The would be pleasant twitter of birds in the branches above her mixed with the potentially malignant hum that drove her away from the grave site several minutes ago.
Did Sin know I'd come here? But I stopped hearing it around him ages ago. The cold metal gate left Satara's hand half a second before she noticed the person walking behind her. Is it Saytarnia? A graveyard's a weird place to play hide and seek. Not to mention she's a few years too late for that.
She hadn't sensed anyone among the tombstones beyond the grey outline of her own thought and doubted Sinaster would think to look for her here. Not when there were several more obvious spots. Grabbing the old silver gate, she continued to scan her surroundings as she held it open. She would've come out by now, if it was her. Someone else being around didn't stop her before.
The young man thanked her, leaving the cemetery swiftly, and the clash of metal on metal drowned out her low automatic response. He was by that grave earlier. Did he come in after me or was he there the whole time? She left in the opposite direction with the smell of old soil rising up from her trainers and glanced over her shoulder. He's not following me, is he?
But the figure in the white hoodie didn't look back.
I hope they have an ATM here somewhere.
<><><><><>
Satara had only a vague idea of how to use a credit card.
You put it in a machine, type the PIN, and money comes out. How hard can it be? At the top end of the ATM queue, she tried to remember if Sinastar had shared the pin with her at the same time as the card. She looked through her bag and maintained the safety of its contents but there wasn't a piece of paper or anything else that could carry numbers.
“Oi,” said a middle aged man behind her. “We don't have all day, love.”
She followed the line of his extended finger and stepped up to the machine as the person in front of her wandered off to the left.
“Okay.” She was too preoccupied by her frantic search to apologise for the delay.
It's got to be in here somewhere. Sin wouldn't forget something that important. Unless you're not supposed to write them down? Her hands slowed. I should put it in just so they think I'm doing something. But what if I can't find the PIN and it doesn't give my card back? It wasn't dark, however the winter months had yet to pass them by and she didn't want to be stranded outside at night. Maybe I should find it first and then line up again –
“Are you actually gonna do anything there or are you just looking for a sandwich?” growled the man behind her.
Why a sandwich? The man glared back at her as she said, “I'm just looking for my stuff.”
“Why didn't you look for it before you got in line?”
“Because I forgot,” she growled. “Obviously.”
“This is why kids shouldn't spend too much time on their phones.” The man sighed. “They forget how to use their brains.”
“If you're in a rush, why don't you stop talking to me and –?” A high pitched hum in her ears silenced her. A quick glance at the rest of the queue confirmed she was the only one who heard it.
Again? She held onto the bag and rapidly scanned her surroundings.
“And what?” demanded the man. He shook his head at an older lady in the line next to him. “See what I mean? They're either high on drugs or technology.”
The other adult mimicked his disapproval but they couldn't distract her from her new goal of finding a familiar face in the crowd or atop one of the nearest buildings.
“Excuse me,” said the young man who used the ATM before her. “There's a machine free over there.”
“Why should I move when she's the one wasting time?” snapped the man, gesturing at Satara as she zipped up her bag and hurried away. “See? Even she knows –”
Shut up. I can't hear where it's coming from. Not that I ever can. She wandered vaguely towards the other ATM pointed out by the stranger and turned on the spot. No dark figures stood across the road nor in the upper windows of the hospital where she had spent several weeks after the Cunningham murders. I don't know which one of them it is but if it's Sin I can't afford to hide right now.
She had changed out of her pyjamas into the other clothes Sinastar bought her, making use of the cleanest yet most secluded public toilet she could find. Her hair, folded into a low bun, was currently tucked within her hood but she hadn't been able to mask her identity any further. Maybe they're waiting for me to get off the main road. She kept her head down and hesitated on the pavement. Saytarnia might be telling the truth but what if she's not and she knows I was with the police? What if –?
“Excuse me,” said the younger guy from the ATM. He stepped back and twisted away from her as soon as she looked at him. Is today white hoodie day or something? “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?” It was easier to keep track of both her surroundings and his limbs simultaneously with her head lowered.
“I saw you by the cash machine so I thought you might've lost your card.” He tugged the front of his hood down in a self conscious gesture that contradicted his confident voice. “Do you need any help?”
Yes but not from you.
“I've got my card, thanks.” She backed into the safety of a shop overhang.
