Shadows Within (The Dark Mind Trilogy Book 2)

by Matthew Goldstein

  She raced after him, her feet pounding on the pavement, hoping he was far enough away that he couldn't hear her. When she peeked around the corner, Cole was right in front of her, facing away, and she had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping out loud. Cole's pace had been meandering, and in running to catch up, she had nearly run into him.

  She ducked back behind the corner, praying she hadn't been heard, and waited ten seconds to allow him to gain some distance. This is so stupid. It's Cole. Why am I following him? Why don't I just walk right up to him and be like ‘hey, where are you going in the middle of the night?’

  Despite her attempts to dissuade herself from her current actions, she continued to follow Cole, keeping a safe distance and only remaining in sight of him as much as was necessary not to lose him. It was after six blocks that she turned the corner he had turned thirty seconds ago, and he was gone. She frantically scanned the block, sure he had to be within sight. How could he have disappeared? Did he just suddenly take off? Or did he see me and hide? She ran to the next corner, but in all directions was silent and unmoving.

  Dammit!

  Focusing on one foot in front of the other, she ambled back to Beth's house, slipping quietly through the front door and back onto the couch. Now wide awake, she lay there for an hour, until finally the front door opened and the shuffling made its way past her to the library. She considered confronting him then, but fear of something held her back. She wasn't sure what that something was, but she also knew didn't want to think about it.

  After an uneasy night sleep, she was awoken by Cole's voice.

  “Amy? It's morning. Time for school.”

  Amy cracked her eyes open to see Cole standing over her. She groaned and stretched. “I don't wanna,” she said, her voice hoarse with sleep.

  Cole grinned. “I'll just tell your teachers you were too lazy to come in.”

  “Ohh, I'm coming.” She rolled onto her feet and stumbled into the bathroom.

  In the kitchen for breakfast, Cole was the only one who looked like he had slept well. Beth's eyes remained half-closed and her wild hair stuck out in more directions than usual. Cole, full of energy, brought cereal, bowls and spoons out for everyone, all with a smile on his face. Amy was too tired to think much of it, but no amount of sucking up was going to make her forget his promise last night, especially after the event in the wee hours.

  Lunchtime brought yet another unexpected change in Cole's behavior. He was the center of attention, keeping everyone's rapt attention while he described a hilarious incident with his teacher in the previous class. Amy found herself unable to listen to the story, but the rest of the group was roaring with laughter. Even after the story completed, he was talkative and energetic, never losing the spotlight.

  As she walked with Martin to her next class, Martin said, “Seems like Cole's doing better. Much better.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What's the matter? I'd think you'd be happy about that.”

  Amy stopped walking and moved to the wall to get out of the throng of students. Martin leaned against the wall next to her, a rare expression of concern on his face.

  Amy studied his face, wondering if Martin the loudmouth was a friend in which she could confide. “He seems better but he's really screwed up. I think I'm the only person to realize it. I convinced him yesterday to talk to someone about it but we'll see if that actually happens. He keeps trying to convince me he's fine.” She clamped her mouth shut, appalled by how much she had revealed.

  Martin took a second to respond, the concern never leaving his face. “Screwed up how?”

  Amy bit her lip. “It's... kinda hard to explain. But I swear, he's not right.”

  “I mean, it's not surprising he's having issues. I feel so bad for him. Is there anything I can do?”

  “No,” Amy said quickly. “I shouldn't have said anything. It's personal stuff. Please don't tell anyone. Please. Promise me?”

  “Yeah, yeah, it's cool. Don't worry, I would never tell anyone. Don't be afraid to tell me something. We've been friends forever. You can talk to me whenever you want.”

  “Thanks, Martin. No offense, but sometimes I forget how good of a friend you are.”

  Martin laughed. “Only a little offense taken. Come on, we're going to be late for class.”

  The remainder of the day was uneventful until she was again in class with Cole in biology. They were split into their project groups for the second half of class, since the project was due on Monday.

