“Nora, we have an idea for some fun tonight, are you in?” he asked, as that nasty spark in his eyes was ignited.
I didn’t need to hear what the fun was. I could tell by the mischievous smile he held that it would be something right up my ally.
Nodding my head yes, I offered a wicked smile. “Count me in.”
Spotting Liam watching me from his motorcycle, he shook his head violently as if he had just heard our conversation and knew I was up to no good. I didn’t care though. I was getting really tired of this beautiful, blue eyed hottie watching me and judging all of my decisions. If he wasn’t ready to give me honest answers, then I was going to continue doing what I did best; looking for trouble.
***
“Come on Nora, we have to be quiet,” Sammy whispered as I followed closely behind him.
After learning that Sammy and a group of his friends wanted to break into the school and steal our upcoming Biology test, I found myself at midnight outside our school doors. Apparently, Sammy was failing Biology and needed to maintain his grades to keep his position on the football team. Stealing this test was more important to him than actually studying. The rest of the team had chickened out, so it was just Sammy and me to do all the dirty work.
The moon glowed brightly above us and only the crickets chirping and the sound of our heavy breaths filled the night air. It was in the dead of night that I usually found some comfort for myself. The calmness of the black sky and lonely silence allowed me time to erase my mind of my daily worries and fears, and just be by myself.
“How are we going to get into the school?” I whispered, as we just stood in the parking lot, staring up at the two-story brick building. They keep this place locked up tighter than a maximum-security prison.
“I left a window partially cracked open in the boy’s locker room after gym today. That way we could get inside the school without signaling any of the alarm systems. No one will notice us because the window is in the back of the school,” Sammy explained with a cocky grin. I hated how he thought he was such a genius.
“Great,” I muttered rolling my eyes.
Following Sammy, we walked along the side of the building, shielding ourselves in the shadows and away from the burning lights hanging above us. Once we reached the window, I realized it was higher up than I had expected.
“We don’t have a ladder; how do we get in?” I hissed as we came to a stop.
“I will lift you up, then I will just jump up and climb through,” Sammy offered, as he knelt down so I could place one foot on his knee.
Lifting me up, Sammy helped me reach the window so that I could slip it open and then slide inside. Climbing in after me, Sammy fell onto the ground below with a loud thud.
“Be quiet,” I hissed.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” he snapped back at me as he stood and rubbed his shoulder.
Rolling my eyes, I ignored Sammy and took his flashlight. “Let’s just get to the classroom, get the test, and get out of here. The school is creepy at night,” I finished, as I allowed him to slip past me and lead the way.
We began walking out of the locker room and through the halls. Everything was dark and eerily quiet as we slowly made our way toward our destination. I had never been inside the school before at night and there was something odd and horrifying about the silence and emptiness of the large space.
Just as we reached the Biology classroom, I noticed something red out of the corner of my eye. Slowing to a halt, I tried to grab Sammy and stop him too, but he ignored me and continued to walk. My heart began to race and the noise was deafening. I wasn’t an expert, but that looked like a motion sensor to me. A security motion sensor. Great.
“Sammy,” I whispered again, just as his leg went right through the glowing red light.
Suddenly, a loud alarm began to blare through the once silent halls, almost ruining our hearing.
“What is that?” Sammy yelled over the loud noise. Holding his hands to his ears, he quickly glanced around the halls, looking for any sign of where the noise was coming from.
“That’s the security alarm,” I yelled, as I grabbed his hand and began running with him back toward the locker room. “You tripped it when you kept walking,” I hissed as we ran.
Once we reached the locker room door, I could hear someone entering the school, their footsteps echoing through the halls as they rushed to find the intruder. Loud, rough voices etched into my brain as they called for us to stop.
“The police are here,” Sammy said, as he pushed me through the doors. We ran to the window and we both climbed back through the opening. Falling onto the wet, damp ground below, we fell with a thud.
