and dropped her backpack on the floor, kicking it out of the way. Then she locked the front door. It wasn’t like Sloane knew where she lived, but Kael’s warning popped into her head.
She headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, drinking half of it before she realized she had about a half hour before her meeting with Sloane.
It was enough time for a phone call. She used the house phone to dial her mom’s number. Her voicemail picked up before the first ring. “Mom. Call my cell when you get this.” She dropped the phone into the cradle before opening the front closet. She pulled out a warm jacket. The woods were always cooler, especially in October, and after the rain she didn’t want to freeze to death. Not before getting some answers.
She bit her thumbnail. A nervous habit that Mom had tried to rid her of since before she could remember. She pocketed her cell phone and keys before heading to the door. Her hand hovered over the knob. She needed to be smart. She went to the table, picked up a pen, and scribbled down a quick note.
Meeting a friend five p.m. Friday.
She brought up Sloane’s number from her phone and jotted it down. At least if she never came home, someone might have a lead in finding her. She choked back a laugh as she read the note again. She needed to stop watching crime dramas.
She returned to the door, took a deep breath, and headed out of the house, locking it behind her.
Her condo was the last townhouse on the row, closest to the entrance to the woods. She rounded the corner and nearly jumped out of her skin as Tucker hopped out of his car a few spots away. She skittered around the steps and pressed her body against the exterior wall of her home. She didn’t think he’d seen her. She waited a minute before taking off for the woods.
***
Bri was barely out of breath by the time the back of the motel came into view. She and Abbey had explored these woods enough times for her to be able to travel through them with her eyes closed. Swimming helped her stamina too. She came to the edge of the woods by the motel without seeing Sloane anywhere. In the ten minutes of jogging, her mind had come up with enough scenarios of some look-alike murdering her and taking over her life. Even with the horrible images in her mind, like the cat, curiosity had her in a vise grip.
“You’re early.”
Bri whirled around. Sloane stepped out from behind a tree. Since Bri had seen her last, her mind had put Sloane in a strange fog, as if Bri had made her up. Seeing her in the flesh again intensified the sinking feeling in her stomach. Sloane was real. This stranger with her face was real. “You too.”
“It’s not like I had anywhere else to go.” Sloane stepped closer.
Bri stared at Sloane, wondering if the girl’s serious expression was what others saw when they looked at Bri in a similar mood. It was strange seeing how others perceived her own expressions.
Sloane rubbed her hands together. “Something happened to me before when we touched.”
Bri looked at her shoes. “What do you mean?”
Sloane stepped closer. “I felt like crap all day. Light-headed and nauseous.” She paused for a moment. “Actually it started when I got to the school.”
Bri thought it had only been her who felt it. The dizziness she’d experienced for most of the day had gone away when she and Sloane touched. Goose bumps raced over her arms. “Same here. I don’t feel anything now.”
“Me neither.”
Bri stared at Sloane, waiting for something—anything—to happen.
“Do you think we should try again?”
“What?”
“Touching.” Sloane smiled and shook her head. “This is nuts. I wanted to see if it was a one-time thing.”
Bri closed her hands into fists at her sides. “I don’t feel like I did before.”
“Neither do I. Aren’t you curious?”
Bri looked between Sloane’s multi-colored eyes. She felt the subtle movement of the contact over her own iris.
Before
She headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, drinking half of it before she realized she had about a half hour before her meeting with Sloane.
It was enough time for a phone call. She used the house phone to dial her mom’s number. Her voicemail picked up before the first ring. “Mom. Call my cell when you get this.” She dropped the phone into the cradle before opening the front closet. She pulled out a warm jacket. The woods were always cooler, especially in October, and after the rain she didn’t want to freeze to death. Not before getting some answers.
She bit her thumbnail. A nervous habit that Mom had tried to rid her of since before she could remember. She pocketed her cell phone and keys before heading to the door. Her hand hovered over the knob. She needed to be smart. She went to the table, picked up a pen, and scribbled down a quick note.
Meeting a friend five p.m. Friday.
She brought up Sloane’s number from her phone and jotted it down. At least if she never came home, someone might have a lead in finding her. She choked back a laugh as she read the note again. She needed to stop watching crime dramas.
She returned to the door, took a deep breath, and headed out of the house, locking it behind her.
Her condo was the last townhouse on the row, closest to the entrance to the woods. She rounded the corner and nearly jumped out of her skin as Tucker hopped out of his car a few spots away. She skittered around the steps and pressed her body against the exterior wall of her home. She didn’t think he’d seen her. She waited a minute before taking off for the woods.
***
Bri was barely out of breath by the time the back of the motel came into view. She and Abbey had explored these woods enough times for her to be able to travel through them with her eyes closed. Swimming helped her stamina too. She came to the edge of the woods by the motel without seeing Sloane anywhere. In the ten minutes of jogging, her mind had come up with enough scenarios of some look-alike murdering her and taking over her life. Even with the horrible images in her mind, like the cat, curiosity had her in a vise grip.
“You’re early.”
Bri whirled around. Sloane stepped out from behind a tree. Since Bri had seen her last, her mind had put Sloane in a strange fog, as if Bri had made her up. Seeing her in the flesh again intensified the sinking feeling in her stomach. Sloane was real. This stranger with her face was real. “You too.”
“It’s not like I had anywhere else to go.” Sloane stepped closer.
Bri stared at Sloane, wondering if the girl’s serious expression was what others saw when they looked at Bri in a similar mood. It was strange seeing how others perceived her own expressions.
Sloane rubbed her hands together. “Something happened to me before when we touched.”
Bri looked at her shoes. “What do you mean?”
Sloane stepped closer. “I felt like crap all day. Light-headed and nauseous.” She paused for a moment. “Actually it started when I got to the school.”
Bri thought it had only been her who felt it. The dizziness she’d experienced for most of the day had gone away when she and Sloane touched. Goose bumps raced over her arms. “Same here. I don’t feel anything now.”
“Me neither.”
Bri stared at Sloane, waiting for something—anything—to happen.
“Do you think we should try again?”
“What?”
“Touching.” Sloane smiled and shook her head. “This is nuts. I wanted to see if it was a one-time thing.”
Bri closed her hands into fists at her sides. “I don’t feel like I did before.”
“Neither do I. Aren’t you curious?”
Bri looked between Sloane’s multi-colored eyes. She felt the subtle movement of the contact over her own iris.
Before
Similar Books
