Chapter 2

It was growing dark by the time I reached my home town. Not wanting to disturb my parents as they were getting ready for bed, I drive to Sandy’s Bed and Breakfast. Back in high school Sandy and I had been best friends. Then I caught her and my boyfriend together two days before graduation. After I graduated, I walked into town and straight into the recruiter’s office before I could back down.

He told me that I would be leaving in a week and I was fine with that. For the whole week, I kept it a secret, but somehow, my mom knew. I think she knew the second I came home. But she didn’t say a word to me or dad about it. The day I was to leave, I came down the stairs with my bags packed.

Dad was leaving for work, but he froze when he saw me. He was torn between being proud of me and disappointed that I wasn’t going to college. So, he didn’t say a word, he just nodded and walked out the door. Giving my mom a kiss on the cheek, I left. I was no longer their little princess.

Sighing, I climb out of my Porsche Cayman, and grab my bag. Walking into the foyer, I cringe when I see Sandy. In the time that I’d been gone, she hadn’t changed not once. When she looked at me, I could tell that she didn’t recognize me. And I was glad.

As I filled out the register form, her eyes would drift to my empty sleeve. Keeping my face blank, I take the key and pick my bag up. “Thanks. Oh, and can you tell me if Mr. and Mrs. McKenna still live out on Wolf’s Lane?” She gives me a curious look but nods.

“Yeah, they still live out that way.” Walking to my room, I could feel the toll of my trip finally hitting me. Stepping into my room, I lock the door and slide a dresser in front of it. Laying my bag on the small bed, I step into the bathroom and strip. Looking at my reflection, I stare at each white scar on my body.

They were mainly on my stomach and thighs, but I had several on my chest and closer to fifteen on my back. I could recall down to the last second when I got each of them. Sighing, I turn on the shower and step underneath the hot water. As the water ran over my body, I could feel my muscles start to relax. I stayed in the shower until the water turned cold.

Stepping out, I wrap a towel around me and walk to the bed. Pulling out another white tank top and a pair of black shorts along with a bra and panties, I dry off and dress quickly. Drying my hair, I climb under the covers. The second my head hits the pillow, I was out.

Spark Plug and I were hiding in some thick bushes while Powder and Flint were laying charges. Tech was keeping a look out as S.P. and I looked for the objective. I spot him coming out of a small house to the west of us. Nudging S.P. and then nodding towards him, he motions to Tech.

They slipped off into the town. I was thankfully for the cover of darkness. Powder and Flint place the final charge and the three of us head towards Tech and S.P. Once we grab the objective, Flint blows the charges and everything breaks loose. His men coming running out of houses looking for the cause of the explosion, panicking when they see their leader’s car in flames.

We were almost in the clear when everything goes wrong. Somehow, he manages to get free. He starts yelling and one of his men sees him so he starts shooting at us. The guy accidently kills our objective and his leader. Knowing we had no other option but to get out of Dodge, we turn and start to run. By now, others are firing at us.

Tech gets hit in the leg and falls. The others were ahead of us, so they didn’t notice. I always made sure that I was the last one just in case something like this happened. I loop his arm around my neck and shift some of his weight onto me. The wound was starting to bleed pretty bad, but we had to keep running.

I bite my lip as I felt a few stings in my back and instantly I knew that I had been shot as well. As much as I wanted to cry out from the pain, I focused on Tech. My team came before my needs. Once we reached safety, they guys noticed that Tech was hurt. Due to the darkness, they didn’t know that I was shot as well.

We slowly cleaned the bullet hole in his leg. The bullet had gone straight through and I was glad it did. Keeping our pace slow for Tech, we made our way towards the beach. The closer we came, the more I got to feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

The full moon lent us enough light to see. And it made the sand look white. Just as we stepped out of the woods, I noticed a small flash of white to our left and I felt my heart sink. Without thinking, I threw myself in front of Powder and Flint just a bullet bit my chest.

I jerk awake sweating. My heart was racing as I looked around the room. For a split second, I panicked. Then it all came back to me slowly. Making my heart get back to its normal rhythm, I lay in the bed longer than I normally do. Walking into the bathroom, I brush my teeth and hair. I left it hanging down.

Looking through my bag for something to wear, I decide to wear a pair of jeans with a black tee shirt. As my eyes rested on the empty sleeve, I wondered if not bringing the fake arm I was given was a bad idea. But then I just shrug it off. Sliding the dresser back into its place, I unlock the door and head down to the desk.

Instead of finding Sandy behind it this morning, I found Brent. Sliding the key towards him, I start towards the door. “There’s breakfast in the dining room if you’d like to eat.” He says stopping me. I turn around and face him. “Thanks but no thanks. I have someone to see this morning and I’m not hungry.”

Brent gives me a confused look. “Do I know you from somewhere? You look like someone I used to know.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know you,” is all I say before I open the door and made my escape to my car. Tossing my bag into the back seat, I slowly back out of the lot. Brent would remember me in a matter of hours, if not by tomorrow. And I wasn’t really looking forward to facing him or Sandy.

 And if I was being honest with myself, I knew that I wasn’t really sure if I was ready to face my family or not as well. But the closer I came to my old house, the more I longed to see my parents. I smile as I think about my brother as well. I was hoping that he would be there too.