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Her red blood lips shaped beautifully curled up into a grin of satisfaction and sinister intent, the marble hot flesh around her mouth tearing to allow her jaw to unhinge and reveal her rows of thin, long incisors. Shaped like wide toothpicks but the veins in her body began to light up through her flesh like she was going to implode with lava. Her blood red flames bursting from the center of her chest and engulfing her body and flared like an uncontrolled bonfire in the deep forest somewhere in a beautiful foreign country from the United States. Night had already fallen and she was beginning to feed on a small village that was under her blood red flames. Demonic snarling left her lips before she shrieked, piercingly and causing eardrums to burst before she launched herself in the air and found her first terrified helpless target. Consuming the bodies within the village in under two minutes, consuming everything, including bones and hair.

Naomi

may, 2006

When I woke up for my patrol in the morning, I woke up in another changed reality. I was in my room and by the pictures on my dresser, Jacob is back. But we don't know the Clearwater's by the pictures, another change and Bella was an only child by the pictures. And I had a picture of Bella and Edward together, it looked recent with the light sunset glow mixed with the pale silver light of cloud cover, behind the curtains in Charlie's dining room where they stood in the archway in the living room.

I laid there. I couldn't move. I couldn't stop thinking.

There was too much I had to think about. There was too much I had to do. I don't know what to do. Another change. So many changes and I felt like I was going to explode.

I remember the terror in my body. I remember the anger. I remember the feeling of being psychologically manipulated into thinking I was clawing away the chain when in reality, I ripped my own throat out. That memory alone has kept me in place looking at the spot where I writhed and clawed.

I was crestfallen, despondent. I was scared. I was angry. But I was so fucking scared.

It killed me inside to be so afraid of this fucking creature. I never see her coming and quite frankly, I don't know where to even begin to search for answers to kill the bitch. How was I supposed to protect the towns from her when she made me claw out my own throat? How was I supposed to protect anything if I couldn't even move?

She broke Leah. She went after Seth. She went after Laura. She came after me. I don't understand why and I don't even know where to begin to understand the concept. I didn't even know where to begin. I was alone and most definitely going to fail someway or another, I can feel it. I haven't been given much of a fair chance so far already. I can't even figure out what to do to even prevent a change… I don't think I have much choice.

A light knock to my door. "Naomi?"

Dad, as always, "I'm up."

"You got a half hour."

I sat up and sighed, if I had to be honest, I was crestfallen, "Okay." I managed to keep that emotion out of my voice.

I got up and showered and got dressed. I stared at the red apples for a brief moment while Dad bustled around the living room in his chair, searching for his novel. I pulled out the carton of eggs, I ate a few eggs and took a couple packs granola bars and I was out the door.

Seth

may, 2006

I blinked a couple times looking over at the high school parking lot to the black Camaro that just pulled in and parked in an available spot at the back of the lot, the lot was separated by patches of grass and shrubs from the high school to the middle school. The sky was partly clouding with bright golden sun, a breeze swept against my face through my thin hoodie, it was the nice spring weather the Olympic Peninsula waited for all year. I glanced over to moms beige sedan driving away from the drop off line, other young teenagers passing by with chatter and giggles, I looked back over at the Camaro and a girl climbed out of the driver seat. I know that girl, she always parks in the same spot, I know of her I should say. She looked back at me, she's wearing black jeans and long sleeve with a pair of sneakers. My eyes widened and I felt embarrassed when I realized as she ran a hand through her chin length hair, stain and glossy under the cloud cover which was insane. I can tell she was pretty, even with the distance, despite what I've heard.

I turned quickly and followed the other kids into the smaller intermediate building of La Push educational system, the middle school I imagined looked a lot like the high school. Blue and black, with white walls and flooring, blue paneling ceiling tiles and black trim. Rows of white lockers with dark wood doors of classrooms. Today, the eighth grade was visiting the high school for sections periods of the day, the first half or morning classes I was in the middle school taking my regular classes. And the second half which I was having lunch at the high school, and shadowing an unknown high schooler (and grade level) for the rest of the day and chaperoned back to the middle school for attendance and report. And that was it, I was glad for the free skip on health class, I learned everything I needed at home, I didn't want to sit in a classroom with restless students learning about health.

