Commotion

The sheriff spoke more quietly, and I pressed closer to the doorway to hear, but accidentally touched the door and pushed it close.

"Oh..." I had to hide before the sheriff got out into the hall. Mr Nixon showed up in about 10 minutes. I looked around but realized Michael was not with him. I approached him. "Hello"

The sheriff looked at me suspiciously, as if he saw right away that I needed something. Or did he notice that I was eavesdropping?

"Hi Sarah. Why aren't you in class?"

"I would like to talk to you." I told him.

"About what?"

I took a deep breath. "I was chased this morning..." I told him about the chase, and I had identified it as Sam's stepfather's car. Noticing some doubts in the sheriff's eyes, I showed him the scrapes and scratches on my hands. In the end he nodded.

"Don't worry, well figure it out. In the meantime, go to class."

I smiled. "Okay, I will."

******

(Present day)

"Look what I found." Candy had pulled a photo album out of the closet. We stood in a semicircle, looking at the photos. Cheerful, Serene, so united, it seems. All of this had happened in a dream—an Impossiblity that nevertheless came true.

Bobby laughed. "Looking at us you'd never guess what we've gone through.."Derek grinned. Bobby looked at him. "What are you laughing at?"

Derek sat on the sofa and threw his legs on the table. "Well, all you did was hide behind our backs."

"What are you talking about?" Bobby frowned but that didn't flatter Derek.

"Even when quite ordinary things were happening. Remember, for instance, when those guys approached us at night? I'd hardly managed to twist one guy's arm, and you'd already ran into the house! So it was us who 'went through' everything, not you, really..."

Bobby frown grew. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

Derek grinned again. "Fine, moving on." Derek waved his hands dismissively, and this gesture made Bobby even more angry.

"No, no. You finished what you started, by all means. "

"I have nothing left to say. You've always been... sensitive, that's all."

Bobby got up and went over to Derek. "What exactly does 'sensitive' mean."

"I think you understand. We all understand." Bobby turned to us and anger started to burn in his eyes. "The only thing that I understand is that you're stuck in Saintfour, in this wilderness in the outskirt of the world. The only thing that you are left with is remembering the past, a d you've done that so often that the magic is fading for you." The more he talked the angrier he gets. "And your present is even more gray, so you're trying to assert yourself by pointing out who I was back then."

Derek jumped, enraged my his words. I knew if this continues like this, It'll be bad. "Boys, let's not fight!"

"Why are you so angry Bobby? Because you understood what I meant, right? And because you know it's true." Derek retorted.

"Nonsense!" Derek slowly approached Bobby, while Bobby backed away, trying to keep his face.

"That's right , you're a coward and you always have been!" This word made Bobby turn pale first, then red with anger.

"Don't call me that!"

"What should I call you then, id you're a coward?"

"Oh!" Bobby pounced on Derek. From surprise, Derek allowed himself to be knocked down.

"Stop it!" Candy tried to stop them but Bobby got wild. It was obvious that he didn't know how to fight , but rage gave him both strength and skill. After a few moments, Derek took control of himself , managed to break free and rise to his feet. But instead of stopping the fight, he continued it.

The atmosphere was getting tenser. It was necessary to do something. They swirled around like a whirlwind, grabbing at each other's clothes. They were each trying to reach for the other's face. Anger clouded their mind. Derek and Bobby did not notice bumbing into furnitures and even Candy and I.

"Stop this crap right now!" All the past grief, all the stress from memories and the unexpected meeting had turned into a fight. But I couldn't let it excalate into something more serious. Accessing the situation , I decided that Bobby was not as big, which means it'll be easier to take him down. Besides he had less control over himself and seemed furiously mad.

Accelerating, I jumped up on Bobby, wrapped my hands around his neck, and kicked him in the midsection.

"Ah! What are you doing? Get off!" Bobby spun in all directions , trying to throw me off. The more he tried to break free from my grasp, the more exhausted he got.

"I'm telling you to calm down. look at what you've done." I gave Derek a stern look.

Derek sneered. "You mean what you have done? Let him stand up for himself like a man in the first time in his life."

This word hit Bobby again. "I'll show you." A new stream of rage gave Bobby strength, and in one motion he tossed me off his back onto the floor.

"Ouch!" Candy stood aside, covering her mouth with her hands. Bobby and Derek started his fight again. Then I took some books from the shelf and started throwing them one by one.

"How's that feel? You guys are acting like children!" The books were heavy and dusty. At first, the boys tried not to pay attention to me, but soon they were fighting off the flying books rather than themselves.

"OK, OK, cut it out! We are calm, see?" Derek raised his hands up. "Nice and peaceful."

I cleaned the room: gathered up the scattered books, straightened the tank and arranged the chairs.

"What came over you?" Candy frowned at both of the boys.

"I don't even know... it's a strange feeling." Derek answered he looked confused rather than angry.

Bobby nodded. "It's like this place is feeding on our emotions."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh, Bobby, don't start."

I stepped forward. "OK, they'll be no more fighting for today..."

"Yes, I'm afraid of you now. Who knows what you'll come up with next time?" Derek joked and everyone laughed. We wrapped ourselves in blanket to stay warm, watching the candle light play with the shadows. The atmosphere was suitable again for the memories...