared at myself in the

mirror, wiping the condensation from the glass. I flicked my hand, watching the water fly

off. I placed my hands on the sides of the countertop, and tried to stare at myself. This

was the first time I had looked at my own reflection since the first incident.

I could feel the presence of fear as my arms became filled to the surface with

goosebumps, and the hair stood up at the back of my neck. I craned my head, checkingbehind me for danger. Snap out of it. I told myself sternly. I shook my head, and walked

back into the bedroom and changed. I combed my hair, watching as the water droplets

fluttered down the strands of my dirty-blonde hair. Once I was ready, I opened the door,

and walked down the steps, excited to see Milo again. Downstairs he awaited me in the

living room, a computer sat cumbersome on his lap. I strolled over by his side, and sat

down on the couch alongside him. He didn't look up from his computer. Must be reading

something interesting. I thought to myself.

"What's so interesting?" I asked curiously

He still did not look up, I could see dark circles had formed underneath his eyes.

He looked just as striking though. His dark black-brown hair had been fluffed from not

touching it in so long. His deep blue eyes searching endlessly for an answer to this case.

His cheeks were smooth and rosy. Everything about him was flawless. It was a pool of

beauty which I could swim in for days.

"I think I found something" he said presently "all the students that have gone missing live

in our neighborhood and go to our school. They all disappeared at night and they had

been walking through the forest and on the roads surrounding it, alone.

The words stabbed through me.

"Anything else?" I asked

"There has been one witness who said that it was a man dressed in all black with a

hood covering his face.

"Guess we have our guy.

" I said, shrugging.I had noticed that Sheriff Gray had taken a major notice in this. He had given all

highschool students a curfew, 6:00. He had also sent out officers to prowl through the

streets. Little did they know we were just as on top of it as they were. Just then, there was

a loud knock at the door. I flew off my seat and leapt behind Milo, who rose slowly. I

became swallowed by fear, and wrapped my hands around Milo's muscular arms. Milo

stalked towards the door, watching me carefully.

"Go upstairs and hide.

" he said slowly, eyes glued to the front door.

I didn't want to leave him, but I knew if I protested he would throw me up there

himself. I only nodded, and dashed up the steps, watching from the top of the staircase. I

hid carefully, peeping my head out with fear and curiosity. He opened the door, his

shoulder blades sliding together. He stood in his protective stance, tall and hard. I heard a

muffled voice mutter a few words from the other side of the door. I heard my name come

up about once, but Milo was set on not allowing this stranger inside. I watched as Milo's

eyes narrowed to the floor and he opened up, giving the stranger the pathway into the

house. I gasped, and hid behind the balcony that loomed over the living room, before

being seen.

"It's okay, Vi. You can come out.

" Milo said softly.

Standing slowly, I moved my head away from the safety of the balcony. It was

Dylan. Leo stood behind her, gazing at Milo. I watched as Dylan walked towards me, an

angry look on her face."What are you doing over here?!" she roared.

Milo took Leo to the kitchen, then came back out. Leo didn't like to hear fighting.

It reminded him too much of his parents' fighting, which was usually about him.

My face went from sad to angry in a matter of seconds.

"I am trying to keep everyone safe, including myself!" I shouted back

Milo stood calmly, leaning against the wall behind us, a smirk drew across his

face.

"We thought you had gotten kidnapped. You have that whole eccentric personality

now, where you roam off and don't tell anyone. And you're choosing some guy over Leo

and I? I thought you were better than that, Violet.

" she hissed.

Those words stung. She only called me Vi. That's all she ever called me, even

when she was angry with me. This felt different. She was enraged by the thought of me

not telling her.

"I had to do this, Dyl. I had to. I am not choosing anyone. And maybe, if you

weren't so vicious all the time, I wouldn't be so okay with sneaking out!" I barked

Bad idea. She grew more and more angry. We were in a screaming match now,

eyes in flames and hearts on fire.

"I can't be friends with some loser bitch who chooses a playboy over her own

friends!" she screamed.She clamped her mouth shut, eyes widened with regret. I saw her start towards me,

then stop herself. There were now tears in my eyes. My face was red with humiliation

and anger. I felt a single salty tear run down the side of my cheek. I saw Milo's face. He

was angrily staring at Dylan.

"Are you joking?! She did all of this to protect you, you ungrateful-!" he roared,

stomping towards her.

Her face was now hurt and angry as she turned her back, her eyes welding with

tears. She kept her sadness inside of her, as her face grew livid with anger. She bit her lip,

then ran her hands through her chestnut brown hair nervously.

"I think" she sighed "we have both made our choices.

" she shook her head,

backing out of the door.

