Danger

Kyle

I hadn't expected her to turn around. I figured she would have just begun walking, whichever direction she had landed in. That's why I threw the rock.

Now my beautiful was unconscious, a good thing, but bleeding from a large cut on her forehead. Not good at all. I purposely mauled her beauty. Now I was the one that should be punished, not her.

I picked up her limp form and put my handcuffs away. There was no need to restrain her now. She would be unconscious for at least a half hour. I began to walk out of the brush. The birds had stopped chirping after the small thunk that her head against the rock had created, but they began again as I walked through the woods with her. I stepped over a dead log and walked out into the field. There was litter everywhere, and some small child had been here flying paper airplanes, because there was one freshly made, lying in a ditch.

I didn't bother it at all, and instead opened the back door of my car and positioned her gently on the floor of the back seat. I covered her with a few blankets, then got shut the door and walked to my own. I opened my door and got in. My hands were shaking slightly, but I ignored it and started my car, backing out of the person's driveway and into the road. I drove back down Lake Road, towards the lake, and eventually took a left.

I backed into the driveway of my house and wound around to the backyard. The high wooden gate was already opened this morning, so I just drove into my backyard. I got out of the car, stood up, and shut the gate.

Now was the time that I had to be careful. I propped open my back door and turned on a light inside, even though I really didn't need it. The dim light provided a small relief to my eyes as I stuck my head into my house to assure that all was well. That finished, I opened the back door of my car gently, trying to be silent so as not to disturb the cargo.

I took the blankets covering her off, and looked down at her. Even though her forehead was still oozing blood, a worrying thing, she looked beautiful in the morning sunlight. Her hair – purple as of a few days ago, shimmered with energy although she wasn't conscious. Her eyelids were shut and remained firmly shut as I touched her shoulder with surprising gentleness, even for myself. I had her, and now I didn't want to disturb her. But, I had to.

I reached into the car, struggling to find a good way to lift her without disturbing her. Her frail body, compared to mine, was easy to lift. I wrapped one of my arms around her waist and cushioned her neck with the other and picked her up, setting her on the seat so I could get a better grip. I now picked her up by placing her limp, lifeless arm around my neck and putting my right arm under her shoulder. Then, with my other arm, I scooped up her knees and legs, and carried her into the house that way.

I walked towards my house, barely burdened by her dead weight. Thankfully, yet worrying, she was still unconscious with all of the movement. She must have not gotten that much sleep the night before, because the rock wasn't thrown hard enough to give her a concussion…

What if she was in a coma or something? The thought crossed, betraying, into my head as I ducked through the doorway of the house. I tried not to run into things and went down into the basement of the house in the dark, afraid to bump her anymore than I already had that day. Feeling around in the cool darkness, I searched for the bed I had gotten her. The dark blue paint that I had decorated with allowed no outside light to enter into the dark chamber, and I stumbled, hitting my shin on the metal bedpost.

Refraining from swearing, I set her down on the bed's mattress and turned one of the lamps on. I walked out, shutting the door and locking it. I couldn't chance her waking up and walking out, even if I was only gone for a second. I walked back up the darkened stairs and into my kitchen. I walked across the kitchen into the little bathroom on the side, and found my first aid kit.

I removed a white bandage and some hydrogen peroxide from the kit, and walked back downstairs. I unlocked the door and reentered, finding her safe and as of yet, unconscious. I soaked the white bandage in hydrogen peroxide and set it on the floor. I spread her out on the bed, removing the handcuffs from my pocket and handcuffing her hands around one of the bedposts. Satisfied that she was secure, I picked up the bandage and gingerly put in on her head, sealing it with the adhesive on the edges.

She moaned a tiny bit, but otherwise showed no signs of consciousness. My duty done, I took the peroxide out, and clicked the light off as I exited. Pure blackness surrounded her, but I could still see her outline shining through the comforting darkness. I locked the door once, with the lock on the outside, and again with a padlock on the outside edge of the door. Short of breaking down the door, she wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

I walked upstairs, and set the peroxide down on my crystal clean counter. I wandered around my house aimlessly. It was dim, mostly because I had put the blinds down on all of the windows to keep out the light. I despise the light, for some strange reason. When I was in high school, I was the one who was always pale, even in the middle of June.

I couldn't figure out what to do. I wandered restlessly, sitting on the pale gray, vinyl covered couch in my living room. Little rays of sunlight streamed in through the window but I ignored them, trying to shut off my mind's constant chatter.

