Fading Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 2 (23 page)

'I want answers'
side of me kept going. I walked
into a large kitchen and came back out into the corridor.
Who's house is this?
I tried to be as quiet as
possible, what if they were in bed?
I came to a wide staircase that zigzagged and led up but I kept walking until I located the front door.
I lifted the large door handle amazed to find the door wasn't even locked. Outside there was a
circular driveway lit up with small lights that led around the side of the house, over to the right I
could see four large garages. I left the door ajar and walked down the front steps.
Where am I?
It
couldn't be part of the manor, I had gone up not out through a side door. I was still looking around
when I heard voices from inside the house. I quickly ducked down and dived into the nearest bush. I
carefully moved a branch aside to get a better view of the door.
“You coming or what?” said a boys voice.
It was one of the boys from the manor I recognised him but couldn't put a name to his face. The
other boy stood by the door with his back to me wearing a beanie.
“Don't you think it's weird the door was open?” the one in the beanie said.
He turned slightly and I could see it was Rex.
“Who cares? Now let's bounce.” the other one said walking round the side of the house.
Rex lit a cigarette and followed him. I waited still crouching in the bush, it was so cold I could see
my own breath. It was nowhere near as cold as this back at the manor. Headlights lit up the drive
and a car pulled out and shot off down the drive at a ridiculous fast rate, stopping briefly for the
gates at the end to open. The car swung round the corner and out of sight as the gates automatically
started to close by themselves. I hurried across the lawn keeping to the shadows of the trees, but the
gates were already closed by the time I reached them. Ivy hung down all over the wall which I
moved aside checking for a switch or anything that looked like it would open the gate. I looked
through the gaps in the iron gate but I couldn't see anything useful only a house in the distance
across the street.
“Oh crap!” I gasped in panic, pushing my hoodie sleeve up to check the time 1.47pm. There was no
way I was going to make it back in time before the guard came back, I had missed my time opening.
I hadn't planned for this, but I hadn't planned to be wasting time hiding in the bushes either.
But then again I wasn't expecting to end up outside. Alex's words
'up is out'
echoed in my head. I
suddenly figured out what Alex was telling me.
The way out was to go up. But where exactly was I? I didn't even know what the time was here, it
definitely wasn't 1.47pm in the afternoon. It looked like the middle of the night.
I stood for a few minutes trying to work out when the next time opening would be available, when
the guard would be gone. If I went back now I would be caught red handed and the guard would
most likely get into very big trouble. Or worse. The next time opening was twenty four hours from
now. I would be gone from the manor for twenty four hours. The only times I would be missed
would be dinner time and lessons in the morning, I could easily make something up. I could say I
was upstairs taking a nap, that would be a good cover for dinner no one would know. Then I could
pretend I'd muddled my days up and that's why I didn't show up for my lesson. Well I had twenty
four hours to come up with an excuse.
What am I going to do for twenty four hours?
I looked up at the gate, I had to get out of here for a start. I needed to find out where I was.
I was contemplating climbing the gate but I didn't know how successful I would be at it. I walked
around the gate inspecting the wall. Maybe I could climb one of the trees and get onto the wall? I
was busy looking for the nearest tree when I saw something dark under the ivy. I lifted the ivy and
discovered a large wooden gate. I turned the handle and the latch lifted, it wasn't locked. Whoever
was in charge of security round here wasn't doing a very good job of it. At least I didn't have to
climb any trees now. On the other side of the gate was a small neatly trimmed grass verge that led
down to the street. I closed the gate behind me and walked back to the front of the gates. There was
a sign on the wall.
Rose Cottage.
The street was dark except for a few street lights along the edge.
There were other expensive houses through gates and up long drives. It all looked very posh. I
walked to the end of the street which was a crossroad and went off in three other directions. I
eventually walked back and paced around outside the front of Rose Cottage, not knowing what to
do with myself. If anyone saw me they would probably call the police but I had no idea what to do
or where to go. I spotted someone at the end of the street walking this way, last thing I wanted was
to run into Emmett or someone else I knew, so I dived into the nearest bush.
Great I'm in a bush
again!
I stayed down low as the footsteps moved closer and came to a stop.
