August

A Chapter by Joshua Kyle

First chapter!

Bound like Bridges

*By Joshua Kyle McLaughlin*

*Falling.*

*I am falling deeper.*

*Will I ever reach the bottom?*

*Will I ever wake up?*

*When I was little I wasnt scared of anything, until I saw him in my dreams. He haunts me. Even now he's still there and I'm still running away.*

August Comes.

"August Fay Quinn!" Gram calls up the stairs, "If you don't hurry up you're going to be late for school." I roll over and bury my face in the pillow. "I know Gram I'm hurrying! I'll be down soon okay?" I climb out of bed and brush the hair out of my eyes so I can see my clock. "S**t, I'm so f*****g late." I quickly pull some clothes off the mound of books, and week old laundry. I look in the mirror and quickly draw my eyeliner on. "Calm down August, you won't be late." I tell myself. I stare in the mirror and take a quick inventory. "Bra? Check. Pants? Check. Shirt? Check Underwear? Check. Smell? I take a deep breathe and gag, "Hell no." I emerge from my shower of perfume ready to face senior year. Well sort of. I've changed a lot this year, my face cleared up, I dyed my hair red, I even started working out and got some muscle, but still I'm insecure. I still have nightmares, they get worse every night. I still miss my parents, and my grades are anything but good. I glance back at my room, Aka World War Three and head downstairs once again vowing to clean it when I get home. "Morning there." Gram says in a cheery voice. "You're cutting it close today." Mom and Dad passed when I was little and so now I live with Uncle Tom and Gram, they're all I have left and Gram keeps me sane. I grab a couple cookies and a cup of coffee off the table. "Morning guys, sorry I wasn't down sooner." "Nightmares again?" Uncle Tom asks. "Yea, I got lost in my head. I'm fine now though." I lie. "Did you read that book I got you?" Gram says as she clasps her soft wrinkled hand over mine on the counter. "Oh, the one on lucid dreams? Yea I just finished it yesterday. It's been helping alot." "Doesn't she have enough of that b.s. already?" Uncle Tom grumbles as he folds his newspaper. "She has a whole shelf of books like that." "Well," I throw in. "You remember how bad it was when I was little." "We all do Honey, but thats why we're here for you." Gram says as she comes out of the hall with my backpack and lunch. "I know Gram, thanks. I love you both. I'm late already." I wave at them and grab my keys off the wall by the door. As it shuts behind me I hear Gram say "Be safe." I sigh. "She worries to much."

On the way to my car I glance back at the house, the flaking paint reminds me just how long it's been since Mom and Dad passed away. My cell phone rings loudly in my purse, I flip it open welcoming the distraction and unlock my car door. "Hello?" "Hi b***h! Its Brittney!" Comes the high pitched voice laced with a touch of hate "What do you want now?" I ask. Brittney Meyers, and I have been the definiton of "frienemies" ever since midde school, and no matter what, every year she makes it her goal to make me miserable. "Just wanted to let you know there are these new transfer students I hear are f*****g gorgeous. Muscular, tall, and are great in be..." I cut her off, "Just what makes you think I care?" Brittney giggles loudly "Oh just thought you and your little group of misfits might want know what you'll be missing out on!"I turn my car on and pull out of the driveway. "Gee thanks, my day is so much better now. I'm hanging up." "God August, sounds like someone has their tampon shoved up their a*s. Anyway as the unofficial president of the student body I'm supposed to let you know there is a senior party this friday at 8 p.m." "Whatever Brittney." "See you at school sunshine." She giggles again and I hang up. A few minutes later I pull in and take a deep breath as I look up at the aging building. "Here goes nothing." I whisper to no one in particular. I grab my bag and brace myself for the first day of senior year at Samantha Parks High School. The green tree tops shade the small parking lot as streams of students make their way into the school. Brittney spots me and jogs over, wrapping me in a sickening hug. "Hey there!" "Hi, what did you do this summer?" I ask as I keep walking "Missed you too August!" She says sarcastically, "And don't you mean who?" She giggles as she runs up to a transfer student. "Hey cutie, can you carry my books for me?" She kisses his cheek and lets her hand linger on his hip. "Uhmm.. uh.. Well I was.. uh." He stammers."Great thanks sooo much" She smiles wickedly at me and presses her books into his arms. "See you around August, I'm gonna give pretty boy here a tour of our schools wonderful attributes!" "Don't you mean yours?" I mutter as she pulls her latest fancy towards the supply closets. I hear a voice to my left. "Why can't she just die already?" I look to see Raven and Willow, my only real friends. "Oh hey guys, didn't see you there." I brush my hair off to the side and hug Willow. "So what do you think she's gonna do this year?" Raven asks awkwardly, shuffling back and forth on one foot. "She might try and frame you for breaking and entering like last year." Willow offers. "Or she could get some of her boyfriends to lock you up in the bathroom for the week." Raven adds. "Oh shut up guys. She won't do s**t this year. She knows I'm fed up and if she tries I'll beat the s**t out of her." We make our way up the steps and down the hall to the lockers. "Whats up with you anyway? you look totally hardcore now. I'm loving the red hair by the way." Raven says as he grabs my hair and Willow inspects my outfit. I open my locker and slide my bookbag in. "Just got tired of looking the same you know?" Raven looks down at his outfit. All black. Willow smiles and pushes me into our history class. "Look we're all outcasts, we really shouldnt be discussing fashion. Now c'mon Mr.Goth you're late for biology, and Mrs.Punk A*s and I have death by boredom. its learning time." Raven laughs. "I'll see you both at lunch, okay?" "Okay see you then!" We wave as he shuffles down the hall.

