CHAPTER FITHTEEN
I managed to avoid the founding family kids for almost an entire week, but it wasn’t without great effort. Avoiding them wasn’t the issue, it was trying to pretend like I didn’t want to burst into a million tears every time I saw Carter’s and Jane’s pleading eyes.
Carter’s texts were even worse and I had turned off my phone to avoid replying. I wanted to forgive them and go back to the way things were before, but I just couldn’t find it in me to take that first step. My mind was so exhausted by the continuous debate that I hardly had the energy to make a change, and the reoccurring nightmares weren’t helping.
I hated reliving the death of my parents and each time was worse than the last. I woke up drenched in sweat and choking on imaginary smoke for the past two nights.
I’m barely making it through the day. I am too sleep deprived to deal with the group right now.
Nevertheless, it was getting harder to avoid them. It was like they were organizing to cut me off at every hallway and entrance. They even had the entrance to the library guarded. Thankfully, Cruz stuck out like, well… a football player in a library, which was easy to spot. Nonetheless, I had to start getting creative in finding another lunchtime retreat.
The third floor…
In all my time in Burnwood I had only seen the third floor windows from outside. It was only the west wing of the school that had a third floor, and I had never actually seen any directions on the school maps that explained what was up there or how to get to it.
I wandered down the locker-lined hallways with the only vaguest idea of where to go. The first stairwell lead downstairs, but the second one, at the far end of the hallway next to the utility closest, led up a narrow flight of stairs.
The stairwell was dimly lit and smelled of old paper. The windows lining the wall let in some sunlight, but the thick layer of dust tinted it. I had almost convinced myself to retreat back to the second floor and forget whatever may be awaiting just stairs away, when I heard an eerily familiar voice.
I froze, one foot hovering above the last stair while the other shook to balance. The hair on my arms raised and a shiver spread through my body. I held my breath, afraid to make even the faintest of noise. I crouched down low and started to back down the staircase, stopping at the sound of the floorboard creaking under my weight. It was too late to make my escape now. I would have to face him.
The footsteps approached in soft, unhurried thumps until he came into view.
“Yury,” I said, trying to sound surprised.
He eyed me suspiciously. “Annabelle.”
I forced a smile on my face and waved. “Are you here to see Jane?”
The question, as I hoped it would, put him at ease. He smiled his dark, yet attractive grin. “Yes, of course. I’m just waiting here until lunch.”
“Oh,” I said, casually continuing up the stairs. “Well, lunch hour started 10 minutes ago.”
He stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought this room was off-limits to students.”
I stopped. “It is?”
“You didn’t know?”
I shook my head.
“Well, you’re new to town,” he said, joining me in an encouraged, slightly insisted descent back to the second floor. “I’m sure no one would hold it against you for making such a mistake… this once.”
He held my gaze as he spoke the last words, amplifying what I took to be a warning. I wasn’t one to take orders, but there was something seriously dark about him; and I didn’t want to provoke whatever madness was surely bubbling beneath the surface.
“Okay,” I nodded. “What’s up there anyway?”
He kept walking until he had led me far from the hallway and to a staircase on the opposite side of the school.
“Nothing of importance,” he insisted. “A few old things the school has stored out of respect for tradition, and a bunch of clutter. It’s simply a hazard for you to be anywhere near it.”
Why was it that everything he said sounded like a threat?
I kept him in my peripheral vision as I made my way to the main floor. I could see him waiting at the top of the stairs like a guard dog on duty, but what exactly was he guarding?
I found Jane in line in the cafeteria. It was cloudy and miserable outside so I knew she wouldn’t be at the courtyard.
“Jane,” I said, cutting in line beside her.
She smiled elatedly. “Hey, I thought you weren’t…”
I waved my hand through the air as if to dust the thought away. “It’s fine. Let’s just forget about it.”
I watched the relief spread over her face, not giving it a second to set in before I blurted out, “What’s on the third floor?”
She placed her tray down and pulled me off to the side. “You weren’t on the third floor, were you?”
“Not exactly… but what’s up there?”
She grabbed her tray from the counter and we started towards a table pulled out of alignment from the rest. Trish and Cruz were already seated and Jane and I joined them. I ignored their inquiring looks and continued my interrogation.
“So… the third floor, Jane,” I repeated. “What’s up there?”
“You showed her the third floor?” Trish scowled.
“No!” Jane replied. “Of course not.”
I leaned back to take them all in. It was just like the bookstore. The cryptic language and vague explanations we’re all too familiar.
Their eyes shifted from me to someone behind me, and I turned to find Carter and Alec standing there. Carter seemed confused, but Alec seemed unfazed. It was the thing I admired the most about Alec. He was always so upbeat, a “the glass is half full” kind of guy.
“Annabelle… you’re here,” said Carter, sounding more confused than he looked.
