#like jeez made that happen And passed it along....it's always the like epitome of my art like i make the specific often really niche stuff

[unproduciblesmackdown]

also "textless" versions of these, wahooo

[imbasic-oppossum]

Monday dried me up. It gobbled my energy and put a kick into my routine headache. School was a nightmare. So many people. I wanted to dissolve into nothing. Sweet, blissful nothingness. Lunch was coming up, everyone was pouring through the halls towards disgusting food and even more disgusting tables.

Out of nowhere I was shoved from behind into a locker. I felt a crunch as my head hit it, and something pressed into my spine.

"Another round, hun." Disgusting, rot smelling breath puffed against the back of my neck. I was still as a statue, staring at the red metal my cheek was pressed against.

"Four am tonight, ya hear?" He gave me a shake. "Hmm?"

I nodded. He gave me another little shove, and then was gone. I slid to the ground, sitting on the floor with the hair and gum. I felt a little queazy. They said they were done. Great.

I could feel a bruise blossoming on my cheek bone. I stood up, my palm pressed against the locker. I pushed myself to the cafeteria.

I was passing the restrooms, when he stepped out of the men's bathroom, directly in my path. I froze, feeling a cool tension in my gut. We hadn't spoken since he drove me home Saturday night. Even then, our only words had been am awkward bye.

If I was being honest, I was a little scared. I felt vulnerable, like he'd pulled a door in me open and peaked at all my shortcomings. I hated it. He was good, and he had never been anything but nice. And I was a failure.

"Hey," he blurted. He rubbed at his forehead, his hair sticking up even more.

I smiled tightly, feeling the remainder of my adrenaline flutter into my fingertips. I didn't want to deal with him right then. He was so normal. And everything around me had become abnormal.

Then he squinted, peering into my face. I felt the blood flowing into my cheeks and the back of my neck.

"What happened to you cheek?" He asked, his eyes meeting mine in that obnoxiously parental way.

I slapped my hand over my cheek, feeling a burning ache. Was it bruising already? Great.

"I fell," the words were familiar and I wanted to drag them back in.

Liar. Week, stupid, liar. He tilted his head a little, his eyes mulling over my face. He wouldn't fall for that. I knew him too well. He knew me too well.

I started walking around him, and I could feel him grabbing at my arm, his fingers sliding over my sweatshirt sleeve. I jerked my hand to my chest and hurried to the cafeteria. He was walking along behind me, not chasing. He'd sit next to me, but there would be other people. He was too polite to make a scene.

The cafeteria was overwhelming with voices and clattering, and the squeaks of sneakers. I didn't bother with food, and took my usual seat beside blonde Barbara. She was flicking grapes at Selena, who was the epitome of perfect Catholic Columbian. The two were best friends, and had adopted me into their group, which automatically came with him.

"Loise," blonde exclaimed, leaning towards me. "We are having a girls night tonight."

She raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question. That's how she worked. Facial expressions, gestures, implications.

I forced a smile. "I can't. School night."

Selena rolled her eyes, saying, "I'm begining to really dislike that mother of yours."

Diddo.

He sat down beside me, pleasant smile, meeting our eyes. I looked at my crumpled hands.

"____, can you get her mom to let her come over tonight?" Selena smiled pleadingly at him.

His eyes shifted to me. He always knew.

"No use arguing with her," he said, a loose shrug following.

Barbara turned to me, and I had to look at her face. My eyes were always wanting to drift, which only made my anxiety more awkward.

"Wow, Lu, your face is horrible!" She said, leaning close.

I blinked in surprise, then touched my cheekbone.

"Jeez, Barb," Selena muttered, "you're so tactful."

They both giggled and I felt like shrinking into the ground. I wanted to be a part of this. But it felt wrong and twisted. I wasn't as good as them.

Across the cafeteria, I caught Tom's eye. Tomas Molatte. He was an eighth grader who was part of the gifted kids program. They did their stuff in the Lockhart building. Everyone knew he was whacked out weird. He grinned, lifting a blue lollipop up in a cheers gesture. I turned away.

Barbara and Selena had moved on, but he was watching my face. Had he seen the interaction? I certainly hoped not.

After lunch, we all dispersed to our classes. The day felt long, and I spent most of my time looking over my shoulder and avoiding him. I didn't learn a thing, just scribbled mindlessly in my notebook.

When school ended I rushed outside to the parking lot, pushed along by the flow of highschool students. I ended up beside a red Cadillac, waiting anxiously.

Sebastian was nearly always late. He'd spend hours behind the school doing who knows what, with a group of guys who gave me a creepy feeling.

Cars drive off, a bus filled and carried students away, and still I waited. I didn't see him anywhere, though I worried I might. He seemed to have disappeared. Then, Seb came sauntering around the corner, laughing and waving to a tall, pale kid in a black sweatshirt. I stuffed my hands into my pocket, watching him take his time to unlock the Cadillac and hop inside. The moment my door clicked, I threw myself inside, dropping my backpack at my feet. I have the door a harsh slam. His eyes flicked to me. We looked nothing alike. His red hair, my brown waves, his thin, weazel looking face, my round soft one.

"What's your problem?" He asked, jerking the car into gear.

He didn't care. He just wanted a fight. I didn't say anything, just leaned my forehead against the window. It felt cool and pleasant. The trees blurred past us, and I willed myself to appear in the forest, alone and happy and free. Stupid.

