Falling Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 1 (17 page)

“So what made you move here, did you get kicked out of your last school?”
“No I didn't get kicked from any school. And I’ve never been to jail, never been in rehab, I don't do
drugs and I've never barbecued my girlfriends cat because she refused to go to prom with me. If you
were wondering. Just stupid kids with nothing else to do than make up elaborate and some very
graphic rumours. They got it all wrong,” he smirked. “for a start I don't like barbecued cat.”
He jumped down from the wall in front of me. I stopped in mid-step so I wouldn't bump into him.
“I'm joking. I prefer barbecued chicken.” he smiled, taking my hand as we joined the crowd of
people walking to and from the pier.
He stopped at the railings and leaned against it. The light from above shown down on him and even
though he had on dark clothing I could still see his defined muscle and I knew what they felt like as
I had been on the back of his bike twice now holding onto him with more grip than necessary.
He leaned forward and reached for me, I willing let him pull me in.
“Which one do you want to go on? The big wheel, the waltzer, bumper cars or do you want me to
win you a teddy?”
“I don't mind, what do you want to do?”
“Well I can think of a few things I want to do, but they don't involve riding the bumper cars, but
while we're here we should make the most of it.” he winked at me.
“Well I think,” he took my hand and pulled me along side him.
“we should start with the waltzer you'll love it, everyone loves the waltzer.”
We spent an hour messing about on rides and other fair attractions. I'd not had this much fun in a
long time and especially not with a boy.
“Do you want something to eat? I’ve kept you out all night, I forget you need to eat.” he said
casually but it sounded strange.
He ordered a double cheeseburger and a coke for me, but nothing for himself.
“You're not hungry?” I asked. He shook his head.
“I'll get something from over the street on the way back. I ate my burger while Mack was over at
the ring toss game, I watched him as he somehow managed to land every ring on the right hook. He
won top prize which was an oversized stuffed rabbit.
“Maybe something smaller, I don't think Thumper will fit on the back of the bike, that pink one will
do,” he told the guy behind the stall.
I finished my can and chucked it into the nearest trash can. Mack walked over to me and waved the
small pink rabbit with floppy ears in front of me.
“Here match those crazy pink high tops you wear.”
“Thanks he's adorable.” I said, taking the rabbit while checking my cell.
“I didn't know it had got that late,”
Mack peeked over my shoulder at my cell screen.
“Better get you home.”
We crossed the street and went into a quick stop convenience store. He walked to the back of the
store where the refrigerated drinks were. He went straight for the fridge that was filled with energy
drinks. My cell started buzzing, I stuck my hand back in my bag digging around at the bottom
trying to locate it again. The caller I.D showed Caitlin's name flashing up.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey, I've been trying to get a hold of you. You haven't been answering your cell, did you get home
all right?”
“Sorry I didn't hear it, it's really noisy here.”
“What, where are you? I thought Micah was going to take you home,”
“He never answered his cell and I sort of bumped into someone,”
A group of loud boys nudged past me. I moved back and nearer to the exit away from the group.
“Sorry, what was that I couldn't hear you?”
“Who are you with?” she asked.
I looked over at Mack, he was just shutting the fridge door, in his hand was the same brand of
energy drink I usually saw Micah drinking.
“I'm with Mack, we're in Copeland Harbour.” I whispered to her, noticing how Mack was keeping
one eye on me as he was paying for his drink.
“What that psycho from school. Did you fall and knock your head when I left you, why would you
drive out there with him?”
“I dunno spur of the moment thing I guess. But I'm fine were just heading back now.”
“Well if you never arrive back home and go missing, at least we know who to interrogate as the
suspect.”
Mack walked over to me, I smiled at him wondering what he would say if could hear Caitlin now.
We stepped outside and he opened his drink.
“Caitlin I have to go now so....”
“Wait no, I heard he carries a gun on him.”
“Well I didn't feel one earlier,”
Realising Mack was standing inches away from me I blushed and turned away. Caitlin was still
talking but I had no clue as to what she was saying as she was talking to fast.
“Okay Caitlin I'm hanging up now,”
“Ring me when you get home,” she said loudly down the cell as I hit the end call button.
“Caitlin, wanting to know if I got home safe. She worries. A lot.”
“Yeah she seems like that type, but that's good though having a friend looking out for you.”
I nodded and looked sideways at him he had a faint amused smile playing on his lips.
“What?” I asked.
“What did she say about me, she thinks I'm going to kidnap you or something? I heard the word gun
a few times,”
“Lets just say, I think she will be surprised if I actually turn up at school tomorrow,”
“That bad huh?”
He laughed handing me the energy drink. I took a sip, it tasted like I expected. I wasn't keen on it
myself, I couldn't see what all the fuss was about, Micah drank the stuff non stop, maybe he was
addicted to it.