We were doing this visit for the real thing in the fall, and shadowing a high schooler would also help lessened the nerves because of stereotypical skepticism. Well, if I had to be honest, I was worried about being bullied. One of those quiet kids but kind and optimistic if you give me a chance, which my chances of friendship have always been little to none. My only friends were the three people that I lived with, mom and Dad, and my older sister Leah, the Clearwater's outcasts because of Makah relations or because of my sister. I had wondered at first when this day was announced, if Leah was going to be my chaperone, but Leah opted out of chaperoning middle schoolers when we told our parents about the day. So, now I had to worry about if the high schooler was going to torture me or have mercy.

This town and the next town over have become strange, random sightings of black bears or massive wolves I should say, disappearances of townspeople and it was continuous. It was rare anyone went into the forest anymore, or had any activities outside because of the skepticism. Some of the Quileute kids around the reservation have been… changing, I remember Leah coming home from school talking about certain kids changing and leaving school. Nobody has any answers but one thing is for sure, they're always leaving and coming back, and if you were ever outside and driving around you would see some of them walking in and out of the woods. Half naked. Dad immediately declared them as junkies.

If they were junkies, then I guess my crush on Naomi Black was ridiculous, I only see her in the morning and this morning was the first time she caught me looking. It's not the first time I've been caught staring at her, some of the kids around school make fun of me when I go into my 'daze' when I see her, and the teachers greeting us at the doors always notice me looking. Embarrassing and ridiculous, I know, I can't help it. I just don't know what it is about her, and I wish it was rational enough to even have a crush.

Morning classes went as usual, boring and dragging on and on. I was fretting over what high schooler I would get, I wasn't too sure what to expect from the high school lectures and what subjects they'll be. I was hoping it wasn't anything I just learned, that was be tragic.

I switched out my books after fifth period for the notebook Mom bought just for this afternoon with separated sections, and checked my front pocket for the money bill, she gave me this morning. I walked to the lobby for the designated meet up for the field trip, if I had to be honest butterflies were floating around in my stomach the whole time I walked, the morning group was being sent off to classes or lunch by the time I arrived. The morning group of high schoolers were being replaced with the afternoon group, and my heart went into my throat when I seen Naomi Black, Camaro girl, walk through the doors with the others, I stayed in the back of the younger group in the lobby. Names were called out for attendance and then names were listed off to their respected chaperones, my heart went into my throat again when my name was listed off with Naomi's. Snickers from remaining students with quiet whispers, I know the embarrassment of the public knowledge of my… feelings was clear on my face, she locked eyes with me for the first time in this room as the remaining names were called off.

She's so pretty. She's always wearing dark clothes and she always looked good in dark colors, I wondered how she would look in lighter colors but that felt… unlike her. Random but that's what went through my head. She's so pretty. I felt stuck for a long time but it felt like seconds until the bell rang, I blinked a couple times and jolted at the sudden sound. I looked around at some of the other kids also jumping at the interruption.

"Alright, that's everybody…" The teachers voice faded out immediately when I met her eyes again, I glanced around at the kids walking towards their temporary guardians.

I followed suit, towards her, once I approached we were all ushered out the door and lead across the wall towards the high school.

I looked over at her as we followed the others, she gave me a small smile, my heart was in my throat again.

"Hi." Her voice was like warm honey, her smile is perfect, she's perfect.

"Hi." My voice cracked.

Her dark eyes flickered over my face, "Seth, right?"

"Yeah." Her hair famed her face so well, she's not pretty anymore, I don't think there's word for her that meant more than beautiful.

"So, you're my secret admirer."

I felt like I was going to die with embarrassment. "No." My voice cracked with my desperate attempt to lie.

She smiled wider, "So you don't stare at me every morning before school?"

