The Butterfly Effect - Gabby Scranton (reading strategies book .TXT) 📗

away from Matt’s constant comments on how he was going to get her into bed by the end of the week. I think I was jealous, maybe I am falling for Jamie. Maybe it’s time for me to change my ways.

“No Landon, don’t do it!” My brain kept screaming at me.

But I really think it’s time to follow my heart.

"Don't be stupid remember what happened last time," it sang in my ear.

“Yo Landon, wait up!”

I looked back and saw Chris with that stupid grin on his face running and trying to catch up to me.

“I know you Landon Desty, tell me your feelings about Jamie right now or I might slip and tell Kirk about what really happened to Mr. Snuggles.”

I gasp, “You wouldn’t!”

“Try me,” he retorted putting an evil grin on his lips.

“Ugh, fine. Dude, I don’t know what’s up with this girl, when I first met her all I wanted to do was get to know her more. I wanted to ask her questions and make her laugh. Then I remembered my promise to Allison. So for the past day I’ve been fighting my heart and brain with trying to find what’s right. She’s different man, she’s real. When she looked into my eyes I felt like she could read me like a book, like she knew me without actually knowing me. But, every chance I get to be with her I ruin by being a total ass. It’s weird, my emotions are out of whack and when I heard wheat Matt said I wanted to punch him until his face was completely broken. I wanted to punch Matt, my best friend! Dude, I really don’t know what to do!”

Chris just looked at me and shook his head.

“Seriously dude, you really can’t tell what’s happening? Are you that oblivious.”

“Uhhh…”

“Listen to your heart dude, always follow your heart.”

“Well then Chris, I think I love her.”
Chapter 9- Daddy's Home

I’m in a pitch black room with nothing but the shine of the luminous moon. I hear a slight creak in the floor boards and turn around, my chest pounding. I see a slight whip of short brown hair pass the light for no more than a millisecond.

“Who’s there,” I call out.

No one answers; you could only hear the heavy pants of my breathing and the distant howling of the wind.

“I know your there.”

I focus my eyes attempting to get used to the darkness when I notice a faint light surrounding a big oak door. What’s inside?

“Hello?”

I can feel my heart beat going faster as my adrenaline continues to get pumped up. Suddenly I hear a loud bang.

“I know someone’s there, I can hear you!”

I hear the shakiness in my voice. As I go down the creepy hallway, I can’t but notice dark shadows on the walls. What are they?

Then it comes to me, pictures!

I squint at the tiny wooden frames on the dark green walls and take notice of a mother, about 36, with light brown hair and dark green eyes and a warm, but distant smile on her face, then a father with a heavy dark brown mustache and nothing but pure evil in his eyes, and finally a little boy.

Just as I’m about to walk away something draws me back to the child. Maybe at first glance he looked like any other young child but there was something about him that felt familiar. He had the same dark hair that I’d seen before. But, that wasn’t what was drawing me to him; it was the way the boy’s eyes looked. It was how they were so dark blue, almost like the ocean, and the way they showed so much and so little at the same time, that made me feel as if there was an invisible string tying us together.

Ugh, this is bothering me so much, I know that I have seen this person, but I can’t quite put my finger on it!

Then on the other side of the door I heard a faint whimper.

“Hello?”

Again there is no answer.

“Ok Jamie, suck it up, go through that damn door right now!” I told myself, “It’s now or never.”

I take a huge breath and quickly tiptoe to the door. As, I put my hand on the cold brass knob I can’t help but second guess this situation.

Oh what the hell! I turn the knob and barge right through the door. And as I enter I can’t help but gasp at the sight in front of me.

The man from the picture is in front of me, the one with the icy, evil eyes. I can tell he can’t see me. But, why; I’m right in front of him.

But that wasn’t what was most shocking; on a table, in front of the man,was the boy. He wasn’t young anymore; he’s definitely older as I could see the defined muscles on his back. He had huge scars and gashes everywhere and I couldn’t imagine the pain he must have gone through.

That was when I noticed the man beginning to take a knife.

“Ha ha son,” I heard him chuckle lightly, “Didn’t think you’d get off that easy did you. Always remember there’s a loophole out of everything.” Then he looked down and gave off a full blown laugh, “Well except out of this situation. Now that I’m out of prison, you better prepare to lose everyone and everything you have ever loved die and I’ll make sure you see every second of it.”

