The Vengeance by Allison Rios Page A

did you say you were from?”
    “Nowhere in particular. I’m a drifter, I guess.”
    “Town’s been getting a lot of those lately,” Bob replied, thinking of all the meanderers wandering around. Max, Devin, AJ , and now this guy.
    “That’s what I hear.” The snicker in his voice was lost on Bob, who hadn’t been listening closely.
    “ If you need any help finding something, let me know. I know everyone in town.”
    “I bet you do,” the man replied. “I need some peace and quiet. This seems to be a good place for that. Anything exciting go on here?”
    “Nothing memorable has ever happened here,” Bob laughed. “Biggest thing that’s ever happened to us is getting our outhouses upgraded to modern plumbing.”
    “Perfect,” the man replied.

1 1 BURNING
     
    The sheets on his bed grew surprisingly wrinkled thanks to the thought of leaving town after his unconventional conversation with Addie that afternoon. Although on the surface she was unable to remember, underneath the lies were the memories of him. He knew it wouldn’t – actually, shouldn’t – matter if she remembered him, but he desperately wanted it. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if all of the good, bad, and ugly memories came flooding back to her, but he decided he would be around if it happened.
    He tossed and turned in the sheets, pulling the soft-blue fabric up before pushing it off again with his legs, sweat beading across his body. Half southern night air and half visions running through his dog-tired mind, the fever that was upon him would break before his soul did.
    His closed eyes squinted, begging for the dream to be over. The crowd of blurred faces was distorted, vaguely resembling a zombie apocalypse as they ascended upon the town. Only faceless bodies lurching forward, heading towards the center of Lee as AJ helplessly watched. Their black clothes gave them away and AJ stood trapped by the encirclement approaching with their slow footsteps. As they neared, the evil was apparent through the only visible feature of their faces – their mouths. The pink-lipped grins were turned upward at the corners amidst no other identifiers. AJ inherently knew that they were grins of resentment and revenge.
    Outside the dream his twisted body writhed on the sheets, sweat leaving an impression of where his body lay. Back inside his head he stood helpless, his mind unable to process all of the skills and tactics he had learned to defend himself. There were so many figures with a united purpose of getting to him, taking away his life in return for his taking Devin’s.
    He screamed. The muscles of his arms bolted him upright in bed. He clutched the sheets as if they were weapons at his disposal to defend himself. The haziness in his vision cleared through rapid blinks, his dark eyes adjusting to the night’s veil upon the room. He couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, couldn’t feel – all of his senses numbed. His chest rattled, sucking air in and pushing it out hastily as though he couldn’t get enough.
    His heart was pumping with such force, he was scared it might pop out of his chest. His hand clutched at it, seemingly pressing inward to keep it behind the thick skin he had grown over the last few years. The adrenaline rush faded, leaving in its wake trembling limbs and appendages.
    As reality came to him, he settled in the knowledge that he was alone and safe , standing in the middle of the desert during a sand storm where irritation and pain surrounded him with no visible way out. More alone than he’d ever wanted to be, he thought. It had been one thing to grow up without a father; another to lose his mother. However, the loneliness he felt with Addie fifty feet away from him was so astounding he thought his heart might actually shatter. If he had one left, he said to himself.
    With his eyes clear, his other senses started coming back one by one. It was then that he heard the anguished screams from outside, shooting the burning fire of