I can't sleep. My eyes fixated in the distance, I stare into the eyes of this savage animal. It follows me, it always has. I can feel him when he's near. It never comes close, just watches from a distance, but I always feel like it's breathing on the back of my neck. It's a looming presence clutching on to my everyday like a demon attached to my very soul. Still, I press on. Still, I wander the earth searching for my treasure. I have to push through my obstacles; through my demons. The sun's starting to rise, morning will come soon. I should wake Frank.
"Frank," I whisper, "wake up, man. I can't sleep anyways. Let's get moving."
"Let me sleep," his voice sounds more tired than I feel probably, "I just need sleep."
"I want to go, I don't like this place..."
"You were the one that brought us here!" This is probably the most emotion he's shown since I've known him. He usually just asks me a bunch of stupid questions. "Why would you want to leave? You said this place was safe. You said you've stayed here before. Why is tonight different from any other night you've stayed here? Does this have something to do with the lady on the train? You still haven't told me what you two talked about."
"I knew the questions would come..." God, he irritates me. He asked "What?" like he didn't hear me. I think he knows that even the simple question of what is just another point of annoyance for me. I think sometimes he annoys me on purpose just to push for conversation. There's just no way he's that smart. Someone with an intelligence level worth talking to just doesn't ask that many questions. "Let's just go."
I know I should let him sleep. We're both tired, and I guess I just feel a little jealous that I can't sleep and he can. If I get up, I think he'll probably follow anyways. The sun's coming up, maybe I'll just take a quick look around. If I remember this place, there must be a reason. I walk outside and keep thinking about Frank's stupid questions. He's never been so blunt before. I'll just shove this off too. There's no use thinking about Frank's questions, I've got enough on my mind trying to remember why I'm even out here. Not to mention the key I got from that lady on the bus. I can finish her quest, and I should. How could she sleep peacefully knowing that she wasted her life?
........There's a rustle behind me. I completely forgot about it; the beast, my demon. It's probably right behind me, ready to pounce, ready to gnaw at my weathered flesh, ready to tear my already torn limbs. I can't explain the amount of fear that is shooting through my spine. I turn around slowly, unwilling and not ready to face my death. I will fight. I have too much to do. These few seconds have seemed like I've been wrestling for hours. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins and my heart feels like it's about to give out from all the excitement. I turn around, and to my surprise, there's nothing there. All of my breath escapes me at the same time, like I just held my breath for minutes. I could've sworn I heard something. I'm searching frantically in every direction, but with no avail.
As my nerves begin to settle, I keep looking around for some savage beast. I still have no peace about where I am. I just need to sleep, I think. I'm starting to hear things. I'll go back inside, Frank's still there, there's safety in numbers. As I'm walking around the side of the barn, still looking around cautiously, my eye catches something glistening off of the new sunlight. There's something in a room inside the barn, but I don't see a door to that room. That side of the barn has collapsed on itself.
"Frank! Come take a look at this." I yell at him from down the hall. "I think I found something."
"I see it." He's right beside me. Don't know when he got there. "I think I can get this board loose." And he does. He just looks at me and I slide between the boards into this hidden room. On the table in front of me is a Christmas tree topper. It's a glitter-covered, silver angel that looks like something that you'd see in an old Catholic Mass Hall. It pick it up and spin it around. The back of it has a small handprint stained by blood. I'm confused. I know the angel is mine. I recognize it. The blood is what worries me. Where did I get the angel, and who's blood is that. My head starts spinning with all the crazy possibilities. Did that beast get a hold of someone? I know no one else has been here, this barn's been abandoned for years. My head is swirling with questions. All my muscles are tensing up. My shoulder tightens up so much it feels like there's no blood getting to my brain. I'm dizzy. I look back at Frank and he asks if I'm ok. I look back at the bloody handprint on the back of the angel, I'm seeing double. I look up at the halo and notice a small inscription that says Seattle, WA. Then everything goes black.
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