Giving up, an idea formed in my head. I would go down into the darkness, where I was most comfortable anyway, and wait for her to awaken. That way I could make sure that she was safe and spend time thinking and in her presence. It's not like anyone would be coming to the house anyway. Especially not on a Sunday. As for Julietta…I had until tomorrow morning with her before anyone would realize that she was missing.

I got up off of the couch, regaining my balance and then walked back into the dim darkness of my basement. I unlocked the padlock in the dark, and then set the key on a nearby table. I twisted the other lock open and entered into the silent room. I shut the door behind me, effectively blocking out any light left. I walked in a straight line after taking a left, bumping into the recliner I had placed in there.

I sat in the comforting darkness, settling in for what could be a long wait. I stretched my legs out in front of me and leaned back, closing my eyes, but finding no comfort in the images that lay behind them. I listened to her breathing and let it calm my heavy heart.

A scene was painted in my mind. I was watching her breath, I was above her, but I couldn't touch her. The cut on her forehead was gone, and she was displayed naked, and beautiful on the bed. Her body was sprawled out spread-eagled, and her natural form while she was sleeping was more perfect than anything I had ever seen.

I looked around at the room, which was layered in darkness, but nothing could compare to the radiance shining off of her. She was bathed in silver light and was the only thing that mattered in the room. I basked in it, soaking up the warmth, for I was cold and dead and limp and had none to give. I could only take what wasn't mine and hope for the best, hope that I could change. Hope that I could be what she is without trying.

Adam

I stared up at my ceiling. The pale speckles provided a familiar scene, and I looked down, already knowing what I would see. Julie sat on my bed, back hunched and head down. I hopped off the bed easily, moving to sit beside her. Maybe I could find out what was wrong.

The day was darkened, and I could see lightning outside of my window but could hear no thunder.

"Hi." I said uncertainly, reaching into her arms and tugging on her chin. Her eyes came up to meet mine, a sea of sadness and discomfort. My eyes took on a concerned atmosphere.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. My thoughts of the possibilities echoed in my head. She shook her head, as if to say no.

"What's wrong?" I asked once more. This time she echoed me, asking the same question to herself. Her now purple hair was dark in the dim light. The only light was the lightning and the nightlight in my room, in the corner. My door was propped open, into an ocean of darkness.

No one else was home, or around, I could tell that much. It was obvious she wasn't going to answer me, as she stared off into blank space. There was a tiny cut on her forehead that was scabbed over, and her arms still had the Band-Aids on them from her crash the other day. It was warm in my room, but Julie was shivering. I wrapped my left arm tentatively around her shoulder.

"Julie?" I asked, trying to get her attention. She gave a little jump and looked at me, her eyes shadowed with other thoughts.

"Yeah?" She responded after a moment, regaining the sense of where she was. I had an overwhelming feeling of deja-vu as I asked her, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." She said slowly, and then once more as if she finally believed it."Yeah. Everything's fine. I'm scared, but I don't know what of. Oh well."

I cocked my head at her and she grinned. Her grin didn't reach her eyes, her eyes were bloodshot, an odd mix of red and white. Her pupils were small, her dark green irises piercing. I could tell she was lying, but decided to let it go.

"Why do you have your arm around me?" She asked suddenly. I realized, that yes, I did have my arm around her. I moved to remove it and she grabbed it.

"I just want to know why. I didn't say to take it off of me. I like it there right now." She said, pulling it forcefully back to where it had been. I shrugged.

"You looked like you needed comfort. I wanted to help." I replied to her question. She nodded, as if she was agreeing with me. Why did she ask if she already knew my answer? She confused me.

My arm around her warm shoulders kept pushing unwanted thoughts into my teenage head. That's not what she needs right now, I thought angrily at myself. She needs comfort, not sex or anything related to it! With my luck, she's probably bleeding right now anyway.

Contrary to my thoughts, we looked at each other, and my eyes probed hers for answers. Her green eyes didn't cut me off like her voice did. The entire truth was there, if only I could understand it. She looked for answers within my own, and I knew that she knew what I was thinking of. She inched her head closer and closer to mine, and I could feel her almost shaking with anticipation.

