Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Fault ❯ Sanctuary ( Chapter 2 )

So play the game until you run out…

 

 

 

 

I trudged along the railroad tracks that ran down by Sump'tin Lake, wet gravel and sticks biting into my bare feet. It was raining today, the first day of summer ruined. It made no difference to me really, especially considering where I was. The trees surrounding the old tracks had limbs that hung high above the metal, twining together to form a bright green canopy. Moss covered most of the old oaks and their roots, the dirt alongside the gravel of the tracks always soft and dark.

 

The rain that been consistently falling since sunrise caught in the leaves and vines above, dripping around here and there. Light from the sun shone through the breaks, yellows polka dots covering the ground and trees.

 

My golden retriever, Buddy, bounded back and forth along the tracks, tongue flapping and tail wagging. I followed along behind him, my hands buried deep inside of the pockets of my slick, black rain jacket. The hood was pulled up over my head, shielding my face from the sharp winds the made whistling noises through the woods.

 

I kept along after him, the curve of the tracks my only guide. I rolled my eyes at the thought, as if I really needed a guide in the first place. I knew this place like the back of my hand, even in the middle of the night.

 

The rusty metal slowly began to make a turn to the right; I moved to walk in the middle. I walked through the point of the turn, heading straight into the woods with Buddy following loyally behind. It seemed as if the old dog knew where we were and began running through the broken brush.

 

I was not as fast, not even close to being as enthusiastic. It was only around seven in the morning and I was in no hurry to return home. I walked with practiced ease around the ferns and fallen trees, hardly faltering when the terrain below turned from dirt to slick and wet rock. The further I went, the slicker the rock became, turning from a deep brown to a washed out white. Somehow, trees and ferns had managed to find cracks in the layers of rock, and still formed a canopy above my head.

 

I faintly noted that the drops of water were now few and far between, a good indication that the rain was letting up. Good, I was near my destination.

 

A few moments later, the trees broke and light filtered in from only a few yards away. I picked up my pace, pulling my hands of my jacket and allowing my arms to swing in time with my steps.

 

I left the woods, tall sweet grass surrounding me and licking at the sides of my exposed legs. A light smile flitted across my lips as I stopped and closed my eyes, breathing deeply and smelling the sweetness of the grass and flowers, water, and cleanliness of rain.

 

It was barely even misting as I opened my eyes, taking in the view of the lake before me. It was unlike most lakes around my home, the majority muddy with dark brown water and a green skin across the top. Dirt always covered their banks, thick and speckled green. Sump'tin Lake was different though, causing it to be one of my favorite places to visit. A haven if you will.

 

Surrounding land was all strictly broken, white rock. The sweet grass and flowers grew in a cluster along the edges of the woods that surrounded the lake on every side, their roots curving beneath the thin layers of white.

 

The rock didn't end at the water. It continued out, making up the bottom of the lake. The water was crystal clear and the bottom shimmered in the sunlight.

 

A bigger smile spread on my lips as I inclined my head to my left, watching as Buddy played and barked at a turtle that had retreated into its shell.

 

I shook my head lightly, reaching up and pulling back the hood of my jacket, instantly feeling the mist clinging to my face. I began to walk once again, all the while pulling off my jacket. I dumped it at the edge of the lake and slowly waded out to knee deep water, the coldness making me shiver lightly. I dipped my hands into the water, the feeling making my fingers tingle. I chuckled softly and quickly stopped as I noticed the reflection of my thirteen year old self.

 

My eyes were the first thing I focused on, the first thing most people focused on. They were a brilliant green and almond shaped, the dark lashes long and curled. I shifted my gaze to my face; it was covered in hundreds of freckles that ranged across the bridge of my nose and cheeks, clinging on top of my deeply tanned skin. Blonde hair hung forward around me as I bent, but I knew that if I were standing straight, it would reach just past my shoulders.

 

I frowned lightly at my reflection, watching the creases form in my forehead that made me look much older. The mist had become slightly uncomfortable as it seeped through my white tank top and denim shorts.

 

I stood up, squinting up at the sky and noticing the black clouds that were quickly rolling in. I glared at the vast blue above me, grinding my teeth together in frustration. I would have to leave and I was in no mood to do so yet.

 

I walked back to the banks and sat down, deciding that I would wait until the thunder came for me to leave.

