Running Red: Lost Moon

Chapter 44: Darkwater

Levi kicked at a rock as he left the apartment building. His feet carried him towards the convenience store a block over from his home. They had been short on some ingredients for dinner, and his dad had asked him to go get some. The air was cool as he passed under the winter dormant trees that lined the street. A loud croaking sound sounded over the city sounds and had him pausing.

Looking up, he found a white raven looking down at him. Levi frowned. The fully grown raven was watching him with its blue eye. When it turned its head to look down the street, Levi sucked in a harsh breath causing the bird to look back at him. The other blue eye had been damaged. It was a milky blue with a scar that reached its beak and back around the side of its head. He was so focused on the blue eyed white raven that the sound of Paxton's voice next to him had him flinching away, startled.

Paxton took a step back from Levi, who huffed in frustration. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry. You good? I've been calling your name for a minute there."

"Yeah, just distracted."

Paxton tipped his head slightly to the side in question, "With?"

Levi turned to look up at the raven. "That."

Looking up at the tree, Paxton let out a small, "Huh. That's a first for me."

"Same."

"Is it an albino?"

The raven let out a low croak, and Levi shook his head. "They have a blue eye. Albinism causes red eyes. They're a white raven."

When Levi looked back at Paxton, he tipped his head toward where the convenience store was at. "Dad needs that stuff for dinner."

Levi started walking, and Paxton followed. He took a few quick steps to walk even with Levi as he glanced around them. "It's quiet out here."

A shrug was his only response as they walked. "Not really. Can still hear the city life."

"No, around us. There is no one." Paxton looked down the street and turned to look behind him. "It's a city, shouldn't there be foot traffic in a city? A car driving by? Someone walking their dog?" He twisted to look at Levi who was staring hard at the ground with his brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm not used to a city, so I don't know what to go off of but-"

Levi's feet stopped, and he cut Paxton off. "What do you mean you're not used to the city? We've been here since jr high." Paxton stopped to look at the frown on Levi's face. Then he was rubbing at his forehead. The headache was back.

"Levi, I've never been here before. I've lived in a supernatural community compound up north for most of my teen years."

Levi shook his head as he pressed his fingers against his temples and rubbed them in tight circles. His head was killing him. "That's not... You've..."

"I've been missing. I know I've been missing. The person who found me has been trying to get me back home, but every time it ends in disaster, and we're betrayed." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "At first, I didn't want to believe it. But then I saw the family photo, and then you mentioned the birthmark and the scar."

Levi started to shake his head.

"Levi. I am right here. You found me this way, but we can't meet out there until you wake up."

"I am awake."

"Are you?"

Levi turned and looked around him. Looking for something, anything to prove that Paxton was wrong. That this was real. "I just..." His head shook as he started to scratch at his sweater covered arm. "I just..."