Insidious(20)

“Haven’t a clue,” I admitted, not feeling the least bit winded.

Something didn’t feel right, in the fact that I now felt fine. Better than fine. I felt phenomenal. We’d run the track not even three weeks ago, and I struggled to beat the 6:30 mark in perfect health.

Lightning suddenly crackled overhead, followed by a thunderous roar, startling us all. The thought of being trapped out on the track in the rain made even the laziest runners pick up the pace, and we thankfully got back to the gym before the downpour commenced.

“Alright, we’ll dial things down a notch.” Coach opened the equipment storage room and dragged out a bin full of hockey sticks. He split the class up into four teams, letting the last two take a breather on the benches as the first hit the court.

“You’ve got this, baby!” cheered Carly to Daniel, who took to center court for the face-off.

Metal clacked overhead from the newly installed overlook that housed our new weightlifting space. Half the girls were sitting at the top of the stands so they could steal peeks between the railings at the shirtless guys working out overhead. My mind seemed elsewhere however, as that invisible pull inside me hadn’t lessened. My body wanted to keep moving, but I was now stuck on the sidelines. Gazing unfocusedly across the gym, my vision suddenly centered on Brenda Hardy.

I nudged Carly. “Do you see that?”

“Hmm?” She somehow managed to stop making googly eyes at Daniel long enough to glance over at where I indicated. “What am I looking for?”

“Brenda Hardy.”

Of all things, she laughed. “Yeah, you’d think she’d stop trying to fit into her little sister’s clothes by now, but what the hey.”

Okay, yes, Brenda was notorious for wearing shirts that looked about three sizes too small for her, but that was beside the point. I highly doubted a fashion faux pa took precedence over the freakish red cloud floating around her.

“You don’t see anything else weird?”

Carly shrugged. “No. Why?”

Like a dog eagerly yanking on a leash, I felt an inexplicable inner urge pulling me toward Brenda. The longer I sat there, the stronger the sensation became. I was forced to claw my nails into the underside of the bench to keep my ass planted down.

“Hey, you okay?” asked Carly. “You look like you’ve got ants in your pants, or something.”

A pang suddenly punched me in the gut as Daniel relinquished a slapshot, sending the rubberized hockey ball across the court. Right at Brenda. She attempted to hit the ball away when another girl came barreling down on her. Their sticks collided, and the two girls ran into each other. A gasp escaped my lips just as a rogue hockey stick drove right into Brenda’s left ankle. She tried to catch herself, but the force sent her sideways, leaving her accompanying knee to give out at an unnatural angle.

Brenda yelped, crashing to the floor in an agonizing heap. Everybody on the court raced over to her, blocking Coach’s path. He blew his whistle, leaving us all half-deaf by the painfully high pitch. The crowd parted, and everyone on the bleachers caught sight of Brenda as she rolled over with a scream.

Carly outright gagged, and I covered my mouth at the grisly image of Brenda’s kneecap protruding from the side of her leg!

As a player ran out of the gym at Coach’s command to fetch a nurse, I saw the red cloud slowly dissipate from around the girl.

“That is so messed up,” croaked a classmate behind us.

Heat spread throughout my body, and my heart started throbbing against my rib cage. What the hell was happening to me?

The invisible force within me grew into an all-out rage, pounding against my flesh in a desperate attempt to literally break free from my skin locking it inside.

“You don’t look so good, babe.” Carly hesitantly put her hand on my shoulder, and I involuntarily shuddered at the contact, recoiling away from her like a frightened animal. “Kat, what’s wrong?”

“I…I have to go.”

As if a spring was planted beneath me, I launched up from the bleachers and flew out the side door to the outside. Despite the humidity, a breeze still coursed through the air, batting my clammy skin. I remained under the brick canopy that shielded me from the downpour, but that same feeling continued tugging against my chest.

I needed to run.

The singular craving brought a wave of clarity over me, and everything around me fell mute. I took off, loving the thrill of the water splashing around me as my feet pounded against the flooded cement walkway lining the building. The parking attendant hollered something at me as I eventually made it to the school lot. She hustled out with her umbrella, trying to catch up with me. The bestial frenzy roaring through my veins laughed at the pathetic attempt as I blew past her in nothing but a blur.