CHAPTER FIVE: DISCOVERED

The reeds were real nice, not that I'd expected them to be any different from my first day. Ian was as nice as ever and Stacey was even way chattier than she'd been, talking the sound right out of my ears that I went to bed even more exhausted than normal. I barely saw enough of Mrs. Reed though but for the times she made breakfast during her night shifts. And Mr. Reed was just like Mona, not rude and surly as she was but quiet and withdrawn. One thing I liked about him though was that he doesn't hover. And talking about hovering, Stacey literally checks up on me like every five seconds just to ascertain if I'd escaped or something. And mom called me nonstop from the very first day I got into Charleston all through my first week, chattering on and on for hours about my new place and if I wanted to come home. That was a no, no of course. Maybe I'd like it here. Or maybe not. It was rainy. and cold. And sunny most of the time. Standing out in the sun made me feel open. Exposed. 

" Are you ever coming out for breakfast?" Stacey called for the umpteenth time from the hall. I'd been trying to spend the week indoors, to absorb some inspiration from within before painting but somehow, I wasn't getting any. All my early morning scribbles'd turned out into amateur sketches. 

 Stacey popped my door so suddenly, I jerked up, startled. Twilight clattered off my reading desk down to the floor as soon as my sketchbook slithered out of my hand. 

" Sorry" She cooed, skipping in and reaching it before I could " You were taking so long and I didn't want your breakfast to get cold" She looked down at the cleaner version I had of twilight, squinting "Twiligh? You're a fan?" 

I shrugged, tucking tidbits of my hair back into the messy bun I'd had going for two days.

" Didn't know that was a thing. Twilight's a bit boring don't you think?" Incensed, I held my breath and the venomous words I knew would only swirl around my head. 

" So, what are you? A buffy girl?" 

" Na" She placed it back against my table though not as neatly as I would have " I'm not really into vampire stuff. Can't do with all that bloodsucking and eternal love bullshit" I sat up straighter, surprised. 

" Really? Why?" 

" Eternal love?" She did a little laugh and plopped down on my bed " Who wants that? Love is an adventure. Something to be explored. Not something to be stuck up in" 

" Is that what you think?" 

" Definitely babe" She did a little jump and I plopped up with her, slightly dazed " Now, don't tell me you're planning on spending such a beautiful Saturday indoors?" She leaned close and made a grab for my sketch and exhausted, I didn't protest. " What's this?" She waved it at me " You're drawing?" 

" If you'd call it that." Running my hands through my hair, I slipped up to my feet and let out a frustrated sigh, grabbing a few scattered clothes I had lying around and stacking them up in the laundry basket. " I've been trying to draw something all morning but I'm not getting enough inspiration" Pausing to breath, I let out a heave " Must be the place..." 

" Yawn Mira." Stacey said, tossing the book aside " Don't tell me about arts Mira you've gotta be better than that" 

" So what do you want to talk about?" I said, walking back to bed with a forced 'girly' smile. The facade worked. She did a little yip and leaned into me, eyes round as saucers. 

" Boys silly. What the hell do girls talk about?" Her voice went a notch lower. " So tell me your specs so far" 

" I just moved in Stacey." 

" So? One week's enough to meet somebody. Do you ever leave your room Mira? You're living like a hermit. If I were you, I chew my butt out by just watching myself live. Go out. Take a walk. Do something before you start to molt in here" I laughed, tossing a pillow aside. 

" Really? Is that what you think?" 

" No. It's what I know" She gave me a playful shove " Now get that butt up and out of here" 

" You should just say stand up" 

Her eyes danced " Where's the fun in that?" I chuckled and played with the strands shooting out of my pillow. 

" I think you're right" I sat up a bit straighter " I should go out. Maybe I'll just take a walk" 

" You see" She held her head high " I'm always right" 

" Yeah, you are" I dragged myself up, trying to maneu my way around her legs when she pulled me back. 

" Hey, where are you going?" 

" For a walk?" She let out a horrified gasp. 

" What? Looking like that?" I looked down at my clothes. My fashion taste wasn't superb but I dressed well and had a good eye for colors. and what harm would a shirt and plaid jacket matched with dark denim pants do?

" What's wrong with it?" 

" You look positively horrifying Mira and read my lips. You're NOT going out like that! Only if you walk all over my dead body" 

"It's just a walk Stacey. What are you fretting for?" 

" How'd you get a hot attractive guy to like you if you're all dressed like a female version of Pinocchio? Boo Mira, boo"

" Stacey..." 

" But not to worry my friend!" She sang, springing up to her feet. I let out a sigh, knowing all too well that when Stacey got all sing-songy and dramatic, there was no stopping her. " I shall come to thy rescue! all aboard!!" 

" Stacey you..."

" Hush, hush sweetie munchkin pie. You shall look purrrrerfect in a jiffy!!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me all the way down to her room. 

" Geez Stacey" She kicked the door open, tossing me onto her bed and dancing up to her closet, a space so wide I could possibly fit my bed in twice.

" Now what to wear, what to wear" She tapped her chin and shot me a glance " I like the pants though. They've got this ret that totally fits you but the shirt, yuck-much!" She skipped up a step " Need to find something, need to find something..." 

" Stacey really..."