“What are you doing?” asked a gruff voice.
I assumed he was talking to me as there was no one else around.
Crap!
“Are you okay?” I saw his legs moving closer. “Are you injured or drunk?” he continued.
I didn't think he was likely to leave until I spoke to him and it didn't sound like anyone I knew, I just
hoped they didn't know me. I stood up and looked over at him. He was tall with brown hair, not
long but long enough to tuck behind his ears. He had a young teenagers face but the unshaven
stubble added a few years. He was wearing a large camouflage jacket, jeans and sneakers and I was
sure I'd never seen him before.
“I'm fine.” I replied after a long pause while I observed him.
“Okay. So what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” he asked.
“Middle of the night?”
“Yes,” he added looking around. “Are you alone?”
“No.” I said without having to think about it.
I didn't know him and I didn't want him to think I was all alone and defenceless.
“All right,” he replied even though he knew I was lying. “Do you live round here?”
“Sort of,” I looked back at the gates.
“So you're a rich kid?”
“What?”
“Only rich kids live round here, snobby little brats most of them.”
I didn't know what to say so I stood waiting for him to leave but he didn't.
“So if you live in there what are you doing out here?” he asked.
“I can't go in there at the moment.”
“Oh, did you have a fall out with your rents or something?”
“What?” I asked not understanding what he meant.
“Parents. Did you have a falling out?”
I nodded. It seemed like a good excuse as to why I was standing around outside in the middle of the
night. I checked my watch again.
“Hey do you know what time it is?”
“Aren't you wearing a watch?” he asked looking at my wrist.
“It's not keeping time that well.”
He fished his cell out his pocket. “2.21.” he said.
“In the morning?” I asked, not that I had to ask it was obvious it wasn't 2.21 in the afternoon.
“Yeah in the morning as in the middle of the night. Are you sure you haven't taken something?”
“Nope, I'm perfectly fine.” I said pulling my sleeve back down.
My watch was keeping the right time it was just twelve hours fast or twelve hours slow. This was
crazy, this couldn't really be happening could it? I must be dreaming. That was it I was having some
bizarre dream, that's the only way I could explain this.
“So how long are you planning on standing out here?”
I shrugged. Even I hadn't thought about it yet. I didn't know what I was planning to do.
He shifted around uncomfortable and looked down the street.
“Look you seem like a nice girl. I can't just leave you out here on your own, it doesn't feel right. So
can you go back inside now.”
“I can't, not yet.”
“Well when can you?” he asked.
“I dunno maybe in the morning.”
I knew I couldn't go back in now, it was too dark for a start. I didn't know who I'd bump into inside
or the owner would catch me and call the cops on me and I'd get taken away.
“So you're not going back inside. And I can't leave you outside in the dark. I mean this is a nice
neighbourhood and all but you do still get the odd creep out after dark.”
“Like you,” I said. What was he doing out here anyway?
“You think I'm a creep?”
“Well like you said, it is the middle of the night and that's when the creeps come out.”
He chuckled to himself and pulled something from his pocket.
“I'm not a creep. I'm just on my way home. I live over there,” he said lighting a cigarette and
nodding his head towards the end of the street.
“What's your name?” he asked.
“Ruby.”
“Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby.” he said repeating my name. “That name sounds familiar.” but he shook
it off and smiled.
“I'm Brandon. Do you want one?” he asked offering me a cigarette.
“I don't smoke.”
“Well Ruby, that doesn't smoke. You have two choices. You can either go back inside your house
which means I will sleep better knowing you're not out here all alone or you can come home with
me. Nothing sinister or anything like that. Let's just say I'm in this twelve-step programme, I'm
trying to turn my life around and do the right thing and it wouldn't feel right leaving you out here.”
I stepped around the bush I felt like an idiot still standing amongst some strangers shrubs.
“Who do you live with?” I asked.
“My brother and my mom.”
I looked around considering my options. He was right I couldn't stay out here all night.
“Well Brandon who's in a twelve-step programme, can I trust you?”
“Yep. Scouts honour.”
I walked over to him hoping I wasn't walking myself into some trap of lies. “Lead the way.” I said.