“Oh, okay.” A small smile flitted across his lower face but his waving hand blocked out most of his features as he left. “I hope you have a good day.”
He continued down the road and she waited until he was out of sight before making her own move, watching the area behind her in shop windows as she passed by them. No one was following her and she realised belatedly that the ringing had stopped.
Hoping that was a good thing, she headed for her third destination.
<><><><><>
Apparently other children still attended her old school.
It didn't seem to be home time yet and she wasn't sure if it was the weekend but the roads were clearer than she remembered. She could almost see Saytarnia on the other side of the zebra crossing. Lifting one hand, she splayed it in the direction of the memory until the latter faded. She's not here. She couldn't hang around for too long without seeming suspicious, and she didn't have enough money to visit a shop or cafe. No one's here.
The sky seemed too high. The gaps between the buildings too narrow. She had strayed too close to the Cunningham house again and the risk of running into the police coiled around her torso like a viper. She found the park most of her primary school classmates used to visit after school on the way back home. Now there were several children playing in the sandpit a few meters away and a teenage boy swung on the swings as if he needed somewhere to sit but the bench somehow hadn't met his criteria.
She sat down on the wood he had forfeited and rummaged inside her backpack once more. Why didn't I ask him for the PIN when he gave me the card? Or for a new phone? She knew why. Up until now, he had been a background threat.
What if he can mess with memories too – No. She clenched her teeth. If I start doing that, there'll be no reason for me to go back to him. It'd be better if none of them found me ever again but I can't hide forever either from him or Saytarnia. Besides, if I didn't that –
It had barely been two days but Jason's laughter in her mind had grown fuzzy at the edges, surrounded by the red and blue wail of sirens. Satara sat up at once. Unlike the ringing noise, it was easier to locate the source of the sirens and the distance of the associated vehicle. The boy on the swing caught her. Was he watching me? He smiled, waved, and decided to walk up to her without hesitation. Damn it.
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“Hey, are you bored?” he asked.
A faint accent that reminded her of kangaroos dripped off the end of the lollipop tucked into his cheek.
“Are you?” She resealed her bag and rose to her feet as slowly as she dared.
He nodded, plucking the sweet from his mouth. “I know somewhere fun.”
“Then why don't you go there?” The wailing loudened and she adjusted her hood.
“Do you want to come with me?” His downturned eyes, a greyish sort of green in colour, radiated no hostile intent. Even if they had, it wouldn't have been too hard to deal with him. On his own, that is.
“Why should I?”
“Because I don't wanna go by myself. There's loads of other kids there and –” He shrugged and backed off. “Sorry. If you've got somewhere else to be or something, I get it.”
Other kids? She slung her bag onto her shoulder again. “If you've got so many people already there, what do you need me for?”
“To walk in with me.” He rubbed his forearm across his nose. “I normally go in with my sister but she's already inside.”
“Where is it?” If it looks like trouble, I'll just run before it gets too bad.
“Wa-hay.” He cheered bloodlessly and led her away from the approaching police cars. “It's over here.”
For some reason his lack of enthusiasm didn't put her on edge and she covered her ears with both hands until they escaped the range of the sirens. The other teenager headed for a building that pulsed with more noise instead of somewhere secluded. It looked like a recreation centre merged with a rehabilitation unit that had a lively arcade in its lower floors. Are you even allowed to play music that loud? A sign over the entrance declared it the Multi-Culture Club but it didn't look like somewhere middle aged people would spend their afternoons nor a place that should have been open during the day.
“It's not that kind of club.” The boy paused by the doors as if her thoughts were audible. “Not in the morning.”
“What do you mean by that?” Beyond the window panes, boys and girls crowded around arcade machines and by a counter that seemed suspiciously bar-like.
“It's totally not the kind you want to hang around at night, trust me,” he said, gesturing at the doorway. “I'm – Is it okay if I walk behind you? My sister normally goes in first too.”
I'm not your sister. Other teenagers hanging around the doorway gave them little more than a casual glance. She pushed her way in and grimaced as the music turned into a brewing headache. I'm only here to blend in. Just for a little while. That shouldn't be too har-
“Where is he?” bellowed someone out of sight, their voice bouncing off the walls and rudely interrupting the occupants of the room.
Her companion seemed just a startled as she was. He jumped as a pair of doors on the left flew open and a dark haired person crashed onto the floor beside the counter opposite them.
