YOU’LL NEVER HEAR FROM ME AGAIN
“I fall and feel my face buried in the ground…I feel pressure on the back of my neck. I try to move but I am not strong enough to resist, the air’s escaping from my lungs and my vision is turning into darkness-“
I shove a slice of bread in my mouth and a can of chilled red bull in my backpack and head out the door. It’s Ashley’s turn to pick me up today and like any other day, there’s no sign of her. I pull out my phone to call her and there it is –“Sorry Flower, can’t make it today … but here’s free advice -you must never try consummating a Mentos with coke … xoxo “.
Dumb doll stood me up again, she never learns. I text her back –“ For starters, my name is Rose FOWLER, I’m 18 years old and a freshman at college who will probably miss her English test because you stood her up like ALWAYS and for the main course it’s consuming not consummating of which you’ve had your fair share .”
Ashley and I have nothing in common, the only reason we’re friends is that our mothers met when we were in primary school and have been best of friends ever since. She’s into horror and I’m interested in politics. I always have her back but I doubt if it’s mutual.
I take the yellow bus to college despite hating it to the core. I’m reserved; I almost consider myself superior to any other teen who probably does not even know how to change a tyre. I’ve spent a lot of time honing my skills, I mastered the piano at the age of 7, led the gymnastic team at 12, organized and successfully conducted charity events by 14 and practically can do anything now at 18. I want to be the best lawyer America has ever seen and would stop at nothing.
After writing my test I go to the terrace to eat my lunch away from the entire buzz, it helps me focus and stay in control. But my peace is short-lived, Jake short for Jacob arrives with his bright as sunlight smile,” Hey Flower, I’ve been looking for you.”
Ughh here we go again,” It’s Fowler, Jacob, not flower-l comes after o, not the other way round. Besides Why? Why do you always tag around? You’re probably the most popular dude in college and have all the girls drooling over you, why must you antagonize the only one that doesn’t?”
“ I always mean it, Flower. Looks like this is where we’ll have our first date since you don’t know how to type a ‘y.e.s’”, he winks.
I roll my eyes and wait for this dreadful break to end.
“You keep lying”, Jake …Jacob said.
“WHAT !? NO, I DON’T AND YOU KNOW WHAT I REALLY HOPE THAT I NEVER HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN “, I say fuming at his assumption.
“You keep saying that you don’t like me, but you do flower, a lot. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
I am almost convinced but I pretend otherwise and start leaving.
“As much as I do “, he says in a soft voice that I haven’t heard before.
I walk away feeling a little weird, I’m not used to male attention let alone this alpha male’s attention.
I spend the entire evening working on an essay on why trump is not our ideal leader. I look at the clock and it’s 8 pm. I’m generally starving by now but I’ve lost my appetite since lunch. My phone rings “ Flower, I’ve got a plan . It is totes amazeballs and does not include shoving mentos down our throats”, It is Ashley double dose today . I reply- “shoot me”.
So she’s got this not amazing plan of watching the meteor shower tonight to which I refuse instinctively. But if there is something else that you should know about Ashley it is probably that she is stubborn as a stallion and would stop at nothing to get what she wants.
“ Ow…come on Flower. I’ve something totes special for you that will blow your mind”, she texts. Okay, she has my attention, I am a curious cat … I will not rest until I figure out what she has planned tonight. I pack my bag and walk out of my door ( perks of being responsible, straight-A teen includes freedom to walk in and out as and when I like).
To my surprise, Ashley’s here right on time … I grab the seat next to her and put my seat belt on.
“Hello Flower”, Jake pops from the back seat flashing his gorgeous ahem- smile.(The surprise)
I look at Ashley confused, angry, and grateful.
“What- u two are totes cute! That’s what BFFs do right?” said Ashley…
After an hour-long drive, we stop in the middle of nowhere; all I can see is a dense black forest ahead and tall trees blocking the sky. Ashley leads us deeper into the woods; she’s found a spot a few miles ahead of us where the view is breath-taking. I mark the trees out of the habit of having a safety net in case things go south.
After walking for a while, we reach the end of a cliff, the view is beautiful. The sky is bejeweled with sparkling stars, trees all around. Ashley runs into the arms of her boyfriend Jensen, he is the goalkeeper of the football team Jake leads. We sit under the stars and see the first meteor that marked the beginning of the shower.
Jensen excuses himself for a bit and ventures into the wood to relieve himself. We’re all getting comfortable around each other. This is not nearly as bad as I expected and Jake being by my side with all his ridiculous jokes has grown on me. Ashley asks if she can talk to me about something to which I agree.
“Hey, I know you think I’m not smart enough to be your friend…” said Ashley.
“Ashley, that’s not what I th…” I said.
“No, just listen to me. I know we don’t have a normal friendship and you think that I’m unreliable and not as good to you but I really want you to know that I would never steal your boyfriend..” said Ashley.
“Wait what… Jake and I … “ I said.
“Sure hon, whatever helps you sleep at night. I just mean to say that I’m always here for you Rose and you can count on me” She softly whispers as she pulls me into a hug while I see a second meteor pass.
That’s when I hear Jensen’s scream. I would’ve laughed it off as a failed attempt at pranking us but his cry for help was too real to be a lie.
“Did you hear that? Oh no, I told you this wasn’t a good idea Ashley. What do we do ?” I said, scared and paranoid.
“Hear what?” said Ashley.
“Jensen’s scream, I am so scared. I knew this wasn’t a good idea…what if he…”,I said
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“You girls — do not move a muscle. I’ll go check on him. Bastard’s dead if this is some sick joke” said Jake.
