So I just finished Hush, Hush around 5 days ago and... I loved it! So this story takes place right after Vee was attacked by the mysterious ski-mask man and Nora isn't quite sure what to think of Patch yet.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were hardly any fanfictions and felt compelled to write one. :D
Um, rating will be T right now...
But.. might change later.
XD
The Neon stirred warningly as my foot pushed the gas pedal for all I was worth. I was almost sure the bottom of the car might give way from the pressure.
A small but definite groan made me ease up a little bit, to spare the car from dying completely but it did nothing to help calm my nerves as I pressed onward.
The rain splattered mercilessly on the windshield, battering against the glass in a ferocious and wild beat.
Come on, come on! I urged the small car onwards, praying that it would last me until I got home. At least if I managed that, I could feel dry and warm – something that sounded ridiculously tempting as of right now.
It hadn't been long since the attack on Vee and with her subconsciously trying to defend Elliot while blaming Patch, my own sense of judgement was wavering. Every time I tried to picture Patch jumping out of nowhere, breaking my best friends arm and stealing her purse the image failed to fit in my mind. Patch was Patch, a little perverted, overly confident and utterly infuriating but despite all that... he was just Patch. Not a killer.
Suddenly the neon lurched forward, slowed for a fraction of a second and stopped completely, causing me to fly forward to the wrath of my seatbelt. It constricted around me, sucking the air out of my lungs in a violent motion.
Breathing deep, shallow breaths, I tried to collect my thoughts with the air I gulped at greedily. Perhaps a little 02 would organize my scrambled mind.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the high pitched scrape of metal giving way hit my ears.
The ski-mask man! Ohmigod, I'm going to die. This is it. Patch, I love you. No, wait, those were not going to be my last thoughts.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited for something to happen. My death, a gunshot, the car to explode. All seemed like probable events considering the past 48 hours.
Nothing.
The grinding had stopped and now, the only sound I could hear was my beating heart and I realized I was holding my breath.
Letting a shaky exhale go, I reached shaking hands up to the keys, turning them towards me and tugging them out. I almost flinched at the metallic song they sang as they clanged together.
Knowing the car wouldn't start again, I reluctantly pushed the door open, immediately pelted by the assaulting rain.
Great, now I'll be soaked and late for my mom.
I started the short walk home, glancing behind me every few seconds, half-expecting to see Patch with a ski mask on, gun or other deadly weapon in hand. I didn't. All I could see was the fading sight of the Neon, its image distorted by the sheets of rain that fell between us.
I wiped at my nose, not doing much good. My jeans felt like they were painted on and heavy as lead, the denim soaking in the water like a desert dry sponge.
As a car passed briefly, I tensed, watching it pass me slowly, the driver giving me a curious look. I returned it, smiling for a moment as he sped up, obviously unsettled by my reaction.
I was almost home. I could see the faint light of my bedroom flickering through the grey onslaught of rain. It gave me a certain feeling of comfort that I was in dire need of.
The keys were slippery in my fingers as I tried to stick it in the keyhole, my shaking fingers making it a task more difficult than need be. Finally, I managed to unlock the door, stumbling inside - ungracefully, I might add. I closed the door with my foot, groping through the dark in search of a light switch. Tripping over the rug in the front doorway, I cursed silently, catching myself on the wall with a small cry.
To my benefit though, I felt the switch between my fingers and I flicked it, expecting a series of lights to blind me suddenly.
It stayed dark.
The silence didn't help my situation. My bedroom light was on, I knew that much, but the downstairs lights weren't working? My thoughts immediately flickered towards the man in the ski-mask.
Forcing the unpleasant thoughts from my mind, I continued to stumble through my house, my shoes slipping as soon as I reached the vinyl of our kitchen floor. Losing my footing, I slid to the ground, the impact vibrating through my backbone.
Wincing at the sudden pain, I stood, leaning against the counter. Today was not my best.
A low laugh caused my stomach to drop, leaving an empty cold place in my body. The fingers gripping the counter tightened, an impulse that came from fear. With my eyes darting around the dark, I strained to hear something, anything that would give me an idea of where to run - or not to run.
Suddenly the lights flared on, blinding me painfully. My hand flew up to shield my eyes and to try and give me some hope of seeing my surroundings. I expected to see the ominous man, still unknown and dangerous, standing at one of the doorways but there was no one.
I turned around shakily, blinking my eyes to rid them of the blinding speckles of light that still danced around my vision. And there was Patch, leaning against the doorway I had stumbled through, his fingers resting on the light switch.
The grin he wore made me wish I had kept my eyes closed.
We stood in silence, the tension almost suffocating. What was he here for? How did he get in? All these thoughts would have been running through my mind but I found them over ruled by one, Run!
As much as I desperately wished that Patch was innocent, the notion was hard to defend with him standing in my kitchen, conveniently showing up after my series of unfortunate events.
It all added up to him being the one who attacked Vee.
Not trusting my voice, I waited, forcing Patch to be the first to say something.
"What's the matter, Angel? You look like a drowned cat."
So not what I wanted to hear right now. I tried my best to shoot him a menacing look, despite my heart beating out of its chambers, as I tried to maneuver myself around the island in an attempt to get some space between me and him.
Watching me move slowly away, he made no effort to follow me.
"Cat got your tongue?" He was teasing me, his eyes glinting with something that dared me to do something, I just didn't know what.
Review?