Hold Me Close

Chapter Seven.

So life had struck a low blow to my heart and karma was on her spinning table, but when she would strike on the monsters that did that to Chris I would never know, but what I did know was that when she got around to them I wanted them to pay, I wanted them to pay badly.

It stopped raining, but the grey clouds stayed in the dull sky, the sun hid behind their gloominess and stayed there. I turned into the local park and headed towards the playground, it was empty as expected, the way I wanted it to be.

I pushed on the small red spinning gate and entered the play area. The stones flew a few yards with each step, I watched as they went into mid-air and then fell again. I headed straight for the blue  swing set that sat dead centre in the middle , I waved my hand above the small sensor and waited for the small silver nozzles to spray the swings down with a strong smelling sanitizer before sitting on them.

I swung wildly on them, kicking my feet back and forth until I was going as high as possible, due to the rain and sanitizer, the metal rings that held the swing up were wet and the grip on them wasn't good and so I lost mine and was sent flying through the air, I held my breath although I wasn't sure why.

Placing my hands in front of my face I landed on the ground with a loud crash, I could already feel the grazes and cuts on my arms, hands and legs, I was in complete agony but I didn't cry, I couldn't cry. If I didn't feel the pain of my fall I wouldn't feel anything at all.

"We really need to stop meeting in these sort of situations", his voice was familiar, it was that boy, oh what was his name again

I felt him leaning down to me in attempt to help me up, "no don't" I sighed, I lifted myself off of the ground and looked up to the stranger.

Piercing hazel eyes stared back at me, they sat in wide eyes on a pale face that was topped with chocolate brown hair, "you put me in hospital you know", I wiped the dust and small stones off of my knees, I let out a long breath of air when I seen that my plastic covers had ripped on both of my arms.

"I knew by touching you I wouldn't harm you, I'm immune to the disease, I can't get it nor carry it, I would never put another persons life in danger like that".

"Yeah, but they still injected me with this weird stuff, and fed me dry toast for two days straight"  I stared at him as his lips widened into a grin, "that doesn't sound too bad" he laughed. His laughter stopped when his eyes stopped on my arm, "shit, you're bleeding".

I looked down to my arm and was shocked at it, there was blood all over my arm, dropping from my fingers onto the stones, he removed his coat and wrapped it around my arm, "thanks" I smiled, he nodded and took my other arm in his hands, inspecting it for more cuts, all he found was a few small cuts and grazes.

But I was more mesmerized by the touch of his hand more then anything else, for the first time in my life I felt skin to skin contact, no gloves, no plastic covers, just the pure feeling of skin touching skin.

I stared wide eyed at him, my mouth agape, "it's magical" I smiled, "what is?" he laughed, "the feeling".

He stared at me for a second and then back to where his hand had a grip of my arm, "you've never been touched before?", I shook my head, "no, not even my parents would dare, they're afraid of the outcome".

"well then you're in for a surprise if you ever kiss someone, if you think my hand touching your arm is something" he laughed.

"I wont be kissing anyone, that's illegal",

"That doesn't stop everyone, you know there's actually people out there that just want to live like normal human beings should, they want to touch and be touched, they want to feel real and know they can be loved, soul, skin, their heart, they just wanted to be touched in different ways",

"And that can lead to bad outcomes, horrible outcomes, trust me, I've seen the outcome of attempting to touch another",

"Haven't we all, my mother received the outcome for holding her own son in her own home, and that's why we moved here, to start fresh, to start our lives again",

"So they let her go after they took her?", I stared long and hard at him this time,

"surprisingly yes, I know you probably don't believe that, but she did return home, but not everyone does, but when they do they're not the same, they're different"

"They forget everything, they're broken in body and soul, they're not the same"  I sighed, remembering Chris.

He stared back at me, his eye brows were raised in confusion.

"My best friend went missing, but he's back, well what ever remains of him is back",

"And he's still in town?"

I nodded.

"He needs to leave town, and he needs to leave soon, before they come back for him, and they will, trust me".