Chapter twelve! comment and vote please!

Luna

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Three weeks passed without incident, I slept until late afternoon, going out some days, staying others. At night I would either stay with Eric, we'd go out sometimes, both still slightly embarrassed around each other. Or David, in which case our game would go on, taunting and goading each other, I did end up successfully trashing his bike. Which he was unable to use for a week while it got fixed. Sometimes I'd go with them, watching from a distance. Letting the sound of screaming clear my mind whenever I veered toward cracking. David and I went back and forth, discussing the "game's" rules. If I gave in I had to admit it, swallow what pride I had and ask him for help. And it had to be Isaac, I had argued so much against that one, but it had been right after I trashed his bike that that rule came in, and I had no chance changing it. He couldn't force me to do it, and there was no threatening at all, but if I lasted a full two months and didn't then those rules disappeared. It got worse every day, now getting to the point where until nightfall I rarely left the cave.

I woke up much later the that day, six o'clock, an hour and a half until it got dark. I decided I was going to go out, I felt restless. I squinted slightly, even with my sunglasses. Since the Isaac problem it had gotten about twenty times worse.

I walked through the town listlessly, not sure where I wanted to go. Maybe get something to eat, jeez I hadn't eaten in what, twenty someodd days? How was I not hungry? But I am My thoughts reminded me, I shook my head. Maybe some normal food would help a bit. Then I remembered I was flat broke, digging my hands through the pockets of my jacket, I found, five dollars. Woop de flipping do. Well that would be enough for pizza, something to put in my stomach. I wandered up to the first stand I came to (Because they were everywhere around town) and bought a giant slice.

My stomach grumbled slightly, but as I walked away, about to take a bite, I gagged. My insides seemed to knot, sending pain shooting through my stomach. And the smell, the smell made me nauseous. I leaned up against the wall of a building, dropping the pizza and clutching my abdomen. I felt exhausted all of the sudden, so weak I could pass out right here. I stumbled down the street a little further, and sunk to the ground in the first alley I came to. My headache was back, my stomach was still twisted, I felt awful. And then, something lessened it, the warm delicious scent curled around me, beckoning. I buried my face in my knees, disgusted, and afraid, I was not letting that happen again.

I wasn't sure how long I was there, only that I was snapped from my thoughts by the sound of motorcycles.

"Hey Alex," Jesse's playful voice came from above me, but I didn't raise my head

"She does not look well." Kyle pointed out.

"Kyle shut up, you know what it's like." Eric muttered.

"Come on Alex, lets go for a ride." David's voice, I looked up.

"No way I'm going anywhere with you." I muttered.

"Alex come on, you'll feel better."

I laughed bitterly "Yes I would, but then you'd win the game all to soon."

"What's she going on about?" Jesse asked.

"Nothing important." I heard David mutter.

Eric pulled me up, I went reluctantly. My head was still pounding.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said

Kyle chuckled "Not like you really have a choice."

"Course not," I grumbled as I got on the bike behind David, wrapping my arms around him.

****

I was vaguely aware of where we were going. I wasn't happy about it, but I was too tired to do anything, quite literally I felt dead on my feet. Nearly a month, and here we go again, I leaned up against one of the tree's growing along the side of the beach. Watching the guys go down to the fire. Screams and shouting filled my ears, one stood out. It was familiar, what was Isaac doing here, I came a bit closer. Yes that was definitely him, and the guys were staying well away, I felt slightly angry all of the sudden. He should be smarter than this, he knows how much danger there is at night, and actually believes it now. Yet there he was, either too injured, or too scared to try and run.

David's eyes met mine, I knew that look, I met it with a glare. Now, looking a bit closer at Isaac, I wondered if he was here on purpose. I would have to see him tomorrow, if David was threatening him to come (which I didn't doubt) then I needed proof. This was getting out of control.

Finished, the guys came back up to me, Jesse and Kyle messing around, pushing each other sideways until one of them fell over. David watching me with the same, half expectant look, Eric with something like sympathy.

*****

I didn't sleep well at all. I kept waking up thinking someone was watching me, someone I knew, but had forgotten. I left for the comic book store as soon as I was awake, around four thirty.

"Isaac," I called when I walked in, I could see him, he was avoiding my gaze, and ignoring me.

"Isaac!" I yelled, he finally looked at me, he looked awful, dark shadows under his eyes, and his skin was an unhealthy gray color.

"What?" He asked

"I need you to tell me something-"

"Why should I tell you anything?!" He demanded.

"Because I need to know if I'm right!" I snapped "Why were you there last night, I thought you had stopped with the parties?"

He frowned "I had, but one of your friends-" I cut him off

"His name is David, and he's only trying to get to me." I told him

"Well that does not help the fact that I'll end up just like you if I don't go when he says!" I bit my lip, holding back a nasty retort.

"Well if you keep going your more likely to end up dead than anything else." I muttered.

"What! Is that what he's doing?"

"I said that before idiot!"

"But you didn't say why!"

"Isaa can you please not shout?" I asked, my headache was back again.

"So what can you do about it?" He asked

"I can prove he's cheating at the game." I said softly.

"Game?"

"Yes, game, our sick, twisted, who can bait the other further game."

"And that does?" he asked, looking skeptical.

"It means it ends, and he stops trying, and I actually get some peace."

He started to say something else but I stopped him.

"I have to go, it's bad enough being out right now, I feel like I'm going to pass out. Plus it takes me an hour to walk from here back home, so I need to get there before the guys wake up."

"But-"

"Isaac, really, I have to go." I said, and left without a backwards glance.

Truth be told I had been having a hard time standing there and not attacking him, however I did need to get back. So I wasn't really lying.

David was so in for it when I got back.

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Much longer this time :D

tell me what you think!

Luna