Page 53 of Savannah Sweethearts

I stand up, wiping my skirt off. "I'm done. I'm fucking out of here. No more of this shit! I'm out of this town!" I screech. I grab my backpack, which has been thrown into the trees.

"This shit is too fucking scary. We need to tell one of the sisters!" Blaire stands up, tears in her eyes.

Hazel shakes her head. "I've never… I've never experienced anything like this. It's strong. It'stoostrong." She seems disoriented, staring off into the forest, her legs and arms shaking as she moves to stand.

"I'm about to freak the fuck out." Piper wipes blood from her leg, smearing it against her calf. "Maybe we should go tell the school."

A shiver racks my body. "You guys can go do what you want. I'm leaving." I slide my arms through the straps, preparing for a long walk.

"Want us to bring you home?" Hazel asks.

I shake my head, taking a step back. "I'm not going back to that house. I'm leaving this town. I’m leaving the school." I glance over my shoulder, in the direction of the creepy, cement castle through the woods. "Whatever the fuck is happening to me here is too much. I need to… get the hell out of here or something."

"You can't just leave," Blaire says.

I laugh. "I can, and I'm going to. Right now." I start walking. Away from the school. This town. Malik. My new friends. I walk away from it all, because I'm honestly afraid of what will happen if I stay.

"You don't get it! You can't just leave this town! It won't let you!"

I stop, turning around. "I have to try! I fucking have to!" Tears spring to my own eyes, and I feel so lost… "I don't want to leave you guys, but I can't fucking stay here anymore! I guess this is goodbye."

They look so sad. So forlorn, and a little disappointed. "We'll talk soon, Vera." Hazel turns around, grabbing her things and setting them back in the box. The girls stand there, watching me, so scared, absolutely terrified.

I know none of us expected this.

"Bye," I whisper, though I think the wind takes it away before it can reach them.

I turn around, walking away from the school and my only friends. I'm leaving this town, one way or another. Whatever evil spirit has ahold of me, or us, I refuse to let it. I fucking refuse.

It's time to go.

My legs ache. My heels, to my shins, to my thighs and back. Everything aches as I make my way to the edge of town. I know I've got to be getting somewhat close. I've been walking for what feels like days. I've passed the places I recognize, and I know I'm heading south, so I have to be hitting the Castle Pointe sign pretty soon. Right?

I sigh, digging in my cigarette pack and seeing it empty. I crumble the weak cardboard between my fingers, the chill of the evening making its way up my bare legs. The sun is setting over the tops of the trees.

I fold my arms over my chest, running my fingers up and down my arms to rid the goosebumps.

The forest is quiet, not that there are any animals that roam this forest anyway. I don't think I've seen an inch of wildlife since I entered this town. They stay far, far away from here.

They're damn smart.

The road seems endless, like I'll never make it to the edge of town. I look back, seeing the long road behind me and turning forward, seeing the long road ahead of me. The road shouldn't be this long. No, I know for a fucking fact that the road isn't this damn long.

Headlights glow from behind me, and I hop off the road, sliding down onto the shoulder and creeping along the edges of the trees. I don't want to go into the forest, not unless I absolutely have to.

I stop walking, not wanting to draw more attention to myself. But the vehicle slows, and soon enough, I can see the familiar-looking Range Rover roll to a stop ahead of me. The passenger-side window rolls down, and Malik stares at me, a bored expression on his face. "Get in the car."

I point to where the edge of town should be. "I left school early. I should've been at the edge of town hours ago! Where the fuck am I?"

He smiles. "You're in Castle Pointe, sister."

"What the fuck is this place? Why can't I leave?"

"Because you want to leave."

I frown at him. "What the hell does that mean?"

He sighs, like I'm putting him out, even though he's the one that drove here in the first place. "It means that you aren't fucking leaving, Vera. Now get in the damn car. It's late as hell, and I'm not going to sit here and explain the fucking physics of this place. Or stay out here for all I fucking care. Your choice."