Free Messed Up by Molly Owens Page A

huge gashes. From the fissure, slime covered pieces of refuse spilled out, making it even harder to move forward. At the top of the hill I could see Toby. He was holding his hands up at me, and blood was pouring from the center of his palms and splashing in puddles at his feet. Suddenly, there was a stabbing, burning pain in the small of my back. It felt like my spine was being forcibly bent backward, cracking me in two.
    I flung myself up in bed. Cold sweat covered my arms and torso. Shivering, I reached to flip on my light. My heart was racing as I got up and found the black hoodie I had borrowed from Levi. I pulled it over my head. A flash of light caught my attention from the corner of my eye. My heart jumped. It was just the curtain stirring in the night’s breeze. I quickly shut the window, taking care to lock it securely. I returned to my bed. I left my light on as I lay looking up at the ceiling, trying to calm myself down, but something was bothering me. Something just beyond my grasp was nagging at me, keeping me from relaxing.
    It hit me like smack in the face. I had closed the window before I went to sleep. I was positive that I had. I remembered clearly thinking, almost nostalgically, about when Levi had climbed through the window, as I’d slid it shut. The fact it had been opened made every nerve in my body tingle anxiously. Who had been in my room while I was sleeping? My stomach dropped. Could they still be here?
    I felt like a scared child as I slowly walked over to my closet and flung open the door. Just clothes. I checked under my bed as a precaution, although I was fairly sure nobody could realistically fit under there. I locked my bedroom door and turned on my TV. I needed some background noise, or I would really start overreacting. I decide to email Hannah, hoping it might calm me down. It almost did too, until my cell phone rang, startling me to the point where I nearly screamed.
    I grabbed the phone, “Hello?”
    “Hey.”
    Ah that sweet voice. “Levi! Oh my God I am so freaking scared right now! I think somebody has been in my room,” I knew I sounded ridiculous, but I was relieved, on several levels, to hear his voice.
    “What are you talking about?” he asked sounding only mildly concerned. I explained what had happened, but he seemed unconvinced that I hadn’t left the window open in the first place.
    “So I guess you don’t mind if I get cut into a thousand small pieces by some homicidal maniac?” I said, his calm having had an effect on me.
    “No, that would bother me. Remember I’m supposed to be the psychopathic killer?”
    “ Well then you may have some competition.”
    “Aren’t you wondering why I’m calling you in the middle of the night?”
    “Yeah, and aren’t you supposed to wait a minimum of three days to call after a date? I think I read that in Seventeen last month.”
    “I must have missed that article,” he laughed, “I was actually just driving home from Bryce’s house and I noticed your light was on.”
    “Translation: you were stalking me?” I asked sarcastically.
    “Pretty much. I’m actually sitting in front of your house right now. Kinda hoping that you might want me to come up there and check things out. You know, protect you from the predator hiding in your closet.”
    “He’s not in the closet, I already checked. But, yes come up quickly, before he starts slicing.”
    The phone clicked off, and in less time then seemed possible for human movement I heard tapping on my window.
    “ You’re still alive,” he joked as he climbed in, “That was close.”
    “You’re telling me,” he took my hand and we sat down on the bed together, “Don’t your parents ever wonder where you are?” I asked, this occurring to me for the first time. It seemed strange to think that Levi even had parents. Did mythical creatures have parents?
    “They are so narcissistic; they avoid thinking about me unless I am needed for some social function,” Levi changed