  “We need to buckle down this weekend,” Alexia said. “We have a lot of work to do.”

  “Wha-?” Amy said, her attention on Cole across the room.

  “Amy, listen to me! I know you have a lot on your mind, but I'm sorry, I want a good grade and we have only three days. We need at least one full day to finish this. So when are you free?”

  Amy rubbed her eyes. “Let's meet tomorrow. I'm sorry I've been distracted. We'll get this done on time, though. Don't sweat it.”

  “Cool. Did you by any chance think about what we could put on the center panel of the board?”

  Amy's eyes had drifted back to Cole and she noticed an expression of distress on Michelle's face.

  “Amy!”

  “Oh, yeah, I... didn't. Sorry. We'll figure it out tomorrow.”

  “Let's figure it out now because we probably need to go shopping.”

  The rest of the period was an eternity, and when the bell rang, Amy raced over to Cole and Michelle.

  “Hey, guys. How's it going?” Amy said, forcing a smile.

  Michelle met Amy's eyes for a split second, and then she ducked her head and hurried out of the room.

  “We finished yesterday,” Cole said, acting as if Michelle was still there.

  Amy looked after Michelle as she exited the classroom. “What did you say to her?”

  “What do you mean? We were just chatting.”

  Amy turned her gaze on Cole. “I glanced over for a second before and I saw her upset. What did you say?”

  Cole shrugged. “I'm not sure what you're talking about. Maybe you misinterpreted it.”

  “Whatever.” Amy clenched her fists in frustration and left. Cole followed her but did not attempt to engage in conversation. When they reached the hallway he said a quick goodbye and departed for his next class.

  Amy counted the seconds to the end of the day, an improbable plan forming in her mind. For some reason, she knew his comment to Michelle was important and she had to get to the bottom of it.

  At last, homeroom rolled around, and she distinctly noticed Michelle avoiding eye contact with her as she entered. The short ten minute period felt like a lifetime, and when it ended she scoped out her best plan of action. Cole was up and ready to go, but Michelle was sticking around, conversing with a few girls.

  “You go on ahead,” Amy said to Cole. “I'll meet you outside. I've gotta talk to the teacher.”

  “No problem.” Without any hesitation Cole left.

  After building up the courage, Amy approached the group of girls, wondering how she could broach the subject in their presence. She stopped behind Michelle, and at the sound of Amy's voice, Michelle spun around startled.

  “Can I talk to you for a second Michelle?” As she said those words, she eyed the others in the group, imploring them to leave.

  “We'll see you tonight,” one of the girls said. At her lead, they all said goodbye and left.

  Michelle remained awkwardly in indecision, refusing to acknowledge Amy's presence.

  “What did Cole say to you in Biology?” Amy said.

  “I don't know what you're talking about,” Michelle said to the wall.

  “Don't play dumb. I saw your reaction then and I see it now.”

  Michelle faced Amy, her bottom lip quivering. “It's better you don't know. Trust me. I have to go.”

  Michelle tried to go but Amy moved to block her path. “You're telling me,” Amy said. “You do not want to cross me. It'll be easier to
get it over with.”

  Michelle shut her eyes and mumbled rapidly, her words running together, “He asked if I was open to anything sexual and I said what about Amy and he said that wasn't going to be a problem.”

  Amy stood wide-eyed, unmoving, and Michelle took the opportunity to flee from the class as fast as she dared without making a scene.

  That bitch is lying. She has to be. More suspicious and terrified than ever, she met Cole in front of the school.

  “What'd you talk to the teacher about?” Cole said.

  “So you're really not going to tell me what happened in Biology?”

  Cole's brow wrinkled. “I already told you I don't know what you're talking about. Why do you keep bringing it up?”

  “Dammit Cole! I'm sick of your secrecy. I know as a fact that something went down that scared Michelle from wanting to talk to me. I forced something out of her but I want to hear it from you. Now spit it out!”

  Cole casually shrugged, igniting Amy's fury. “What did she say?” he asked, all innocence.