Willow and I sit next to each other towards the middle of the class. Mr.Brightinger walks slowly up to the board and writes out the weeks assignments, as all the students pull out their notebooks and sit at the hard metal desks. "Goodmorning students" He says cheerily."Today we have a new transfer student, and before we begin our assignments, I'd like to introduce Shadow Aquinas." I look up front wondering to myself if this is one of the students Brittney talked about. A tall, muscular, goth boy with long black hair swept into a beanie, slowly makes his way towards the front of the class. "Hey. I'm Shadow." He says. He pulls the choker on his neck a little tighter and I notice the left side of his neck is covered in tattoos that seem to shimmer and dance as he moves, twist, turn and redraw themselves with every breath. He faces the class. "I'm not one to talk a whole lot" he says in a low gravely voice with a hint of disdain aimed at most of the class. "I've been to a lot of schools, But I guess I just haven't found what I'm looking for in one yet." Everyone stays quiet, almost hypnotized by his voice. He scans each face in the room finally resting on me. I blink, his eyes stay locked on mine. The sides of the room shimmer and I put my hand to my forehead. "You. What is your name." The room starts to twist, and grows darker. Notebook paper, students, and desks float suspended in the air, I try to fight but I'm slowly lifted out of my seat and forced to face the transfer student. His eyes glow translucent now and it feels like I'm caught in crashing waves. "Tell me your name." His eyes memorize my face. "Its August" I gasp, choked by unseen hands. "August Faye Quinn" He says tilting his head back as he laughs. "How do you know my name?" My vision blurs as I fight for air. He brings his face close to mine, studying me. "You don't remember me August dear?" My mind races. "Who are you? Whats going on?" "I'm your Shadow, my beautiful bridge. Now be a good little girl and go back to sleep" He grabs me by my neck and picks me up, "Put me down you creep!" I scream. He throws me into the darkness, it consumes me. I can't breathe. Everything disappears as my body begs for air.

My eyes open. Too bright. I close them and try again. Mr.Brightinger. Dull yellowish walls. Windows. Desk. Notebook. Shadow. Students. Chalkboard. Shadow? I look to the front of the classroom. Shadow. My heart stops. A voice snaps me out of my trance,"Hey are you okay August?" Willow asks. "You look like you just saw a ghost." Up front Shadow finishes talking. "More like a nightmare." I mumble "You wanna talk about it later?" She asks with her trademark smile. "Uh yea sure Willow.." Shadows eyes meet mine as he brushes by my desk. "Creep." I whisper as I reach for my pencil, my throat tightens and my hand goes numb, the tiny slip of paper on my desk says it all. It can't be but there it is. My darkest fear has just become flesh. I run out of class and throw up in the hall. The slip of paper is a crude drawing of a half moon resting in a triangle, with one word underneath. "Boo"

Everything after that moment became a trance.

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