"I don't stare." I rushed.

"So it's true." She grinned with teeth, perfect and white, brightening her face and it reached her eyes.

"I didn't say that."

"You look like a tomato." She chuckles breathily, her eyes flickering across my face again.

Oh, God. I looked away and leveled my eyes to my feet, watching my four steps across grass and onto cement. I gazed back over to her looking straight ahead, I turned my head before she turned hers. I'm such an idiot and I was nervously nauseous with butterflies.

"What classes do you have?" I asked when we walked through the lobby of the high school.

The high school was a bit different and instead of black trim, there was grey and the lockers were grey. Blue, white and grey tiles lined the flooring with white walls and ceilings. The chatter and the amount of students were more than I expected, she glanced over at me as I stepped closer to her before we merged with the crowd.

"Lunch," She says, we stopped aburptly from being pummeled by rowdy jocks which were immediately yelled at by teachers. Naomi looked at me with wide but unimpressed eyes, I followed her when she started forward again. "Then Environmental Science which will be a field trip to the greenhouse in Forks, then twenty minutes of study hall, and lastly, mandatory gym class. We're supposed to be outside for gym today, assorted activities on the football field."

"Sounds like this was more a field trip than they led on."

She shrugged, "Field trip was last minute, we were supposed to have a test but I guess this field trip is more observation on the subject."

"And I'm allowed to go?" I asked dumbfounded, weren't they supposed to get permission for field trips.

"I had to get this paper signed by one of your teachers for the field trip this morning after they called your home about the change."

I nodded with thoughtful hum. "What were your morning classes?"

"Algebra, History, Spanish, Literature and Civic Economics. What about you?" She asked as we walked through the open doors to the cafeteria.

"English, Science, Social Studies, Math, and wood shop."

She hummed, "You got lunch money?" she asked as she grabbed two trays and handed me one.

I nodded, "Yeah."

"How are your classes?" She asks while taking the food being handed out, "Do you like them?"

I shrugged, "they're alright. I like them, somewhat. How about you?"

"This is hell." She replies.

Her tone made one of the lunch aides chuckle at her, her hair is curly and brown under the unflattering hairnet and cap, the smile on her face was encouraging, "Everything will get better after high school, Naomi. Trust me."

"That's if I survive high school." Naomi grumbled with classic teenage attitude.

She chuckled again, "Oh, you'll survive. You're a Black, you always prevail."

That seemed to make Naomi quiet and tense, if you looked hard enough I thought she was shaking, I settled with peanut butter and jelly and the sides of mashed potatoes and a red apple. I stood next to Naomi as she scanned the cafeteria room.

"I would suppose your sister would have a fit if we passed by for a hello?" she inquires glancing at me on her left.

I searched for Leah and I found her near the middle and on the right side of the room, she was glaring at me, "Yeah. Yeah she would."

"Popular priss." She murmurs.

I protested, "Leah is misunderstood."

"Misunderstood? Trust me, you don't even know." She says leading me towards a table, "And you don't want to."

"Why?" my eyebrows furrowed.

She shook her head, "You just don't want to know. I don't want to reason for one of her fits."

I didn't say anything else about it. I wanted to know but she was right about Leah's fits and I certainly didn't want to deal with it. We sat an empty rectangular table, I put my notebook down on the table top and sighed glancing over at Naomi. She was looking down at my notebook while picking up her own red apple.

"You brought your own notebook?" She smirked, amused.

"My mom insisted I use it for today." I said.

"I doubt you'll use it today, honestly." She says angling towards me.

"Yeah, same here." I opened the cover of the page and then closed it at the writing on the beige paper.

She snickered, "She didn't."

I opened the cover again and we both looked at the page, I sighed, "She did."

"Awww," Naomi gushed, I didn't know if she was making fun of me or amused.

But I know the heat spreading across my face only made Naomi smile harder, my heart skipping a beat in my chest. Either way, I liked that she teased me and I liked she found my mom amusing even when she was embarrassing.