  Amy turned away, unable to face him anymore. She struggled to calm her breathing, reminding herself that this was petty in the face of everything else. Still, though, she could not lose Cole, especially at a time like this. She needed him and she was fairly certain he needed her even more. He needs help but he's pushing me away, the only person who wants to help. I can't give up on him. Without turning back to Cole, she said, “You are calling a psychologist today. As soon as we get home.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  Amy let the words wash over her as a preventive measure to stop herself from tearing up. The situation just kept worsening and the more she tried to fix it, the more she felt herself digging a hole. A psychologist was her last hope, but even that was starting to seem far-fetched.

  “I'll meet up with you at home,” Amy said, pulling out her cell phone and dialing her house as she walked out of earshot.

  “Hello?” It was Mrs. Williams.

  “Hey, it's Amy.”

  “Oh, hi, Amy. How are you?”

  “I'm sorry to bother you since I told you I would go home with Cole, but do you think you could maybe pick me up at school and take me to the hospital to see my dad?”

  “Yes, of course. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.” Her voice had lost a shred of its joviality.

  “Thanks so much, Sarah. Bye.”

  “It's not a problem, Sweetie. Bye.”

  When she hung up the phone she saw that Cole had already gone and the last of the students were milling outside the front door. She sat on the steps, waiting patiently for Mrs. Williams' arrival while trying to keep her head out of dark places and wondering if what she was about to do was a good idea.

  The ride to the hospital was a somber one, lacking the energetic chatter that was the trademark of both parties. They were shown to her father's room by an emotionless nurse who looked too tired to be functioning. Amy paused at the door, considering her final opportunity to change her mind, before creeping into the dim room.

  The sight of her father hit her even harder than she expected, pushing the world beneath a veil of despair from which happiness could never emerge. Lying under the sheets, thin and unconscious, it was difficult to imagine his former self, and even more difficult to hate him for what he had done. Through the pain, though, tears did not come, having shed too many already. She touched his arm lightly, half expecting his eyes to open, but there was no response. She watched his calm face, wondering if those eyes would ever see again.

  “Miss you daddy,” she whispered in his ear.

  She gathered herself up from the bed and returned to Mrs. Williams, whose face showed a rare sign of pain.

  “Ready to go?” Mrs. Williams said gently to which Amy nodded. “You can come back anytime,” she added. “You just have to ask.”

  “Thanks,” Amy said through her haze.

  On the ride to Beth's, Amy refocused her thoughts on the coming challenges, hoping the visit had not sapped her ability to deal with it. Cole greeted her on her arrival but did not ask where she had been. His nonchalance rejuvenated her strength and then some.

  “Did you call a psychologist?” she said.

  “Nope, let me go look.”

  As requested, Cole scanned the yellow pages and called a random psychologist in the area. He said that he set up an appointment for Monday, but in that moment, three days may as well have been an eternity. Until then, Amy had to find a way to keep things under control, which, she decided, might best achieved by wasting time. As such, she suggested watching television all night, to which Cole happily agreed.

  Beth prepared dinner that night, a giant steaming pot of beef stew. “Eat up,” she said. “Special recipe.” She gave a weak smile and Amy thought that her face had developed twice as many wrinkles overnight.

  “It's really fantastic,” Amy said in between heaping spoonfuls. “Thanks, Beth.”

  Beth nodded and took a portion for herself.

  “So Cole decided to see a psychologist,” Amy said. “His first appointment is Monday.”

  “Is that so?” Beth said surprised, turning her head to Cole.

  “Uh huh.” Cole chewed slowly, his gaze intent on Amy.

  The stare made Amy uncomfortable and she concentrated on her stew to avoid meeting his eyes. It was not a friendly stare - that much she could tell - but other than that she had no idea what was going through his head.

  After dinner, Amy and Cole reconvened on the couch to watch more television, but Amy left an extra foot between them. Despite the fact that it was a Friday, Cole wanted to head to bed early again, and this time Amy readily agreed to join him. In direct opposition to her actions on the couch, she positioned herself against Cole to go to sleep and draped an arm over him to ensure that if he moved during the night, he would wake her.

