Young Writers Society

The few customers in Safeway were staring at us. Staring as if we were foreigners that were rudely invading their little town. Openly and unashamedly. We had been here for nearly fifteen minutes already, and yet they still gaped.

Sorry! I wanted to say. I don't want to be here, either.

I looked at the Granny Smith apples arranged on the stand in front of me, but I could still sense their piercing gazes. No wonder Mama hadn't wanted to come shopping by herself.

She set a plastic bag full of apples in our shopping cart, turning it towards the aisles. Her thin lips were pressed tightly together, her bony shoulders stiff.

"Next time let's come when nobody's here," I muttered. "Like at midnight or four in the morning."

Mama didn't say anything. Only pushed her cart into the bread aisle, nearly running into an old man who happened to step in the way.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She looked startled. "Excuse me."

He muttered something unintelligible, reddened eyes shifting from her to me, before shuffling on his way. Well, excuse you. I wrinkled my nose as he passed, catching a strong whiff of sweat and beer.

"Maddie." Mama's voice was so soft I almost didn't hear her. She glanced over her shoulder at me. "Be nice."

I flipped my hands in the air, hissing, "I didn't do anything!"

"People are watching us," she murmured, stooping to look at loaves of bread on the bottom shelf. "Don't look so upset all the time."

I couldn't help but look upset all the time. That was just my face. "I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not," I muttered, crossing my arms across my chest.

She picked up two loaves, dropping them heavily in the cart. "We're supposed to be Christians, Maddie. Not the people who chase off -" She stiffened, eyes flicking behind me.

I turned, and my eyes met his. 

Black. 

So black it looked as if he didn't have pupils. 

I froze. 

He was only there for a second, in a flash of red hair and huge shoulders, and then he disappeared.

My mouth grew dry. Silas. Silas was here.

When I turned, Mama's face was set hard as stone. "Let's go," she said. It somehow sounded like a command. She shoved the cart out of the aisle and I followed in her shadow. 

Already I felt a tremble in my fingertips. I pressed my arms to my stomach. Stop it, Maddie. You're fine.

Up ahead I could see Silas was standing at the cash register, talking to the cashier. No - they weren't talking. They looked as if they were conspiring. Heads bent together, mouths hardly moving.

As we approached, I saw the cashier's head turn slightly, her gaze fix on me and Mama before moving back to Silas. 

My heart skipped a beat. 

They were talking about us.

Why were they talking about us?

"Mama," I started to say, when a voice wearily called out, "I can take you over here."

There was a woman two registers away from Silas, blinking slowly at us.

Mama went to her, and I started to lay out the groceries on the conveyer belt as quickly as I could. I wanted to leave. Now.

Mama somehow managed a smile at the cashier, asking, "How are you doing?"

The woman shrugged her thin shoulders, glancing behind us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the two still talking. But someone else had joined the party. A short and stocky man in black. I dropped the loaves of bread on the conveyer belt, watching. Not more than three seconds passed before his head turned toward us.

The plastic bag of apples in my hand nearly slipped to the floor. I steadied them on the belt, turning my back to the circle. Get a grip, Maddie. 

My hands were slippery. I pressed them hard against the fabric of my skirt.

The cashier was the slowest cashier I had seen in my life. She looked as if she were about to fall asleep scanning the items, body sagging and stringy black hair falling into her eyes. Mama was calmly watching. Waiting.

Hurry! I wanted to say. Please. Just. Hurry.

Someone's voice raised behind me, and my skin prickled. Silas?

I moved to the opposite end of the conveyer belt and began dropping the groceries back in the cart. No bags. We didn't have time for bags.

Whoever's voice it was lowered behind me. The silence gnawed at me.

Mama was paying now, the cashier watching. She stared after us when we walked away, eyes dark and haunted.

I felt as if I couldn't walk fast enough. My shoes screeched across the tiles. "Maddie." Mama's voice was sharp. "Slow down."

I didn't want to slow down. A part of me was afraid Silas would call out, say something to us. Stop us.

A voice was raised again. A hoarse, slurred voice. I saw the man Mama nearly ran over standing beside Silas, arm slung around his shoulders, and then we were outside.

The fresh air was a welcome relief compared to the hot misery in Safeway, but I didn't stop. Only plowed straight for the van. My heart wouldn't stop pounding out a panicked rhythm until we were ten miles away. Hurry, hurry. I had to hurry.

I turned to see Mama walking a little ways behind, and opened my mouth to speak when I voice bellowed out, "Hey Maddie!"

I nearly jumped three feet in the air.

Justin was walking up the parking lot towards me, smiling wide.

I stared at him.

He walked up to the side of the cart and cocked his head a little, curiosity scribbled all over his face. "Are you okay?"

"Uh," I said.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. My brain felt stunned, my body felt numb. I could only look at him. But he was looking at me. Waiting.

"We're just... leaving," I said. And I pointed to the cart as if he wasn't standing right in front of it. What the heck, Maddie. What are you doing?!

Mama came up on my other side then, saving me, and offered Justin a small smile.

"Oh, hello!" He flashed his quick grin again. "Mrs... uh..."

"Miller," she said.

He snapped his fingers. "I knew that, I knew that." He glanced back at me, then down at the cart. "So, you two are doing some grocery shopping? - "

"What are you doing?" I wanted to know.

Justin didn't look a bit startled at my interruption, but I saw Mama's eyebrow twitch. "I'm only walking over to Taco Bell to eat some lunch. Once in a blue moon my mother will allow me to." He chuckled a little, before brightening suddenly. "Hey. Did you guys eat yet? We can all go over together."

No.

But almost as soon as that thought passed through my head, another sprang unbidden into my mind. I could find out through him. More about the strange happenings in the town. Justin had to know something about the history, the cult, or even the cemetery. Only question was whether he would tell me.

Mama had a look on her face that plainly revealed her uncertainty. "Well..." she began. It was going to be a no.

"We'll go with you," I intervened.

Mama's eyes snapped to my face. Even Justin looked surprised. Then a huge grin stretched across his face. "Great!"

I couldn't help but feel a little prick of guilt. I somehow felt as if I were deceiving him. 

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