WARLOCK?!

Welcome

Chapter 1—Welcome

It was cold, freezing cold. I lied on the park bench, holding my last good jacket against my weak body. It's been seven months since I ran away. It's been five months since I was kicked out. It was nice to have someplace warm to stay for a month, but it all ended too quickly. Everything came crashing down. For months, I've had nothing. I've had no one. I've been a complete nobody with nothing to my name except for a small torn-up backpack with several belongings that I'd never dare to part with.

It was 11:30 at night, and the park was empty, or so I thought. I lied on my back, staring up at the dark, cloudy sky. The cool air bit my skin, making me shiver.

Then I felt a chill down my spine, but it was for a completely different reason. I didn't shiver from the icy weather. No, I shivered from the icy stare that came from the man standing across the concrete path, about three feet away from the park bench. He was a tall guy with dark hair. A loose black trench coat cascaded down his body.

"Please, don't hurt me," I pleaded.                                     

He slowly walked up to me, and I quickly sat up. The lamp post allowed me to get a better look at his face. I judged that he was just a few years older than I was. He was young, but his eyes looked like they held years of wisdom. He looked tired. Maybe he was an insomniac, and he decided to go out for a walk instead of tossing and turning in his bed all night. At least, that's what I tried to convince myself of.

"You look cold," he stated.

"I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go." I picked up my backpack and attempted to walk away, but the man grabbed me by the wrist. His grip was strong, but he quickly loosened it, noticing my discomfort.

"I sense your fear. Don't be afraid. I'm on your side," he told me.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Consider me as a friend who wants to help you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Echo Maddox, and you are?"

"I don't need a friend, creep." I took a few quick steps away from him, but he caught me off-guard.

"Lennox...Lennox Grant," he uttered, and I froze.

"H—how do you know my name?" I asked, turning back around, "Are you some kind of stalker? Did Brant send you? Because if he did—"

"I know nothing of this Brant person you speak of. But if you must know how I learned your name, you have to come with me."

"Save it. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You will, eventually. You know you want to. You're cold and alone, and you need help. You need someone, and that someone is me."

"I don't need anyone."

"No need to lie to yourself, Lennox."

"Leave me alone, Echo."

"As you wish," he said, snapping his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Then I realized that I was back on the park bench. What happened? Did I dream it all? Was I hallucinating?

I looked around, but there was no one in sight. I decided that I couldn't sleep now. I picked up my backpack, which was right where I left it before I met Echo—or, thought that I met him. I roamed around town for several hours, humming to myself, trying to calm down. But I eventually succumbed to my sleepiness, and I ended up falling asleep on a street corner against the brick wall of an old apartment building.

I was awakened by the sound of a woman barking at me to leave. My eyes snapped open, and a woman in a puffy grey vest was all up in my face.

"Get out of here. You're scaring the potential renters," she said, in a croaky voice.