CORRUPT WITH SHADOW

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3

I sat up and checked the time on the wrist watch on my left hand.

"4:30pm!" I exclaimed to myself. I wiped the dried blood off my face from my nose and tried to stand up. My knees felt like they were collapsing in on themselves. I can't believe no one even bothered to pick me off the ground. I was leaning up against the wall and I looked around, the school was a ghost town.

"Suppose I better walk home." I sighed to myself, I felt so miserable. Not even Jess was around to even see if I was okay. As I limped very slowly out of the school grounds I started to ponder what happened back there. Those claws... My eyes... I shook it off and look toward the road ahead. I hated walking down the hill then up a steep curve. I bet mum isn't even home yet. I was up at my front door and I jabbed the key in and twisted it. Pushing the door open with a fist. I slumped my bag off my back and collapsed on the couch. There was a message on the home phone but I was too exhausted for now to reach out and hit the play button. I let out a large cry as I stretched and propelled myself off the couch and strolled into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed myself an apple and took a large chunk out of it. I was glad I didn't receive the fright of having different teeth like earlier this afternoon... I sat back onto the couch and reached over toward the phone so the voice message could play.

"Hey Spencer, I... I won' t be home tonight, there's food I've made for you in the microwave and you can invite a friend to stay the night if you like, I will see you in the morning, Goodbye!" That was my mum, it's always daunting when I'm home alone, hey... At least I wasn't with dad,  he's long gone. I limped up from the couch again and walked into my room to grab my phone. Better call Connor, he'd want to stay over. I punched in the number and rested my back against the wall with my legs out on the couch.

"Hello?" I muttered as someone picked up

"Hey man, what's happening?" Connor finally replied.

"Mum isn't gonna' be home again, you wanna' come round for tonight? By the way... What happened during English, where were you man?" There was a pause and Connor cleared his throat

"Yeah I'll be over in a sec... I-I'll tell you about that one later."

"Alrighty, see ya" I hung up and got changed out of my uniform and went into the shower. Burning hot just the way I liked it, while I thought about today. It kept playing back in my mind, I looked down at my hands as I turned the taps off to the shower. I hope that never happens again. I dried myself off and put my PJs on then I heard a knock on the door. I knew it was Connor; he'd always knock quickly twice then two slow knocks. I opened the door and Connor was standing there side on with blood coming down his face from his head and there was no usual car that belonged to his mum that would always drop him off.

"Yeah... You better come inside." I gritted my teeth. He walked in and burst into tears.

"Ah Christ... Not again." I gave Connor a bear hug and sat him down on the couch as I put the kettle on.

"What happened? Your dad again?”

"Yeah" He muttered.

"What happened during English...? That was your favourite subject." Connor started shaking as I poured boiling water into the cups that had tea bags in them. I could tell he was shaking by the tone of his voice. I came around the corner and put one on the coffee table in front of the couch Connor was sitting on.

"Got called home...Mum is really sick, dad blamed me..."

"Bloody hell" I couldn't say anything else, I felt so bad for him and there was nothing I could do to help him. I took a sip of my tea and placed it on the table.

"Another late night huh? Good thing it's just a Friday tomorrow."

"Yeah..." Connor smirked

"How's Astrid?" Connor said to break the ice he giggled softly at my reaction to even her name.

"Haha shut up you..." I sniggered back at Connor. I told him about what happened in English and my little supernatural episode and how it was such a nightmare.

"Jesus Christ..." Connor looked dumbfounded. He sipped his tea and tried not to shake. He was worried sick about his mum in hospital.

“Better set up for tonight then.” I got up and went into my room, and brought two mattresses into the longue room. Connor’s phone started to ring, he pulled a very distressed face as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it to his ear, his expressions kept changing, a smile, then a stern look then… Whoever it was hung up.

“That was Jess, she insisted on coming over, and she’s… bringing a friend of hers.” I laid out the mattresses and then brought out blankets.

“Did she say who her friend was?”

“Astrid.” I froze.

“Ah.” With that I bolted into the shower again to clean myselff up so I could look his best for the guests, mostly Astrid. Connor on the other hand burst into laughter then fired up the old PlayStation2 and played while I had half a panic attack in the shower. I finally came out and got dressed into my… Formal pyjamas. I bet Jess called Connor so I couldn’t insist on her not coming with Astrid, she's always inviting herself over. I texted her in my room

*Better not embarrass me  :P*

*Wouldn’t dream of it xD*

I got dressed and joined Connor on the PlayStation.

“Do you reckon it’ll...? Happen again?” I asked Connor out of the blue, he knew what I was talking about; I was worried still about what happened earlier today… Who were those guys I saw from the future?

“It might… No idea what it was, just relax for now” Connor replied, he was always the calm one in times like these, even when he was having problems of his own, he’d always try and keep his cool, for the sake of his friends. We played for a bit and chatted about what Connor missed today, he shared the same hatred I had for Declan so that was a topic which went well, another half an hour past till we heard a knock on the door.

“Oh dear…” I was already so nervous, I went into the kitchen to distract myself and to put tonight’s dinner in the oven, so I let Connor open the door.

“Hey!” That was jess’s voice… I heard a loud thud as propelled herself as hard as she could at Connor into a hug into the wall.

“Hey Connor” Astrid spoke, keeping her composure.

“Where’s Chrissy Bear?” Jess went into the kitchen while Connor made Astrid feel at home by showing her around

“Hey Jessica!” I turned around from what I was doing and embraced her

“So you just decided to show up eh?” I chuckled.

“You know me! I brought someone too…” Jess smiled cheekily.

“I noticed…” I nervously looked away. I went into the longue with Jess and Connor came back from down the hallway from Astrid.

“Just showing her your room… She might as well get used to it, well... The celing anyway."

"For fuck’s sake Connor…” I laughed it off. After a few death stares between Connor I and a few giggles between Jess and Astrid, we settled down pretty quick. We were watching movies and just playing the PlayStation… For we had no idea of what was to come, the quiet before the storm. These were some of the last moments of peace, the plot was about to thicken.