Gone Forever by Brielle Kin (all ebook reader TXT) 📖

back down from my log. By now I was laughing quietly.
“Yeah, well, tell me that next time you save yourself from getting killed.”
“Whatever!” I said still a little annoyed. Night was falling on us fast. Thankfully I ate dinner before I ran away. But I have no clue what I’m going to do for breakfast, if I’m not already dead! “So, do you like live around here now?”
“I used to. My family does anyway. I ran away three year because I was angry,” Austin said bringing some logs back. “Do you know how to start a fire?”
“Oh, um, no. I was never taught how to build a fire.” I said shyly. “Why were you angry? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Well, first I’ll show you how to start a fire and then I can answer all your questions,” Austin said nodding for me to come over where he laid some logs and leaves down in a pile.
“Okay, so what’s first?” I asked getting down right beside him.
“It’s really, really, hard,” Austin started to say. “This is what you do: First, you pull out a match from inside you backpack. Then you light the match. After you have lit the match, you put a leaf on fire. Then you carefully place the leaf down on the wood pile and ta da, you have a fire.”
“Oh yeah, that’s really hard to do!” I said being sarcastic back.
“Are you sure you can handle it?” he asked me with a smile.
“I’m sure!” I said smiling back. After I started the fire, Austin and I got more logs to put beside the fire.
“So, you said you were going to answer my questions now.” I said sitting on a log by the fire.
“Yeah,” Austin said sitting on a log across from me, “As I have already told you, I ran away because I was angry. Since everyone in town is red head, they made fun of me. They told me that I wasn’t important and that my parents didn’t want me. I should have known that they weren’t telling the truth right there. I mean, why would your parents not want you? Aren’t they supposed to love you and take care of you?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” I said thinking about what he just said. It made me think about my second thoughts about my father loving us.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t think so. My parents always fought. I always got in trouble. Dad was always beating me because I didn’t get the chores done. After the kids at school told me that I didn’t matter to my parents, I started to believe them. They even showed me a note that was supposedly from my parents saying that they were very disappointed in me and said they didn’t love me. For me, it all started to made sense. I mean, the way my parents were always fighting in front of me. My father beating me if I didn’t get the chores done. I knew right then that I didn’t matter to them. So I ran away into the woods. Thought that I could find a way a new place outside of the town and start a new life on my own. I ran away and never came back.” Austin said poking the fire with a stick.
“I’m so sorry. But I know how you feel.” I said looking at him while he was poking the fire. I really was glad that at least someone has been through the same pain as I have. Well, not exactly like mine but close enough to feel my pain. “But don’t you think your parents miss you?”
“I doubt it. I’ve been into town a couple of times without anyone knowing and saw my parents happily working. They even have a new kid to look after. Apparently they had another kid after I left.” Austin said after a long pause. “But yeah, it was such a long time ago when I left. I’m used to living on my own. You don’t need to worry about me. You should worry about yourself and the danger you’re in. So why are you in the woods?”
“I ran away too. My father…umm…he abandoned us seven year ago. He left us without any money. Then about two years ago, we received a letter that said my father died. He got shot and died immediately. I was so happy. I know I shouldn’t have been but I was. It was a joy to think the man that took our money had died. Then in the same year that my father died, I got beaten by my school teacher. He apparently was drunk and did stupid things. He whipped my back if I did something wrong. I know one time I did deserve because I was beating up one of the girls. Now, tonight, he was at my house. I think he’s dating my mother. I found out when I got home from school today. The man who was torturing me was in my house. My mother knew that I didn’t like him and tried telling me that he had changed his ways. She said wanted for me to forgive him for the things he’s done. But I just couldn’t do it. So I yelled at my mother saying I would never forgive him or her for taking sides and ran out here. Figured I could live in the woods, start a new life by myself,” I said looking at him in the eyes. It seemed like he was actually listening to me. No one has ever really put in the time to listen to me besides Mandy. They just all act like there listing but be dreaming about something else. But Austin, he was different than anyone I’ve ever met. He seemed like he cared about me. Wanted to help me. It’s probably just the lack of sleep and the fumes from the fire that are causing me to say such stuff but still, Jake was different.
