Black Temptation

Chapter 58

Moments later, multiple people surround me with going away presents (mostly mints...were they hinting at something-or just that old) and pictures of them on little keychains so we could have them-anywhere and everywhere.

So much human interaction gets my mind off track and I realize I haven't checked on Harry in a couple of minutes. Yes, he's still there.

"Can you excuse me, please?" My words interject into Patty from the barbecue restaurant. Reluctantly, she lets me go. I slide past her death stare and find myself a corner.

Taking out my phone to look preoccupied, I gaze over to Harry. He hasn't moved them to a corridor or something so I assume it hasn't gotten to out of han-spoke too soon. Alexander tries to grab onto Harry's shoulder and he jerks him out of it like a feather. Marge covers her mouth as if she's about to shatter into tears and before they can cause a commotion, they're gone into that corridor I told you they shouldn't go into.

Starting to follow, a flavorful stench comes from the vents. Paying no mind to it, I reach Harry and his parents but halt intruding. Alexander screams at him for believing some fiend before him. Marge won't say anything, even when Harry asks her to tell Alexander what she told him. They're speaking vague sentences. And then, just out of nowhere, Harry punches Alexander in the jaw-hard-yelling,"She was my sister!"

He stomps towards me, shaking his bruised fist.

"What was that!?" I question, crawling after him.

"So, I guess we should get this party started. DJ crank it!"

As soon as he says it, it is done. He grabs my hand and we move to the middle of the floor.

"Harry, tell me something..."

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"Don't patronize me. You just punched the dude who kindof raised you! I think that qualifies you to have something to say," I felt on his arm. "What happened?"

We begin to attract unnecessary attention. Harry grabs me, moving us into a corner. That again.

"I told him everything I know. And he couldn't even look me in my face. That's what happened! So...god, just of all people. Him! But we still don't know his motive. Telling him we know, doesn't mean anything if it doesn't satisfy his objective."

And there it is again. That smell.

"We assumed Pete-Alexander's motive was to kill us. But what if it's something else. What if PJ is wrong and Alexander has been playing all of us. If he was following me before, he was still following me then. He had to have known I was coming to your house that night and timed when I'd get there, just so I could save you. He had have intentionally cause my attack. So if he hasn't killed us yet-he can't be planning to. He's not done with us-"

Horrid smell again! I flick my body towards that same vent.

"What now?" Harry pants.

"Don't you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"It's like..some type of greasy smell. It's," and suddenly I start coughing. The cough feels like a coin is stuck in my throat it's-suffocating.

Harry looks around, flustered.

"That's not just a smell," His voice sober, "It's a gas..."

"Like a-" And I fall to the ground. Harry picks me up and yells "Everyone Evacuate Now!"

People scramble all around me, coughing, sneezing, wheezing and hurling. The gas blows faster and

and a tint greener. Skin instantly rottens and pupils dilate. My neck hasn't lost its vitality and I stand my face up.

Harry tries to calm his breathing as he runs me out of the building but his unforgiving nature doesn't last long and he's wheezing too. His grip loosens. His feet wobbles. His legs won't hold and suddenly, he drops...