After lunch was right to the meet up for the field trip and loading up into the bus, I sat by the aisle and looked around the extended cab of the bus with loud babble. I glanced over at Naomi folding up a paper like origami until it got to the mold she wanted. I knew what it was once I trusted the process but I can't remember the name. She wrote stuff down on it and when she was satisfied she held it up.

"Pick a color."

I looked at the four choices, blue, red, green and brown. "Uh, brown."

She moved her contraption to open it up to four selected numbers written down, "Pick a number."

38, 7, 52, 14. "14."

She pulled back apart of the paper, she smirked, "You have to go to the spring dance with me."

"What?" I leaned over to look at what she wrote, my heart jumped in my throat at the 'Seth has to go to the spring dance with Naomi'.

"Hey, it's written."

"Your spring dance already passed."

"But the eighth grade dance is in two weeks." She smirked.

"What else did you write?" I asked reaching out to the paper game on her fingers.

"Eh!" She twisted out of my reach, I dropped my hand and she held it out again, "Pick a color."

"Green."

"Pick a number.

"38."

She pulled back a part of the paper game, "You have to come over after school."

I stared at her until she showed me, I felt the smile spread across my face as I huffed and leaned back in the seat, "Are they all about me?"

She shook her head, "Pick a color."

I locked eyes with her, "Brown."

"You already picked that one." She protests. "Pick another."

I answered without looking down, "Red."

"Pick a number." She nibbles on her bottom lip.

"52." I said tearing my eyes from her lips to her paper game as she looked at the folded piece.

"You are a nincompoop." She grins with mirth.

"A nincompoop?" I felt my smile widen, "What?"

She showed me what she wrote, "Hey, it doesn't lie."

"You wrote it." I reminded, watching her expressions change.

She gasped with dramatic fake offense, "I did no such thing." She smiled and held up her game again, "Pick a color."

"There's only one left."

She pouted slightly.

"Blue." I said without looking at from her.

"Pick a number." She says keeping eye contact.

"7."

She pulled up the last tiny folded piece, and she looked down, "Hm, says I may also be a secret admirer." (Hehe. If yk then yk) She shows me what she wrote and it was correct with a smirk.

"Who do you secretly admire?"

"Wouldn't be a secret if I let it spill, now would it?" She asked with loaded eyes that bore into mine.

I kept eye contact and the whole world was miles away, the murky depths of her eyes held a lot of pain, a lot of fear but there was other emotions I couldn't decipher. But beautiful, nonetheless, those depths held so much warmth that I couldn't help, but admit brought me so much sincere comfort. Comfort to knowing I wasn't alone, that I was seen. I don't know why but it gave me more comfort than questions.

We both blinked and looked away at the sound of the brakes and the stop of the massive vehicle making me slid forward just a bit.

"We have arrived," Naomi sighs, looking out the window.

After unloading of the bus and another head count. We off to the greenhouse across the parking lot, as soon as we were inside, the education started. I listened intently to the explanations and then the questions being asked if the students, Naomi and I stayed near the back of the group.

"The fuck?" I turned to Naomi who swatted away a boys hand and glowered at him. "Fucking quit it."

Her curse caught the instructors attention.

"Naomi Black." He said sternly.

"Garrett keeps touching my butt, Mr. O'Malley." Naomi informs while wiping off her jeans.

Giggles and chuckles around the group while some of the girls in the group gave Naomi a look, and I looked at Garrett who looked smug but also guilt.

"Garrett, up here."

I stepped aside to let him pass. I glanced at his friends who were snickering and whispering, I glanced over at Naomi glaring at both of them. I think it was the first time I had seen her beautiful face twisted with anger, her eyes are very dark and everything about her went dark. As the instructor regained attention, I kept my focus on Naomi and the other two boys, I felt an overwhelming urge to intervene if I had too. One of the boys was unimpressed with her glare and smiled, instigating.

"What's the matter, Black? You haven't gotten any action that didn't contribute to your addiction?"

