Extraction: Episode 2 “The Sadness”
Extraction is a web serial by Tom Farr. Check out Episode 1 here.
Skylar sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the phone in her hand as one more message came through.
“Come on. Why won’t you answer?” the text message from Bryant said.
“You’ll have to answer him at some point,” Zander said next to her.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice shaky. “I know he wants to help, but he wants me to be this happy girl he’s always known. And I just can’t do it.”
Zander stood up from the bed and walked over to the dresser. He picked up a photo of Bryant and Skylar. Skylar caught a glimpse of the smiles on both of their faces and wanted to scream when it reminded her of the smiles on her parents’ faces right before graduation.
“I’m here for you as long as you need me,” Zander said. “But Bryant’s not going to be comfortable with his best friend getting close to his fiance.”
“I know,” she said. “I just don’t know what to do with this sadness. Being with Bryant makes it feel so much worse.” She looked him in the eyes. “You don’t make me feel that way.”
He turned and ran his hand through his hair. “I really should go,” he said. “Bryant’s going to wonder where I am, and I really don’t think he’d take the real answer well.”
He moved toward the door.
“Please don’t go. I don’t want to be alone.”
He turned and faced her.
Another message alert sounded on her phone.
“Then tell Bryant to come over here,” he said, his voice pleading. “You’re supposed to be marrying him, remember?”
Skylar looked down at the floor. “My parents were always so happy.” She paused, trying not to cry. “They wanted me to be happy. They did everything for me.” She looked up, tears running down her face. “I feel like all my happiness has been ripped out of me. Like when they died, a part of me died.”
Zander sat down beside her and pulled her into a hug.
She cried into his shoulders, the weight of everything she was losing crashing down on her.
When she finally calmed down, she lifted her head and looked into Zander’s eyes. Without hesitating, she kissed him.
Zander pushed her away and stood back up. “You’re not thinking straight, Sky.” He moved to the door again. “I have to go. This is bad. So very bad.”
She stood, wanting to stop him, but he was right. She wasn’t thinking straight. And she wondered if she ever would again.
***
Bryant pulled out his phone to check if Skylar had text him back. The screen lit up the darkness around him and for a moment caused his eyes, which had adjusted to the darkness, to hurt. Just as he expected, his text feed was a string of texts he’d sent her, begging her to talk to him.
He hated the distance more than anything. They’d never had distance before. Skylar had always turned to him in the rare moments she’d ever experienced sadness. Of course, nothing like this had ever happened before.
He dialed her number as he stared at the place where her parents’ car had gone off the road. Just like every time before that night, she sent the call straight to voicemail.
He took a deep breath. “Skylar, you don’t have to go through this alone,” he said. “I know this is hard, but we should be together.” He paused, almost expecting her to call back, but she didn’t. “I’m assuming I’m still driving you to the funeral tomorrow, but if you don’t want me to, just let me know, okay?” He paused again, desperate to hear her voice. He sighed. “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He ended the call.
“No luck, huh?”
Bryant turned around to see Zander walking his way.
“No,” Bryant said, looking at the phone. “She’s completely shutting me out.”
“That’s terrible, man,” Zander said. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Yeah, actually. Help me find out why her parents died.”
Zander looked at him with eyebrows raised. “We already know that,” he said. “It was an accident, remember?”
“No.” Bryant’s voice was tense. “You told me that night it was like something attacked them.”
“Obviously, I didn’t know what I was talking about.”
“The vehicle was torn open. Her dad’s body looked like it had been mauled. How could the police really declare this an accident? It’s like they didn’t even investigate.”
“Come on, Bryant. Even if something attacked them, uncovering the truth isn’t going to help you and Skylar. You should be over at her house right now.”
Bryant looked at him coldly. “I thought I should probably wait until you left.”
Zander’s mouth dropped open, guilt written on his face.
“It’s okay,” Bryant said. “I don’t like it, but I know you’re just trying to be a friend.”
“Yeah. Of course.” He grinned sheepishly. “But seriously, you should get over there. She won’t say it, but she needs you.”
Bryant bent to the ground, inspecting the tire tracks in the dirt. “She doesn’t want me there. I have to figure this out.”
Zander grabbed Bryant’s shoulder. Bryant looked up at him.
“Let this go, man,” Zander said. “She’s dying without you.”
Bryant sighed, returning his gaze to the ground. “Fine. I’ll go.”
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Tom Farr is a blogger, storyteller, and screenwriter who teaches English Language Arts to high school students. He loves creating and spending time with his wife and three children. He blogs regularly about writing and storytelling at The Whisper Project.
