Free Witness by Jamie Magee

tensed; I was prepared to kill him. He raised his hands defensively. “Look – sorry I was a tool. I get crazy when I game; the wrong personality comes out.”
    “You only need one personality: yours. Stop trying to be somebody else – you suck at it.”
    “Fair enough,” he mumbled as he looked down. “Truce.”
    “For now,” I answered with a half-smile on my face.
    He looked up with a fearful expression, but when he saw my smile, relief took over his eyes. “Thanks,” he said as he reached for his jaw and rubbed the place where Aden had hit him. It was red and would soon bruise. I almost felt sorry for him – almost.
    “Let’s go,” Aden said as he climbed in the driver’s seat.
    Nana hugged me once, then went to Winston’s side to look over his jaw. When I climbed in the front seat, I looked back at Monroe. She had her arms crossed, and she was staring out the window.
    “This is gonna be a blast,” I mumbled as I pulled my seatbelt across me.
    Aden smirked as he pulled forward. Once he turned on the main road, the whispers began and shadows started reaching for the Hummer. Monroe nervously scooted to the center of the backseat; I had no doubt she could see at that point. Aden flipped a switch on the dash that caused the Hummer to light up, then I reached for the radio and turned it up as I mumbled, “Be patient; I’m coming for you.”
    Once my words were said, my name screamed out in agony as we raced down the dark, winding road that led to my house.
    I made a split second decision: I wasn’t going home – not right now.
     

Chapter Five
    I reached for the radio to kill the volume and turned to face Aden. “Not going home – not now.”
    “I’m not taking you to that school,” he scuffed.
    “I have a car.”
    “I have your keys,” he retorted.
    From the corner of my eye, I could see Monroe nervously following the bickering between us. I really felt sorry for this kid.
    “Why are you being a jerk? Why can I not go there?”
    Aden rolled his eyes. “Seriously, jerk? I deserve that? Look, that school has a lot of energy in it. They have to help as many shadows as they can before you come; they would cause you to go mad if you went there now. Why can’t you just trust me?”
    “I’m sick of being the weak link.”
    “Well…figure out how to see again,” he said bleakly.
    “Fine. Take me to town; let’s people watch.”
    “It’s night time, Charlie. More shadows, less people.”
    “I’m not a freak of nature that can’t handle the night – or a child, for that matter. Go to the mall, then.”
    “Mall? No,” he said firmly.
    “Look, let’s just go downtown…there will be lights and people, and we can get coffee, ice cream - something. I have to figure out how to see, Aden. I have to know how to help him.”
    Aden’s jaw tightened as he looked in his rearview mirror at Monroe, then to the road. He reached in his pocket for his cell phone and started to text.
    “Give me that,” I said reaching for the phone. “No texting and driving. Who are you talking to?”
    Aden didn’t fight me for the phone; instead, he gripped the steering wheel. “Draven,” he said shortly.
    “Why – for permission? Are you serious?”
    “Whatever. Tell him where you’re going, then.”
    “Where am I going?” I asked smugly.
    “Town, I guess – not the mall.”
    I smirked as I looked down at his phone, somewhat aggravated at the way I was left behind. I pulled up the text box for Draven’s number and typed: “Going to town to learn how to see again so I won’t be the weak link– thanks for waking me up that was awesome - NOT – CM”
    “Done,” I said as I handed the phone back to Aden. I noticed that Monroe was watching over my shoulder. Her dark eyes were wide. “Don’t worry – I’m not always like this,” I mumbled as I reached to turn up the radio.
    Aden reached to stop me. “Listen – you wanna see again, then you’re gonna listen to me.”
    “Fine – teach,” I