We started walking back in the direction of his bike.
I smiled at him realising that's all I had done all night was smile, but I couldn't help it, it was how he
made me feel. I climbed on behind him.
“Hold on tight.”
He started the bike. I leaned in close to him and felt the wind in my hair as we sped off back
through the town and into darkness. I felt spots of rain on my face as a sign for Heaven's Point came
into view. Mack speeded through the back roads and along the familiar stretch of woods.
Neither Micah's or Seth's trucks were in the drive and the porch light was off so I knew no one was
home.
He parked close to the cabin and we both climbed off, he grabbed my hand as we ran up the steps
onto the porch out of the rain. I stopped to push my hair off my face, laughing at the same time.
“Seriously all it ever does is rain here,” I pulled my bag around and searched for the door key.
“It's the season, wait until it snows. It gets really bad up here, you'll probably get stranded in the
cabin for a month.” he joked.
“Did you find your key?” he asked.
But I was distracted by what he'd said. I thought he'd just moved here, how did he know what the
snow in winter was like here?
“Um no, I can't find. It must be in here somewhere,”
I dropped to the floor with my bag and started pulling stuff out, the whole bottom of my bags
contents spilled out onto the porch floor. Mack dropped down to help me.
“Okay. That's strange I was sure, wait it's in my jacket,” I looked down at myself, I wasn't wearing
my own jacket. I had left it at school.
“Great! Well this sucks. I'll just wait out here until someone comes back,” Mack looked at me like I
had gone mad.
“You can't stay out here, it's not safe.”
He retrieved a book from the floor and handed it to me. I stood up and put my bag back on my
shoulder. Mack bent down to pick something up I had missed.
“Where did you get this?” he asked holding the pocket knife in his hand.
“I found it in my brothers cupboard.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow at me. “So you stole it?”
“What! No I borrowed it. I found it in the cupboard under the stairs amongst a load of junk. I doubt
even he knew it was there. Anyway it came in handy, I used it to break out of the cupboard.”
“What?” he asked, amused.
“Long story.”
He flipped it over and ran his fingers along the initials J.M engraved into it. I stepped closer to get a
better look.
“I dunno who's initials those are, but it looks old. Probably left behind when someone moved out.”
“Yeah probably, we can use this though.”
He flipped out a pointy thing that I had no idea what it was supposed to be used for.
He knelt down at the door lock and startled jiggling the pocket knife around.
“So you've done this before?” I asked. The crooked smile on his face suggested he had done this
more than once. About ten seconds went by and the door popped open.
“Wow! I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or slightly worried you can do that so quick.”
He stood up and held it open for me. I stepped inside and flicked the light switch on, searching the
room for Gunner encase he went after Mack, but he was no where to be seen, hopefully fast asleep
shut in a bedroom upstairs.
I turned back to see Mack leaning against the door frame. He folded the pocket knife shut and
handed it back to me. A rumble from the sky sounded in the distance just as the house phone started
ringing. I turned to look at the phone then back at Mack. I knew it was probably Micah or even
Caitlin wondering if I was home safe.
“I have to go, will you be all right on your own?”
“Sure if it gets really bad I'll hide under my bed.” I joked smiling at him. He stepped forward and
reached for my face, he rubbed his thumb along my cheek. I was frozen on the spot. A shivery chill
went through me, I was sure it was from the cold air that was blowing in and not the fact that I was
alone in an empty house with Mack.
He looked into my eyes and I wished I could hear his thoughts, I would have given anything to
know what he was thinking inside that head of his. A flash of light lit up around me. I thought it was
lightning until I blinked and I was no longer in the front room of the cabin.

I was walking passed shops, shops I recognised. I tried to look around but I soon realised I was not
in control of the body I was inside, just like before when I had got stuck inside Micah's head. But I
hadn't just been with Micah. I had been looking into Mack's eyes. Was I inside Mack?
It was like one of those dreams where you are moving forward but have no idea where you are
headed or what you are doing. The person I was inside weaved around people along the sidewalk,
walking briskly, coming to a stop at the street crossing. Then they jogged across the street and
quickened their pace. It was sunny and there were people everywhere, passing a familiar clothes
store that Carly and I had been in many times, it was one of her favourites. I tried to catch a glimpse
of the person I was inside in the reflection of the shop windows, but they were wearing a black
hoodie with the hood up so I couldn't see their face. That and the person I was inside wasn't looking
in the shop windows. They had their eyes mainly focused on one thing up ahead.
Their speed suddenly slowed down and into a lazy walk as if they had all the time in the world.
I soon realised the person who I was inside had been in a hurry trying to catch up to someone in
front.....ME. I was looking at the back of my own body.
I was a distance a way from myself but not too far because I could still hear myself talking. I was on
my cell, probably talking to Carly.