“I see.” Austin said bringing me back into reality. “It looks like you’ve had a rough life. You know something, it’s so funny how much we have in common.”
“Yeah, it is funny. You probably got really bored of listening to me go on and on about my life,” I said looking down at the ground.
“What?! No! I wasn’t bored at all! I enjoyed listening to your life story. Do people not listen to you when you talk about your life?” Austin asked with a smile. “You were probably really bored listening to me talk about my life.”
“Oh, I wasn’t bored. I enjoyed it too!” I said smiling back. “Well yes and no. I don’t really have anybody to tell it to and if I do find someone, they don’t listen. They could really just care less.”
“Yeah same here. I’m glad that I have at least one friend who doesn’t turn their head away when I tell them my life story.” Austin said still smiling.
“You mean you actually consider me as one of your friends? Are you sick or something? Normal people usually think I’m weird and don’t even bother to try to talk to me.”
“Well, maybe it’s because they’re not normal. People nowadays judge others before even get to know them. I think your cool.” Austin said throwing a stick into the fire. “I’ve always thought your cool.”
“Thanks! I think you’re cool too!” I said in a shy voice. “Have you ever had a real friend besides me?”
“Yeah. I had a friend before we moved here. We did everything together! Then a couple years ago my family moved to where we are today. It was really hard on me. I’ve never seen him after that,” Austin said with a sad tone to his voice. “What about you? Did you have a best friend?”
“Yep. I used to have a friend named Paige. We met in second grade and then she moved away in sixth grade. She left without saying goodbye. I don’t know why they left but it made me so upset. I lost my best friend and have never really had a friend ever since. Except now.” I said with a hint of smile on my lips. “So what was that story you wanted to tell me?”
“Oh right! But first, do you seriously not remember me?” Austin asked with doubted look on his face.
“Um…should I?” I asked.
“My family’s the owner of the Dinner in town.” Austin said shyly.
“Oh my word! No way! Your family owns that dinner? No wonder you looked so familiar! For a second there I thought I was going crazy. I should have recognized that name.” I said with a shock expression.
“Yeah, that’s my family. I didn’t think you would remember me. Besides, you only came into the store a couple of times. I always saw you but never really thought you saw me.”
“Are you kidding? I saw you. I always wondered why you weren’t in school. I always thought you were the lucky one because you didn’t go to school.” I said starting to laugh.
“Really? I always thought you were the lucky one. I always wanted to go to school. My parents couldn’t afford schooling for me so that’s why I didn’t go.” Austin said shyly again. “But I’m glad you remember me.”
“I’m glad you said something because not knowing if I knew you or not was driving me crazy. I was just to scared to ask.” I said.
Austin just laughed. I couldn’t help but laugh too. I mean, I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him. I never really talked to him but I have seen him before. Austin was always the quiet type. He didn’t talk to a lot of people in the town. At least, every time I was in town he was always quiet. He didn’t talk to anybody, especially girls.
“Hey, so what’s with that story?” I asked.
“Oh yah, it looks like time got away from us” Austin said. “Well, you’ve heard the story. The boy ran away into the woods and never returned. People searched and searched for days but never found him. They finally decided that a witch got hold of him and made him disappear. That’s why no one ever comes in here anymore.”
“Yeah I know that part of the story but what does that have with that Sten place you were telling me about?” I asked picking up a rock and throwing it into the fire.
“Well, that boy didn’t vanish. He found a barn that was abandoned. It started to rain so he decided to make shelter inside the barn. He walked up to the barn trying to find a door but never found one. He walked and walked all around the barn hoping he would find a door to get out of this rain. Finally he found something that looked like a door. But it was covered in ivy so he couldn’t get it opened. He pulled and pulled at the ivy until it revealed a door. He pushed the door open and ran inside. Before making camp for the night, he decided to search the barn in case there was anyone living there already. As he was searching the barn, he came across light. He followed the light to a door. The light was coming from under an ivy covered, small door. He pulled the ivy away to reveal the door jacked up with fancy locks.
“The locks would only open unless you had a key.” Austin continued. “It so happened that this boy had gotten a key from his parents saying it will be important one day. The boy decided to try this key. Not thinking it would open the door, he put the key