"Dylan, please, can we talk to this out?" I began to beg. I couldn't lose my best

friend. She had been there for me for so long, there was no way I could leave her. A pit

formed in my stomach, as I watched Leo follow her, making an effort to comfort her on

the way out. Perplexed, Milo strolled to my side, and I sank into him. His vibrant eyes bet

mine, and I began to sob in his arms. Purely because I couldn't control my rage, I had

now lost my friend. If only I hadn't kept all of this a secret from her, now I had most

likely lost Leo as well. I didn't blame him, I had pushed him away as well.

"You know" he whispered "she will forgive you.

"I smiled through my tears, wrapping my arms around him. I had never cried more

in front of someone. I broke down, tears flooding my face, making it red and sticky. Eyes

red, face swollen, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep in the arms of my lover.

When I awoke. I was in the guest bed, tucked underneath the covers. My eyes

were puffy from crying and my hair was twisted and frizzy. I noticed a figure sitting in

the chair in front of me, asleep and pressed against the wall. Milo had stayed to make

sure I was okay through the night. I rolled out of bed and rubbed my eyes, feeling dizzy.

When I stumbled over to him, I watched his face, dead asleep. I had never seen Milo

asleep before. His face looked stern and grim, holding the same placid expression it

always had, even in sleep. His head lay on his right hand, other hand on his lap. I stroked

his soft, dark hair with my hands. His eyes began to flutter open, and he inhaled loudly.

"What are you-?" He started

"sorry, I've never seen you asleep before.

" I drew back, embarrassed.

He gave me a playful grin and grabbed me, picking me up and twirling me into the

air. I roared with laughter. That was the best part of us living alone, it felt free. He set me

down, and stared into me. I got nervous and ruffled his hair with my hands, he shot me a

frustrated look.

"Let me guess, we need to do some more digging?" he sighedI nodded and led him down the steps to the living room, where the computer sat on

the cushioned chair. I plopped myself down, and opened the laptop, ready to start a new

day of discoveries.

"Perhaps" Milo started "we go look for evidence, outside.

I had forgotten what it was like outside. I had spent so much time here with Milo

that it was odd to me to even think of other people. Once I had been so distraught from

Dylan and I's fight, I stayed up in bed for four days. Milo had refused to leave the house

in fear of something happening to me, so outside would be helpful for both of us.

"Let's go outside, then.

" I said, unsure whether it was a good idea or not.

I headed up the stairs and into the guest room. As I threw on a t-shirt and shorts, I

noticed something in the window to the left of me. I stood up from my spot, crouched

over my suitcase, and toppled over to the window. I squinted, unable to see what was

happening outside. A car had parked in the grass near the lake, and it had looked like

someone had keyed the car, scratches had been made on the sides of it. The car was agreen mini-van, with some stickers on the back windows. The windshield had been

cracked, and it looked like a branch had gone through it. Panicked, I sprinted down the

stairs, and searched for Milo. Too late. He was already out the door, headed to the car. I

ran after him, grabbing his arms and turning him to me.

"Let's go look, together.

" I whimpered hoarsely.

He put his arm in front of me and took my hand, nodding. He led me in front of

him, inching closer to the car.

Nervous, I took a few steps behind Milo, and glued myself to his back. He looked

back at me, and noticed the skittish look on my face.

"Stay here.

" he ordered, then cupped my face in his hands, kissing my forehead.

I stayed, completely frozen.

He kept his footsteps light as he got closer to the van. Fear rose in my throat, and I

choked on my own breath. He got close enough to the van to look inside. Eyes widened,

jaw dropped, he slapped his hand over his mouth.

"What?! What is it?" I shouted nervously.

He hushed me, then ran to the other side of the car, ripping it open. I watched in

terror as a figure fell out into Milo's arms. A warm-yellow head of hair was all I could

see. Then it hit me. This was Dylan's mother's car. I ran to the boy, stumbling and unable

to catch myself unto using Milo for support. There were bloody scratches covering the

boy's face, a shard of glass protruding from his left temple.Blood trickled down his face and onto his shirt, which was drenched in the warm

red liquid. The boy's face was unrecognizable, his clothes tattered and torn, his hair dried

and stale from the blood.

"What's your name, kid?" asked Milo, sharply.

The boy didn't respond, he only groaned in pain.

"Don't be so harsh with him, let me try" I said quietly "Hey there, can you tell me

who you are?" I asked softly. His eyes opened slowly, then tightened. I could tell he was

in an agonizing amount of pain.

"L-Leo. My name's Leo.

" he mumbled weakly.17

My eyes widened, as I realized he had been here all these days, and we hadn't

noticed. But if he was still here and as was the car, where was Dylan?

We rushed Leo inside, my mind racing. Milo looked strikingly calm, which helped me.

