Follow the Signs

Chapter Four - James Demaio

James lifted his left hand up to his mouth and began biting his nails out of habit. He and Matt have been waiting in the lobby for more than 10 hours since no one was allowed to visit Dylan till she was awake, not to mention the treatment and the research took up more than two-thirds of that time. According to the doctor, it took that long because she inhaled too many fumes from the fire including some of the dangerous chemical fumes that were a packaged deal with the exploding science classroom. They were informed that she had inhaled a perilous amount, which had given both of them a miniature heart attack. Five hours after that, the nurses came out to update them on the news, which was that the research is complete and that the treatment was almost done as well, only to worry them even more by telling them that they can't come in and visit her till she woke up. James paced back and forth, still biting his nails.

Opening his mouth he turned to say something to Matt only realizing that he had fallen asleep. "You baby," James softly spilled out from his lips, but he couldn't blame him, it was currently two in the morning and Matt had spent all week cramming for the test that would be an enormous part of their grade in social studies. He sat down next to Matt, petting his hair and going through several scenarios in his head of how this whole situation could turn out. Some good, and some so bad that it would make him and Matt not want to continue living.

James took off his jacket placing it on Matt, today had been enough pressure on the both of them. Especially after both of them frantically rushed to the hospital and tried breaking into Dylan's room, as the doctors and nurses were trying to treat her. It took them almost 7 male and female nurses on each person, and a couple of threats till they were finally able to calm themselves down. Flashing back to everything that has happened at school already and everything that's going on at home, James's eyes began to feel somewhat heavy. Like they were being pushed down by tons and tons of weight. And within the next few minutes, without knowing it, James was already on a boat to dreamland.

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There they stood, at the tombstone of Dylan Quinn Maxwell, it hasn't even been a day and things felt — different. The air, no longer filled with laughter, no more of her stupid sexual remarks. No more of her stubbornness to fight against, she wasn't there to cook dinner for them at James's house as usual. No more of her fake badass attitude, none of that. She's gone now.

There, so many people had stood, all circling around her tombstone, as they began to bury her coffin. James looked around, spotting people like her grandma and her dad who couldn't bear to stand next to one another but made an exception for this one melancholy filled, heart breaking, bitter incident. Matt had stood away from everyone mourning the death of one of his closest friends. He couldn't stand seeing her being buried so he had just waited a few yards away from the rest of the sorrowful crowd so that he could cry and release anger such as punching the trees till his knuckles began to bleed or till the tree fell, whichever came first. As long as he could do this all without being seen.

But James? He just stood there, paralyzed as they kept on throwing dirt onto Dylan's coffin. "This isn't happening," he thought to himself,"this isn't real". Digging his nails into his palm staring at the dismal, he tried opening his mouth, to say at least something of his opinion on this, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't speak. It's as if someone had taken out his voice box, it was possible that fear had shut it down. Everything around him began to darken, people had started to leave the site, the funeral was over now. As they walk they gave their condolences to James, Matt, and Dylan's dad. Almost all of them saying,"At least she's with her mother now."

James stood there still speechless, staring at her tombstone.

"James," someone said. He looked around startled, trying to pinpoint the source, and finally his eyes landed on Dylan. She was pale, her skin almost as white as paper, she looked weak and frail. Embellished so formally in a white dress, so long and silky, her hair neat in a braid, resting gently on her left shoulder, cascading down her chest. "Dylan," he managed to sputter in utter disarray and shock. She walked up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder, smiling at him with every ounce of energy that she could possibly muster. Matt too was in shock, taking his time to approach James and Dylan. The three stood, conversing, laughing, as if nothing was wrong as if Dylan wasn't just buried six feet under. That same energy was back, time stood still, the air brightened, none of them had a worry in the world.

But as long as James wanted this to laugh, the air had suddenly become silent and thick.

James's heart had skipped a beat, Dylan and Matt had looked at him as if they just been impaled. The air grew hot and the atmosphere grew thin, less air was able to reach his lungs. Looking around James noticed that the light began to slowly fade, and once this curiosity was brought back to Dylan and Matt and their no longer normal skin. It looked of an unusual texture, a ratchet smell had begun to emit from their bodies. Seconds later it had begun to melt, slowly dripping down their face and down their body. Their muscle now began transforming into liquid and descending down their bodies as well. Their skeletons coming up to the surface, not soon after that all that was left of them assumed the form of liquid. James stood observing the gruesome site with a horrific look on his face. Now they were nothing more than puddles of flesh, muscle, bone, organs, and bodily fluids.

He was soon enveloped by darkness, his ability to inhale air somehow disappeared. Everything was happening so quickly, James didn't have enough time to take all this in. He gasped anxiously, trying to intake as much as he could, his lungs about to explode, his head growing light and dizzy. James felt his eyelids go from light as air to anchors that help ships of tons down. He fought to keep them open as long as he could but there was no use anymore. His friends gone, the only two people who he had ever given a second thought about. He pondered about it for a good minute and slowly let his eyes drop.

Now it was just one shade of raven black, nothing stood in the darkness. There was no good reason for him to keep trying, there was nothing left in the world. So he let it sit, his obscured vision didn't change. Moments passed which had felt like an eternity, which meant more time to wander off into the land of thoughts. Several questions appeared, some of the similar topics only branching off, others of things not even related to one another. Somehow he was at peace.

His body began to shake violently as if there was an earthquake in the void, his eyes slowly opening and brightness peered into the empty space. Voices that were blurred out became clearer as his eyes in took more light. Impulsively, James shot up from whatever position it was in, his eyes, opening as wide as possible, taking in the scenery of the hospital. "James hurry, Dylan's awake," Matt grinned, his eyes were no longer dim and lifeless like it was yesterday, his body language showed he was elated and had too much bottled up energy.

Both ran into the room with questions to fire, and much love to give, but when they had gotten to her, she was staring lifelessly out a window, hooked up to an IV bag. "Dylan, what happened to that girl you saved?"

"I asked about her, the doctors just told me she was nowhere to be found," she retorted, not even flinching to look at them.