Dangerous Destiny: A Night Sky novella Read Free Page B

so fast through tiny, intricate tunnels belonging only to me.
    Soon, that blood will leave my body. And then, only then, the pounding will stop.
    I don’t want to…but I need to.
    DO THIS.
    So scared. And so sorry. Skylar, I’m so, so sorry.
    DO THIS. I NEED to DO THIS.
    Need trumps want.
    I watch her as she laughs. She’s sitting there, her bloodred hair so pretty in the breeze.
    I don’t want to kill her.
    But I need to. I’m saving her from the horror of her death in that barn. She’d thank me if she knew.
    Such torture is in store for red-haired Skylar. It waits there, in the future, for her. It waits there for me, too.
    It’s our destiny.
    Unless I do this.
    And I must.
    Need trumps want.
    And it’s time.

Chapter Five
    It was right as I was finishing up that first bite of Calvin’s ridiculously awesome sandwich that the aforementioned crap began to hit a couple fan blades.
    I was making yummy sounds and rolling my eyes in ecstasy—I seriously couldn’t help myself—when I glanced over and caught Hobo Girl’s death glare. Except as our gazes met and locked, I realized that her eyes were flooded with unshed tears. I also realized that her mouth was moving, as if she were talking to an invisible friend, or maybe her invisible hobo dog, Patches. But as I watched, I realized she was saying, over and over, “I’m so sorry, Sky. I’m so sorry, Sky.”
    Taking another bite of hot-sauce laden meatloaf, I leaned in and whispered to Calvin. “Do you know that girl?”
    He was noshing away at his own section of sandwich, but he glanced over his shoulder, and even smiled and waved a little at her. “That’s April,” he said dismissively with his mouth full. “She’s harmless. Just kinda, you know, emo hipster to the nth degree. We were really good friends back in middle school, but then…She outgrew me, I guess.” Calvin shrugged like it was no big deal. I caught something in his eyes that looked pained, for just a second. But it disappeared fast, and he smiled at me.
    I smiled back, but I was definitely distracted by April, who was still staring at me—grilling me, it seemed. And even though her eyes were still swimming in tears, they’d somehow hardened, as if she were summoning a death ray that would incinerate me on the spot. They were also oddly red—and I don’t mean gonna-cry-red, but bloodshot red. Like, since she couldn’t get the death ray to shoot out of her eyes, she was now trying to bear down extra-hard, so as to poop out a ray gun, so she could shoot me that way. Seriously, it was as if the little veins in her eyes were working so hard to pump blood that some of them burst.
    As I gazed back at April, I wondered if she was on some kind of really bad drug. But anyone I’d ever seen who had been on something always seemed vacant. This April girl? She was focused. No. Actually, she was beyond focused.
    It was like she was able to see things that I couldn’t see. Terrifying things. Mixed in with her angry glare, she looked terrified, too.
    Her mouth was still moving, but I couldn’t make out the words. I’m pretty sure my name was still in there, though.
    I’ll admit it, she was freaking me out.
    And the look on my face in turn freaked out Calvin. “New Girl. What’s up? Do I have a spider on me or some kind of giant killer bee…?”
    “ Shh ,” I instinctively said, although I had no idea why I thought it was necessary to stay quiet. It’s possible that April was muttering, “It’s time. Sky, it’s time.” But that was just too weird. Too creepy. Too ominous.
    Calvin turned around to see that I was still looking at his former childhood friend, who was now rocking in her seat. He didn’t seem perturbed—in fact, he called out to her, “You okay, there, Ape?”
    “Ape?” I whispered, eyes wide. Way to insult the crazy girl, and really, why would anyone be wearing a long, heavy coat in this heat? She wouldn’t, unless she was hiding something crazy beneath it. I found myself