Running Red: Lost Moon

Chapter 18: Human Element

A sharp breath in and he looked around the area he was in. It took him a second to recognize it was a school. Pax twisted as he took in the cream yellow brick walls and green lockers. That's when he heard the shouting. When he reached the gym locker room, he saw shadowed people moving in slow increments. It was like he was watching someone flip through pictures taken a second apart from each other. He was in a dream. A few of the people looked normal. An old memory from the looks of it.

He slipped through the shadowed people to glance at one of the people who was more in focus. He held a natural tan and shaggy blond hair. He was in the process of trying to push people out of his way. Brown eyes full of anger. He followed his point of view to another male with brown hair that was short and messy, and who was at the center of the mess of people. The screams were getting louder as he pressed forward. The male was tall with a bent and bloodied nose. Blue eyes looked down at the ground full of disgust and hate.

Looking down at the floor he watched as someone sat curled over another person. Protecting them. He knelt and found himself looking at a younger Levi. He was glaring at the person above him. His mouth moved like he was shouting. He had a busted lip and the fist gripping at the person under him had split open knuckles. Pax couldn't make out the person younger Levi was shielding, their face pressed against his chest as they clutched a bloodied ear. Hair was cut uneven and missing in parts. Younger Levi flinched as the taller male kicked him in the sides.

Pax reached out but froze at the sound of Levi's voice. "You're back."

Turning, Pax found Levi sitting on a bench. He wasn't watching the memory, instead staring at the ground.

"What happened?"

Levi looked over and grimaced. "I lost my temper and almost got expelled. The school had a 'Zero Tolerance' for fighting. I shouldn't have asked her to meet me at the gym after I was done with practice."

Pax sat down next to Levi on the bench and pointed at the kid trying and failing to tug the taller one away from Levi and his best friend. "Who's that? He looks angry."

"Captain of the team. Chance Anderson, all around golden boy, loved by the masses and a little bit of an asshole. Best friends with the dick trying to break my ribs. My best friend thinks he's just so dreamy." Levi made a face that had Pax chuckling. "You find this funny but you didn't have to sit and listen as she sighed over his abs. Okay."

"Who's the guy in the back looking like he's ready to make heads roll?"

Levi followed where Pax was pointing and frowned. "He wasn't there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I didn't see him that day. Everything happened fast."

"Who is he?"

"Tad." Levi was watching the male in the gym doorway with a small sad smile. "I don't want to talk about him."

"Okay."

"I've never seen the memory from this angle before."

"Perks of having me around." Levi looked at Pax in question. "It's one of my abilities. I have these abilities that I picked up based on who I've made a connection with."

"You're a mediator?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I just found out." Levi was now watching the fight. His younger self was now standing toe to toe with the taller male. "Can we change the setting?" He looked away just as the taller boy spit at his younger self. "I don't want to see the fight."

"You can but I can't, I'm just along for the ride."

"Okay." He closed his eyes and Pax looked over his head at the younger Levi to see him snarl with teeth a bit too sharp and then lunge. The Chance kid looked surprised, stumbling back. His eyes darted to see the Tad person duck out of the door in a rush. Then the room changed and he was sitting in the basement from last time only with books spread out everywhere.