The Dark Ring

Chapter 7.

When I wake up Julien is staring at me. I look back and he looks away fast. 'What?' I ask him. 'Nothing.' He says it smiling, but I keep staring at him. 'Just.. you.' He says. I watch him carefully waiting for what he is about to say. 'I felt like I had everything, I was loved, I had friends, my school was going well, but I missed something, I felt empty and I was scared that I wouldn't make any difference in this world, that I would never be important to anyone, never would do something great. I wanted to BE someone, and if i couldn't be someone I would rather... die.' Julien said. 'And I didn't, I am here and my whole life is fucked up, but you are here and you make me so... peaceful, so calm, because it doesn't matter if I do something great, I just have to be me. And I know it might be weird to say in such short time, but you showed me that.' He says smiling and playing with my hair. I smile back at him, I had no idea that I had a peaceful and calm side. He puts his arms around me and I look up to him. 'I am here if you ever need anything else.' I say. He nods and asks: 'Can I write my name on your plaster arm?' Julien asks and I laugh, I nod and he does it actually really pretty. I stand up out of his bed. 'I want to take a shower, but I need help of a nurse, so I'll be back later.' I say as an explanation and walk away.

When I am done with showering and walking back I see Julien's parents at his bed and I nod and go into my own bed, but after a while his dad asks: 'Paper, would you like to join in to play a game?' I nod and go over there and go sit on the other end of the bed, and Julien's parents on both sides of the bed with a notebook and pen + dice and karts on the bed, it's PICTIONARY and we start to play, it's really fun and we laugh a lot. It feels like home and I feel happy. When we are done and Julien's parents are about to leave, his mum hugs me and whispers in my ear: 'You are really welcome to stay, thank you for making him laugh again. You can break the news until we're gone.' She says and I nod. 'Thank you.' I say and his dad hugs me too, it feels so familiar, like we always have hugged each other, and I am really happy for Julien to have such parents. We keep PICTIONARY to play later if we are bored and I crawl beside him under the blankets. 'You smell like flowers.' Julien says. I laugh at that. 'Well, thank you. Do you mind if I write the second part of chapter 4?' I ask, he shakes his head and I take my paper and pen and start writing.

Chapter  4. (The book.) Part 2.

Jason.

The sun was shining on my face. I had a bad dream and I had been awake for a few hours. I had an immense headache and I closed my eyes to relax. I thought. Why did Xavier have all those cuts and bruises on his stomach, back and neck? I hadn't thought about it at first, but now... What the hell had happened? I had to ask him. I walked back, I knew I could find him because a bond was created when Xavier lost his powers and that allowed me to feel his feelings and find him. I set off, it probably wouldn't take very long.

Xavier.

I hadn't slept and I had really big bags under my eyes. I was tapping on the floor so I could count the seconds and minutes. There was someone behind me and I felt it, it was Ludvig. I laughed, he could always find me. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a tracker hidden somewhere in my clothes. "They want you to go back, Mr. Pierro." I nodded but stayed put. I was too tired to move. 'Can we stay a little longer? I want to be able to watch the sunrise.' The old man nodded and sat down next to me on the floor. He had always been the nicest, he was like a father to me. I smiled and sat up as I watched the sunrise. It might be my last if I went back. I tried not to think about it and thanked Ludvig for allowing this for a while.

Jason.

By now I was almost there, I had found my hoody and his vest and I had been walking stiffly for an hour. Suddenly I heard voices and I recognized one of the voices as Xavier's. I watched what they were doing from behind a tree and I saw them getting up. The man seemed nice and Xavier had no expression on his face. I took a big risk and approached the pair. 'Hi, I'm Coral. I know Xavier from primary school, I just happened to see him walking, can I speak to him?' I see the surprise on Xavier's face and the man nods yes. We walk away a bit and stare at each other.