Chapter 13: School, Part 1

The woods looked different at night. The squirrels weren't out, but a field mouse suddenly scurried by, ducking into a pile of leaves at the base of a tree. For the first time, I saw the forest. I mean, really saw the forest. Even in the moonlight, I could see the variation in the colors of the leaves on the trees. The colors were dim in the moonlight, but still there. The leaves were yellow, orange, a burnished red, and a rich brown, all faded in the moonlight, but still there.

Then my thoughts drifted to Mom and Timmy at home. I didn't worry so much about my Dad; he could take care of himself. Also, I'd just talked to him so I knew he was safe … or reasonably so. He could hide and move in the shadows at night and remain undetected. He could take care of himself. But Mom and Timmy were a different story. I knew that my Mom would give her life to protect and save Timmy if she could. But what if they surprised her, like they did at the school, before she could grab Timmy and hide? As we walked silently toward the school, toward where it all began, I wondered where they were.

"What are you thinking about?" Derek asked, watching my eyes intently as he slipped a gentle hand into mine. The warmth of his touch was reassuring. I didn't pull away.

I tried to smile, giving a gentle shrug, then shook my head, saying nothing. A hard lump was forming in my throat, making speaking impossible. Moisture pooled behind my eyes, threatening to spill over. I looked down at my feet sheepishly, plodding onward.

"Oh, come on," Derek said gently. "Sometimes it helps to talk."

"Not this time," I replied, hearing the rasp within my voice, blinking away the moisture too prevalent behind my eyes.

Derek squeezed my hand then looked at me expectantly, encouraging me to continue.

I relented with a sigh. "I was just thinking of Mom and Timmy, my brother. I was thinking of the last time I saw them. Mom was smiling, always happy, and Timmy was playing in his cereal bowl. How could things have changed so much in such a short time?"

Derek shook his head and looked down, but gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"I was just wondering if they're still alive," I added in a low voice.

Derek nodded thoughtfully. The others said nothing as we plodded along, but their eyes were attentive as they watched the forest, just in case. Derek said nothing, but his eyebrows pulled together as he looked down, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him after a few minutes, keeping my voice low, unable to stand the silence.

Derek smiled a bit, but squeezed my hand. "The same." We continued to walk in silence, watching the forest.

"Do you have any family here?" I asked, noticing the moonlight dance across his face, turning his sandy blonde hair a beautiful shade with blue highlights. His skin looked pale, almost opaque, but beautiful in the moonlight. I felt something stir within my heart, but pushed the thought aside, looking away.

"I moved here with my father," Derek said with a sigh. "He was at work today. I don't know if he's alive either." A faraway look came into his eyes.

That was the hard part, the not knowing.

"We'll find them," I said, a sudden determination filling my voice, and at that moment, I knew it was true. "We'll find out what happened to them. I know we will."

Derek gave me his crooked smile, and my heart sped, pounding within my chest. His eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Beautiful. "That's one of the things I like about you, Casey. Your determination."

It was my turn to laugh.

"Shush," Jada whispered, stopping and holding up a hand. "We're almost there."

I nodded, forcing myself to concentrate on the mission at hand.

A bright light appeared at the edge of the woods. It was probably an overhead security lamp, but it made us all a little edgy. Derek squeezed my hand reassuringly as we hid behind the same log that we hid behind yesterday. It seemed hard to believe that it had only been a day since we were there in that spot, watching the mayhem. And from the safety of the forest, we could clearly see the school.

As our eyes carefully combed the empty parking lot in the back of the school, there was no one. No evidence of movement. And no bodies. They must have taken them all away. My heart raced as we contemplated leaving the safety of the woods to be completely exposed in the bright light. We would have to stay in the shadows at the edge of the light, just in case.

"Jada," Derek asked, "you have more training than us. Do you see any movement?"

Jada's eyes scanned the parking lot. Nothing. The only movement was an occasional leaf blowing eerily across the parking lot under the bright white light. I had to blink several times for my eyes to adjust, but there were no lights coming from inside the school.

"Nothing," Jada whispered, rising cautiously from behind the log. We watched for a moment more, scanning the parking lot and the school. Nothing, just like Jada said. Then, she motioned for us to stay where we were. "I'll go first. You all stay here."

"Jada!" Derek stage whispered, loud enough for her to hear. "Don't go by yourself!" Then, we were all on our feet, following close behind. My heart pounded within my chest, as we left the safety of the shadows, feeling completely exposed.

"Keep a look out," Jada instructed, then walked to the large glass doors at the rear of the school. They were locked, of course. Jada walked bravely along the back of the building, trailing her hand along the glass windows, stopping to push on one occasionally. They were all locked. Then she came to a broken window. "Come on!" Jada motioned to us. We were beside her a moment later.