Jumping up, we began to run toward the back of the school where a small, tree-lined forest stretched behind the football field. I had never entered that forest before, the shadows that lurked outside of the wall of trees always frightened me. I had heard stories and legends about what lurked within that forest and ever since I had moved to Shady Oaks, I had made it a mission to stay away. Looking at the forest, I swear I felt a million eyes watching me from somewhere deep inside the depths of its soul. Sure, I loved danger and excitement, but even I knew better than to stay out of those woods.
Hesitating, I stopped right before an opening to the forest. I wasn’t sure if the police were chasing us or not, but we had to get out of there fast. Looking back, I didn’t see any flashing lights or police cruisers like I had expected.
“Why are you stopping?” Sammy asked as he noticed my sudden fright.
Suddenly, a loud howling rang through the night. It sounded like a pack of wild wolves were running and yelling together. My eyes traveled to the forest where the sound was escaping from.
“These woods,” I began, but I couldn’t finish my sentence.
A light shone our way and before I could say anything else, Sammy grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the forest and to a smaller clearing that led to town.
As we ran, my heart raced deep inside my chest and a wide smile grew on my face. I lived for moments like this. The fear of getting caught was like a drug to me and I happily accepted my latest fix.
Once we reached the other side of the clearing and we could no longer hear the sirens blaring from inside the school, we slowed to a stop.
“That was close, we could have been caught,” Sammy said, as he leaned over and held his hands to his knees. Trying to catch his breath, he glared at me like this was all my fault.
“Calm down Sammy,” I cried out as I tried not to freak out too. “As long as you keep your mouth shut and stay out of trouble, no one will ever know we tried to break into the school,” I stated.
Nervously looking around, Sammy took a step closer to me. “Can you please be quiet?” he said, as he began breathing heavy. “I’m serious, if I get caught messing up again, my parents said they would send me to the public school in the next town, or worse, make me go to an all boy boarding school.”
I knew Sammy was no longer an option to recruit when I needed to seek a little thrill and adventure. He was right. After being suspended seven times, he was already on the school’s watch list. It took a very large donation to the school to get Sammy admitted back to Shady Oaks High after our accident. Because he had agreed to race with me and had been the one to set up the races, he took the majority of the blame. I owed him.
“Why did you want to do it if you are so worried about being caught?” I asked, as I watched him freak out. “I mean, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Shut up, Nora. You know, the rest of us don’t have some crazy death wish or want to always get into trouble. You may be crazy enough to think it’s fun to almost get arrested, but I don’t. I just wanted to get the answers to a test so I can pass Biology.”
“Don’t worry about it Sammy,” I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. “I understand you can’t get in any more trouble. If anyone saw us, I will just take the blame. My life ended a long time ago, what do I care?”
&
nbsp; I could tell I had hit a nerve with my statement. Stepping back, Sammy removed my hand from his shoulder. “You are really twisted,” he said, as he rubbed his shoulder again. It must still be bothering him from his fall earlier.
“Yes,” I agreed as we began walking back toward his car that he had parked a few blocks away from the school. Once we reached the car, Sammy seemed to calm down a little. Just as he turned the ignition and we began to drive away, I looked out my window just in time to see Liam’s face glaring at me from the tree line we had just run through.
Shocked, I did a double take and sure enough, he was still standing there watching us drive away. Forcing my head forward, I refused to say anything about seeing Liam. Sammy was shaken up enough and I wasn’t even sure what I would say. So, I closed my mouth and enjoyed the short ride back to my house.
