Chasing Shadows | ✓

Part Two: Chapter Twenty-Four

NO MATTER HOW CLEAN THEY SEEMED, BLOOD-STAINED HANDS WOULD ALWAYS BE TAINTED.

Those were the words that lit up my phone screen; in big, bold letters under Noah's name. I scoffed at the text he sent and threw my phone onto my bed before flipping over and letting out a scream into my pillow. All my frustrations were being taken out on it right now because it wasn't as though I could go to Travis or even Noah about it. Between the two boys, my head was spinning with a million and one different stories and memories. Each held a different version of the past, and which one was more accurate. . . I couldn't tell. Events effected each person uniquely and what might be a big deal to one, might not be to another. What one could forget in a week, another might not for years.

However, I was desperate to regain my memoires. I wasn't sure if that would even help, but it was frustrating only receiving half the story and trying to piece together the middle bits. I hated how they were both aware of what happened, down to every little detail, while I was here - struggling to even recall their names.

Sitting upright in my bed, I leaned over to my bedside table and opened the wooden drawer. Inside, I had kept the photo Travis had given me a few weeks ago. It was perhaps the only living proof I had that all of this. . . insaneness might be real. But what was more baffling was, how could I have lived through all these memories and not remember? How was that fair? Dozens of eyes stared back at me, bright grins etched on everyone's faces; even mine. I appeared so full of life and happy next to Travis. Our hands were so close, nearly touching but not quite. Even still, there was something about this picture that warmed my heart.

I wanted to know more - who were these people? What were their names? Was I close to all of them? How did I know them? What had we been doing that day? So many questions swirled around inside my head, but none were to be answered. Only two people could. . . Which was why my phone was in my hand and dialling the familiar number until their voice echoed down the line.

"Hello?"

"Travis," I breathed, "Hi."

His voice sent a shiver through me - the good kind. Unknowingly, a smile lit up my face and I crossed my legs while leaning back on the mountain of pillows scattered across the bed.

"Natalie?" his voice sounded groggy, as though he had just woken up, "What's up? Is everything alright? Why are you calling so early in the morning?"

"Everything's okay, don't worry," I assured him, "Besides, it's not that early. It's nearly nine; you should be getting up."

"It's Sunday," he groaned, "Who the hell wakes up early on a weekend?"

"Me," I laughed, imagining him rolling his eyes already, "But I called to see if you were free today? I thought you might like to hang out for a little while?"

"Of course," he replied immediately, "But can you at least give me an hour or so to get ready? I have a few things I need to do this morning too."

"Sure," I smiled, happy that I was going to be seeing him again, "Take your time, just let me know whenever you're free. We can meet at the place we were last time, okay?"

"It's a date," he murmured sleepily.

The soft sound of his snores sounded through the line, and I chuckled at how quickly he was able to fall back asleep. But I felt too giddy to fall back asleep and jumped out of bed, only to wince at my reflection in the mirror. Strands of hair stuck up in a million and one different directions and I released a groan and tried to flatten it down - to no avail. Mascara lined my waterline and lids from the previous day. I didn't even want to imagine how creepy I must have looked smiling in my bedroom, alone, like this.