"What happened to your face?" His voice was cool, a calm that covered a forest fire.

"Fell." Even as I said it, his hand was reaching into my hair and giving my head a sharp jerk.

"Don't even!" He screamed, the car swerving recklessly into the opposite lane, then jerked it back into the right one.

I didn't say a word, just grit my teeth and glared fiercely at him.

"Don't lie like that!" He shoved my back against the door, gripping the steering wheel with both hands. "You don't want anyone thinking bad about us again, right?"

His beady eyes turned on me, and I said nothing. I didn't know what to say. I just wanted to be left alone. I pressed myself as far our of reach as I could. He ignore me the rest of the drive, which I was very greatful for.

The house was dead quiet when we arrived. Seb kicked me out, and I walked up the crumbling driveway as he sped off. I shoved into the house, past two barking dogs and into the livingroom, the screen door banging behind me.

Mom was sprawled out on the couch, the TV blaring some dramatic commercial. I glanced at the shriveled woman, mom, and turned towards the kitchen. The dishes needed to be washed, and all the lights seemed to be out. I was too tired to do anything about it. I grabbed a yogurt cup from the fridge, and dropped into a seat at the table. It would be a long night.

~~~

It was 3:45 by the time I made out my bedroom window and into the woods behind my house. I shivered, tugging my sleeves lower over my hands.our back yard was a sprawling hill, covered in a creeping forest that drifted back into the mountains.

I slipped some shoes on and stumbled through the thick brush that rose up like a tide. My backpack thumped against me. The stillness was broken by cicadas crowing down in the valley. I shuddered, pushing deeper into the trees. I liked the smell of pine. I let it envelope me, distract me from reality. The stars were pretty, I had to admit. In a cold distant way.

I heard a car up in our driveway, and turned to see my dad pulling his rusty white truck into the driveway, headlights splitting through the humid darkness. I hurried on, not even bothering to go quietly. He wouldn't notice, and if he did, he wouldn't care.

The trees thickened, and for a minute I was stumbling through a wilderness, then I passed a hulking rock. It jutted from the earth like a claw, but it was comforting. I had to crash downhill for a bit, swatting at branches and and vines until I burst into a clearing. I could hear my blood pumping past my ears, my breath loud on my lips.

The train tracks ran in a snaking path through the mountains, laid on a mound of gravel. The view beyond was the blue ridge, and above was a splattering of stars. It'd be pretty if I wasn't scared out of my mind. The thought slid through my brain, leading to a shudder. I hated this. I wanted to be home, in bed. Or better yet,at Barbara's house, passed on the floor, popcorn butter on my fingers and a face mask caked in my scalp.

I rubbed my eyes. Don't think about it. Get it over with. I started towards the track, and as I did, two forms came lurching out of the treeline. I stood on the tracks, watching them. Their eyes flashed in the starlight, their teeth glinting like fangs. One was small and reedlike, the other tall, with comically long arms. I regarded them, chewing at my lip. They creeped me out a little, but I found that ignoring them worked on my favor.

We didn't say a word at first, just unpacked our bags. Two glass bottles, a rope, and a wig. I laid the items neatly in a row. They looked eery, out of place. I shook my head, backing off the tracks.

"I'll get her!" The smaller one squeaked. He took off towards the trees. My gut churned. He was so young. I guess I shouldn't have cared, but the whole thing was so wrong. The taller one was leering at me.

"Haven't quit, huh? How much you making?" He  rasped.

These guys make money? I immediately lost at feeling for either of them. People who did this willingly didn't deserve my pity. I rubbed my cheek, feeling out the swollen lump.

The kid scampered back from the trees, dragging a slumped figure. The sight of a preteen dragging a body around is not one you expect to see or would ever want to see.

I gripped the mannequin by the arm and dragged it across the tracks, letting it drop halfway.

I stared at it. It looked awful. Mangled and limp. I closed my eyes. Just get it over with. I grabbed the wig and stuck it on the mannequin's head. It wasn't right, but I didn't care I got on my knees, snatching up a bottle. I could feel the boy's eyes on me. I began dumping a thick, gooey concoction onto the mannequin. The result was horrifying. A corpse. I stuffed the bottles into my back, zipping it up in one fluid motion. I'd done it. It was over.

"This is sick!" The smaller kid squealed, bouncing on his heals.

I shot him a glare. Nothing about this was sick. Why was I even here? These goons were capable of putting together this pathetic prank alone.

I stomped back towards my house.

"Hey, where ya going?" That horrible raspy voice called.

I kept walking. Even as I reached the trees, I could hear the train. I didn't wanna see it, but I felt like a snake, charmed by the rattle rattle of the metal on metal. I turned, my eyes glued to the mannequin, ignoring the boys disappearing into the darkness. A light appeared in the distance, whipping through the trees, heading towards our prank. No, his prank. I'm not a part of this. I'm not!

It was getting closer, the air swirling around me. And then it happened. A yell, coming from my left. My whipped toward the sound, right as the train camearound the corner.

A boy. He was bolting out of the trees. The train was shining like a beacon on that horrible dummy. And then I let out a sharp cry. The boy had his arms stretched out, his mouth open. He looked like a ghost in the light. Almost in slow motion, he tumbled into the mannequin. I could hear the shocked yelp that came from his mouth as he made contact. He didn't stand a chance. The train flew past, as though he didn't even exist.

Except he did. And he was everywhere.