But, I was livid with fear. We laid him down on the couch, and Milo rushed to get

bandages and rubbing alcohol.

"We need to get him to the hospital!" I shouted

Milo didn't respond, he only ran back, and began to clean Leo's mutilated face. I

only watched, knelt down on the coach. Leo had been my best friend for so long, and

now I couldn't even recognize him. His face bloodied with scratches and tears. There was

a large hole in his left cheek, filled with blood and skin. I gagged, and doubled over in

sickness. I turned my gaze to Milo, who stood patiently at Leo's side, doctoring and

helping him through this. I felt guilty for not making myself useful."Milo" I asked "are you afraid?"

He didn't even look up at me, he concentrated on Leo.

"No. I have never been afraid.

" he said sternly.

I knew he was telling the truth. Milo didn't feel very often. It was rare for me to

see emotion on his face, which was odd because I was very emotional. I felt everything. I

was dramatic, and he was not. I could feel love, sadness, and anger. He didn't feel any of

those except anger. He felt love, but only to me, and didn't like to talk about it or show it,

which I understood. He had to wipe away emotions when he was young, and raise his

family without his dad. I never had to do any of that, and considered myself lucky for it. I

decided it would be best to wait until Leo was ready to talk, and walked outside for some

fresh air. I walked out the back door and onto the patio, where I found a pack of

cigarettes. I didn't know Milo smoked. There was no way it was his mother's or his

sister's for they were out of town. I hid the pack in my pocket, and pulled out a cigarette.

I held the lighter that lay on the patio table in front of me, and lit it. I deserved it anyway.

I pressed the cigarette against my lips and put it in my mouth. I wrapped my lips

around it, and lit the end of the cig. I inhaled, feeling the smoke fill my lungs, the

exhaled, watching as it escaped through my mouth, peacefully. I had watched my mother

smoke for a very long time, so I knew how it worked. I stood for a while, watching into

the forest. I saw birds and squirrels roam through the trees. Then, I watched a spider,

catch a fly in its web, and devoured it. At that moment, I understood the whole situation.We were the fly, the Shadow Man was the spider. And it was only a matter of time before

we got devoured.

"You know that shit's horrible for you.

" A voice cooed behind me.

"I see you have no problem with it.

" I shot back, with a grin.

"A habit I developed when I was a boy.

" he sighed.

"You still are a boy.

" I giggled.

He nodded in agreement, then set his arms on the edge of the chair, watching out

with me.

"How's he doing?" I asked

He let out a long sigh, then didn't look at me.

"He will be fine. I cleaned him and stitched him up.

I felt a wave of relief, but then doubt trickled in.

"He looked awful, how did you do that?" I asked.

He kept his gaze out in the forest.

"My brother and I started getting into very violent fights when we were younger. I

learned how to help myself, because my mother was too busy getting drunk alone in her

room.

"I'm sorry.

" I said.

He said nothing. He had never been vulnerable with me. He let out a small painful

laugh."You know, she used to get drunk every night in the living room, and blast old jazz

music. She'd yell for my company and then dance with me, an empty bottle of vodka in

her hand she'd polished off. She would lay her head on my shoulder, and sing. It felt as

though she actually loved me. Then, would call me by my father's name. Then the

fantasy was over once she realized I wasn't my father. What I was to her, was a reminder

of the bastard who had left her.

I swallowed, hard. I wanted to reach out, and put his hands in my face, and kiss

him all over, but I didn't. I knew that even from me, that was something he did not want

to feel, and I understood that, and accepted it. I only looked at him, wishing I could do

more, but knew I couldn't. I put my hand around his arm, and closed into him, leaning

into his shoulder.

"What are we doing?" I asked finally.

"Surviving.

" he replied, taking the cigarette from my hand and putting it in his

mouth. He puffed out smoke, then let out a long sigh. We were surviving.

I laid my head on Milo's chest, the warmth filled me underneath the covers. He

stroked my hair, telling me stories of his childhood, which distracted me from the true

horrors of the world. Leo had been resting for three days now, and still wasn't ready to

speak. We had decided not to take him to the hospital, for fear of getting questioned. This

house was our safeplace, and we would reside here until we knew enough of our enemy.

Leo hadn't left the side of the couch, he only lay there, resting. There was still dried

blood on his face, hair, and shirt, which smelled like the stench of death. I lifted my head

from Milo, and drifted down the stairs to check on my best friend. He was still lying

there, eyes open now.

"Glad you could join me.

" He chuckled weakly.

"I'm glad you're okay. Ready to talk about it yet?"

He gave me a weak nod, and I crouched by his side, meeting his sad, painful, eyes."Dylan was upset, bawling when she got into the car, she tried