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Chapter 19 – RUN!

I bolted up in my bed and stared at the wall ahead of me, stunned. I had had another dream about that screaming head. I shuddered and hugged myself, goosebumps forming on my arms. I could still hear the noise, "Catherine! Catherine get back to the house!" It sounded so angry, so frantic…

I stood and walked out to the kitchen, hesitating a moment, then drifting through the front door.

A walk will do me good…

I checked my phone, 2:30 AM.

I sighed and walked around outside for a few minutes, restless.

Singing softly, I dialed Red's number, crouching down beside a tree and hiding in the cool darkness.

The phone rang once, twice, then Red answered, sounding pretty awake.

"Brooke?"

"Hi…" I whispered.

"Hello?"

I spoke a little louder, "Hi."

"Is something wrong? Where are you?" She asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm outside."

"Outside!?" she yelped, I pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Yeah, outside…"

"Brooke! You'll catch a cold… go back inside!"

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around my knees, "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Why can't you?"

"I dunno…" I said, I was confused too.

"Well… come here then… I'll meet you along the road…" She spoke softly after a few seconds.

"Okay." I whispered.

"Stay on the phone." She commanded.

I stood and walked down the driveway, "Okay."

"Are you wearing your hoodie?"

"Yeah, " I said, feeling a little better. I heard the closing of her front door in the background.

"Do you want us to come pick you up? I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind."

"No, no it's okay" I insisted, "What are you doing up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

I remembered her talking to the empty kitchen chair earlier, "Um…" I started, not sure if I should be asking, "Who were you talking to… you know, that one night?"

"What night?" She spoke softly after a second, she sounded nervous.

"When I just got back from the hospital… I woke up and you were talking to someone…"

There was a pause, "Maybe I was talking in my sleep?"

"No." I insisted, "Your eyes were open, and you were in the kitchen…"

It was silent for a long time, I could almost hear the blood rushing in my ears along with the soft crunch of my shoes on the rocks beneath my feet.

I heard her stutter, "Um… I don't know what you're talking about Brooke, maybe you were still messed on the Morphine…"

I felt I had to pry further, I didn't like being nosy, but I just had to know. "You were talking about not having to hurt someone."

"Hurt who?"

"I don't know… you tell me… I wasn't the one talking…"

I heard her take a sharp breath in, "I was on the phone…"

"I didn't see a phone…" I breathed, I stopped walking and stared down the black road ahead of me.

"I um… Brooke I can't talk about it okay?" She said, sounding flustered.

"Why not?" I demanded, "Were you talking about me?"

I heard her gasp, her phone started breaking out. "Brooke!" I heard through the static, "My phone! I… keep walking… no… Run! I um… I'll meet you at the old trailer okay? Just keep walking and don't let the—"

Her phone cut out and was replaced by static. A chill ran up my spine.

"Red!" I screamed into the darkness. My voice echoed off the mountains. I heard howling in the distance. "Don't let what?" I cried, breaking into a run.

The howling got closer as I ran, I bolted into the old abandoned trailer and slammed the door, leaning back against it, breathing hard and staring around the creepy blackness with wide, terrified eyes.

The howling that had been so close had subsided to low growls. Sounds of scratching and creaking surrounded me. I whimpered. Something was outside, circling the house.

I slowly crept to the window and was startled back, I stumbled back into the old woodstove and watched as the black wolf barked viciously in the window, its yellow eyes piercing through mine. I sunk down and curled around myself, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. The barking increased, I heard a few yelps, and then all noise stopped, I glanced up and the black wolf wasn't there. I slowly crept back to the window, peering through it. A white wolf stood there, the black ones were nowhere in sight. I watched in horror as the wolf walked up to the door, it was big. I couldn't see it anymore, but I knew it was there.

"Brooke?" I heard Reds' voice ask to the darkness, it sounded close. My eyes widened with terror, Red was outside with the wolf! I whimpered and looked around quickly.

I have to save her…

I picked up an old baseball bat that was lying on the floor a few meters away and held it above my head, creeping slowly towards the door.

I reached out slowly, grasping the old brass doorknob and twisting it slowly.

I swung the door open and screamed, trying to sound menacing. I crashed the bat down as hard as I could, Red moved just in time, almost falling off the step.

"Brooke! You psycho you almost killed me!" she cried, slowly taking the bat out of my hands.

I stammered, lost for words, "I… I thought…"

"Are you okay?..." Red asked, leaning the bat up against the open door.

"I saw… I thought…" I stuttered, confused. "The wolf… he…" I snatched up the bat again, glancng around, paranoid.

Red raised an eyebrow, "Wolf?"

I laughed loudly, frightened by the maniacal edge my voice carried as it echoed off the ugly chipped walls. "I must be crazy…"

Red stared at me, "Want to go home now?"

"Bu… but that wolf… he's still out there… I… I saw him… he was just here a second ago…"

Red raised an eyebrow, "Brooke I didn't see anything… I walked up to the door and you came at me with a bat screaming like a loonie…"

I laughed and slumped against the stove, clutching the bat so hard my knuckles were white.

She stepped back a little, "Let's go home Brooke…"

I nodded and stood, but refused to let go of the bat. After a few minutes of trying to convince me that I didn't need it, Red gave up and we walked down towards her house. We walked side-by-side, one of my hands entwined around hers, the other wrapped tightly around the handle of my weapon.

When we got to the house I sighed softly with relief and set the bat down on the shoe mat.

I yawned loudly and Red took me to bed, tucking me in. the last thing I saw was her beautiful face staring down at me in confusement.