She stayed quiet, glaring, getting darker and the others were moving along.

"What? Got nothing to say? Wow, I'm surprised you're not trying to defend your name in front of company." He tormented, the other kid was staring back at Naomi and going pale.

"Naomi. Come on,"

"Yeah, Naomi, go on now."

"Popular prissy's." I said, hoping Naomi would a get a hint on what I meant by that.

Naomi did, she didn't say anything but walked away, I followed after her as she crossed her arms and I looked over my shoulder at the boys who were following. Chuckling and murmuring, I shouldn't be surprised by classic high school bullying and instigating but around Naomi, I was surprised and irritated.

"Don't worry." Naomi says, I turned my head around to her. She sighs running a hand through her hair before lifting a large leaf from her path and lowering it back down when she passed. "When they graduate they won't be able to hold a job higher than being a high school custodian."

I smiled at the brightness of in her eyes, harmless mischief and humbling confidence.

"Naomi, what is this?" we both turned to the instructor holding up a glass cup containing dark liquid.

She blinks and uhs loudly making some of the glass giggle along with myself, her eyes flickered around and then she looked back at him, "Compost broth?"

Giggles around the group again.

"Yes, but we call it compost tea." (HEHE.)

"Tea?" Naomi blinked, "I have a feeling that isn't edible."

"You want to try?" The instructor grinned with mischief.

Harder giggles around the group as Naomi picked up on the teachers wave length.

"I guess I'll be an experiment."

The greenhouse instructor looked at our teacher with an alarmed expression watching the events play out, Naomi looked at her and back at our teacher. Naomi put her hands on her waist and some of the kids started giggling as she looked around after looking at the glass.

"Her face is telling me that I shouldn't drink it."

"One sip and I'll make this field trip the final test, if you back out we'll take the test on Monday."

"One sip!"

"Take it for the team!"

"It's just one sip."

"Field trip for the final test!"

The class started to encourage her to take the sip, the greenhouse instructor started to sweat with alarm, and I honestly had to laugh at everyone in this situation. Naomi took the cup and sipped, she handed it back and sprinted away to the open doorway of the greenhouse and the class erupted into laughter with her vomiting while some of the others 'ohed' and cringed in disgust.

"No test on Monday." Our teacher said looking at the cup in shock and over at Naomi. "She did it." He looked at the greenhouse instructor.

We all looked over at Naomi gagging before she said, "For the team." She raised her right fist in the air.

I found Naomi after they had checked over and given water which she had threw back up. I glanced over at our teacher walking over and talked with the greenhouse lady before walking over to Naomi. She straightened after they exchanged some words and she smiled at him while lightly pounding her fist on her chest.

And then I heard it, the abrupt screaming of students in the parking lot and then a following shriek that wasn't human. My head whipped to the left just in time to see students running for their lives from a creature in storybooks, a female creature with blood red flames coating her hands and forearms, just in time to see three students being slaughtered. Limbs going everywhere along with the blood and the screaming the pierced my ears, I scrambled back before falling onto my ass as the creature grabbed limbs from mid-air and consumed them with rapid deep bites into the human flesh.

I was glad I went to bathroom when we arrived her or I would've pissed myself, my heart thundering in my chest with adrenaline.

"Get down! Get down!" Naomi yells at the top of her lungs running past me stripping off her clothes, the kids listened to the to e of her voice and dropping like Domino's.

Everything happened so fast, the yells of her name and the terrified screaming of kids, Naomi almost tripped taking her jeans off after kicking off her sneakers. For one thing, what the hell was she doing?

"Naomi!" I screamed as she pulled her shirt off and the shirt went flying like her pants did.

"Good afternoon Alpha! Isn't it a beautiful day?!" the female creature is grinning with blood over her form, a crazed gaze of pleasure and baneful intentions. "It's such a beautiful day!"

"You sick bitch!" Naomi's voice had an edge that was strange and clearly furious.