Then he plunged the knife into his back.

I heard a loud scream, it was piercing my ears! That’s when I realized that it was mine!

As I looked back at the young man on the table, I realized he could see me, but only him. That’s when noticed the eyes and the realization finally hit me.

That was LANDON!

Then everything went black.

*********************************************************************************

“Jamie! Jamie!” I heard a whisper in my ear.

What happened? All I remember is a dark hallway. Then I felt my eyes widen, Landon!

All of the sudden cold water was splashed all over me.

“Ah-“ I tried to scream.

A warm hand covered my mouth, trying to shut me up. It was too dark to see anything and I was too tired to care what was going on, if I was going to die it might as well happen already.

I was pulled outside and dragged to an area I hadn’t seen before.

Oh I’m still on the camp! This must be the campsite I passed on the way in!

I was put on one of the logs and the man pulled his hand away.

“Jam-…”

I cut him off.

“Landon?” I felt tears come to my eyes. “You’re, you’re ok?”

Then Landon pulled my shaking body to his and held me tightly to him.

“Shhh, Jamie. What happened? You where screaming my name in your sleep.”

I then told everything from start to beginning and by the time I was done I had started to sob again. I felt Landon tense against me.

“Jamie, don’t worry, it was just a bad dream,” he said soothingly.

“But it wasn’t!” I screamed at him, “It was too real!”

“Trust me sweetie, everything’s going to be ok. Don’t worry your pretty little head off.”

“No, not unless you show me you back.”

“What the fuck? No, why would I show you my back.”

“In my dream you had twelve huge scars on your back. If they aren’t there I’ll leave this alone, if they are, we are dealing with this right away.”

He just rolled his eyes and lifted up his shirt. I gasped at the gruesomeness of his back.

“Landon? What happened?" I asked as I traces the out line of all the scars, which made him shutter. "The boys told me you had a story, but you would have to be the one to tell me. Can you tell me tonight?”

He just sighed before taking a deep breath and starting, “Well… It all started with a beautiful girl named Allison. Before I laid eyes on her, I thought love at first sight was unrealistic. But everything went spiraling down from there. We met when I was nine, also when my Dad first started drinking. My life as a nine year old then went from fun and carless to depressing and frightful, and Ally helped me out of it.” His eyes were glazed over and I could tell he was taking a trip into the past. “My Dad used to be the sheriff until he started getting drunk every night. He wouldn’t come back until four in the morning sometimes. Eventually, over the weeks he got fired and started drinking more and more. He would be home by dinner every night and angry and hyped up. He was able to deal with the anger for a little while, until one night, when I was supposed to be getting ready for bed and I was actually playing video games. When he found me he screamed in face spraying his stench of vodka and brandy all over me before throwing me on the bed. I heard him unbuckle his belt and then all of the sudden my body went into shock. He whipped the belt so hard on back; he ended up breaking two of my ribs. Then, he made me tell my mother that I tipped of the side of the bed onto the wooden bed frame. After that I started cutting myself, wearing more black clothing and not talking to anyone. Finally, Allison approached me and we talked for hours. She eventually, made sure I got back to my old self, but that didn’t stop the beatings I got every day. Over time they just got worse, but I tried not to let it show around Allison, I couldn’t live with myself if it was all too much for her and she left. So, when I was about twelve, I decided to take a risk and ask her to be my girlfriend. Of course she said yes and then we dated for two years.” He had tears in his eyes.

“What happened after that?” I whispered.

“Then on my fourteenth birthday, I was notified that she killed herself. I was so devastated, that I lost all communication with everyone. Even my father was sober enough, to let me off the hook for a while. But, like everything else it got old, and one night I made my father so angry he brought me into the basement, took a knife and cut open every single lash he had given me earlier. That’s when my mom walked in and saw what he did to me. She called 911 and then my father was sent to prison for life.”

My eyes widened and I looked at Landon for approval to hug him. He just slightly nodded and then pulled me into a tight hug. I just hugged him back and then he started to whisper something in my ear.

“I have never told anyone this before, but after what happened with my Dad in the basement that night and after I got home from the hospital I tried to kill myself. I went into the showers during lunch at school and slit my wrists with a razor and hoped to bleed to death. But thankfully, that’s when Matt walked in and found me. That’s how we became best friends.”

I just pulled him closer