Young Writers Society

The air outside was cool, clearing my head, and cooling my sweating hands.

I inhaled it's briskness, and stepped off the bottom step of the church's entrance onto the gravel below. It looked like it was going to rain. Clouds obliterated the face of the sky, like one giant melancholy blanket.

I wondered if the sun ever shined here. Or if it was even allowed to.

A muffled shout echoed from inside the building, and my heart jumped. Go. I hurried toward our van, parked directly before the church's sign, and pulled the handle of the side door. Come on, come on. It didn't budge. No, no. I pulled harder, desperately. "Come on!"

"Are you okay?"

I yelped, and swung around. The heavy set teenager from the back row now stood behind me, pale face crinkled in confusion. 

He was taller than I had realized, about the same height as me, and there was a thick white scar slicing across his collarbone that I hadn't seen before. His eyes drifted to my arms, and I realized they were raised defensively, as if I were ready to ward off any attack. I took a deep breath, willed my heart to quit beating so frantically, and dropped my hands to my sides.

"I'm fine."

He looked at me, and nodded his head a little. "Well. I was just concerned. Silas tends to scare people, so it's completely understandable if you were a little frightened."

"I'm fine," I repeated, though it sounded as if I were trying to convince myself. I clasped my hands behind my back, and looked to the right at the grove of trees behind the church.

"If you say so," he said with a sigh. I glanced at him sharply, and he suddenly offered a bright smile. "By the way, my name's Justin."

"Maddie," I said.

He looked as if he were about to offer a hand, but stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans instead. "I'm actually very glad your family moved here," he confessed. "I was becoming rather tired of being the only teen in town. Especially since I'm homeschooled. And have a strict mother. Hey," he narrowed his eyes, thoughtfully. "You'll have to be homeschooled, too. We should all hang out sometime!"

I stared at him. "We just met."

He sighed again, dropping his head a little. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to freak you out. I just got excited." He shrugged his wide shoulders, as if to excuse himself. "But I could still tell you about some great sites I love to hang out at, if you ever become exceedingly bored one day, and -"

"Great sites?" I was incredulous. In gloomy little Cedar Ravine? It didn't seem possible.

"Maybe not great..." Justin tapped a finger on his chin, "But I think they're beautiful." He pointed down the road at our left. "There's an exceptionally wonderful view over there."

My eyes followed his finger, and I squinted, suspicously. "By my house?"

His face registered surprise. "You live down there?"

"What's wrong with that?"

His big brown eyes widened a second, but then he gave a small shrug. "If you haven't run into any trouble, I suppose I shouldn't say anything. Just be careful."

I folded my arms across my chest, and stared at him. Hard. He didn't appear fazed, just watched me mildly, as if waiting to see what else I would do. Somehow that irritated me.

"What," I said through my teeth. "Is the big secret around here?"

He looked at the ground. "That's not something -"

The entrance door creaked open, and his mother stepped out.

"Justin. Let's go." Her voice was soft, almost weary. She looked at me when she came to stand beside him, a petite figure beside his large frame, and lifted the corners of her mouth slightly.

It was as if she were attempting a smile, but her whole face was much too sad to carry one. I was certain it was her eyes, her big, dark eyes, filled with so much sadness. It overflowed, and spilled onto her face, creating dark circles under her eyes, sagging the corners of her face, graying portions of her dark bobbed hair.

It made me wonder how a person could carry so much sadness, but then I was afraid. Afraid to know. As if somehow her sadness would leak on to me, and I would never be the same.

"Hello," she said, quietly.

Before I could respond, Justin chimed in. "Mom, this is Maddie. Maddie, this is -"

"Erin." Her eyes dropped to the gravel. She took Justin's arm, and began to pull him away, murmuring, "let's go."

Justin waved his free hand, vigorously. "It was a pleasure to meet you!"

He must have been a bit off in the head. It was never a pleasure to meet Madison Miller, and I hated it when anyone said it was.

When they drove away, in a mossy green pickup truck hacking out spurts of smoke, he was still waving. There was a small smile on his face, not big enough to be a grin, but visible enough to show his happiness. It was so pathetic, I had to look away.

I don't need a friend, Justin. I do not need a friend.

The church's front doors exploded open, and Silas strode out, face glowing a hot, angry red. I froze. Pressed myself against the van.

His whole demeanor was hard, a carefully controlled anger. Tense fists, and taut jawline. The steps quivered under his boots, and the gravel sprang away from him. He didn't notice me, a mere few feet away from him, but I heard him muttering to himself. Spewing out short, halted sentences for only God to hear.

He didn't walk to a waiting car, but instead plowed straight ahead, through the thin line of trees to the road on the other side. I watched him walk along it, as rigid and stiff as any soldier marching to war, until he disappeared around the bend.

I let out a breath once he was gone, my shoulders sagging. What? What was it about him that terrified me? His anger? His intimidating look?

I bit my bottom lip, and glared at my shoes.

I hated it. I hated how he scared me. But most of all, I hated that I didn't know why.

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