Kingdom of Rust • Chapter 12 • Teaser

CHAPTER 12 (un-edited)

 I left Renee to her chore, not bothering to say I was heading to the river to help Alice and Bella bring in the water. I could tell she wasn’t interested in speaking with me anyway.

 I closed the front door with care then cut across the front yard, crunching with each step. A breeze surrounded the leaves on the ground and coerced them into colorful circles around my boots while the pleasant air filled my lungs with hints of autumn.

I emerged from the shade and into the slight warmth of the early sun. The piercing dawn nearly blinded me upon first glance. I shut my eyes for only a second then strained to keep them open, trying to consume every ounce of light given to me, thankful to be alive so I could see the colors of another fall.

A single crow flew overhead, cawing, calling out to anyone who would listen. I stepped onto the dusty, dormant road which would lead me to the edge of the woods. I’d find the river just beyond, where she waited.

They waited.

 My stomach tightened with the thought of seeing them together. Did Alice say anything to Bella, and if so, what? I began to jog, knowing I couldn’t stand a slower pace. I passed the corner of the house and glanced back to see if anyone was watching. I stopped. He was at the waste piles, shoveling manure into a large bucket.

 The sight stole away the once-pleasant air, and the tightness in my stomach turned into nausea. My knees felt they would give to the weight of realization as it moved through me one heart beat at a time. What I thought, what I believed, was a lie. Nothing existed in that moment except the pounding in my head and the cranking of adrenaline as I began to shake. I moved toward the house in full sprint, my arms pumping and my legs exerting more force than I could've ever imagined.

The harder I pushed, the more my body developed a painful bond with the cool air. But, it wasn't the air I felt sending chills across my skin. It was fear, and I had never been more scared in my life than when I tore through the front door of that house, ripping off its disguise.