“Hay?” murmured the youth next to her as the other guy got up and charged into the other room, presumably at the person who had knocked them out of it.
Someone he knows? A worker behind the counter rubbed the last of his patience off his face and spoke his colleague, who scurried through a different pair of doors marked with a sign: staff entry only. Clearly drawn by the ruckus, people from outside started to swarm in through the entrance, forcing Satara to step to the side to avoid drowning in watery floral and fruity perfume, thick cologne, as well as both rough and skimpy clothes covered with sequins, oddly placed zips, and too many decorative chains. She got a better view of the two guys pummelling each other close to the arcade machines. The double doors they came through led to a dimly lit room containing both a pool stable and football table.
The first guy had lighter hair and a bright orange jacket. He exchanged blows with the youth who seemed to have recovered quickly from being knocked down. The latter who took a solid punch to the cheek and staggered back until he was a couple of steps away from her.
He wiped the corner of his mouth as if it were bleeding and stepped forward with a menacing growl. “I said where the fu-?”
“Hay?” repeated the boy on her other side.
“Oh.” Hay scanned him from head to toe through light blue eyes. “There you are.”
He smirked and lunged again at his opponent, who had a second to look indignant before he went on defence.
“Sorry,” mumbled the boy from the park. “Is it cool if we look for my sister? She might be able to stop him.”
If they don't stop soon, someone's going to end up calling the police. Maybe I should just go. But he had already started worming through the ever shifting crowd towards the pool table room and she followed after he cast an uneasy glance at her over his shoulder. The sooner we find her, the sooner I can get out of here.
“The heck is your problem, man?” yelled the boy with the orange coat. “You tryin' to pick a fight?”
This doesn't have anything to do with me. I just need to lay low and then get out of here. His fist snapped outwards and Hay ducked it, catching a knee to the side of his chin instead. He swore and wobbled, half crouched. Instead of finishing the fight like any sane person, Orange coat boy turned his frustration towards the boy in front of her and rushed towards him.
This isn't my fight. I shouldn't draw attention to myself. He sensed the danger and stopped by the wall, his body half covered by hers as they both faltered. He lifted his hands to fend off the incoming punch but she reacted instinctively to the immediate, potential risk to her face. She knocked his extended arm aside and slammed her curled hand directly against his chest, sending him straight into one of the arcade machines with Tekken characters all over it. It rocked dangerously amidst the hysteric laughter and appreciative groans of the people around them but didn't topple over as he used it to steady himself.
“What the – Why would you jump at someone like that?” She cleared her throat as their attention shifted from Hay to her and the other boy. I need to get out before anything else happens.
“Matt.” A tall girl as she emerged from the pool table room, followed by several other teenagers. “Where were you?”
“I was just –”
The staff room door opened with a resounding bang and an older man shouted across their heads. “That's it! This time you're all going to the station!”
Hell no. A hand closed around her sleeve but she yanked it free before Hay could pull her after him.
“What?” he snapped. “You wanna spend the night with the police?”
Been there. Done that. Not a fan.
“Move.” She pushed past him and through the people blocking the exit, carefully pinching those less inclined to let her through.
So much for lying low. She heard them behind her as she burst out of the crowd and nearly flattened Matt with another punch as he tapped her shoulder.
“Not that way.” He pointed in the opposite direction where Hay and the others were running, following the edge of the building until they disappeared around a corner.
She jogged after them, her backpack straps clenched in both hands. Luckily, there were no sirens but that didn't mean the police weren't close by. I could ditch these guys now but the police might search the area. Should I chance it?
“So where did you come from?” asked the pool room girl as Satara caught up with her. She smiled to soften her tone. “You Matt's friend?”
“Nope.”
“Oh. Thanks for helping him out back there.” She ran effortlessly and her streamline body testified to an athletic lifestyle.
I wasn't. Satara shook her head. “You shouldn't jump at strangers.”
“I'm sure my guy won't be trying that again any time soon.” The girl looked like she was only a few years older than her.
“Good,” said Matt as he appeared on her other side. Both of them kept their distance despite the narrow pavement. “Where're we going?”
“Hay's. The owner doesn't know where he lives and the cameras don't work properly here.” The other girl laughed. “Don't ask how I know that.”
