Chapter 22

Take a slice 

Aurora could hardly tear her eyes from Brett as they walked beside each other, she still couldn't believe that he was truly in front of her. There were many nights that Aurora would think about Brett, that she wondered what had become of him. She had tried so hard to hold onto the thought that one day they would meet again but as the days grew into weeks and weeks had grown into months and then years. Aurora couldn't even remember the sound of his voice let alone the feeling of their friendship anymore. A lot had happened in the years they spent apart and Aurora had to let go of the things of her past in order to move forwards, to survive.

"We're almost there" Liam yelled back at the pair, Mason and himself were ahead of them as they made their way through the woods.

"After you-" Brett looked over at Aurora and the two shared a look before Brett chose his words, "-left, everything went to shit, Lana- she went-" A shiver slid down Aurora's spine at the sound of her mother's name. If you could even call her that. The woman was vindictive and abusive to Aurora. There was not a single day where Aurora would not end up locked in her room, screaming and begging her Mother to let her out. There was something about Aurora that her Mother just hated, something that truly drove her to constantly attack her, "She decided that there was a new order, bow down to her and anyone who did not stand with her, stood against her" Brett sighed, reliving the memory all over again, "She killed my parents, she may not have lit the fire herself but it was her ideology that pushed the pack to burn down anyone who stood against her. My parents burned alive- only me and Lorilee got out"

"Brett, I'm so sorry" Aurora sighed, "I have no words"

Brett sent her a small sad smile and nod as he felt his hands clam up at the thought of his parents death. It wasn't that he blamed Aurora, it was just too painful to speak the words out loud, "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Brett yelled out to Liam in an attempt to change the subject.

"I know where I am" Aurora chuckled quietly as she heard the annoyance in Liam's voice. She looked over at Brett who rolled his eyes and stated in a rather sarcastic tone;

"So do I, we are in the middle of nowhere" Aurora shoved Brett in the side slightly, and he sent her a small eye roll.

"Guys!" Mason screamed, followed by the sound of him falling and hitting the dirt ground below. Aurora shifted on her feet and rushed to catch up to mason, "Well, I found the hole"

"See the necklace?" Liam questioned, looking down at Mason in the hole.

"No, I can't see it" Mason yelled back, Aurora looked down as he held his hand out. Aurora pulled Mason from the hole in the ground and lifted him to his feet.

Mason uttered a small, thanks before stating confusingly; "Liam, I thought you said this was a sinkhole?"

"It's a hole, what's the difference?"

"I mean, look at all this handprints and all this dirt, it's disrupted" Aurora circled the hole, he was right.

"She didn't fall in here," Brett stated.

"She was buried," Aurora finished, looking around at the three boys. This only brought more questions than answers.

"That's crazy," Mason shook his head.

"Guys, I don't even think this is the right hole" Liam stuttered, he looked in the direction of the bridge, he shook his head, "No, remember Aurora, it was much closer to the bridge" Aurora thought back to the right Liam had fallen in the hole.

"He's right, it was much closer to the water" Aurora nodded, Brett scrunched up his face in disbelief,

"So two holes?" He muttered, "then who crawled out of this one?"

"Let's get out of here, I don't want to find out" Mason quickly stated as he began heading back towards the car. The more Aurora thought about it the more confused she got. There had to be more than someone creating supernatural beings. What did they want? Why was Tracey so out of control? The night had rolled up on the group rather quickly and the cool winter wind bellowed against the trees and the evening fog had begun to roll in.

"Rue"

Aurora's feet came to a complete stop. It felt like her heart wasn't beating, she did not take a single breath and every single hair on her skin stood up in reaction. She wasn't sure if she was imaging it, it was so soft and distant that she wasn't sure if she had even heard it.

Then she saw it, and she knew she wasn't imagining it. A shadow in the distance emerges from behind a willow tree in the distance. Although everything in Aurora's body was screaming at her to run, it was like her feet were plastered in concrete. She felt her heart pound at a rate she hadn't felt since she was a child. Her hands, covered in sweat and she felt all the blood run cold from her face. The figure just stood there, in the darkness, watching her. There was something so familiar about its presence but she could do nothing. Aurora felt all of the air leave her chest and she tried her best to regain it with each sharp and shallow breath she forced from her lips. She watched as the shadow slowly began moving towards her. Her eyes began to water, she couldn't tear her eyes from it, when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

Aurora jumped, her eyes widened and her body shaking.

"Woah, Aurora," Brett looked down at her with concern, "What is it? Are you okay?"

Aurora looked at Brett for a moment before turning her attention in the direction of the figure. It was gone. Aurora stared deep into the darkness, her eyes bounced from each shadow to the next desperately searching for a sign of the figure she had just seen.

"I-" Aurora stuttered, "I saw"

Brett looked around, taking a moment to listen for anyone else. He then looked down to Aurora, who he could only explain, looked like a traumatised animal. Her heartbeat was the only thing he could hear in the wind.

"I can't hear anyone" Brett grasped Aurora's hand, "Come on"

Aurora's eyes never left the spot in the distance as Brett dragged her from her spot and towards the car. Aurora shook her head as she finally joined the rest of the group. But all she could think about was that feeling. She was never frightened, she was a fighter. And yet, even though her entire body was screaming at her to run, to move, to do anything but stand in fear. It was like her body knew something she didn't.

"Hey, we're here" Brett whispered as they pulled up to Aurora's home, she looked over at the street lights that lit the pathway. She sighed, pulling her bag with her, "looks like you have a visitor"

Aurora looked up, once again sighing.

"You need help?"

"No, I got this," Aurora turned and sent Brett a small final smile, "Good Night" Aurora internally rolled her eyes as she began her journey up the steps, "What do you want, Theo"

"Hello to you too" Theo chuckled slyly, standing from his place on the step. Aurora just sent him a look, before he spoke again, "Look, I heard about Tracey and I want to help Scott" His hands raised in defence.

"Scott's fine on his own" Aurora stated in a matter-of-fact tone. She thought back to Scott and her earlier disagreement at School. She shoves past Theo to get to her front door but Theo moves aside and blocks her.

"We both know that's not true"

Aurora looked up at Theo after a moment, she chewed the inside of her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was help Scott. Yet- after the night she just had, she felt a need to prove herself. Not to Scott by any means, but herself. She needed to prove to herself that what had happened earlier in the night was just a one time thing.

"Fine"