“Jake — wait .” I grab a knife from my backpack and hand it to him and ask him to come back in one piece.
After a good 40 minutes of countless prayers and reassurance,I see a third meteor before our attention turns towards the forest.
“Did you hear that? said Ashley.
“Hear what?” I said when the bushes start moving and a scary black figure comes out of the woods towards us.
We stand there defenseless, crying for help only to realize that it’s Jensen covered in blood from head to toe, laughing at us as if he’s watching some improv comedy act.
The two of us are stunned and fail to realize what was going on.
The first thing I manage to ask was” Jensen- where is Jake?”
Jensen looks at me funny and says “How the hell am I supposed to know, I thought I’d freak the shit out of the three of you. I should’ve recorded your face, Ashley… so much for watching all the horror shows huh”.
“Jen you loser… we’re so done here”, Ashley lost her cool, if Jensen wasn’t injured already she was going to make sure he was.
“Guys, this isn’t the time. Jensen, Jake went to search for you right after we heard your scream…so where is he?” I said.
“What scream? My prank only involved disappearing for an hour and then showing up all covered in corn syrup and red food color…I”
Before Jensen can complete we hear a scream again only this time it’s Jake’s .
— —
Without a thought, we all jump right into the arms of the unknown, deep forest in the hope of rescuing our friend. After the sudden rush of adrenaline wears off and we scourge the forest in the hope of finding Jake, I step on to something hard. My heart skips a beat and I look down to find my knife buried under my feet.
I pick it up covered in blood and see someone I do not recognize, I feel something move around me. I am not sure if I’m hallucinating or if It is real. I look around only to find myself alone. My panic rises, I search for clarity but it’s clouded by all the possibilities of which not one is pleasant. I scream all their names hoping they are nearby only to be answered by silence. I hear a faint noise somewhere and decide to chase it.
I walk and walk and suddenly am grabbed by something, I quickly turn around to find no one but when I look at my wrist it is covered in blood. I look for a wound but there is none. I’m so scared, all I want is to go back home and pretend like this night never happened.
I‘m about to continue walking when I fall and feel my face buried in the ground…I feel pressure on the back of my neck. I try to move but I am not strong enough to resist. I feel the air escaping from my lungs and my vision turns into darkness.
When I finally feel the pressure reduce I try to get up with all my strength and with a blurred vision try to fight whatever attacked me, after a good 10 minutes of struggle I get closer to my attacker and stab him with my knife, but I feel a blow on my head with something really heavy … and I…
I try opening my eyes but the light around me is too bright. I feel like my head is going to blow up any minute. I try to regain my balance and look around only to find Jake lying cold, looking at the sky with my knife stabbed in his chest piercing through his heart. I panic not having any recollection of last night. All I remember is working on my essay and reading Ashley’s message and bits and pieces of three meteors in the sky.
A few steps away, I see Ashley lying lifeless with her throat slit and I cannot stop my tears. My head is pounding, covered in blood… I ‘m in the middle of the dead bodies of my only two friends but I still don’t remember anything.
I start running, scared and clueless and suddenly trip over and fall… I get up and see Jensen’s body sliced up. I sob and continue running and finally reach the cliff, I sit there for an hour trying to process everything and then take my bag and follow the tree markings and walk out of the forest like nothing ever happened…
A year later, I moved to another college running away from my past as I ran away that night. I am ready to end this once and for all. That night there was a scream, but it was only heard by me.
I remember it in bits but enough to put together what happened.
After Jake went in search of Jensen, we sat there scared and saw a meteor pass. Soon Jensen returned all soaked in (what appeared to us) blood. I heard a scream again and without a thought went into the forest to chase after the voice… It was almost if my body was no longer in my control.
I hide behind a tree, looking at Jake all lost and vulnerable, he hears Ashley’s call and runs towards her, dropping my knife. I pick the knife and feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn around and see Jensen…
“Hey, are you okay? Why did you run off?” said Jensen.
Before he could say anything further I swing my knife in the air slicing his abdomen, I feel absolutely nothing. I can see blood splash out of his mouth but still keep slicing him again and again and again until I see my reflection in the blade covered in blood and see someone I do not recognize, I was scared and tried to cry for help when It took over me again and walked over Jensen’s body looking for someone else. I hear a faint noise somewhere and decide to chase it. My wrist is grasped by Ashley shocked to see me covered in blood.
“I was so worried, Rose. Are you alr…” I slit her throat before she can complete and am bathed in her blood. I turned around to walk forward but when I looked at my wrist it was covered in blood. I looked for a wound but there was none. All I could say was “I’m so scared all I want is to go back home and pretend like this night never happened.”
I‘m about to continue walking when I’m pushed from the back and feel my face being buried in the ground…I feel pressure on the back of my neck. I try to move but I am not strong enough to resist.
“I didn’t think of you to be a psycho loner… Is that why you keep to yourself …so nobody else finds out about your sick mind? I saw everything and this is where it ends FOWLER. You’ll never hear from me again.” Jake sobs as he chokes my neck… I feel the air escaping from my lungs and my vision turns into darkness.
The next thing I remember is waking up next to Jake, cold and dead.
Tonight America witnessed another meteor shower. It is believed by the Swabians in Germany that meteors signaled a year of good fortune — unless you saw three meteors in one night, in which case death was upon you and your tribe.
I feel the same urge rising in my heart.
I look into the mirror but this time I see someone I recognize…