The creature swung her arm at a girl and more screaming erupted when her head fell to the ground and her blood began pooling out. Everything was still, everyone was staring at the scene. I watched the girl's body fall limply to the ground as her head tumbled along the pavement before coming to a stop near a trio of ashen girls, screaming in terror simultaneously.

Naomi released a loud cry before lounging forward and jumping over a group of kids trying to run away terrified. Loud sharp tearing rang through the space with the screaming and crying, and then Naomi exploded with tremors running down her spine. Copper red fur of an animal burst from her frame the size of a gigantic horse and shiny, she collided with the creature and the sounds echoing around the space were even more terrifying and like dragged out thunder and inward choking.

"Get on the bus! Get on the bus!" Mr. O'Malley yelled.

Fight or flight was activated, but I stood there looking between the bus and the fighting creatures, I ran for Naomi's clothes. I snatched up her jeans with my name being yelled, I stared at the red creature going straight for the others throat, Naomi going after the other female's throat. Naomi wasn't just any animal, with the solid glimpses of her head or her body, or her tail, she was a canine.

"Werewolf." I breathed in shocked realization.

A loud shriek from the other female stood ready to pounce one Naomi, Naomi replied back with a snarl bellowing through her bared teeth and lowered head. Naomi's shirt was five feet away from the female creature, and that was the only thing I needed before running back to the bus.

The female lounged at Naomi and I took my chance, the heavy vibrations of the fighting creatures got closer with each step on the pavement towards her long sleeve shirt. My heart beat merging with the heavy foot falls and loud snarls of different creatures, I snatched up her shirt just as something crashed into me and sent flying to my right. I was terrified for the fall. I hit the pavement hard. My vision blacked out. I groaned and rolled hearing and feeling the ground shaking near me, stars sprinkled across my vision when my eyes opened to the world moving. My ears ringing sharply getting into a sitting position with my vision going hazy.

My head turned to sharp barking. A massive wolf? Why is that woman thing on fire?

"Seth!" I turned to an older man's yell, the sounds of snapping of jaws and then a crash of metal and glass. He was frantic with uncertainty, "Run!"

My head whipped to the barking with the creature getting up from the car she is laying on, the massive was barking at me with alarm. The fur long her back was raised, her eyes were alive with alarm and authority, her ears flickering every which way before she turned to the creature hurling herself at her. The wolf.

Naomi. Naomi, the kids. The clothes. Then it all snapped. My vision cleared as my heart began pounding in my chest and my limbs shaking. I gathered Naomi's clothes and ran towards the bus. I was dragged onto the bus by a frantic Mr. O'Malley.

The bus was full of crying students, kids freaking out especially the one I slid next into, the blonde girl grabbed my arm, crying and whimpering. Her body was shaking but she wasn't the only one, I was too, I looked around as the bus driver began to pull out of the parking lot dangerously with the attempt of a safe but panicked escape. I began to panic and I dropped Naomi's clothes and stood up in the aisle and grabbed onto the seat.

"Seth, sit down!" Mr. O'Malley pushed me back down into the seat, the blonde girl grabbed my arm fiercely.

"Naomi!" I yelled, sitting up and looking out the windows to try to get a glance but all I seen were the trees lining the street.

"She's a spirit warrior!" one of the Quileute girls shrieked, her hands in her hair as she cried profusely. She was in a shocked and hysterical daze, speaking her words quickly but clearly, "A Quileute spirit warrior from our legends! She's going to protect us. She's a spirit warrior!" The girl doubled over crying hysterically as everyone looked at her.

The bus was loud with hysterical protests in denial of reality, we all watched four kids we knew get murdered and one of the kids of the Rez turned into a gigantic animal. It was purely traumatic, the boys that they were messing with Naomi were crying now and in shock, holding onto to each other as if their lives depended on it. It was comical if you think about how tough and cocky they were with messing with a girl, and never knowing of the upcoming events that lead to that same girl exploded into a wolf and saved their very lives. She had jumped over that section of kids on the right side of the bus towards the back of the bus, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Naomi jumping right into the fray without a second thought and for a reason, the animal within her shredding her undergarments, the absolute power she had knocking that creature back in employee vehicles of the greenhouse station; and putting her life on the line. My mind couldn't keep up then but now I was processing what I seen, they had crashed into some cars and the weight of their bodies cracking the pavement, the blows Naomi took and the attacks she landed with her teeth and her massive claws.

