Kenna as she stopped at the high school and picked up Carol.
Like magic, the tug died. From here, I would have to follow her on my own.
From the high school, they drove out of town.
To the festival.
Of course, the fucking festival.
I had gone there once, out of curiosity, and vowed to never go back again. Alas, here I was, following Kenna and her friends to that forsaken place.
I followed them a safe distance, so they wouldn’t notice me. The volume of cars on the road, going to Willow Grove for the festival, was staggering, which made it easy to blend in. It was like everyone in the neighboring towns had left work early, just to go to the light festival.
I watched as they walked through the place, tasting food, stopping by the stands, chatting, and laughing.
The most surprising moment of the evening came when Kenna joined the others at the dancing game. Kevin and Carol tried their best, but both were out of the game soon. But Sabrina and Kenna persisted. I had to confess, I enjoyed watching them. Sabrina was good, but not as good as Kenna. If I had to guess, I would have said Kenna had had at least ten years of dance lessons. The way her hands moved, her shoulders rolled, her hips swayed with the beat was impressive—and completely alluring.
I couldn’t tear my eyes from her even if I tried.
I had to fight the urge to go to her, to watch her dancing from closer, until Sabrina lost and Kenna won.
The wide grin that spread on her face wasn’t like any other smile I had seen from her before. She was happy. I could see it.
I could feel it.
From there, they went on.
It caught my attention when Kenna stopped by a handmade jewelry stand. She seemed entranced by the jewelry for some reason.
Carol called out to her, saying the sun was going down, which meant the light parade would start soon. Instantly, Kenna forgot about whatever attracted her to the jewelry and moved toward the main street with her friend.
Several steps back, I followed them.
Like a rolling wave in the distant ocean, the darkness washed over my senses.
I froze.
A few yards in front of me, Kenna froze too. My attention was divided between the incoming darkness, and the girl who seemed to be ditching her friend right before the festival’s main attraction.
Kenna pushed Carol forward. Only after Carol walked on did Kenna turn around and move. She weaved through the crowd and I lost sight of her.
Where the fuck was she going?
Opening my senses, I searched for the darkness and for Kenna. The darkness was still coming, tiptoeing near the edge of town, but I couldn’t find Kenna. It wasn’t easy to sense a person, and for some reason, she was harder than most.
I looked around, I walked a few steps to the right, to the left, but in the sea of heads in the dimming light, I couldn’t find her.
But I knew where the others had gone.
I pushed through the crowd to the main street, looking for Carol, Sabrina, and Kevin. Since most people were still finding spots and settling for the parade, it was easy to find them.
Kevin saw me approaching. “Hey, Devon. You came? I thought you hated this kind of stuff.”
I frowned. How did he know that about me? Did I let on more than I wanted to? Or was this kid just attentive?
I shook my head. I didn’t have time to worry about time. “Where’s Kenna?”
“She said she was going to the restroom,” Carol said. “Why? What’s the matter?”
Fuck.
“Stay here,” I told them.
Something nagged at me as I dashed toward the restrooms. I was sure Kenna hadn’t really gone to one, but where else could I look for her?
I skidded to a stop.
People bumped into me as they made their way to the main street.
She had stilled like I had when I felt the darkness. Moments later, she disappeared. Could she have felt it? Could she have gone toward it?
It couldn’t be.
But my feet weren’t listening to my brain. Step by step, they moved, toward the edge of the festival.
It couldn’t be.
It couldn’t.
My heartbeat sped up and my walk became a jog.
I took a step into the parking lot and slowed down. Across the parking lot, a woman walked in the festival’s direction. A woman with long, blond hair.
I narrowed my eyes.
What …
It took me two heartbeats to realize it was Kenna. She was the young woman marching back to