A day, a month, a time…


My head was clear of anything and everything except for the fact that I had to escape. Everything in the darkness was cool and comforting. I didn’t feel like getting back on the skateboard at this moment. I couldn’t hear their footsteps, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t hear mine.

I knew that only Matt had taken a right and he was somewhere ahead of me. Occasionally, a puff of breath that didn’t belong to me would arise from the space ahead of me.

I sensed a turn coming up in the tunnel. I took the right, towards the light. I had a feeling that I had a close turn up soon and then an exit. Where there was light, there would be a door to the outside world.

But what would I do once I get outside? Where would I go? I can’t leave the bands that have sheltered me this time. I had to find a spot to hide out until Mike came outside looking for me. I had to find a place to hide.

May shadows keep you….

May the shadows hide you, may they be your protection and lead you into the night, into the safe embrace of the land under the stars.

May the night be your rest….

May the night shelter you and keep you safe. May it always be your place to sleep comfortably, the stars the lights that watch out for danger. May it be the place to live.

It all makes sense.

Zila, you badass son of a gun! I chuckled quietly. All her riddles made sense. She was probably crawling over my head in the ceiling, laughing as she saw me in my epiphany.

I took a sharp right, nearly landing smack into Matt. At a last moment pause, I dove to the right, just as he turned around. In an instant, I was back on my feet and sprinting towards a sign with four beautifully green glowing letters.

Exit.

“SHE’S HERE! I FOUND HER!” He yelled loud enough that I was surprised that security wasn’t charging towards him. But…there was still no one around.

I dove towards the door, bolting out of it and slamming it shut behind me. Within the instant, I started my take off flight. I was in an unknown section of the building. I think the buses were right around the corner, but I couldn’t be sure.

The moon watched my panic forlornly. I scanned the side of the concert venue for a way out. There were ledges on the second floor, right above my head. No ladder to the ceiling. A vent, but not helpful.

That pause was longer than I thought. Before I knew it, Matt burst through the door, followed closely by Oli and Jordan. Their faces were a mixture of rage and vicious triumph. Jordan had me pinned to the ground before I could register what was happening. The skateboard was knocked out of my arms, skidding to the side and scrapping unhappily against the pebbly earth.

“You’re coming with us, brat.” Oli snarled. I whipped my head around, eyes an icy blue blaze of untamed ocean. My neck snapped to the side as I heard a vehicle lurch to life.

It was their bus. Their bus. Their bus.

The vehicle….my sister was on it…

She’s there. She’s so close. She’s just that far away.

My dear little sister, I love her so much. She’s just feet from my fingertips, breaths from my heart. I could almost hear her yelling. She’s always been a fighter. Despite being a little sweetheart who spends most of her time volunteering with disabled kids at a therapeutic horse ranch, she’s a fighter. People see her as outgoing and energetic, but honestly…whenever I saw Zila (which was only if I paid really close attention…), I saw my sister.

Seriously. Zila equals Virgo. It was kind of insane.

“Oh wow, you’re sooooo intimidating.” I mocked furiously, trying to hide the panic and longing in my voice as my eyes flickered to the bus.

“Listen hear you little brat…” Oli snarled, hand slapping my cheek. I felt the sting long after the contact was finished.

“Like I haven’t heard that before.” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Jordan hauled me to my feet, half dragging me towards the bus.

“Listen-“

And then Zila came flying like a bat out of hell and dropkicked Jordan Fish.

Again.

“I’m listening.” I shrugged calmly as Jordan dropped to the earth, knocked out for a solid few hours or so. His head made a sickening thud on the pavement.

“Damn, not you again!” Matt cursed. Zila took care of his sass and made sure to send him to another reality. Within seconds, Oliver was the only one standing. I calmly brushed off my pants and retrieved my skateboard. Zila was crouched by my side, like a panthress ready to pounce on her prey.

Um, since when did she get the bandana mouth cover!? It’s like she transformed from Zila-the-skater-badass-and-street-kid-in-ceilings to the new and stealthier Zila-the-assasin-creed-character-skater-roof-jumper-skateboard-fanatic-dropkicker-extrodinare.

And just like an assassin, she didn’t say a word, only her olive eyes peering out like gems in a coal mine. I sighed softly as Oli snarled quietly. There was another moment of pause, just long enough to think about my options.

There was the bus. I had Zila by my side. I could help her kick butt and rescue my sister, but how would we get back to Denver? Oli would quickly recover and track down Pierce the Veil and take the both of us back through force. I could attempt to help smuggle my sister and I both back to Colorado by walking and hitchhiking, but that was even more dangerous than trying to get by riding with the bands!

Then there was escaping. Ricky told me that he and Chris and the other had this all under control. They all had a plan to get her out of the bus. They had this under control. I needed to trust them.

I needed to trust them.

But could I when she could be in more pain right now?

NO. Zila told me just earlier today that Chris was close to getting her out. The best I could do was stay safe.

My attention was broken when a shadow flashed to a window. A face, a face of a young girl that I knew all too well, watched us with sorry and fear. Her mouth opened to scream out a sorrowful note of panic, but it was quickly quelled. Something, or someone, took the girl away from the window. And then, they were gone.

Virgo was just out of sight, yet again.

I focused my attention back on Oli. The door of the bus opened. The other Matt poured out, frozen on the steps at the sight of us.

“Oli, let her go.” Matty whispered calmly, trying to regain his composure from what he had seen. Every one of his muscles was rigid, but so was mine. We were teetering on a knife’s edge. I had a feeling Matty had witnessed the full power of Zila and her rage.

“Listen to your dog, Sykes. He has a good sense on him.” Zila chuckled lightly, as if the subject was air in her lungs. Oli snarled harder at the fact that Zila just insulted one of his friends.

“OLI.” Matty warned again, seeing his friend tense up.

“Stay out of this, mate. That girl just took out Jordan and Kean. She needs to be taught a lesson.” At this, Zila just smirked, as if they could honestly ‘teach her a lesson’. She was wild spirit; no one could tame her.

“Oli,” Matty repeated forcefully. He took a few steps forward. Zila tensed up, ready to spring once again. I stood there, knees bent to jump, and skateboard in my hands. Matty held up his hands in response as he fell right behind Oli. He sent us cautious looks, “we need to go. Now. I know she took out Jordan and Matt, but we need to make sure they’re okay. Let them go.” Matty noted, bending down to Jordan’s side.

Oli glared at us as Zila led the way, slowly stepping around the two conscious band members, slowly keeping her focus trained on them. She didn’t let up until we reached the parking lot packed with cars.

“Gotta go fast!” She chuckled as she grabbed a skateboard off of her back (how she had one there and I never noticed, I will never know) and promptly started to fly between the rows of cars, zigging and zagging through the lot until we found a gate to lead us to the buses. I tried to keep up on my own set of wheels, but found it hard.

I just couldn’t stop thinking about Virgo, her face in the bus window, and how I had the guts to just leave her there.

By the time we reached the PTV bus, I hopped off and Zila pulled down her bandana. The boys burst out of the door, as if on cue.

“I’ll take this as my cue to leave. Find Haven. Stay there until March. They will find you otherwise. May shadows keep you, may the night be your rest.” And with that, she was gone.

Safe Haven…what? Not a wanderer? Not anything of that sort? Just Haven? What Haven? Was that a person or a place?

But by the time I tried to wrap my brain around it, she was just another shadow in the night, and I was alone in my thoughts and sorrows.

Notes