CHAPTER 6
The next morning, I found myself rushing to get ready for school as I had overslept, again. I stayed up much later than I should have after I returned home from my little adventure with Sammy. With my mind refusing to rest, I had found myself counting the stars until the morning sun began to make an appearance. The adrenaline I felt was like a massive rush as I thought about what could have happened if Sammy and I had been caught. I could still feel my legs running so fast I swear I thought they would run right off my body. The way Sammy’s panicked expression haunted my mind had kept me reeling all night. It was also the images flashing through my mind of black hair that had me thinking about Liam and his ice cold, blue eyes. Nothing about him made sense to me and that idea frustrated me. Why had he been out at midnight at our school? Was he following me and Sammy? Did he know about the plan? Was he up to something? I knew I couldn’t tell anyone my suspicions about him, they would think I was crazy and lock me back up in another ‘rehabilitation’ center or mental institution, which is what it really was.
In the early hours of the morning as my heart beat fast and the images continued to rapidly race through my mind, I had decided to paint. Different shades of blues were splattered all around my canvas and I couldn’t help but catch myself drawing eyes. Mesmerizing blue eyes that put me in a trance and cast a spell over my heart and soul. I had fallen asleep at some point as I stared at my creation, hundreds of blue eyes staring back at me and somehow their watchful glances comforted me.
A buzzing sound suddenly pushed me out of my dream-like fog. I searched through my room and finally found my cell phone which I had stuffed deep inside my purse once I had gotten home. Retrieving the device, I held it in my hands and saw that I had twenty missed text messages and phone calls. Shaking off the messages, I knew I would have to deal with the brunt of my friends and possibly the administrators if I didn’t make it to school on time today. Quickly showering and then dressing in a comfortable pair of dark denim jeans and a black flowing top, I ran down the large staircase and out the front door. My car was still parked perfectly in my parking spot and when I placed the key in the ignition, I heard the blaring sounds of a rock song coming through my speakers. I allowed the music to drown out my own thoughts and the world around me.
Everything about my life seemed so perfect. The gated community, the rolling horse farms, and the endless supply of cash my dad provided me with would have made any teenage girl happy. However, what I really wanted was to feel; anything other than sadness and pain. Whenever I am on the brink of doing something dangerous or let’s face it, stupid, I begin to get a rush of adrenaline that causes my heart to race and my body to shake. That extreme madness makes me feel like I am alive. Like I am a person and not a robot just existing on this planet.
Driving through the back roads to school, I focused on the scenery around me. Horses galloped along black fences as they raced through their lavish green fields. Trees swayed back and forth against the road as they blocked the sun from shining down too brightly against my car.
When I arrived at the school, I was instantly met with bright red and blue lights and crowds of people standing outside on the sidewalks. Parking my car in the designated student parking lot across the street, I quickly rushed to the scene. By the looks of the news vans and reporters rapidly talking as they stood next to police and ambulance vehicles, I knew something was terribly wrong. Nothing exciting ever happened in Shady Oaks. This must be bad, really bad.
“Nora.” I turned my head, searching for the voice who was calling my name.
Rushing to me, Ronnie was crying as she cradled her backpack in her arms. Seeing her trembling and so upset made me run to her. “Ronnie, what happened?” I asked, now worried that something might be wrong with Teddy.
“There was a murder,” she whimpered through her tears. Her face was pale white and I knew this was serious and I shouldn’t make some dumb joke like I always did in uncomfortable situations.
“A murder?” I asked, almost too shocked to speak. Sure, in a big city like Lexington they have their fair share of crimes and murders, but never has any of those crimes penetrated the perfect small-town world in which I was supposed to live.
Sammy stood next to Ronnie, his eyes diverting to me and then back to the school. His body shook and his face was pale from fright. His brown hair was messy and he kept running his hands through the locks as a way to control his nervous ticks. Sammy walked slowly over to us, his eyes wide with fright. I prayed he didn’t say anything to anyone. We had been at the school last night, but we never saw anything or anyone until the police arrived. Or at least I assumed it was the police.
“Yes, Mr. Donaldson was found dead in the front entrance hall early this morning by Ms. Edrington. They said he had lost all of his blood, but they couldn’t find a weapon. He was….” Ronnie gasped as she shook her head and allowed more tears to roll down her cheeks. “His body was mutilated; like it had been torn to shreds by animals,” she said the words like they were a disgusting disease. “His body was positioned sitting up and his eyes were wide open.”