 

As I stared out at the water, my gaze shifted to the higher peaks of white rock that inclined along the right. I smiled softly as I fondly began to remember…

 

“AJ!” called out Chloe as she stumbled along the rocks, tripping over protruding roots. “AJ! AJ look!”

 

She ran up to me, holding up her fishing pole that was taller than she, and grinned brightly at the fish that flopped at the end. Rachael broke out into a fit of giggles as she watched it strain against the hook.

 

I laughed along with her for no good reason, laughing harder as Chief, Grady, and Sean stared at us.

 

Chief was three years older than us, making him 8, and was nearly a full-blooded Native American with red skin and dark hair and eyes. Grady was 9 and as pale as the rocks around us, his hair a dirty blonde and his eyes bluer than the sky. Sean was 10 and even tanner than I was, dark freckles covering his whole body, with brown hair and startling light green eyes.

 

After our giggle fit, we threw back the fish and watched as it swam away in the crystal water. We caught fish and released them until the sun began to settle in the sky, deciding then that we should probably get home.

 

The six of us ran along the rocks and through the woods, not caring as our feet and legs and arms were cut up by thorns and rocks. Bursting out the other side, we ran along the railroad tracks, stepping up onto the metal bars and balancing ourselves on them.

 

We stopped about halfway home, taking a break and sitting down in the cool dirt. It was then that Sean decided to show us his arrowhead that he found between the crevices of rock at the lake.

 

He pulled it out of his pocket, eyes sparkling nearly as bright as the black arrow. Of course we all thought it was amazing and envied him for it.

 

Sean stuffed it back into his pocket, though not as deep, as we began to walk along the bars of metal once again. We increased our pace, running along the rusty strips and trying to stay on. We had only gone a little way when we heard the clink of Sean's arrowhead falling between a thin slat of metal.

 

He smiled crookedly at us. “Hold on,” he said. “Lemme get it out and then we'll keep going.”

 

The five of us stepped off the tracks and stood impatiently in the gravel as he stuck his hand down to grab it. We knew that he had it instantly because of the grin that spread across his face. But it quickly was replaced by one of despair, his hand was stuck.

 

“C'mon Sean!” called Grady, at the time we didn't know of the trouble that laid ahead.

 

In the distance we could hear the rumbling of a train and shriek of its whistle; Sean hid his fear with a giant smile.

 

“Just a second!” he called back.

 

The train became louder and louder, coming closer and closer until finally we saw it coming towards us, towards Sean.

 

“Sean, quit foolin' around!” I yelled at him, and yet he still smiled, tugging his arm and cursing under his breath.

 

The train was going to hit him, we all saw it coming. We screamed his name, throwing our fishing polls into the dirt and ran towards him. The whistle of the train was loud and hurt my ears, any second now it would hit. The rumbling grew louder and louder, but it was quickly drowned out by our screams as the train collided with him…

 

 

I was torn out of my thoughts as a fierce, purple bolt of lightning shot across the sky. It took me a moment to realize that it looked almost night out, even though it was hardly even 8:30 in the morning.

 

I stood up quickly, tugging my jacket over my head with haste and pulling up my hood. “Buddy!” I called, watching the retriever run towards me. I sharply turned around and dove back into the woods, knowing he was at my heels.

 

I was now eager to get home; a storm like this wasn't one you wanted to get stuck in. I cringed as I felt a particularly sharp rock stabbed my toe, wishing I had brought shoes. I made it through the woods in record time, breaking into a run along the side of the tracks.

 

Running was second nature to me, my breath never catching or becoming uneven. I smiled crookedly as I heard the thunder, thinking back to earlier on the banks.

 

That train had collided with Sean, tearing his arm off in the process. We struggled to carry him back to town, leaving our fishing polls behind. He was sent off to Mobile and it was two weeks before we saw him again.

 

The five of us had been sitting lazily in the grass of Chief's front yard when his mother yelled out to us that Sean was home. We all smiled brightly, having figured that he was dead by now.

 

We ran the two blocks to Sean's house, meeting him in his front yard and noticing his bandaged up stump of an arm.

 

“Well,” Grady said, crossing his arms. “I reckon we're gonna have ta' call ya Stump from now on.”

