If You Believed

Chapter 2// Sick Boy

Oliver woke up that morning with the haunting images of torment. He couldn't bear the weight any longer: he had to confront his dad. 

Alcohol always triggered aggression in Mr. Smith.

Oliver was aware of all the issues that his father and him had faced, problems that compelled Jack to become an alcoholic. Oliver Smith was exasperated growing up as he had to patch up all the mess that Jack Smith made, and if it was performed clumsily--- Oliver had to pay for it. Scars mapped the whole of Oliver's body narrating his barbaric story with his brutal dad. Nevertheless, Oliver woke up today morning with a suspiciously frantic energy.

Oliver jogs down the stairs whistling the tune to "Barney and Friends"'s theme song which he oddly loves. He knew his dad detests whistling as it was--- "not what a gentleman would do," --- well, a gentleman wouldn't drink until he passes out either, thought Oliver.

Oliver makes an entrance into their lifeless dining room to find it vacant. He blinked away his confusion and flicked on the light. For years, Oliver had complained about the possessed flickering tubelight  that attracted moths, but Jack always replied with a grunt. Sunlight has never poured into the Smiths' house to colour into faded, withering walls and the bleached tiles. Oliver winced at the disgusting sight of dead moths cluttered in a corner under the tubelight. He tries to be oblivious to the dead moths as he moves towards the ancient thrumming refrigerator. He drinks straight from the milk carton replicating his fathers habit. Jack hates it when Oliver contaminates any products in the house even if Jack does the same. Oliver halts to do a double take as the milk tastes like beer. He figures that Jack must've got to it before him. He stares at the mess he made, but shrugs it off and walks away eventually.

The house was eerily quiet on Sunday morning when it usually consisted of Jack's monstrous snores. Oliver climbs up to his room skeptical and was startled to find a note awaiting on his small desk.

Note: "Hey little Oliver! It's me; Big Oliver! I sent this note to myself as there is no one else who I trust. Call these people; Aquilla, Charlie and maybe Jamie. And tell them to trust no one but 'you'.

-Oliver

P.S- Get out of the house! All your suspicions are true!

Oliver rubs his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He wasn't.

"All my suspicions are true?" Oliver mutters to himself.

Oliver always visualized his society to be a creation of the sinister, as if the world he witnessed with his own eyes was designed particularly to match his anxiety. He believed the world was specifically aimed to strip him of any defences he might have left and expose him. Now he finally had hope that the people on the list were like him and he would finally find answer to complete his puzzle. What was written on the letter was true as the day was long, 'he trusted no one but himself,' that was his first rule in surviving in this horrendous world.

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Oliver immediately takes out the bag he had kept ready about 5 years ago when he dreamt about running away, but he always ended up thinking it over and convincing himself to stay. Now, he packed all of his clothes and essential items. He acquired all the numbers and sent a message to all those- probably brain dead people and continued down the stairs to escape. Until, he saw his dad with a hockey stick in his grasp.

"Dad?" Oliver cautiously approached the target, "what're you doing with the hockey stick?"

"Where are you going with that duffel bag son?"

"Oh! It's a old bag... I thought that I'd throw it out."

Oliver's dad gazes at his son with a distasteful expression on his face.

"Anything funny happen this morning son?" Jack's paces are like a panthers' as he moves slowly towards Oliver.

"I heard your team lost dad, sorry," he dead-panned not feeling sorry at all, "is that why you're carrying a hockey stick?"

"Don't change the topic Danielle."

"My name is Oliver."

"Whatever, it's a confusing name."

"You named me," Oliver reminds his father, his voice shaking in anger 

"I know," Jack responds slyly as a grin breaks into his face.

Oliver reels in his fury as he tries to evade bumping into his father on his way out.

Swing and a miss

Oliver ducks before the hockey stick could plant itself on the back of his head. He escapes into the kitchen with Jack in his toes.

They play a little game of merry-go-round the dining table yelling curses at each other before Jack spilt milk. Oliver makes a sign of victory and runs out the door and into the wild.

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With no plan at hand Oliver decides to take the bus and travel to the next city because he knows that his father would catch up with him. He disposes his phone at the nearest trash can as anybody could've tracked him down with the electronic device. Oliver was aware that it was a perilous plan to jump into the bus as the note clearly said, 'don't trust anyone,' and the bus was literally going to be jam packed with people, but he had no other plan.

The bus silently arrived at the stop as the doors opened mechanically. He climbs on to encounter passengers peculiarly seizing him up. Oliver, being smart attempts to copy their movements and acts as if he were under the reign of a mighty force too. He tries not to make any eye contact with any zombies on board as he settles into vacant seat near an old man who cranes his neck to openly spy on Oliver who was regretting his decisions. The bus moves on to the next stop.

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After climbing on board, Aquilla finally swivels around to look at the passengers as a sensation of fear pricks her skin. They were all analysing her moves. Her immediate reaction would've been leaping out of the bus, but it had already begin moving. Aquilla's blue eyes that reflected her agitation find a vacant seat in which she settles into. Her eyes frantically absorb the tense atmosphere before her eyes link with a boy roughly around her age with onyx eyes who was currently glaring daggers at her. She abruptly broke off the connection before she found herself  glancing back at him, He was still looking at her as if he would snap her neck, and very much enjoy doing it. She expects him to stop but instead he gets up, hauls his bag with him and sits next to her. He asks her a question she never anticipated, "I'm Oliver. Are you by any chance Aquilla?"