The Shift Paradox

Chapter 2: Yaegar

The voices stopped.
I paced myself as I walk into the clean slated concert floor. The sun was a muted, waxmelt-yellow but shafts of light still poured through patches of cloud and onto the glass window reflecting and shining a colorful beam. All I can think of now while walking into the smooth concert floor is: Why did they stopped all of a sudden? Or was it never the voices to begin with that was keeping me up at night? It could be my brain just making up voices that's just making me go insane.
*************
I'm waiting now for Harrison thinking that I was late. I should of taken my sweet time getting here. But at least it's given me the time to think of the last voice that went through my ear.
Start hunting now...
I look around my surroundings and see a medium height male with long wavy brown hair that goes all the way where his chin is with blonde highlights. By the pace he was walking he looked like he was taking his sweet time. Jerk.
Harrison paced up to me and started counting his quarters to see how much he has for the games.
"Ok, we have exactly one hour and fifty minutes to kill and it will take about a half hour to get to school, so I say we're pretty much set for now" Harrison quickly paced his words in a hurry catching his breath like it would be his last.
" And don't forget the two minutes extra I'm going to use to kill you" I grinned and gave a smirk smile directly at Harrison.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and wait for Harrison to respond back.
"Alright, alright. I can see how you're pissed at me right now. How about I'll buy you a snack from the food stand and we could consider being solid for now?"
As tempted as I am to waste the most of Harrison's money, I'm not that greedy. So, I'll spear him until the next time he would owe me something. The one time he brought enough money to the Game Center in like forever. He usually asks me to loan him some coins whenever he runs out or "forgets" to bring his own. But, he's the only person I deemed worthy with secrets or anything with personal issues.
"I'll think about it" I replied back to Harrison.
We walked inside the Game Center and towards the pin ball machine we usually play most of the time. I always let him play first to see the mistake to avoid while he plays. I never told him this. I always told him to play first because out of the two of us, he's much "better" and more "advanced." Please. The only time he actually made the ball in is when i accidentally tipped the machine. He calls it a stroke of luck. I call it to next time tie my shoe laces tightly. It's been only fifteen minutes into our "heated" battle and so far, I made two shots in and he only made one. Props to finally making his own shots without any help or misunderstandings.
I checked my phone for the time. We have almost an hour left to kill. One hour. What are we going to do till then? We can't be at the Game Center for that long. I mean, other than the Game Center is the food stand outside. We would just be eating and sitting bored out of our minds. And I hate being at practice earlier than everyone else. Oh well, it's not my problem till then.
It was my turn and since we've been doing the same routine in just hitting the ball inside the hole, I decided to make it a little interesting.
"Alright Harry, let's make a little bet. If I can make the ball in less than two minutes, you'll have to let me use your good pads for the rest of the season. Bet?" I let out a small grin and let out my hands in order to shake on it.
"And I have to use your old crappy pads instead?" He asked.
I thought to myself for a sort while and gave him a quick response.
"Yea, pretty much it. C'mon man, let's make it interesting."
I saw how skeptical Harrison was with this bet. He just constantly nods to himself thinking about the pros and cons of winning or loosing the bet. Finally he came to a conclusion to agree with the bet. We shook our hands and agree to our conditions. I pretty much have this game in the bag. I let him go first (as always) and start timing. The timer has started and the seconds are running like wildfire.
I can see his eyes dilating left and right to keep his eye on the ball and trying to hit it at the right angle. This is pretty much basic geometry from here on now. I can see his anticipation growing stronger each second that passes. We're up to a minute and twenty seconds. Only forty seconds left. Even I'm getting chills just by watching him play.  I'm just the score keeper and I bet my heart is pounding faster than his.
Twenty seconds left.
He won't make it on time. Maybe I made this challenge way too hard for him, or for the both of us. The only thing to do now is to wait for the results and hope he doesn't win the bet.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.
He's pounding the flipper bat and his ball went directly to the bumpers in a fast rotation.
Six. Five. Four.
He's not going to make it now. He only has four seconds left.
Three. Two and One.
Ha! I knew he wouldn't make it in on time. This bet was almost too impossible to complete. Well, I guess is my turn to call in the shots now.
"Well, now is up to you to win the bet possibly. You always make your bets too impossible to beat. I bet you can't beat your own bet on time." Harrison backlashes at me with somewhat of an aggression tone.
"Ok, ok, let me show you how this is actually done up in here." I gave a really surprisingly cocky tone at him knowing in my heart that I would also loose the bet that I arranged in the first place.
Oh well, now the time to mess things up and try to at least win this bet. To be honest, I really what to use Harrison's new pads. Mine are all worn out and I had to re-tape my straps in every practice. It's even worst when we have to compete with other schools. I went up in front of the pin ball machine and try calculating my time into this bet. Harrison was right, I do sometimes make our little bets nearly impossible to beat. But, I'm going to prove him wrong. I'm actually going to take this bet seriously and try winning and taking his straps for the rest of the season. I placed my hand into the handles and put in two quarters into the machine. The lights started to flash in numerous sorts of colors catching my attention. Harrison has his phone ready set to the timer and once he calls in my mark, my attention will all be on the ball.
"Alright Bruce, are you ready?" Harrison called out with excitement.
I nodded at him confidently and looked back at the machine.
"Ok. Are you mark, get set, and..."
A wind gushed right in front of my face and right at that moment, I felt the need to follow where the breeze was blowing. It seems that the breeze was strong enough to show me where it was directing me to.
"Hold on Harry, I'll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom really quick" I lied just to give an excuse to follow where the breeze was going.
"Man, is this some excuse to bailout of your bet. Seems pretty cowardly to me." Harrison confront my excuse.
"It'll be quick. I promise. I'll get back to the bet as soon as possible. Just.... Gotta go number one."
I know this wasn't any ordinary breeze. I know that this breeze felt familiar to the voices I've been receiving. But why me all of a sudden?
I went chasing to where the breeze was going to and it lead me to the center of the Game Center. I stood at the logo of the arcade and see numerous of kids playing and screaming around me acting all innocent and not a care in the world. I went back to my search and this kid bumped directly at me. I fell down the flood hard and was ready to scream at that person.
"Hey, what's your problem, kid?" I yelled at him.
"Watch were you're going, punk or I would have to battle you!" The kid responded back with an attitude.
Battle? What does he mean by battle? Like a fight or something.
He paused for a second and stared directly at me closely. He stood back up and parked his blue highlighted hair to the left and cracked his chin smoothly. He said battle to me knowing that I would know that phrase. The phrase sounding like out of the ordinary. He's probably working with the person who kept speaking to me on my mind. Could he be part of the hunt I've been hearing? His milky white skin shadows into the dark where the light moves away and blends.
"Who are you?" I asked immediately before he leaves. I kept staring at him until he gives me a response. The silence was tense and he slowly went back close to my face.
"That's none of your damn business, punk" his thick deep voice makes a hollow threat deep inside and make my body shake Into millions of pieces.
It's him. It him
The voices were back and we're trying to tell me something again.
It's the person who will make you into a hunter.
Him?! That maniac? How?
It's Yaegar