 

Sean, or Stump, smiled crookedly at us, raising up his right and only arm. The black arrowhead glistened in the sunlight.

 

“I got it,” he said sheepishly.

 

Chief punched him in the stomach.

 

 

I laughed at the memory as I slowed my pace, having reached the train station and turned to walk on the side of the road. That was 8 years ago and to this day we still called him Stump.

 

Rain suddenly began to fall on me in a heavy sheet, soaking me to the bone. I frowned, throwing my hood back and letting it soak my hair as well. It was pointless to try and keep dry now. Buddy followed by my side, his fur dark with the weight of water.

 

My mood turned sour nearly as fast the change in weather; I didn't want to go home. I debated on heading off to the pier, but a side glance at Buddy and my empty pockets had me deciding against it. Besides, my feet were starting to hurt.

 

I glared ahead, the pavement burning my feet even though the rain was ice cold. It was at least 90 degrees outside and as the rain hit the streets, little wisps of steam rose up into the air. There was no point in walking on grass belonging to the fields that ran along the sides of the road, they were mud traps just waiting to happen.

 

I sighed softly, staring ahead at the seemingly endless road ahead; nothing but empty fields on my sides. I briefly wondered if I should go to Jade's house instead, considering it was much closer. My freckled nose wrinkled. I'd still have to make the walk home either way.

 

Finally, the fields faded into rows and rows of houses and I knew I was near my destination. It was a good thing too, lighting was shooting across the sky in rainbow colors every few seconds.

 

As soon as I entered my neighborhood, I broke out into a run once again, the pavement having cooled off in the downpour. Buddy ran at my side, seeming to be completely at ease. Thunder boomed loudly, the sound pounding in my ears.

 

My feet screamed in protest as I continued to run, feeling as if the skin were about to fall off. I knew that if I'd look, I'd find blisters. I didn't, I just kept running.

 

After what felt like an eternity, I reached my house. The white paint was flaking off here and there, but it still held a certain charm. I walked over to the side of the house, climbing our wooden fence easily. Once on the other side, I unlocked it and let Buddy in.

 

My other dogs, Coco, a brown lab, and Jack, a black lab, danced around at my feet. I patted their wet heads and locked the gate back up, swerving around trees and bushes to get to our back porch. I reached for the screen door, trying to open it, and found that it had been latched shut because of the wind.

 

I groaned, resting my forehead against the wood paneling. I could yell for them to open up the door, but I wasn't in the mood to be found. If I was, then they'd make me stay home. A plan formed in my head, a sly grin tracing my lips. There was always another way to get it.

 

I ran across the yard, grass squishing underneath my abused feet. I hopped the fence in record time, dropping to the ground and peering up at my left.

 

A trellis covered the entire east side of the house, thick vines covered in purple flowers clinging to the wood. A window very high up rested in the midst of these vines, the window to the attic. The window to my room.

 

I couldn't help but grin as I carefully began to climb up the trellis; I had been the one to win the fight for the attic without even fighting. About a year ago, my parents got fed up with the arguing and gave it to me.

 

I reached the window, my left hand gripping the sill as my right slipped under the pane I had left open, pushing it up higher. I climbed through it, my feet touching my wooden floor a moment later. I chuckled quietly in triumph, tiptoeing across the floor towards the bathroom on the west side of my room.

 

Just as I passed my bed that was in the center of my room, a figure shot out from underneath my white sheets. I yelped in surprise, a booming laugh coming from the bed.

 

I glared over at them as the sheets fell the rest of the way off, revealing a certain brother of mine.

 

“Jason!” I shrieked in a heated whisper, the sound of his booming laugh sounding once again. “Get out of here!”

 

He cocked his head to the side, flashing his white teeth at me. “Why?” he questioned in a cocky tone. “It's not like you were planning on sneaking out.”

 

I cursed under my breath, glaring heatedly at him as he continued to smile at me. “If you tell anybody,” I warned. “I'll tell Weezer what really happened to her petunias last week.”

 

His blue eyes glared back at me, his amusement gone. I knew I was going to win.

 

“Fine,” he ground out. “You're no fun.”

 

I rolled my eyes, a smile forming on my lips. “Yeah, I noticed that.” He smiled back as I retreated into my bathroom.

