Gone Forever - Brielle Kin (books suggested by bill gates TXT) 📗

What am I saying! He is not a nice guy and nothing will change what I think about him!
“Ah, you girls look so pretty and older,” Mr. Brooks said when we sat down at the table. Mother shot me an ‘I thought I told you to change’ look. Then I realize that I didn’t change out of my school clothes. I shot her back an ‘I’m sorry’ look.
“Thanks.” I said since Mandy didn’t answer Mr. Brooks comment. Throughout dinner, everyone just made small talk except me. I stayed quiet trying not to let my anger show through my emotions.
“So Kate, how do you like the new school?” Mr. Brooks finally asked me. You see, when you get into high school, they send you away to a different class room as all the other kids. The first two years of high school here is to help you learn all the basic working skills. Then in your last two years you work on whatever career the government chooses for you. The first two years are to show the government what you’re capable of doing. If you don’t like your job they give you, so be it. You’re forced to do whatever they tell you to do.
“Why do you care?” I asked with my voice filling with anger. “You’ve never cared about me. You treated me like I was a piece of dirt!” Realizing what I just said, I got up from my chair and ran outside. What did I just do? I thought to myself. What’s it matter? He deserves it! As I sat on the grass crying, I felt someone grab my shoulder. My first reaction was telling me to run but when I saw that it was mother I just started at her.
“What do you want?” was all I could get out with the tears still streaming down my face.
“Honey, I know you have had bad situations with David but he’s changed. The first thing he asked to me today is if I could forgive him for treating you that way.” mother said stroking my hair.
“And you said yes?! I can’t believe you! You’re turning your back on your own daughter!” I said pulling my head away from her hand.
“I’m sorry darling but it’s not what you think. David has changed. And right now he’s very hurt by what you said.” My mother said trying to reach for my hair again.
“I can’t believe you!” I said pulling away from my mother again. “I don’t care if he’s hurting right now! I’m never going to forgive him! He has hurt me so many times!”
“I know he has hurt you but he’s older now. He was drunk mostly when he taught at the school several years ago. He tortured you guys because he was drunk. He had no control over his body. He’s not that type of man. He wants us to forgive him,” mother said trying to reach out to me again. She’s taking sides. She’s taking sides with him, the guy who beat her daughter, whereas she should be taking sides with me.
“Never! I will never forgive him!” I shouted back at her after I had gotten up from where I was sitting. “You’re taking sides on me. You’re taking his side instead of mine! How could you?” I could see Mr. Brooks standing by the door listening to our conversation. I could see the hurting and laughing in his eyes. I looked at my mother. The same hurting was in her eyes too. She wanted me to forgive him. I just couldn’t. Not after what I’ve been through. “You’ve never really loved me. No one ever has! Just leave me alone!” At that moment, I dart off to the only place I felt loved. The woods.
“Kate! Kate! Come back!” I could hear my mother scream. She sounded like she was crying. Was she crying because I left or because I hurt her? I couldn’t take it. The sight of that man sitting in my house trying to ask for forgiveness. My mother crying for me to return. I thought about returning back home and saying I’m sorry but I just couldn’t face mother right now. Not her, not Mr. Brooks, not even poor Mandy. By the time I got to the woods the sun was setting. I found my knife that I keep hidden in a tree and went to sit down on a log. I just sat there crying. Not just cries of sadness, but cries of pain and anger.
Chapter 3

