Trapped by Nicole Smith Page A

e another step it halted in mid air. I opened my eyes and glared back at Ste lla. Although it felt like I wore cement block s on my legs, I kept trying. I noticed a flicker of a sh adow cross over her face. She i s losing her grip. I pulled my leg back and planted it firm ly on the ground. I refused to move any closer to her. I hear d her silently moan . M y strength is returning . I could sense her emotions now too . I felt aware of her energy surrounding me. It is the strongest energy I have ever felt from a phantom.
    I slowly began to walk backwards, not taking my eyes off her. Her anger revealed itself on her face now.  She i s having trouble hid ing her emotions. As I walked backward I saw Beth come into view , standing behind her. For just a moment my s trength faltered slightly. I felt a quick pain of losing someone I trusted. Stella was ted no time. She reac hed for me quickly .
    “What do you want from me ?” I shout ed at her. Without her even saying a word I felt all her hopes and dreams wash over me. I knew everything instantly. She believed I could bring her back to life. I felt her arms circle around me. M y heart slow ed and my breathing beca me faint and shallow . Just as I came close to collapsing into her someone snatched me away .
    Beth grabbed my arms and she flew quicker than I have ever run before. I didn’t think Carlos would even have been able to catch her. I heard Stella’s screams in my head again. Beth didn’t falter for a second. The trees scraped me as we flew further and further away from them. I felt aware of someone following us b ut I couldn’t tell who. All I knew is that it is n’t Stella this time. This new pursu er somehow seemed familiar to me . Beth didn’t s low and the follower kept pace.
    I must have become unconscious at some point. I can’t remember what happened after Stella screamed in my head. When I opened my eyes again I became frighten ingly aware of how alone I really was now .
    “Beth?” I whispered. I didn’t sense anyone . I am completely alone. It’s a s trange feeling , when all the spirits have gone . As I stood up my head began to spin . I almost fell back. I grabbed a hold of a tree branch in fron t of me for balance. The sun bega n to rise as I walked towards the ed ge of a dirt road. A farm house off in the distance became my destination . As I walk ed to wards it, t he realization hit me that I could be miles away fro m the city. I could be anywhere at the speed Beth travelled .
    “Why did you leave me Beth?” I spoke aloud. I knew she wasn’t close or I would have been able to sense her. I couldn’t help but think of Hayden. I missed him so much. I tried to think of how many days have passed since that night I met Carlos in the coffee shop. I wished I never left the apartment. I should have listened to Hayden .
    I didn’t know what happened after Be th saved me from Stella. I hope Hayden isn’t too frantic. I need him to stay strong . H e won’t quit searching for me, this I knew. He will be out, night and day until he finds me, he won’t give up . What I would n’t give to have hi s strong arms wrapped around me now. I sighed as I looked up at the sky. I have to keep moving.
    I began to run towards the house, as I tried to fig ht back the tears that I knew w ere coming. As I reached the front porch I quickly grasped the fact that the owners of this house were deceased. I’m not all alone after all , I thought . I opened the front door and immediately met Mrs. Johnston.
    “Hi! I hope you don’t mind if I come in and grab a drink of water. A coat would be nice too, especially if I don’t get home by nightfall again , if you don’t mind . I’m Natalie.” I trie d to be polite but I felt really tired and chitchatting with a murdered woman did not seem like a good idea.
    “Natalie. Hi, yes please come in and help yourself to whatever you need , ” she said, unsurprised by the fact that I could see and hear her. I wondered if she is one