Eccedentesiast (Brandon Darrow)

#Empty

[#Empty]
Be careful who you trust. The devil was once an angel.
–Unknown
*****

    When we got to the train station Trevor was already waiting for us. I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around him. "Jesus Aspen," Trevor said stumbling back.
    "I'm sorry, I just, I want you to know you're the best pseudo-sibling anyone could ask for," I said letting go. He grinned before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
    "Long story," Brandon said as him and Rowan walked up to us.
    "Right well lets go I don't want to see anymore of those freaks," Trevor said referring to the empties him and Brandon had seen the last time they were here. The boys walked ahead of me and I hung back with Rowan.
    "So you and Brandon?" Rowan asked with a grin.
    "He's different, I don't know, I love him Rowan and I don't want anything to happen to him," I tried to explain.
   "I've never seen him act the way he does around you, he really loves you too," Rowan said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder.
    "Thanks," I said smiling. I needed to hear that he cared about me just as much as I did him.
    "Hey you two chatter boxes hurry up," Brandon yelled back to us already at the locker.
    "We're coming," I laughed as we got there. "Six digits, let's try it." Brandon bent down at the lock and I read off the code.
    "Nope," he said and I almost screamed in frustration.
    "Try it backwards," Rowan suggested. He put in the code but it still didn't open.
    "Wait Aspen, remember that thing you showed me. Dunbar lives written in blood, pull that up," I pulled my phone out and clicked the photo before handing it to Trevor. "It's the same style, maybe Dunbar is our key, six letters, six numbers."
    "That's my little genius. Try it," I said and he rolled his eyes.
     He started to type on his phone mumbling to himself, "Okay so if Brandu is our key, the combination should be, 346131." Brandon put in the code and it beeped and we all cheered.
    "Nice trev," Brandon said grinning. He opened the locker and sitting in it was a VHS tape.
    "Great, are you serious?" Trevor asked with an edge in his voice.
    "What the hell is that?" Rowan asked angrily.
    "I think the better question is who has a VCR?" Brandon said grabbing the tape.
    "We'll figure it out later, lets just get the hell out of here," I said and everybody nodded in agreement. We dropped Rowan off before we made our way back home ourselves. When we got there we had tried to watch the video but I couldn't quite focus so I went to the kitchen. I sat at the table with my head in my hands trying to figure everything out.
    Brandon walked into the kitchen shirtless and I raised an eyebrow. Hey I wasn't complaining it was just odd. I stood up as Brandon stood by the counter. "Hey how are you feeling?" I asked.
    "You mean now that I'm not a popsicle? Better," he answered and I rolled my eyes and grinned.
   "Did you watch the VHS tape?" I asked.
    "Tried to but Trevor and I got in a argument," he answered.
    "What why?" I asked and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
    "It's nothing we're good now, I was just gonna grab him some beers, ween him off the hard stuff," Brandon said and I opened the fridge and grabbed him two beers.
    "And your shirt is off because?" I asked handing them to him.
    "Because I'm hot," Brandon said placing the beers on the table. I leaned against the counter in front of him.
    "Really?" I asked but couldn't help but grin.
   "Seriously, I think I might have a fever. Feel my forehead," he said leaning forward just a little.
    "Are you five?" I asked.
     "Feel it," he said moving in just a little further and taking my hand. He brought it up to his forehead.
   "You'll live," I answered pulling my hand away as he placed his hands on my waist. "Are you really leaving for the army?" I asked out of the blue. I didn't want him to go. I placed my hands on his shoulder and he pulled me against him.
    He whispered in my ear, "I don't want to, I'm not sure I have a choice though."
    "You always have a choice Brandon," I said looking into his eyes. He leaned down and kissed me. His lips were rough against mine and he slid his tongue into my mouth. I moaned slightly and he smirked against my lips. I pulled away and grinned.
    "I have to go," I said moving ever so slightly away from him. He grabbed my hand and I stopped.
    "What would happen if you didn't?" Brandon asked.
    "You know exactly what would happen. I just can't right now Brandon, I love you but there's to much going on," I said.
    "I love you too, it okay Aspen," he said letting go before taking the beers upstairs. I groaned before leaving the house and going to Stingers. Elisia said she was going to be there so I figured I would actually talk to her. When I got to Stingers I heard a commotion and screaming.
    "Elisia?!" I yelled rushing up the stairs. When I got up the stairs I saw Stinger wearing a empties mask.
    "Aspen help!" She called and stinger turned around and I looked around quickly. He let go of Elisia and rushed toward me, knife held high. I grabbed a bowl on a chest and hit it against his head. I was to late though and his knife sliced into the sleeve and cut my arm. I yelled in pain and held my arm backing away. I moved around Stinger and shielded Elisia from his view as he turned to look at me.
    "You're gonna be okay," I said to Elisia but my eyes never left Stingers. He rushed toward us again but the sound of a gun stopped him as he fell to the ground. Standing behind him was Rowan. She threw the gun down and rushed toward us.
    "You guys okay?" She asked wrapping us in a hug.
    "I'm cut but I'll be fine," I said as she pulled back.
    "Yeah I'm just a little scared," Elisia answered wrapping her arms around herself. We heard police sirens and fled Stingers place. We hid behind a wall and watched the police. Elisia called Ash and I held my wound.
    "So you met the real Stinger?" Elisia asked as she hung up the phone.
    "Yeah Brie's friend, he was never Stinger," Rowan said and I shivered. Just then Elisia's cousin pulled up and we all walked to him. "Did they tell you anything?"
    "I know a guy down at the station. He told me what he could. That guys name is Lance broadly. He'll be taken to the hospital and questioned," Jake told us.
    "How long could they keep him?" Rowan asked.
    "Well, they're bagging his hard drive, if he really is the elusive Mr. Empty there's a long list of felonies they can charge him with. I told them they have to find a way to lock him up. Even if that's means they have to keep digging," Jake said.
    "How deep are they going to dig?" Elisia asked.
    "Well shouldn't they dig until they get to the bottom of it?" Jake frowned.
    "Not if it leads back to ash," Elisia answered.
    "Is it connected to ash?" Jake asked. Nobody answered and he sighed. "You guys go to my place and wait for me there okay," Jake said and we nodded.

—•—•—