I won't. Yet.
“My sister's name is Chloe.” Matt gestured loosely at her. “I'm Matt and that guy's Hayden.”
Sister? They couldn't have looked more different from each other. Matt had fair skin whereas Chloe's was much darker. Her frizzy hair was twisted into braids whilst his mousey brown strands lay flat against his scalp. Are they mixed race? Or do they have different parents?
“What's your name?” he asked.
Yeah, I probably should've thought of a fake one before I followed them here. She was saved from having to answer by the flapping hands of another girl who hurried them into a small block of flats that smelled worse than the police station and was a lot colder. She glanced questioningly at Chloe and Matt but didn't stop Satara from following them into a place that reminded her of school toilets.
If this is a trap, I might actually be in trouble. The two guys climbing the steps ahead looked like they could fight and Chloe clearly didn't have any issues with stamina. However the second girl and Matt didn't look like they'd have the will power to squash a fly. Or not. They jogged up four flights of stairs. Keys jangled and suddenly she was in a moderately clean studio flat. The door closed and she nearly jumped. Hayden rounded on Matt before any of them had a chance to catch their breath.
“Where the hell were you?” he demanded. “I called you like a million times!”
The blond teenager with massive shoulders sank down onto the double bed along with the second girl, blocking her view of the regal white wolf and full moon printed on the duvet. He dragged a hand down his face exactly like the Multi-Culture Club worker had.
“I was at the park.” Matt shuffled sideways. His shoulder brushed Chloe's. “My phone died.”
“Why didn't you say so on the group?”
“None of us say our phone's gonna die on the group, Hay.” Chloe's laugh strained around her terse voice.
Damn it. I should've left when I had the chance. The key hung from its lock. If she moved fast enough, she could probably reach the bottom of the stairs before any of them caught up.
“Yeah but that's only 'coz none of us are stupid enough to run off on our own straight after that issue with Scott.” Hayden's incensed features were visible through the gap between the siblings. “What if they'd jumped you?”
Matt lowered his eyes but didn't answer him.
“Can we talk about this after we eat, mate?” suggested the boy on the bed. “I haven't had breakfast yet and Matt's here now.”
Breakfast … Satara pressed a hand to her stomach and tried to remember the last time she had eaten anything aside from the honey Granola bar that Sinastar had kindly left in her bag.
“Shut up,” said Hayden, pointing at Matt. “What were you doing in the park?”
What's he so angry about? He's the one who kept the fight going.
The other boy shrugged as if it were perfectly normal to be questioned like that by his peers. “Nothing. Just hanging out.”
“By yourself?” Blue eyes narrowed.
“Yeah.” An edge seeped into Matt's drowsy voice.
“Um, peeps, maybe we should talk about this later?” The second girl pointed a lilac nail with a tiny daisy on it at Satara who stopped shuffling towards the door. “Was I supposed to let her in or –?”
“I can go if it's a problem,” said Satara. She grabbed the door handle and couldn't remember hearing the key turn in the lock a second time.
“Hey, why're you going without letting us thank you?” said Hayden with a vicious smile. “We all know Matt wouldn't be standing here with his face intact if you hadn't decided to put on your cape.”
So that's what he's angry about.
“I don't need your thanks. Or his.” She nodded at Matt who smiled tightly at her despite the rain clouds over his expression.
“So what do you need then?” Hayden looked her up and down shamelessly. Chloe coughed into her hand as if embarrassed on her behalf. “You must've come up here for something.”
“Not really.” She started to turn the handle. “Just thought I'd go with the flow.”
“Cute excuse but I don't think the cops will buy it somehow.” He shrugged as though he wanted to smirk. “But you're free to try your luck. They're probably all over the place right now.”
I can't go outside but it's better if they don't know that.
“I guess I'll do that then.” The thought of standing in the stinky, freezing stairwell almost broke her resolve.
“I've got a better idea. Why don't you hang around for pizza and then take your chances?” He spoke like the question was an order.
Satara's grip tightened around the handle. “Why would I –?”
“Because I'd rather not let someone who knows where I live meet with the police right now.” He grinned but his gaze flitted towards the guy on the bed too quickly.
“Just so we're clear.” Satara followed his gaze as she turned to them and stared at the blond guy. He groaned under his breath. “Are you saying if I leave right now, you're going to try and stop me?”