Watch Your Back

Chapter 4

"AAAHH!" Aaron bolted upright in bed, covered in sweat. He took a moment to look wildly around his room before sprinting towards the bathroom. Aaron switched on the light, ignoring the brightness of the bulb, and pulled his hair back to look at his forehead. He shuddered when he saw that the top part of his face was bare, nothing but skin. Aaron took a moment to recollect his thoughts, and within a few minutes, he was back in bed. He pulled the covers over his head, but not before popping in his ear buds. Aaron closed his eyes as soft acoustic played at his ears. Within a short time, he was dozing off, the music like a lullaby in his head. He slept peacefully, without a second dream.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! The clock's neon letters flashed 7:30, signaling for its listener to awaken. The "listener" in question was a sleep-deprived nineteen year old, slowly climbing out of bed to prepare fresh clothes for school. Aaron was slow and sluggish as he packed his backpack, and before he knew it he had wasted 20 minutes getting dressed alone. He hurriedly brushed his dirty teeth and slid on the stair rail into the kitchen, where his mom was making her specialty: French toast and eggs. That could only mean something exciting happened.

"Aaron, I told you not to do that. You could fall and get hurt!" Aaron's mom shook her head, worrying about her son and his reckless behavior. But she quickly brushed aside the notion. Aaron hung his backpack on the chair and sat down at the table.

"Hey, mom." Aaron looked for any hint of surprise on his mother's face, and frowned when he saw none.

"Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep last night?" She smiled as she talked.

Aaron froze as he reminisced the night's events. The terrifying dream. The terrifying gurney. The terrifying man. Wait. Who was that man?

"Yeah, I slept well. Hey, mom. Do you know anyone with purple hair?" As the day began, Aaron had tried to decipher his dream.

"No honey, I don't. Although there is one man working at the hospital that has naturally orange hair, if that helps."

Aaron slumped in his seat. "No, that's okay." Why had he expected his mom to know about the man from his dream? His thoughts were interrupted when his mom slid a plate of syrupy French toast in front of him.

"Hey, Aaron." His dad casually strolled into the kitchen, seating himself across from his son. Aaron's mom soon sat down, and they were both gazing contently at him. Aaron was too busy stuffing his face to notice, but when the dish gradually became empty, he acknowledged their eerie stares.

"Uh... Are you guys okay?" His parents never stared at him like that before. Then he remembered the French toast, and a ball of nervousness settled in his stomach.

"Aaron, we have some news for you." Aaron's dad was holding his mom's hand.

"Well... We've been wanting to tell you this for a little while now, but we wanted to do it in a presentable manner. Which is why I picked French toast. Your dad and I, well, me actually, I'm pregnant." Aaron's mom smiled at him, a clear sign of joy on her face. Aaron felt the ball turn into a boulder as a wave of fear washed over him.

Oh fuck... Aaron thought as the idea of having a little brother settled into his mind. Oh God, what if he had a little sister?! Aaron looked at his empty plate and began to feel queasy. A big hand settled on his shoulder.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Aaron?! You're going to be late for school!" The clock read 8:25. Gah! School started in 5 minutes! Without thinking, Aaron grabbed his backpack and ran out the door, straight into the cool, morning breeze. He sprinted down the street, and was so caught up in being late for class, he didn't notice the man with violet hair ducking into an alley after a young girl...