“What about the automated system that says I’ve missed a class,” Ryleigh asked knowing that the school would call if she was marked absent or even tardy. Tristan turned to her and smiled, “Don’t worry about it. That system calls out randomly all the time. You could tell her it was a mistake, or, that you volunteered in another classroom and that it will be cleared up the next day. Don’t sweat it.”
Ryleigh shrugged. She would play it off like Tristan said as a mistake. Hopefully Vera would just accept it.
They drove for about twenty minutes into the desert. If Ryleigh wasn’t sure of her instincts she would probably be panicking. Driving into the desert with someone she hardly knew was the perfect scene for stupid-girl-gets-murdered. Tristan pulled the car over, turned the engine off, and got out of the car. Ryleigh watched him for a moment. He was so sure of himself. He had an air of confidence that surrounded him. It seeped from his pores and almost drowned her.
This was so far out of Ryleigh’s comfort zone. She opened the door and sat in the car for a moment. Only known him two days and they were already breaking rules. She laughed silently to herself. She’d wanted adventure in her life, but not this kind of adventure.
“Okay,” Ryleigh questioned. “What is so important that we need to drive into the middle of the desert for you to tell me?” Throwing a bit of sarcasm his way as Ryleigh approached Tristan, “You don’t have an axe behind you do you?”
Tristan grinned and paced backward a few steps. He turned looking at her and took a deep breath. As his chest rose and filled with air, Ryleigh, for just a moment, noticed saw a glimmer. A shift. A wave that erupted from his body and looked as if it were a mirage in the desert. Ryleigh stepped back blinking away the illusion. “Don’t be afraid,” Tristan said calmly.
“What – What the heck was that?” Ryleigh asked her heart rate continuing to increase with her nervousness.
“Don’t freak out. But what I am going to tell you…it could be kinda scary,” Tristan said very calmly.
Ryleigh swallowed, “What do you mean… scary?” Her voice started to quiver and her hands started to shake. She felt the pounding in her chest and knew that if she allowed panic to overtake her, she could react. Violently.
“First of all, my parents are not my parents,” Tristan remarked. “They are - something else. Something dressed to look like my parents.”
“Wait, wait, wait a minute,” Ryleigh scrunched her face in disbelief. “How are they “dressed” to look like your parents? How are they not your parents?”
Tristan stepped closer to Ryleigh who stepped back. “I know my own parents, don’t you think?” Sarcasm slowly dripped from his voice like molasses onto pancakes.
“I guess so,” Ryleigh agreed. “Okay, so if they aren’t your parents, then where are your parents?” Ryleigh just wasn’t sure what to make of this talk they were having. T Tristan rolled his eyes. “My parents? I don’t know. I suppose they are with your parents.”
“Wait, you think your parents are dead?”
“No, and your parents aren’t dead either.”
Ryleigh suddenly felt nauseous. The words slowly rolled from her tongue, “My parents are dead. You are not funny.” Tristan stared at her. She could feel it emanating from his skin. The truth. The truth tasted bittersweet.
“They aren’t dead Ryleigh. Things are just not as they seem.”
Instead of contradicting him,
Ryleigh shrugged. She would play it off like Tristan said as a mistake. Hopefully Vera would just accept it.
They drove for about twenty minutes into the desert. If Ryleigh wasn’t sure of her instincts she would probably be panicking. Driving into the desert with someone she hardly knew was the perfect scene for stupid-girl-gets-murdered. Tristan pulled the car over, turned the engine off, and got out of the car. Ryleigh watched him for a moment. He was so sure of himself. He had an air of confidence that surrounded him. It seeped from his pores and almost drowned her.
This was so far out of Ryleigh’s comfort zone. She opened the door and sat in the car for a moment. Only known him two days and they were already breaking rules. She laughed silently to herself. She’d wanted adventure in her life, but not this kind of adventure.
“Okay,” Ryleigh questioned. “What is so important that we need to drive into the middle of the desert for you to tell me?” Throwing a bit of sarcasm his way as Ryleigh approached Tristan, “You don’t have an axe behind you do you?”
Tristan grinned and paced backward a few steps. He turned looking at her and took a deep breath. As his chest rose and filled with air, Ryleigh, for just a moment, noticed saw a glimmer. A shift. A wave that erupted from his body and looked as if it were a mirage in the desert. Ryleigh stepped back blinking away the illusion. “Don’t be afraid,” Tristan said calmly.
“What – What the heck was that?” Ryleigh asked her heart rate continuing to increase with her nervousness.
“Don’t freak out. But what I am going to tell you…it could be kinda scary,” Tristan said very calmly.
Ryleigh swallowed, “What do you mean… scary?” Her voice started to quiver and her hands started to shake. She felt the pounding in her chest and knew that if she allowed panic to overtake her, she could react. Violently.
“First of all, my parents are not my parents,” Tristan remarked. “They are - something else. Something dressed to look like my parents.”
“Wait, wait, wait a minute,” Ryleigh scrunched her face in disbelief. “How are they “dressed” to look like your parents? How are they not your parents?”
Tristan stepped closer to Ryleigh who stepped back. “I know my own parents, don’t you think?” Sarcasm slowly dripped from his voice like molasses onto pancakes.
“I guess so,” Ryleigh agreed. “Okay, so if they aren’t your parents, then where are your parents?” Ryleigh just wasn’t sure what to make of this talk they were having. T Tristan rolled his eyes. “My parents? I don’t know. I suppose they are with your parents.”
“Wait, you think your parents are dead?”
“No, and your parents aren’t dead either.”
Ryleigh suddenly felt nauseous. The words slowly rolled from her tongue, “My parents are dead. You are not funny.” Tristan stared at her. She could feel it emanating from his skin. The truth. The truth tasted bittersweet.
“They aren’t dead Ryleigh. Things are just not as they seem.”
Instead of contradicting him,
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