“Yeah,” added Alec, sliding into the seat beside me. “Where have you been hiding girl? Carter’s had us looking all over… Ouch!”
Alec shot Cruz a hateful look and rubbed the calf of his leg. I chose not to acknowledge any of it. Instead, I refocused on Jane and continued.
“Jane, what’s on the third floor?”
Carter slammed down his tray across from Jane. “She knows about the third floor!”
“Would someone tell me what the big deal is about the damn third floor?” I yelled, sending them all into a deafening silence.
They stole quick glances at one another, but no one took the bait.
I sighed. “Fine,” I said, pushing myself up from the table. “Not only will I find out for myself, but I won’t tell you who’s up there right now poking around.”
That seemed to get their attention. Cruz shot up from the table and he, Jane, and Trish took off toward the west wing. I narrowed my eyes on Carter and Alec who met my gaze.
“Something’s going on here.”
Carter opened his mouth to say something, but I held out my hand and cut him off. “Don’t worry. I’m going to figure it out on my own.”
“You wouldn’t have to if you just trusted me.”
I shook my head in frustration and sat back down at the table. Jane returned in recorded time, Cruz and Trish following close behind.
“No one was there,” said Jane.
Carter gave me a humorous look, seemingly convinced that I was just playing some kind of trick on them.
“But, things have been… disturbed,” Jane added.
I raised a brow at Carter to say a silent “I told you so,” and then rose from the table.
“Well, I guess I’ll be on my way,” I said, starting towards the exit. I paused, doing a half turn and added, “Unless there’s something you all wish to tell me.”
Again, I was met with silence.
I shrugged and continued on my way. “Didn’t think so.”
Now that I was out of sight the calm and cool façade quickly faded, replaced only by pure frustration. I wanted to know what was on the third floor and if Yury wasn�
�t there anymore, it was safe for me to return.
I hurried back to the west wing and up the first flight of stairs, but when I made it to the third floor staircase Cruz and Alec were already there, blocking the entrance.
“How did you get here before me? There’s no way…”
“The third floor is off-limits,” said Cruz. “Seriously faulty wiring up there.”
I huffed in frustration and retreated to the second floor. If I couldn’t get to the third floor, maybe there was a way I could find out what was there without ever having to step inside.
I made a quick stop by my locker and headed for the west exit. Burnwood was a tiny town, but not without its resources. If Burnwood was anything, it was historic, meaning there had to be archives somewhere. I remembered my history teacher, Mr. Hanson, saying that the building was a historic landmark in Burnwood, which meant it wasn’t always a high school.
I was so focused on the mission ahead of me that as I rounded the corner, I slammed right into a moving black clothed figure. The collision landed me on the floor, but aside from a minor throbbing pain coming from my forehead, I was okay.
“Sorry,” I said, rubbing my hand over the right side of my forehead. I looked up and found the mysterious founding kid standing over me, his hand extended out.
“Nah,” he said. “I should’ve been paying more attention.”
He helped me up and then stepped back, sliding his hands into his pocket. “I’m Nick by the way.”
“Annabelle,” I replied as I pulled my bag from the floor and slung it over my shoulder. “Hey, I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but I was actually just on my way out and it’s kind of important.” I passed him and called over my shoulder, “But, it was really nice finally meeting you.”
I had already reached the exit doors when he asked, “So you’re not going to fourth period?”
The doors closed behind me before I had a chance to answer him, but I really didn’t have time to explain. My tunnel vision had set in and the only thing on my mind was getting to the town square.
I could’ve taken the route through town, but I didn’t want to risk running into Uncle Felix. He had always scolded me for skipping class, insisting that I take my education more seriously.
I used the GPS on my phone to guide me, but it didn’t pick up all the trails, so I had to decipher the path on my own.
It felt like I had been walking for hours when the trail ended before a 30-foot drop to a flowing creek below. I nearly cried when I realized I had walked all this way only to be stopped by three feet of water, but then I noticed the bridge not far from the trail.
I had to navigate through the woods to get to it, which was strange because there didn’t seem to be any path leading there.
I felt a slight shake as my foot landed one of the boards, but it hardly slowed me down. I’m not sure if it was my determination or my lack of common sense that got me halfway across the bridge before I realized it was trembling beneath me. I stopped, waiting motionlessly for the shaking to cease, but it never quite did.
I decided then that it was in my best interest to get off that bridge as quickly as possible, but the second I lifted my foot a support beam below me cracked, sending the bridge into a violent sway.
I grabbed hold of the railings and tried to counteract the weight, but that only made things worse. I squeezed tighter as the bridge wobbled from side to side. My nails bit into the wood, barely recognizing the pain of the splinters, and my knuckles whitened under the pressure. I tried to remain as still as possible, but it was hopeless. The bridge was falling.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Burnwood - The Dragon Arum Page 18