Was this what she wanted? I leaned in, a tiny bit more aggressive, until our faces were inches apart. But, it was she that kissed me. First softly, our lips barely were touching, then a bit more forceful. Knowing it was okay, I opened my lips, taking her bottom lip within my own and sucking on it gently. Her eyes shut, and so did the mystical world of her thoughts to me. This was wrong. I pulled away. She opened her eyes, looking at me. They began to be filled with tears once more. I hugged her close to my chest, feeling her bury her head into it.

"What's wrong, Julie?" I asked once again, knowing that somehow, she would answer me.

"I don't know! He's going to hurt us, Adam! He's innocent, but he's going to hurt us. I don't want to die yet. But it's like I'm waiting, just waiting for him to come.

"Wait Julie. Who is he?"

"The guy!"

"The one that chased you and Rob out of the dump?"

"Yes! He knew me, somehow. He's stalking me. I've seen him twice now. I know he's watching me, Adam. He has to be. He's playing games with me. It's like I'm living to die."

Her confession of her worries out, I hugged her tightly. She moved over closer to me, and then just laid back onto my bed, taking my arm with her. Being adjustable, I laid down with her, placing my other arm around her. She snuggled back into my grip, and I felt a sense of wonder. I had never held a girl. And why was I holding my best friend?

She wasn't crying, but she was rocking back and forth, gently. Like she was living to die? Surely it couldn't be that bad…

"It's gonna be okay Julie. Don't worry – you'll be safe. I'll keep you as safe as I can. I promise." I said finally, after she had stopped rocking. I felt her nod against my body. She didn't say anything else and for what seemed like an eternity too short, I held her in my arms, wishing her pain away.

"No Adam…you don't understand. I'm already…"

"It's gonna be okay!" I nearly shouted to the walls as I awoke. I was sweating, and shaking, and I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why did I keep dreaming of Julie being scared, and sad? It was like my subconscious was trying to warn me or something.

And why did I keep kissing her? Or having some form of sexual attraction to her? I feel like I'm violating her. I would never ever force that on her. She's my sister – my little sister. I remember when she was 5, in multi colored stretch pants and mud on her face. I didn't want her.

I stood up out of my bed, stretching backwards with my arms over my head. My mission was successful – my back cracked at least four times. That done with, I jumped up and down a few times, savoring the feel of gravity. I was covered in sweat and I felt dirty, but I ignored the feeling, going into the kitchen and getting a glass of water. Mom wasn't up yet. I wasn't even sure what time it was, but the sun was shining brightly outside. My boxers had wrapped uncomfortable around my thighs and I pulled them down, before taking a sip of the water. It was warm but it took the uncomfortable dryness out of my throat. I could feel the lukewarm water travel down into the pit of my stomach, and it made me feel funny.

I walked into the living room, collapsing on the couch. My mind was surprisingly blank, and instead of thinking in words I was thinking in images, reviewing my dream. The one part which kept playing over in my head was the one that made me feel the guiltiest. Kissing Julie. The anticipation before hand. The actual 'deed', so to speak. It felt like I was molesting an innocent. Made me feel incredibly remorseful, but at the same time a tiny bit turned on. Even if she was my best friend – I had to admit she was sexy.

There wasn't any way I was going to get some more sleep. Between the blistering sun shining through the windows of the house and my half horniness, there wasn't any way I could relax enough to get some sleep. It was only 7:30, but it felt like half the day had gone by already.

It was Sunday. I didn't have anything at all planned for today. My guess was that Steve was still sleeping, or just getting to sleep, and Julie was already up and out of the house. Rob…probably sleeping. He was one to sleep as much as possible. It felt odd, because I hadn't seen any of my friends yesterday or today. Last I saw any of them was during Friday, when we went to the mall together. It was the longest I had gone without seeing them in months.

Maybe mom and I could go hiking or something together. Today was her day off too. Last night we had sat together and watched a movie. What movie had it been? Monty Python, I think. I can't really remember, but it was fun…yeah, it was. Mom and I barely ever got to do anything together anymore. Maybe we could go hiking today.

That decided, I got up and knocked on her door. There was no answer after a moment, so I cracked it open. She was lying sprawled out on her mattress, covers thrown off. She looked so peaceful and unstressed. Like someone had taken an 80 pound weight off of her shoulders. I almost felt guilty when I grabbed her shoulder and gently shook.

"Mom?" I said quietly. She moaned and cracked an eye open.

"What?" She groaned at me, or something similar to that."Time?" She asked me. I shrugged.

