The Shadow's Grip • bxb [COMPLETED]

-3-

Dimitri's P.O.V.

This weird guy just came in at the gas station in the middle of the night, completely soaked and with crazy red eyes.

At first I thought he's just another junkie, but he seems too polite and aware of himself to be one. I guess he might be just too tired since it's so late and from how he looks like he didn't end up here on purpose.

I would lie if I said I'm not uncomfortable with him next to me, eating cereals directly from the box. I mean who does that? Without milk and everything? I'm starting to reconsider whether he's crazy or not.

Staring at my phone and reading the texts from the group chat seems more interesting at this point. Until my shift is over, or the rain calms down, I guess I have to deal with this.

Violet is having a full on panic attack since tomorrow she has her driver license exam. I don't think staying up until 2 am is a good start but the excitement and anxiety stops her from sleeping.

Luna is also there trying to comfort her and as her girlfriend I'm thinking she does a better job than me. Usually, they're at each other's places most of the time, cuddling, watching movies or doing other couple stuff that's making me the third wheel.

Since I have nowhere else to go I have to stay with Violet as her roommate. We managed to go to high lenghts just to move out of that old neighborhood. Thinking about what happened there is inevitable, but at least we got one good thing out of living there: meeting each other and becoming friends.

Luna was more fortunate than us, managing to get in contact with her older sister that has her own house since moving out of their parents apartment. She stays there now and is happily living life without too many worries. Unlike me and Violet that have to work constantly to make sure we can afford rent and buying food.

However, the lonely nights in the apartment when Violet is staying at Luna's place, are way nicer than I thought they would be. I can just be. Stay in peace and smoke a few cigarettes, then watch some tv and fall asleep on the couch like some dad in his fifties.

It's way better than even thinking about asking my parents for help. I don't even want to hear about them. They just bring back bad memories from my childhood when I was too weak to even stand up for myself. Plus, I don't think they want to see me either, after all the problems I've caused.

"What's your name?" It came out very randomly, but I guess I just wanted to stop my train of thought from before.

"It's Felix" he smiles and then looks back at his phone that's not even working.

I can't help but see how he's struggling to make it work, even if it's wet and has a cracked screen. From the looks of it, this phone seems to have been through a lot. Just like the boy that is holding it. But it's not my place to judge anyone.

"Do you need to call someone? I can give you mine" I point at my phone but he just shakes his head.

"I... I don't really want to go home now... And I don't have anyone to call in particular" he scratches the back of his head and suddenly I almost feel pity for this guy.

"Just let me know if you need to" I'm going back to what I was doing before, avoiding reality by staring at my phone.

His eyes linger on me for a few seconds and I almost want to ask him if everything's okay but he's quick and moves his glance.

"Do... Do you believe in ghosts?" he asks out of nowhere and I'm getting tense at hearing this.

Why is he asking? Is he some kind of occulist? I shouldn't have trusted that he's innocent just from his appearance. Well, I'm fucked. I don't really have much to lose if I'm dying, but it would be a lame way to go.

What am I even thinking? What is he going to do? Sacrifice me?

"Um... I... I don't know" I really have no idea what kind of answer I could give him in this situation.

He just nods and looks at his feet, giving up on his phone and throwing it back in his backpack.

An awkward silence follows and I don't even know what I could say. Sure, the guy is weird, and somehow fascinated by ghosts I'd say, but he doesn't seem too bad. Compared to other people that have passed through the doors of this gas station he's pretty tame.

The atmosphere is starting to become more stressful than awkward. Something about him is starting to become off as he's stiff, tensed up and looking around the shop.

I don't think I can stay here anymore. I can't stand it.

"I'm gonna go and check some boxes in the back. You'll be alright?"

"Yeah" he brushes me off and I nod before leaving, not wanting to spend another minute here.

Before I can reach the backdoor, my whole vision goes black. I can't see anything anymore and I turn around like I was just electrocuted.

Black. It's pitch black everywhere I turn. But I still hear the rain and when a car finally passes by, a heavenly flash lights up the shop. I come back to my senses.

"What happened?" Felix speaks up too, now being next to me and I sigh using my phone's flash to look around.

He closes his eyes when the light hits his face and I quickly point it towards his legs instead, so I can still see him. His sneakers look torn and full of mud.

"Just a blackout. Probably because of the storm"

"When will the power come back?"

"I don't know. Let me check the circuit breaker"

"Ah alright"

I can't see his face, but by the tone of his voice he's not too happy to be left alone in the darkness. But who likes that?

I'm starting to feel kind of bad as I turn around and leave through the black pitch. One hand holding my phone and the other one on the door's handle. Finally, after what feels like forever I open the door and leave through it.