 

I dug around in the cabinets below my sink, pulling out a towel and a few large band-aids. I hopped onto the white marble counter, gingerly drying off my feet and putting the bandaged over my blisters. I tossed the towel in the hamper and came back out to find Jason right where I left him.

 

I ignored him, knowing that there was probably something else he wanted to say. I grabbed a pair of flip-flops and a wad of cash, glancing back at him as I made my way back to my window.

 

“Remember,” I warned. “I'll tell Weezer.” I tossed my flip-flops out the window and proceeded to climb back down once again.

 

 

 

 

Years later I would look back on this day and realize that this was the turning point of my life, for both the good and the bad.

 

 

 

 

 

The boardwalk was nearly deserted as I walked along, watching a car pass here and there, water spraying out from beneath the tires. The rain had let up to a soft shower, the sun breaking through the grey clouds and glistening against the water of the ocean.

 

I kept the hood of my jacket up over my face, bits of my hair falling out in a wavy pattern. The smell of the salty air was soothing to me, but my peace wouldn't last much longer.

 

I strode into a local cafe, pulling my hood back at the same time. I realized several things all at once: Mandy, Lizzie, and Jade were all sitting at the back, the place was packed, and a set of startling blue eyes stared at me from the corner.

 

It was the latter of the three that caught my eye; I stared nervously over at them.

 

The eyes were a shocking light blue, both very deep and intense. They stared at me with a look of confusion that melted into a look of instant hatred as they narrowed. The expression startled me. I didn't know this person did I? I shifted my gaze to look at the face the eyes belonged to.

 

It was a boy, a few years older than me. His hair was blonde, shaggy and dark from the rain. His face was perfectly smooth and deeply tanned, the planes of his cheeks chiseled. His lips formed a thin line and his jaw was set, the tendons in his neck protruding.

 

I felt my cheeks burn as he looked away, biting the inside of my cheek in aggravation as I made my way to the counter to order. I felt those same eyes on me the entire time I was there, following me across the room as I went to sit with my friends.

 

I was close to them, but they didn't see me. I slowly debated leaving, those blue eyes making me uneasy, as if they were something to be feared. I ground my teeth together, I was being ridiculous.

 

Stubbornly, I continued walking towards them, ignoring the boy as I went. If he had a problem with me, for whatever reason, then that was fine with me.

 

“Hey guys,” I said, forcing a smile. The three of them looked up at me simultaneously, smiles breaking out on their faces.

 

“AJ!” said Jade in surprise. “I tried calling your house to see if you wanted to come, but Jason said you were out.” Her expression was teasing. “So where were you, huh?”

 

I rolled my shoulders in a shrug, moving to sit down in the empty seat next to Mandy. “Out,” was my simple reply, chuckling softly.

 

The conversation continued on from there, pausing only to take a drink of our beverages. Finally, Lizzie said something that sent a shiver down my spine.

 

“Hey Age,” she said, inclining her head to the left. “I think that boy is staring at you.” My jaw clenched again, my eyes darting those blue eyes and back.

 

“So?” I ground out, occupying myself by taking a drink.

 

Mandy's mouth hung open as she looked at me. “Do you not know who that is?” she asked.

 

I quirked one of my thin eyebrows at her, glancing back and forth between the three of them. “Should I?”

 

Lizzie stifled a laugh behind the back of her hand as Jade laughed, Mandy still looked at me like I was inept.

 

“That's Chase Calhoun you idiot,” said Mandy, rolling her eyes as if it were obvious.

 

“And…?”

 

“AJ.” It was Lizzie who spoke up this time. “Chase Calhoun goes to school with Drake and Josh.”

 

I nearly choked on my drink. It was looking as if the first day of summer was ruined after all. He did know who I was, and more than likely, he knew more about me than I would have liked. I covered up my surprise with a shrug.

 

“That's great,” I said with sarcasm.

 

Jade rolled her eyes. “Smartass,” she muttered under her breath, causing the rest of us to start laughing.

 

Our conversation turned back to simpler things: vacations, surfing, and anything else you could possibly imagine. The entire time I felt James' eyes on me, but I refused to let it bother me.

 

It was nearing noon by now, the four of us more than likely needing to home soon. We stood and said our goodbyes, making plans to see each other soon as we departed.

 

 

 

And play the game into my hand