The Key Chased the Blade

Alex sped away in his parent's car toward my house. He wasn't supposed to take off with it, but he "figured this could be an exception". I sat there in the passengers seat gripping onto my seatbelt.

"You don't have to tell me what's going on if you're uncomfortable with it," Alex said quietly, "but... what is going on?"

"It's fine, I definitely owe you an explanation," I said. "Besides, I don't think I have anything to lose. You probably already think I'm crazy."

"Try me," he said.

So I told him everything. About the banshee, the bird, and about everything else.

After I was done, I wrung the stupid seatbelt and waited for Alex to reply. Everything came out a lot better than I thought it would, but at the same time, I knew everything I had said had come out unreasonably insane. I dared to look over at him and saw his face set into a pensive expression.

Then he looked over. "You know what, I believe you."

"What!?" I blurted. He saw my expression and laughed. He turned his eyes back to the road. "What do you mean you believe me?"

"I mean it's the only logical explanation for this." He chuckled. "Everything you said corresponds to how you're acting now and what has happened. Besides, if I needed another witness, I could probably ask Simon for a testimony too."

"Jesus Christ, Alex." My disbelief made him laugh harder. "You know, I don't understand you at all. You're nothing like I expected you to be."

"I figured. I feel like a live a double-life sometimes," he said. "One part of me is the school-me, who's a arrogant track star, and then there's the other part that only comes out when I'm alone or strangely, with you."

That struck me dumb. But then I said, "The part that watches deep movie films and believes random people's ghost stories?"

Alex laughed. "Yeah, that part."

"Jesus." But then I realized I needed to call Simon. "Hold on, I'm going to try to get a hold of Simon."

"Yeah." Alex's smile vanished off of his face. "He's in trouble. Call him fast."