The person followed me down the street and over into the mall. I watched myself buy a hot
chocolate from one of my favourite food bars. Then I sat on a bench in the mall looking at my cell
with my ear buds stuffed in my ears. The body I was in stayed close and sat on the edge of the water
fountain. I watched another figure appear and walk over to myself. It was Carly and she had pink
highlights in her hair.
I remembered this point in time it was when she had been determined to get her hair highlighted
pink against her mom's wishes. I was meeting her from her hair appointment.
“What do you think?” Carly said, tapping me on the shoulder.
“Wow that is....bright” I replied, pulling my earbuds out.
“I know right. Mom's going to hate it, but it's my hair. She should be pleased I'm not shaving it off
like some of the other girls at school lol.”
I remembered this was roughly about a year ago when she dyed her hair pink and her favourite
word at the time was lol (laughing out loud) Carly perched herself next to me on the bench and
pulled out a granola bar.
“So I think Tyson's going to ask me to go out with him this weekend, ”
“And what gave you that idea?”
“Well I was speaking to Claire and she said that Tyson can't stop looking at me during French class
and she's like so totally jealous,”
“Oh really Claire said that as in Claire that hates us and cut off your plaits when you were little,”
“Fine, I may have overheard her telling Courtney in the girls bathroom, while I was hiding in a
cubicle eavesdropping.”
“Yeah I thought so lol.” I smiled making fun of her new word.
The girlie chat continued for some time I was surprised at how clear I could hear it from over where
I was sitting. The body I was in even gave off a low laugh at something I had said to Carly, all I
knew now was he was male with extremely good hearing that had been watching me for some
reason.
“Come on I'll give you a ride home, do you want to come back to mine first? I can't wait to see my
mom's face,” Carly stood up, twirling her hair around her finger.
“I think I'll pass. I don't want to be in the same room when you show her, she'll probably look
straight at me like it was my idea for you to do that to your hair.” Carly and myself got up and
walked past where I was sitting.
“Don't tell me you're scared of mama Bell,” Carly said jokingly.
“Yeah I am actually, especially when you've been provoking her for a month about doing this. I
don't want to be there for the aftermath.”
The person looked down at the floor then sideways at the two of us as we walked away.
I spotted something fall from my pocket or bag, but I hadn't noticed it and carried on walking. The
person I was inside walked over quickly and swiped it from the floor then he slowly approached
Carly and myself.
“You dropped this,” a male voice said.
I watched as my own body turned around and looked at me.
“Thanks,” I said, taking the earbuds from the outstretched hand in front.
This was beyond weird looking at myself in this way, it was like looking in a full length mirror,
where the reflection moved on it's own.
The mall started to slant sideways and the light faded to darkness.

I opened my eyes, my eyelids felt heavy and tired. Gunner had his nose pressed up against my face.
I pushed him away, behind him I could see the fire was lit and crackling.
I slowly sat up, my head was thumping and spinning, I closed my eyes for a moment then reopened
them and tried to focus on something. The door blew open behind me and slammed again. Micah
walked round to the coffee table where my bag was and started searching through it.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
The sound of my own voice vibrated through my skull, I cringed at the horrible feeling. Micah had
my cell in his hand.
“Lets see, well you have service and twenty three missed calls,”
“What, from who?”
“From me, but you would know that if you'd bothered to answer your cell. What have you been
doing?” he chucked the cell onto my lap.
“I'm sorry I was asleep.”
“You were asleep, so let me get this right. You have been sleeping since you got home and haven't
heard your cell or the house phone ringing once?”
I shook my head then stopped as it felt like my brain was moving around inside.
“All you had to do was message me, let me know you were home. You don't want to know all the
different ideas I had running through my head of what had happened to you. You sent me a message
at 4.50pm saying you couldn't get home, which I only picked up thirty minutes ago, crappy cell
service,” I looked down at my cell display. It read 1.15am.
“I got a ride from another friend and I'm sorry I didn't answer, I was tired.”
“What are you wearing?” he asked. I looked down at the jacket I was wearing, I was still groggy
from sleep but vaguely remembered borrowing it from some boy.
“A jacket....” I was about to say I borrowed it but he cut me off.
“Fine don't tell me. I don't want to know. You know I had to get someone to cover for me so I could
come and check on you,”
“Cover for you, you mean work, wait you mean at that fight club place. Is there where you've been
tonight?”
He frowned at me, he obviously didn't like what I had said.
“I'm leaving, I'll be back early in the morning,” he paused at the door. “Well done on lighting the
fire, see it wasn't that hard was it,”
Then he pulled the door shut. I looked over at the lit fire. I hadn't lit that fire. Seth had shown me
how to light it without igniting myself but I still hadn't needed to as Seth or Micah usually lit it for
me before they left me alone.
I grabbed my bag off the table and went up to my room. I didn't even change I just fell straight onto
my bed and passed out.