"Seven thirty. I know, I know, your job as a mom doesn’t start until 9am on Sundays, but I want you to make an exception. Do you want to go hiking or something today? We'd had to start out now or pretty soon so it doesn’t get too hot on us. We could hike around Hamlin Beach, maybe go up into Devil's Nose or something." I pleaded with her. She groaned, and opened both eyes.

"You really want to?" She asked me, her voice dry. I nodded, adopting my version of a cute puppy dog face. She smiled.

"Wake me up in a half hour. Or at least come in again and make sure I'm awake. But for now let me lay here for a few more minutes."

I nodded."Alright." I said, kissing her on the forehead. I turned my back to her and walked back out, shutting her door quietly.

I walked into the next room on the left, the bathroom, and turned on the shower. There was no way in hell that I was going to go to do more physical activity without showering and getting my sleep's sweat off of me.

I stripped off my boxers and turned on the cool water. Shivering in anticipation, I stepped into the wet atmosphere, being assaulted by tiny droplets of cold water mixed with the hollow comfort of humid air. I took the soap – a green marble color – and washed off my body quickly. I eliminated my body odor by attacking it viscously with the soap. My nipples, small and insignificant they may be, were standing upright in protest to my abuse.

I ran my hands through my hair, wetting it but not bothering to shampoo it. I could do that when I got back from my 'trip' with mom. I shut off the cool water and stumbled out of the shower, searching for a towel. Shivering even though I was surrounded by sticky summer air, I dried myself off thoroughly and wrapped the towel tightly around my waist. I picked up my boxers and threw them in to the hamper as I walked by, back into my room.

I had nothing to do for a full 20 minutes now. Well, I had things to do, but not important things. For example – I needed to get dressed and I guess I could make my bed and maybe make some breakfast for us, but none of that, except the first, was really needed. Speaking of getting dressed…I took the towel off, rubbed it through my hair once then threw it on the ground. I rummaged through the top drawer of my dresser, finding a decent pair of boxers to put on.

After that, I found a pair of denim cargo shorts to wear, off of my floor but still clean, and put those on. They were pants that weren't really tight, but not so loose as to fall off of my non-existent ass without prompting.

I grabbed a white shirt off of my floor and put it on, not really caring what it was. I walked down to the bathroom and took a quick look at myself. It wasn't often that I managed to actually match my clothes decent enough to please mom.

I now had 15 minutes left to myself. Sighing, I went out into the kitchen and turned on the frying pan. I took out the butter and put a tiny cube of it onto the frying pan. I watched it begin to melt, and then turned and took out to loaf of bread we had in the cupboard. I took out 4 pieces, then wrapped the little twist-tie back around the loaf and placed it back.

I broke 3 eggs into a bowl, and I dipped two pieces of the bread in it. Then, I took them out and set them on the frying pan. I removed the spatula from its hiding place and flipped the pieces of bread over after they began to toast. I flipped them over once more, making sure they were brown, and then I flipped them out of the pan and onto the counter, and put a piece of American cheese on one, sandwiching it with the other. I set that in the microwave and punched in "3" "0" "Start". The microwave whirred, and I started on moms.

This time, I took out paper plates. I dipped the other two pieces of bread into the egg and then placed them on the frying pan. I waited a few minutes, and flipped them, then flipped once more. While waiting for my final flip (onto the counter), I took mine out of the microwave and put it on one of the paper plates. I flipped hers out of the skillet, placing them on the paper plate, and took another piece of cheese out. I unwrapped it from the plastic holder it was in and put it in between the two pieces of French toast. I put it in the microwave it for thirty seconds, then took it out, placing it on the other paper plate.

I turned the gas stove off and looked at myself, proud of my accomplishment. Rob couldn't do that. I took mom's paper plate off of the counter and brought it into her room, knocking and then setting it beside her. I grabbed her shoulder and gently shook her.

"Mom, it's been a half hour. I made breakfast for you."

Her eyes had remained completely shut up until the point where I said breakfast. I picked up the plate, as she was awake, and set it on her stomach. She grinned.

"You're the best son I could ever ask for. Even if you did wake me up too early today, you just made up for it. Did you clean up your mess?"

"I'm getting to that stuff right now. Don't worry about it. Get up when you're done and we'll go out to Hamlin, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah, that'll be fine. Thank you."

"You're welcome mom. It's not too often that I have to act like the adult around here, so don't get used to it or anything." I said, smirking. I walked out without waiting for her reply.

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