A Beast with a Smile {Book 1}

Chapter 2 (Scavenger): Reminiscent Anger

My dreams have started to become more realistic in recent months. I've never had anything besides nightmares my whole life, but these were different. They were more like a memory than something my mind cooked up.

Tonight's dream was like I was staring out of the eyes of my younger self; a window into a more innocent time. The first part was about the day my dad found me. I saw the tears in his eyes as he picked me up off the ground of the mutilated car.

He pulled me close to his heart and kept saying, "Don't cry little one... don't cry. Everything's going to be ok."

Sheriff Sims lost his wife that day because he chose to save me from my own demise. They were trying to have a child, but he never got to share the good news with her.

I think that's why he's so overprotective of me. He's scared that I'm going to disappear too.

The next dream was when I was eight and I got in trouble at school for fighting. There were three guys picking on Scarlett. They kept hitting her and pushing her while saying she shouldn't dream about stupid things and that her father was a stupid drunk.

I ran at them and tried to fight all three at once, but I got the crap kicked out of me. They threw me on the ground, but left me a view of my best friend crying by the water fountain.

I felt the anger begin to boil; my body grew warmer and the hatred took over. I grabbed one kid's foot before it could hit my rib again. I pushed it backwards with all of my might and he slid on the tile floors before falling on his back.

The next attack was a fist from the head trouble maker, Tyler. He was too quick for me to grab so I rolled. His fist hit the ground where I was and he looked back up at me with tears in his eyes.

"You're going to pay for that," he said.

I probably should not have followed with, "I can't pay. You already stole my lunch money."

He didn't appreciate my humor.

The third guy got back on his feet and rejoined the group. All three ran at me: one punched, one kicked, and the third tried to tackle me.

It felt like time slowed down when I threw my fist forward. It felt like I threw the wind. The three bullies flew back without me physically touching them. Two of them flew back into the walls and Tyler slid straight into the principle.

Just my luck, right?

Of course they all said I started the fight and that they didn't even fight back. Although I had gotten in trouble, to this day, I'm still glad that I defended my friend.

I knew for sure that the third dream never happened before.

As Scarlett and I were walking across the street in front of our house, a drunk driver swerved towards us. It would've run over Scarlett, but I grabbed her and I felt the air around us turn cold. The wind began to move as fast as a tornado and when I opened my eyes, we were on top of the Empire State Building in New York. She looked at me with fear in her expression, like she didn't recognize me.

I woke up to my dad saying goodbye before his morning patrol. I got ready for school just like every other day, but today felt different. I couldn't get the look that Scarlett gave me out of my head.

She was so afraid, I thought miserably.

She looked like she had just seen a monster. I knew it was just a dream, but still, it's a look that you don't want to get from your best friend.

I finished getting ready and ran out the door. Scarlett was waiting there for me, just like everyday. Her thick, red hair was swaying in the wind and I couldn't help the thought that flitted through my head.

I love you.

Whenever I looked into her emerald green eyes, I got butterflies in my stomach and never wanted to look away. Every morning I would out and see her and it made me smile throughout the entire day, but this morning was different. I walked out and I couldn't get the look out of my head.

"What's with the long face?" she asked.

"I just saw something last night that kinda hit me like a bullet."

"Are you okay, Scavenger?"

"Yeah. I just had a bad dream. When's our ride coming?"

"Late as usual," she sighed.

"Maybe he's lost. He isn't the brightest," I said, attempting to hold a smile back.

"There's that smile I love to see every morning. Feel better now?"

"Yes," I released the smile that I could never hold back around her.

It quickly faded when I heard the roar of the infamous F-150 that I heard every morning. Tyler was here to pick up his girlfriend and her awkward dorky best friend.

"Hey, hot stuff," he shouted from the window.

"Why are you always late?" Scarlett hissed.

She really didn't like being late to class.

"Relax. I just had to pick up something from Martin's house," he barked back at her.

"Come on, Scavenger. Let's not be anymore late than Tyler has already made us," she said furiously.

She got in and I followed behind. As I placed my foot on the floor of the car I felt a lurch as Tyler floored it. I clung to the handle with all my strength and Scarlett struggled to pull me to safety.

He's always hated me, I thought.

He hates that I beat him and his friends in a fight, he hates that I'm the sheriff's son, and he hates that I'm Scarlett's best friend.

I could hear Scarlett screaming and Tyler laughing, but I found the strength to pull myself in. He slammed on the breaks and I flew into the front seat and hit my face smack dab on the dashboard.

My blood felt like it was on fire; it was the same rage from when we were kids. He was still laughing when I looked at him. He shut up real quick when my fist made contact with his mouth. He screamed with agony but I didn't stop.

I jumped onto him and kicked him out of the car. He hit the pavement with a hard thud and jumped up, ready to fight. He threw a punch, but time slowed down and I was able to move out of the way before it even got close.

I grabbed his arm and snapped it like a twig. He began to cry and I grabbed his throat, ready to free him of his life, but Scarlett yanked me back before I could. She pulled me in close and all of the rage fled.

I began to cry in her arms.