We walked to the end of the street, crossed over and carried on walking passed more expensive
homes with shiny cars and swimming pools.
“So what are you doing out so late?” I asked still curious about him.
“I was out looking for my dad.”
“Is he missing?”
“No nothing like that, he's a hard guy to track down. No address.”
“How do you normally get a hold of him?”
“He drops by occasionally. I stole his number from my mom's cell but he's not answering.”
“Is it important that you find him?”
“Yes and no.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means yes it is important but it isn't urgent.” he said flicking his cigarette into someone's garden.
“So which one do you live in?” I asked looking around at the houses.
“None of them.” he glanced sideways at me smiling.
“Come on,” he said suddenly diverting off the sidewalk and up someone's drive.
“I thought you said you didn't live in any of these?”
He turned back and put his finger to his lips. I stopped and watched the back of him as he
disappeared round the back of the house.
I tip toed a little further and peeked through a side window, an older couple were sat playing a board
game at the table.
“What are you doing?” he said gently grabbing my arm and pulling me away.
“Who lives here?” I asked quietly.
“I dunno some old couple. Come on it's getting cold I think it's gonna chuck it down any minute.”
He walked off heading round the back again, I jogged behind him to catch up. He cut across the
back lawn and carefully stepped over the garden gnomes that were dotted everywhere.
“Hey, where are you going?” I asked following him further down the garden into the darkness.
“Brandon, wait....” I called as he sped up and zipped in between a pair of garden sheds.
I walked down between the sheds into complete darkness.
“Boo!” Brandon popped up from behind the shed, I shrieked and fell back into the shed.
“Seriously that wasn't funny.” I said hand on my heart as it thumped rapidly.
“Come on I'll give you a boost.” he said standing next to the fence.
“Boost to where?” I asked lifting my foot onto his hand and holding onto his shoulder.
“Home.”
“Don't tell me you live in a tree house.”
“No it's a little more upmarket than a tree. Ready?”
He lifted me up and I pulled myself up onto the fence and lifted my leg over. Brandon lifted himself
up in a matter of seconds and jumped down the other side.
“What are you still doing up there?” he called.
“How did you do that so quick?”
“Years of practice.”
“Did we just shortcut through an old couples back garden?”
“Maybe.” he said helping me down.
“So trespassing is part of your twelve-step programme?”
“That shortcut cuts forty minutes off my journey.”
Even though it was dark the moon shone down enough to see where I was walking. We had
somehow ended up in a wooded area walking through ferns. I followed him carefully but not too
close I was having crazy thoughts of him suddenly turning on me with a knife. I had no idea why I
had even considered this idea. I was probably walking towards my own death. The only advantage I
had was I knew I was quick. I could run away from him in a matter of seconds, if I had to.
He had switched his cell onto torch mode and was following it along the ground.
“So do you go to HPH?” he asked.
“What's HPH?”
“Heaven's Point High. It's the high school. I'll take that as a no.”
“Whoa! Wait a minute. Am I in Heaven's Point, like right now?”
“Err yeah. Are you sure you're okay?”
“Yeah, no I'm good.” I replied.
I was in Heaven's Point. I couldn't believe it I had found a way out of the manor and I'd walked
straight into the place I needed to be to find my brother or Micah. I looked over at Brandon, it was
dark but I could still make out the odd facial expression he was giving me. He probably thought I
was nuts.
“So do you go to HPH?” I asked. Hoping he wouldn't ask me about my sanity seeing as I didn't
even know where I was.
“Used to. Got kicked out.”
“For what?”
“Do you really want to know?” he asked laughing as he said it.
“Sure I do.” I said stepping over an empty beer bottle.
“I got kicked out for dealing in school.”
“So is that what the programmes for?”
“Yep that and my mom's threatening to kick me out if I don't sort myself out.” He lifted his
cellphone torch up and a chain link fence came into view.
“Please don't tell me we have to climb that?”
“Yep, do you want a boost again?”
“I'm going to need more than a boost. I think I'm gonna need a jet pack.”
He laughed and linked his hands together for me to step onto so I could reach as high as possible.
“You got the top?” he asked.
“Yeah I can just about reach it.”