My stomach dropped and I suddenly feared that I would vomit my breakfast. “Wow, that is terrible,” I said, as I scanned the crowd for Teddy. “Where is Teddy?” I asked.
“He is with Mr. Henderson,” Ronnie answered. “Several students were at school early this morning for Lacrosse and Soccer practice. Coach Hale and a few kids from Teddy’s soccer team found the body. They are all being questioned by the police.”
Just as she finished talking, I saw my Uncle Richard walking up the stone path that led to our school. He was looking very dapper in his navy-blue business suit and white button-down shirt. His dark hair was slicked back and he had his iPhone glued to his ear like always. For a moment, I thought he was my father. The two look very similar and could easily pass for twins. However, my dad owns a luxury car dealership and would never think to stop by my school, even if a murder had taken place.
I guess Uncle Richard is here to witness the questioning. Like my dad, Uncle Richard would never take a break from his busy business schedule as an attorney to check on Teddy.
“What do we do?” I asked. “Is school canceled?”
Running up to us, Teddy waved us down. “Did you all hear the news?” he asked. He didn’t look at me and I knew it would take a while for him to get over our stunt the other night.
“Yes,” Ronnie said through tears. “It’s just awful.”
Pulling me aside, Sammy whispered in my ear as Teddy tried to comfort Ronnie. I allowed him to console my best friend since he had been in love with her practically all of our lives. Only, he and I were the only ones who knew about his feelings for her.
“We can’t tell anyone we were there,” Sammy whispered into my ear. His hot breath made me shudder as it invaded my ear. “The police will look at us as suspects. When the alarm was triggered, we heard voices yelling at us. We both assumed it was the police, but maybe it wasn’t,” Sammy said, his expression growing more anxious as he talked.
“What do you mean? Do you think the killers were there?” I asked, trying to keep my voice low. My heart raced and that familia
r pumping of adrenaline rushed through me like a wave.
“Possibly, but we can’t say anything. Do you understand me?” Sammy said, his voice more of a warning.
“I got it,” I said, moving my body away from him and back toward our friends. I didn’t dare tell him now that I saw Liam at the school, too. It was just all too weird and eerie. I had to find out what was going on and I would have to do it myself.
Walking back next to Ronnie and Teddy, I acted as though I had been listening intently the whole time.
“They said it was murder, but something weird has been going on,” Teddy whispered.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, the police were whispering outside of the school and I overheard them say there were things amiss in the school and foul play is an issue.”
“You think there is something in that school that they aren’t telling the public about?” I asked, suddenly intrigued.
“I don’t know no, but they were saying things like supernatural and a crime they had never seen before,” Teddy said, his voice shaking.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. This was a little too weird, even for me. “Maybe we should do our own little investigation. You know get in there and see what really happened. Or, maybe we could go on a manhunt and search for the killer ourselves,” I said, as I laughed aloud.
“Oh no you don’t. Please don’t get any crazy ideas,” Ronnie said as she glared at me.
“You really should just leave everything alone and let the police figure it out. This will only end badly," Sammy added. “This desire for danger is only going to get you killed. Didn’t you learn your lesson last year?” he added, as he looked at me.
“You are one to talk,” I rebutted. “How many times have you broken the rules? How many cars have you stolen? You were the one to set up the races. How many people did you profit off of that night? Tell me about your friendship with Aleece, the girl has a secret, I just know it, but you keep it hidden. Don’t act like I’m the only one around here who craves danger. I don’t think you are one to judge me,” I said, my voice full of rage. Sammy had no problem devising dangerous plans, but somehow me wanting to go through with one of his plans is suddenly wrong? He was crazy.
Shady Oaks Series: Out of Darkness Page 4
