Chapter Two

Jared has been gone for two weeks now.

It's strange, because just about a month ago Paul missed school for a couple of weeks. People said that he had mono, and now that's what they're saying about Jared. I hate to say it, but seeing Jared in Chemistry is the highlight of my days at school. It's really the highlight of my life, especially now that Nick is getting worse.

He hit my face for the first time yesterday. I didn't have dinner ready when he got home, and he exploded. There isn't a feeling quite like a fist to the face. He didn't punch me, but his backhand was done with a closed fist and the pain was like lightening. I couldn't open my eye at first…it was like my body was preparing for another blow and keeping my eye shut for protection. I felt a tooth loosen slightly; thank God it isn't loose this morning.

When I walked into school I was immediately stopped by Mr. Campbell. I knew my face looked bad, my cheekbone was bruised and my lip was swollen and scabbed. Mr. Campbell looked me over with genuine concern, a look I definitely wasn't used to receiving. "Kim, what in the world happened to you?"

I could tell him everything. Suddenly the truth came bubbling in my throat and I was ready to spill it out. A flash of me telling him, him immediately whisking me away and calling the police and my life finally taking a turn for the better, entered my mind. As I opened my mouth to speak Nick was suddenly there, like he knew the direction my thoughts were going.

"Kimberly is just so clumsy sometimes, aren't you sweetie? She tripped right over a pair of shoes in our foyer and fell right into the doorframe. Banged her face up awfully bad!" I nodded meekly.

Mr. Campbell's face flooded with relief. This was the answer he had wanted to hear, that this was just an accident, that no one had hurt me. "I have seen you trip a time or two in my class. But you've got to be more careful! I remember one year I had a student who-,"

Nick interrupted. "Actually Ronald I'm going to steal Kimberly away from you for a few minutes so we can have a talk in my office. I'm going to do it now so she won't be late for first period." He winked and grinned.

My stomach dropped. I knew this couldn't be good. Mr. Campbell nodded. "Of course! I'll see you later in class Kim!" Nick gripped my arm and led me to the administration area. When we made it to his office he shut the door.

"What did you think you were going to say to Mr. Campbell, Kimberly?" Before I could answer he was pushing me against the door, his hand wrapped around my throat and squeezing. I gasped for breath and tried to loosen his grip, but to no avail. Within seconds my vision was spotting.

"I could kill you so easily Kimberly. Don't you ever forget that." My vision was completely black before he finally released me. I dropped to the floor on my hands and knees, gasping for air. He sneered down at me. "Get to class. And I'd better not have to deal with more trouble from you today."

I shudder while I relive this morning's incident. I am in Mr. Campbell's class now, and he is carrying on with all of us outside, demonstrating a chemical reaction of Mento's with Diet Coke. It's like Nick has his plans for what he is going to do to me every day down to a science, I think bitterly. I am wearing a turtleneck today. I pulled it down when I was alone in the bathroom earlier to see the damage done to my neck. It wasn't pretty; finger marks around my throat were already angry bruises. But with my turtleneck no one can see them.

Suddenly, an earsplitting howl interrupts Mr. Campbell's explanation of what should happen to the Diet Coke and Mento's when they combine. I actually have to cover my ears, it's so loud. Two other howls follow it. A few girls in the class scream, and everyone else looks around in fear. Mr. Campbell looks towards the woods uneasily. "Okay, everyone," he says warily, "let's call it a day. We'll go back to the room and start a movie."

The class rushes inside. I follow right behind. I have no clue where the howls are coming from, but I don't intend to find out. Inside, everyone is talking about the howls.

"Were those wolves?"

"No way, there are no wolves around here."

"Maybe it was a joke. Like the senior prank or something."

"That's a pretty lame senior prank…"

"Hey, it got us out of that dumb experiment, didn't it?"

"What are you talking about? I'd rather be outside than watching a chemistry movie…"

And like that, the howls are dismissed. I can't help but think there is something more to it, though. I know for sure that it wasn't just a senior prank. Was it really wolves? It doesn't seem like it could be. Those howls were so full of…emotion. I've never heard anything like it…

Before the movie is even five minutes in, the bell rings. The rest of the day is uneventful. Thankfully Nick eats dinner and I go upstairs without any more incidents. Once he is asleep I peek under my bed. There is a loose floorboard under there and I keep some of my personal items tucked inside. I pull my journal out from my secret place. I flip through the pages, many of which are my practiced Mrs. Kimberly Cameron signatures. I finally find what I'm looking for: a picture of Mom and me when I was little. She looks so beautiful and happy…it's how I prefer to remember her.

I suppose I should feel guilty because I didn't go to her the night she died. Part of me does feel that way, but it's a part that I keep tucked deep inside because I know if I feel guilty, I will spiral downwards and I need to keep myself calm to bear my life with Nick. So instead I choose anger.

"Why did you leave me here with him?" I whisper. "Why did you force me to stay with this monster while you escaped?" Tears begin to well up and I shut the journal, the picture tucked away in it. Crying will do nothing. I gingerly feel my neck. I know it's going to be sore. I can't ever threaten Nick like that again. Mom was right about one thing, he is crazy enough to kill. This morning proved that to me. I shut the light off and snuggle into bed.

I dream I am a wolf, howling and running free.