Why here? Why now? these questions kept traveling around in my mind. “Why did he have to come back here? Why now? Out of all the years to say he’s sorry he picks this year.” I asked myself quietly. ”Why? Why?” As I was crying, a noise moved through the bushes in front of me. I completely forgot what I saw earlier. The footprint! Hopefully the human that owns those feet isn’t a murder. If it is, I’m here all alone with a murder. All I have with me is my little knife. Oh great. I thought. All I wanted to do was start my life over and if this murder kills me, instead of starting a new life, I ended mine altogether. The noise was getting louder and louder. I grab my knife just in case it was going to attack. Then silence. I decide to end my life with bravery by seeing what was behind the bush that was making noises. As I was just about ready to peer behind the bush, I hear a noise behind me. I turn around as quick as I could to see what the noise was. There sitting by a log was a rabbit. At least it kind of looked like a rabbit. I couldn’t really tell what it was. It looked like a rabbit but it had bird like qualities. The creature was like a rabbit’s body with wings and a beak. It seemed friendly so I went over to it. I was just about to pet it when someone shouts, “Don’t touch it!”
I turn around to see where the voice was coming from and saw a boy around my age. He had black hair and sea blue eyes. He looked very familiar but I couldn’t tell where I’ve seen him at.
I was just about ready to touch the creature again when he said, “I said don’t touch it! Move away from it now!”
“Why?” I asked not thinking the creature was dangerous.
“Because I said so! That’s why!” He said to me again with a stern expression. “NOW!”
“Okay okay.” I said backing away from the creature. What happen next was strange. The boy pulled out a dart from inside his jacket and threw it at the creature. The creature, surprisingly, shot fire out of its mouth and melted the dart before it hit him. The boy then pulled out a spear and threw it after the dart had melted. The spear pierced the creature’s neck and fell over dead. Then then creature started dissolving into thin air.
“What did….what just happened?” I asked unable to move. “And who are you?”
“I’m Austin Clam.” the boy said pulling the arrow out of the ground where it pierced the creature. “And you just about got yourself killed.”
“What do you mean?” I asked starting to move closer to him. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”
“What I mean is, is that if you would have touched that creature, it would have killed you within seconds.” Austin said standing up. “And yes, I used to live in town and went to your school. Except, no one knows that because they didn’t pay any attention to me.”
“Um… I’m pretty sure I would have remembered you if you were in my class,” I said right behind him.
“Well, I am, Kate.”
“How do you know my name?” I asked looking at him straight into his blue eyes when he was facing me.
“I told you. I used to go to your school. And besides, I’m supposed to keep an eye on you.” Austin said with a smile.
“I don’t understand. Why do you need to keep an eye out for me?” I asked getting mad again. I hate it when people don’t give me exact answers. It used to not bother me when I was younger but after my tempter started, that’s when I couldn’t stand not getting an exact answer.
“It’s not safe to talk here. I’ll explain on the way. Follow me,” Austin said grabbing my arm.
“What!? Wait!? Where are we going?” I asked trying to free myself from his grasp. But he just grabbed on harder and pulled me along.

“Okay so explain. What’s all this about?” I asked as we were walking along the path.
“Well it’s hard to explain.” Austin said jumping over a log.
Oh great. I though. I’m just following some stranger that apparently goes to my school. Who knows what will happen to me? “So why is it so hard to explain?” I asked waiting for an answer.
“It just is. It’ll be clear soon enough.” Austin said stopping, “um… have you ever heard of Sten?”
“Um...no, what’s that?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?” Austin asked me with a smile on his face.
“Yes, that’s how I learn things.” I said getting annoyed.
“I see. Well anyways, have you ever heard about the story about the boy who didn’t think he mattered in the world and ran into the woods? And while he was in these woods he disappeared?”
“Yes. Our whole town knows about that story. That’s why no one ever comes into the woods.” I said sitting on a log nearby when Austin stopped. “But what does that have to do with this thing called Sten?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard about your town scared to come into the woods. I’ll explain in a little bit. It’s getting dark so we should probably make camp for the night.” Austin said setting his backpack down beside me.
“Um… okay.” I said a little nervous. Should I trust this guy? Or should I just take off in the middle of the night? I mean, he did save me from whatever that strange creature was. But then again, he might have just saved me so that I wouldn’t suspect any danger from him. He could kill me for all I know. “Do you need help collecting firewood or something?”
“No it’s okay. I can do it myself.” Austin said grabbing some logs nearby.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to do all the work.” I said getting up from my log.
“Yeah I’m sure. You just say put and don’t get into trouble.” Austin said glancing over at me with a faint smile.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” I said sitting