“I'm just gonna nip to the loo.” I hold out a fiver. “If I'm not back can you get me a mocha?”
He waves my hand away. “Don't worry Hun, I got it.”
“Awesome thanks!”
I go to the toilet and then check myself in the mirror whilst washing my hands. I was expecting my hair to be a scraggly mess and my cheeks and nose to be bright red but they're not. In fact, I don't think my complexion has ever beenthis perfect. No blotches, blemishes or spots. Just smooth even toned skin. Clearly the fresh air is working wonders. And my hair still has that new shine to it.
I smile to myself and turn for the doors when an immense sense of dread fills me. It's leaking in through the door like fog. Invisible but undoubtedly strong.
I take a step back as this horrible feeling spreads around me. I get goosebumps and a shiver runs down my back. It feels dark and menacing. Like a living presence looming over me.
Then just when I feel like this feeling of despair is suffocating me it slowly fades away through the cracks around the door.
I stand there for a few more minutes until a couple of girls come in covered in snow and giggling. A peak out the door shows everything exactly how it should be and I head out to find Robbie. He's already got our drinks and is sat at a table near the door with a blank look on his face. He's probably thinking about Christian again the poor guy. I sit down in the seat across from him.
“So, which ones mine?” I say with a grin trying to snap him out of his brooding.
He blinks and shakes his head. “Oh, err that one.” He pushes a take-away-cup over to me and I wrap my hands around it. The uncomfortable chill from just now has left me feeling cold.
“Thanks. Are you sure you don't want any money for it?”
“What? Oh no that's fine Bub.” He mumbles.
The positive, fun mood I got him in on the walk up has completely gone. Instead he's just a bit out of it. Deflated I guess. Hopefully in time he'll be able to move on from Christian. He's clearly heartbroken.
We sit in silence despite my best efforts to tease conversation out of him. He just stares out the window the wholetime and doesn't touch his coffee. Mines long gone and Robbie's is probably cold by now, but I don't know if I should mention walking back to find Christian and Cassey or whether he wants some more time to think and be away from them. Luckily just as I'm about to suggest we head back he beats me to it.
“So, you wanna go?” He asks as he's already getting out of his chair.
I jump up. “Yeah sure.”
We leave the cafe and walk across the open field to the woods where the little track is. We walk in silence for a couple of minutes. Pushing branches out of the way and stepping over logs that have fallen across the narrow path.
Robbie still hasn't said a word. He's walking in front of me. His usual relaxed movements are tense.
The path gets even more narrow and obstructed until I'm pretty sure we're not on the path at all.
“Hey Robbie I think we went the wrong way.”
“Nah it's a short cut trust me.” His voice is low and unemotional. He doesn't look back. He just keeps walking briskly through the dense woodland.
I follow him, though as we walk I get an unsettling feeling. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I look around. Seeing nothing but trees and snow. The air feels charged like it did last night at the dance and my heart rate picks up. My instincts are telling me to get ready for something and in the back of my mind I think of Alistair. It's the same negative feeling that I get whenever he's in the vicinity.
I focus on the woods around us seeing nothing but trees and we've walked far enough in that I can't hear anyone around. It's deadly silent all around us which only adds to my growing sense of dread.
“Robbie.” My voice comes out as a near whisper. “I think we should go back to the path.”
Robbie turns around to look at me then at the area around us as if seeing it for the first time. Then his eyes darken as he stares at me. “No here's just fine.” He says in a monotone. Completely emotionless.
I look around nervously. “But Christian and Cassey aren't here.”
Robbie's eyes take on a glazed look that I recognise instantly. It's the same expression Nick had after Alistair spoke to him last night. My breath catches and I take a step back.
“Robbie?” I manage to squeak out as he steps towards me.
He says nothing just stares at me with that blank look. His fists clench and unclench. Then he takes a few more steps towards me. I instinctively take hasty steps back but my boot hits something on the floor and I fall backwards.
I land flat on my back and my breath is knocked out of me. Before I have chance to catch my breath a weight lands on top of me and I feel hands grab me around the throat. Squeezing tight until I can barely breathe. I stare up into Robbie's glazed over eyes.