  It almost didn't work. She was disturbed from sleep, but found that her arm now lay on an empty spot. She cocked her head, instantly awake, and caught a glimpse of Cole disappearing through the doorway. She lay still until she heard the sound of the front door, and then she bolted to the front door, shoved on her sneakers and peeked through the front window blinds. As soon as he was a ways down the block, she snuck out the front door and followed him.

  25

  Determined not to lose him again, she kept at a closer distance. This increased her chance of being seen, but she was willing to gamble that for staying on his trail. Every step, she was prepared to leap into someone's front yard should he stop or begin to turn around, but he remained at a steady, almost robotic, pace.

  At the corner where she had lost him last time, she hurried to the intersection and peered through a bush so that he could not disappear. About halfway down the block, he cut across the street and headed straight into a small patch of woods. So that's what happened last time. He hadn't seen me. Damn, how did I miss that?

  The area was filled with trees, hiding him from view within just a few steps. Assuming he kept moving at the same pace, she judged how long to wait before entering the woods. When she deemed it safe, she stepped off the sidewalk into the trees, moving slower for fear of giving herself away by rustling leaves or breaking a twig.

  The trees blocked out the light from the street, creating an eerie presence in the quiet darkness. The only sound were a few chirping insects, which were just loud enough to drown any sounds that Cole might be making. A chill crept over her as she ventured further into the woods, forming goosebumps across her body, and she crossed her arms to warm them up. Her head swiveled side to side as she walked, straining for any sign of movement.

  In the gloom, the woods seemed to stretch on forever, but at last she emerged on the other side into a bright streetlight. Glancing around the new block, she did not see Cole and she cursed her slow movement through the trees. Yet, on closer look, he was two blocks away, already turning a corner. She sprinted after him to close the gap in case he cut through somewhere else. As she bounded around the corner, she skidded to a stop
, and gasped in fright.

  Cole was standing not twenty feet away, staring up at the front of a house. Despite their proximity, Cole gave no indication that he had seen nor heard her. She began to tiptoe backwards, but as she did so, Cole's head rotated slowly in her direction. Amy froze as their eyes met, her breath catching in her throat. Neither one spoke for a few long seconds.

  Cole finally broke the silence. “You shouldn't have followed me.” His voice was low, almost threatening.

  “I was worried about you.” Amy's voice quivered under Cole's penetrating stare, but she fought to keep herself under control. No matter what he was doing, he was still her Cole. “It was childish of me to follow you but I had to know what you've been up to and you haven't been open with me lately.”

  “Go home.”

  His voice was deeper than she had ever heard it. Her entire body shivered as if she were standing naked in the arctic. What's wrong with me?This is Cole, dammit. “I'm not going home without you.”

  Cole took a menacing step towards her. “That's not gonna happen. Now leave before you get hurt.”

  Amy folded her arms defiantly. “I'm not going anywhere.”

  Cole glared at her, and Amy could see the wheels turning in his head. “Fine, but you can't keep this up every night. How long until I get away without you noticing?” He took another step toward her.

  “Wait,” Amy said, freezing Cole in his tracks. “You're right. I give up. This is dumb. I'm not your...” I almost said Mom. That would've been bad. “Do whatever you came here to do.”

  “Really?” Cole's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Just like that, you're gonna go?”

  “Yeah. It's none of my business. And like you said, I can't stop you forever. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, okay?”

  “Of course. I promise.” Cole's demeanor lightened up at Amy's submission.

  Amy strode back around the corner, and the moment she was out of sight, she turned around, dropped to her hands and knees and inched back towards the corner. There was a shrubbery between her and Cole that she pressed her face against to see through. In between the cracks of the bush, she could barely discern movement along the side of the house, heading towards the backyard. She shimmied along the hedge, letting him get around the house before exposing herself from behind the bush.