(Song: Enemy by The Plot In You) No one follows me, which leaves me with conflicting feelings. The tug of war battle is a roller coaster of emotions and thoughts. The breaks are broken and the seatbelt is too tight. Each incline and every turn, I’m whipped around like a ragdoll. All for one boy that I swear I’ve just met. Stepping outside doesn’t clear my head as well as it’s supposed to. The back patio area is mainly for smokers among other things. A few illegal transactions are the least of my worries though. With no eye contact, no inkling of wanting to have a conversation with anyone, I find a corner that’s the least occupied. It takes longer than it should to pull out my phone and dial my dad. Jittery fingers and a growing headache impair my motor skills. The phone barely rings once, before a frantic voice screams from the speaker. “Nova.” There’s no pause for an answer as he keeps shouting at me. “Nova, do you have any idea what time it is? Why haven’t you answered my calls o

(Song: Right Left Wrong by Three Days Grace) I wake up in my hotel bed partially oblivious to getting here. I fell asleep in the car and Lyra had tugged me awake. In a daze, I trekked up to the second floor or did Lyra walk with me? Either way I made it here, changed and crawled into bed. I can't complain. It was a nightmare free night but I swear I had a dream about Nox. But like most dreams the details disappear upon waking up. I might not remember what it was about but it leaves an anxiousness that settles heavily on my chest. Pushing it aside, I roll out of bed. My head is feeling better but still groggy with sleep. The first thing my eyes land on after stretching my limbs awake is the box. Was I carrying it? Maybe Lyra did walk with me back and she carried it. My eyes scan the room for my phone. A panic engulfs me. I tear the bed apart, look at the nightstand and desk once more, check the bathroom, even my clothes that I had been wearing last night. It's nowhere. And then it

The restaurant in the hotel isn’t too fancy and not overly busy either. That doesn’t help settle my nerves or my stomach. My thighs still burn from Nox’s roughness. I don't know where my head was at. I just let him manhandle me. My mind races as we sit down and order. Thankfully, Lyra’s too busy texting someone that I hope isn’t Stryker. But Eden is very observant. “Are you okay? You seem a little off?” You could say that. “Is it about visiting your mom today?” Immediately, I’m filled with shame. I visited my mother’s grave for the first time and not even a couple hours later, I’m doing despicable things with a stranger. What the fuck is wrong with me? “It's just a lot being back here.” Which is true. It’s like I’m turning into a whole different person being here. “Maybe you should stay, you know, longer than a week.” Lyra doesn’t know how terrifying her words are. “I know there’s a lot of heartbreak here, but maybe you can come to terms with it. Maybe it’ll help you move on witho

Walking out of the hotel is a blur. All I know is that Eden takes the backseat as usual and I get a clear view of where we’re going up front. We leave the city to enter the suburbs. Whose house are we going to? The whole situation keeps getting worse. With one turn the empty streets are suddenly filled with parked cars. My question of what kind of party this is, is answered. It’s definitely a frat type party. Finally finding a spot to park, Lyra has the biggest smile on her face all while I could throw up on her floor mats. She’s the first to hop out followed by Eden. Then the two of them coerce me out of the car. Smashed between the two of them, they guide me to the house that has music streaming out its open windows and people lingering in the yard. My nerves get the best of me. My legs get shaky and my breathing becomes shallow. I can’t decipher if it’s in anticipation of seeing Nox or something else. Something else. Definitely something else. Something with teeth and claws. Ma

(Song: You Broke Me First by Out Last Night) The night air is unusually cold and the damp ground seems to penetrate my bare feet. The woods I find myself in block out most of the moonlight, but it doesn’t take much to know where I am. Stumbling around, flinching at the rocks and broken branches that jab at the soles of my feet, I try to navigate my way out. The feel of eyes watching me has me anxious. And clumsy. I nearly fall face first into a clearing. But the clearing isn’t a clearing at all. It’s a grassy ditch. Frantically, I start to climb out, but the wet grass has my bare feet slipping. I’m unable to get the leverage I need. From out of nowhere, in the woods behind me, a deep guttural growl brings my nightmares to life. A wolf, large and vicious, struts out from between the trees. Its fur is muddy brown and its eyes are red like blood. It advances on me. With each slow calculated step forward, I’m barely able to take a step in retreat. I claw at the wall of the ditch, despe