" And there!" She did a little jump " There it is" She waved a bright pink shirt in my face, a cropped one with glitters and rainbows that made me want to barf. 

" No," I said, groaning. Her eyes widened. 

" Yes"

" No Stacey" 

" Yes, Mira. It fits you perfectly. Try it out" 

" No" 

" Mira..."

" I won't wear it" 

" Pretty please?" She pouted and scuttled closer, killing me " Pretty, pretty please?" 

" God Stacey..." 

" Thank you!" She tossed the shirt on my lap and skipped back " You can try it in the closet!!" 

" Stacey..." 

" Now shoo, shoo," She said, tugging me in " Don't wanna keep the boys waiting now do we?" I got in and let out a groan. If this keeps up I'll have to reconsider Mom's offer in Florida. 

 The girl staring back at me through the mirror wasn't me. I mean the pants were my style considering the fact that they were mine but not the shirt. Or the straight slightly unruly curls Stacey'd brushed and sprayed and moussed to misery, making them fall over one shoulder. And me without a ponytail was no me at all. 

 I let out a groan and shut my eyes. 

" Come on! You look hot Mira. Super hot!!" 

" I don't want to look hot Stacey. I want to go out for a walk. A simple harmless walk for chris!"

" That'll get you a boyfriend!" She sang, wiggling. " Don't worry. It'll be fine." She grinned, pinching my cheek " Hottie" 

" I'll be the opposite when I step out. It's freezing out there..." 

" No Mira." She held my jacket " You will not wear a jacket!" 

" I have to. Or I'll catch a cold trying to be" I got air quotes ready " Hot" 

" You will not." 

" Oh I will" I folded my arms " And if I do, my blood will be on your hands" Desperate, I tried the last thing I'd ever do " I'm very susceptible to pneumonia" Her face twisted in horror and guilt, I wanted to swallow back my words. 

" Gosh, I never knew that! By all means, take a jacket!!" She bumped herself on the head, moaning " Oh Stacey! you wicked evil soul!!" 

" No, it's..." 

" I've got a jacket that'll go with the shirt. Hang on a sec" She ran back to her closet and ran back out with a dark denim jacket that matched my pants. I heaved a huge sigh of relief, ashamed of myself still. 

" There you go" She snugged it around my arms " Now you can be all warm and snuggly all over" She clapped her hands " Now let's walk the talk!" 

" Yeah. The walk" I let out a groan, uninterested in it. She tugged me out of her room and gave me a sharp hug that left me breathless. I didn't hug her back. 

" Still not a hugger." She nodded " Got it" Pulling the door close, she sank into her room " See you later. Have fun" She waved and disappeared into her fashion paradise as she liked to call it, leaving me slightly dazed and confused about what to do next. 

 I headed back up to my room, reached out for my camera instinctively, and headed back out, tugging at the long leather strap I'd usually hook on my neck most times. It was quiet on our side of the town, too quiet for a town that large. I bumped into Mrs. Connor's dog on my way out and mumbled an apology to no one in particular, weaving my way through the silent streets. A few boys yipped and waved at me and I hurried on, pacing my way into the darker part of town. I took random photos, a small ancient laundromat with a small bird's nest hanging from the roof, a small boy playing in mud and a few teen jocks hauling balls through hoops. Nothing of visual or artistic interest. Till I stumbled on a small pathway leading to a small lake cliffs down. Right next to it was a dark shadowy forest with a 'keep out' sign scrawled across an old wooden board. I peeped into the bright lush green vegetation, curious. A brightly lit bird hopped from an old fruit stand onto the wooden board, arched perfectly against the dark stormy sky, its feathers bright yellow and as transparent as glass. I gasped at its utter beauty, at the strange song filtering through its beak. By God, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. and the strangest bird I'd ever seen. I held out my camera and leaned in for a shot when it hopped out of view and flew deep into the woods. I let out a sigh and shot one more look at the wooden board. It was an old sign, probably from the nineties. Maybe the woods'd been unsafe then but it certainly was now. And I needed to find that strange bird. 

 Brushing the shrubs creeping up my pants, I leaned over the wired fencing and pushed a small creaky door open, walking in. The bright white sand filling the entrance eventually gave way to the dark rich soil that filled my boots and clung to every inch. The woods were dark and lush, eternally beautiful. The trees were a bright orangey-green, the leaves waving and dancing softly under the wind's soft caresses. A soft pearly glow flowed in from some arch above the trees, not quite lighting the place up but casting a soft peaceful shadow through the forest. I listened to the soft shrieks of the cicadas, to the most beautiful melodies I'd ever heard from the birds hopping through trees as though they were trying to put on a show for me. And I could swear that one of those birds actually looked at me. I chuckled, laughing so hard it brought tears to my eyes. This'd been in this town all this time? This'd been what I'd been missing for a week? By God I was never leaving. Never. 

 I held out my camera once more and tore off shot after shot, moving through the trees, arching into the light, holding onto branches to capture the sky through the trees shooting up skyward. It was all so... Breath-taking, incredibly mesmerizing. 

 A light ruffle through the leaves broke into my reverie, followed by a soft pattering running through the deepest darkest part of the woods. A small arch pulled open, something hidden so deep in the dark drawing me in. A soft snarl rippled through the echoing silence. the birds fluttered into oblivion. I gasped.