She called Naomi alpha. And she was a canine, a werewolf. A female alpha wolf. The absolute size of her was insane, the size of a gigantic stallion but sleek like a mare, but she was all canine. The difference between canine snarls and paranormal snarls of the mythical creatures, that female consumed human flesh down to the bone. A paranormal cannibal against a werewolf. My head spun when the realization hit that I had a crush on a werewolf.

That's all I kept thinking about consistently with growing anxiety until that same girl from before ranting about spirit warriors yelled.

"Stop the bus! Stop the bus! Naomi!"

I looked back at the girl, standing up and holding onto the back of the seat in front of her, she looked less pale and more relaxed than before; still dazed in shock. The bus driver listened, which I was surprised he did even after Mr. O'Malley instructed him too from the seat behind me. The bus slowed to a stop pulling onto the opposite shoulder of the road, I looked out the doors as it came to full stop and they opened to Naomi's wolf head poking into the bus. She was definitely a wolf and I wasn't the only one staring at her, but she was slowly staring back at me. She barked softly with her ears flickering in different directions, the blonde girl let go of my arm and grabbed the clothes at our feet. I felt horrible when I realized I forgot about her clothes, Mr. O'Malley took them from the girl he called Brittney. I gave Naomi a sheepish look before O'Malley descended the stairs of the bus and onto the road as Naomi stepped backwards.

I looked around to the whole bus of kids looking out the window, murmuring, they were more relaxed but still dazed. It was only logical. I stood up and went to descend the stairs but the bus driver grabbed my arm in a painfully firm grip, I looked back at him with his dazed shocked and uncertain expression. He was an older man, older than my dad by a few years with salt and pepper over his facial hair and thinking hair on his head.

"Stay here, son." He says before pulling me back to the aisle.

I sat back down as Mr. O'Malley ascended the bus stairs and looked out to Naomi disappearing into the tree line with his hands empty. Mr. O'Malley was in shock and breathing heavily, running a hand through his hair.

"Maybe we should've stayed at school today." He mumbles.

We all waited for Naomi to reappear while Mr. O'Malley advised everyone back to their seats, some kids were still crying harder than the others, the atmosphere of the bus was relaxing but still heavy with grief and fear. I looked over the light dip of the front of the bus indicating weight and the closing of the bus doors and then silence as everyone looked Naomi as she looked back at everyone including myself. She was the only one not in shock, not in terror, but instead she radiated with brave confidence and a pensive set of her eyebrows.

She looked at Mr. O'Malley last, "How many did we lose?"

"Four."

Naomi's face softened to shame and pain, and then it twisted with guilt and anger and lastly acceptance and that brave confidence was back.

"Their deaths will be honored." She looked up around the bus again.

I couldn't move. My limbs were trembling and I felt locked in place, Brittney's arm hooked with mine also kept me from moving. I know her from the neighborhood, she has three younger sisters and I can feel that sister love; that urge to protect. I thought about Leah, I felt the tears on my face then and I was so grateful that Leah was back home safe.

Was she safe? Was anyone safe? Are we safe?

"Are you okay?" I looked up at Naomi as I asked the question, I could hear the shakiness of my voice.

Naomi looked down at me, "I'm okay. I should be asking you that question. That was quite a hit you took." She reached out to my left arm; I turned towards her and Brittney let go of my arm and Naomi's hand wrapped around mine and pulled up my sleeve. My eyes boggled at the large dark bruise on my upper arm near my elbow, then I felt the pain from that site and a site on my ribs, and my head began to pulse.

"Seth?" Naomi asked as my vision went hazy and sparkles with black spots before they consumed my vision.