To Live Forever

Chapter 14

Jason sighed, staring at a group of children playing.

He had his hoodie down low, with the zip open over his white shirt. He had come to a park, just for a while, to sit in silence for some time, away from gangs and killings.

He shifted, adjusting his earphones and blasted off some slow music, which made him relax a little as he looked ahead, squinting his eyes as he was hit in the face by the sunshine.

He felt the warmness seep into his thin shirt and closed his eyes, marvelling in the sound of birds chirping and kids shouting and laughing playfully.

He opened his eyes as he felt something hit his feet.

A football.

He looked up to see a small boy, maybe four years old. He had dark hair, almost black and deep grey eyes, which looked too mature to belong to someone as young as him.

"Um. Hey, mister." The boy had a lisp when he spoke and Jason couldn't help but smile a little.

He scuffled on his feet awkwardly as Jason held up the ball, but as he went to take it, Jason shook his head, smirking and held the ball away from him.

The boy pursed his lips, "What's your name?" Jason asked gently.

"Adam." The boy said, and held out his hands and Jason shook his head again, "Where are your parents?"

The boy frowned, as if confused, "Mommy and daddy?" Jason clarified.

The boy blinked and pointed at the group of kids playing on the swings. Jason noticed that there was a stern woman standing close to them, and Jason frowned as he read the writing on the woman's jacket.

St. Paul's Home for Orphans.

"Oh." Jason looked at the boy, who smiled.

"Well, tell you what, Adam. I'm like you too." Jason smiled, and the boy grinned as well, showing two broken teeth and dimples.

"You look like my friend, Logan." Jason laughed and then hummed,

"Hey, what do you say on having some ice-cream with me?" He pointed towards a stall and Adam nodded happily.

The woman looked at Jason's direction and frowned.

Jason pointed at his watch, then held up two fingers and then pointed at the ice-cream stall.

The woman slowly nodded.

"Well, seems like she's not as evil as she looks." Jason said, holding the boy's hand and the small boy laughed,jumping happily,

"She's nice." He lisped.

Jason spent an hour with the boy who didn't want to let go of the older at all.

Finally, when night threatened to fall, Jason left the boy at the hands of the woman.

As he walked away from the boy, Jason looked back.

In the darkness, the boy reminded Jason of his own childhood, alone yet happy.

He walked back towards the car he had borrowed from Max and drove back home, smiling as he thought of his new friend.

***

Jason did not know what he would've been greeted by when he reached the warehouse, but it was definitely not this.

"They're back. The traffickers. Almost ten girls were kidnapped from New York city in the past fifteen hours. Ten from Chicago." Logan cursed and glared at his iPhone which sat innocently on his huge hand.