are you afraid of the dark?

7. screams

I don't know why we decided it was a good idea to go out for a walk around the streets of the city so late at night, but I suppose there was no going back now.

I felt almost protective of him as we walked the almost empty streets. Even though there was practically no one there, I felt I wanted to hold him close- or at least hold his hand. Though, I did neither of such things.

"Where are we gonna go, Buck?" he asked me.

"Well, where do you wanna go?" I replied.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Though, I don't mind just walking around."

"Yea, that's what I was thinking too," I chuckled.

We continued on for blocks and blocks - countlessly, truly - until it seemed to get even darker and, somehow, foreboding. I felt Steve at my side, with this change in ambience, begin to quiver with uneasiness. Upon looking at him, he was almost visibly twitchy and looking around out of caution.

"Are you okay?" I wondered, stopping him and placing my hand on his shoulder.

"I- It's just a little scary out here this late at night," he admitted. "I know there's nothing to be afraid of, but it feels like the streetlights have become fewer and farther between."

"No, I think they actually have become fewer and farther between," I agreed. "We can go back if you want."

"Maybe that's best," he said. "I just- I wanna be safe."

"No, I understand. I-" I stopped. "Steve, c'mere," I dragged him into an alleyway as quickly as I could.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I pushed him against the brick walls deep within the alley. "Shh," I ordered, my hand over his mouth.

"Mmm," his eyes looked incredibly concerned as he tried to talk through my hand.

I brought my lips to his ear. "I thought I saw some people walking at us and I didn't want you to get scared... I'm gonna remove my hand from your face now, just don't be loud."

I moved my hand and he looked angry. "Are you out of your damn mind? You scared me more this way than if I would've been if I'd seen them myself!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I said with little regret. "We should wait for them to pass, though; they'll think we're sketchy if they see us coming out of this alley."

"Fine, we'll wait," he looked at me trying to be angry.

"You're like a chihuahua," I snickered.

"What?"

"You're just cute when you're angry, I mean," I smiled. He started to blush and looked down. I brought my finger to his chin and lifted his head. "You know I mean that in the best way possible, don't you?"

His eyes met mine, and then his lips brushed against mine, too. He didn't even bother answering me, but, instead, grabbed my neck and pulled me into him. I kissed back, obviously, and pushed my body against his as he leaned against the cool bricks.

I grabbed at his waist and brought our bodies together. I figured, if he started it this time, there's no doubt at all that he wants to kiss me just the same as I want to kiss him.

My tongue delved into his mouth and started to play with his. I wanted to keep on, I wanted to bite on him and drag it out and make him want me like I truly want him- his body on mine and mine on his wearing nothing at all and in this, somehow, unimaginably carnal way.

But, as much as I wanted to, I pulled away anyway.

He looked up at me with dreary eyes like he'd never have asked me to stop if given the option. He wanted my lips back on his and, right now, I just couldn't risk getting carried away like I knew I almost certainly would.

"I- it's probably safe to, uh, you know-"

"Yea, to head home," he filled in my sentence. "Let's go, then."

We headed out of the alley, but I saw the very same people standing in the very same place as they were before.

"Uh, Steve..." I nudged him and he looked.

"Is th- that them, uh, st- still?"

I nodded. "Mhmm, yea," I grabbed his arm. "Why the Hell aren't they moving? We need to get going, Steve, now."

We turned around and started walking home, though, almost within the same second, I heard a blood-curdling scream from behind us. I stopped and looked at him and he did the same. He'd heard it too... and, that means, we better scram.

We both started running as fast as we could blocks and blocks home- all we had to do was walk through those damn doors and we never had to leave again and it would all be gone.

But, the screams continued as loud as ever, even as we ran like the devil.

We reached home in about fifteen minutes, the screams haunting us only until a block or two before our places.

Running through the door and slamming it behind us, Sarah turned around and came over, concerned.

"Are you boys alright?" She kneeled before us as we sat at the base of the door.

"We are now," I spoke for Steve, who was having a hard time breathing with his asthma. "Something strange just happened and I don't know how to explain it."

"Hmm, what happened?" she wondered.

"There were people standing in the crosswalk a distance away form us and they stayed there for maybe fifteen minutes without even moving," I started. "Then, they screamed and we could hear them all the way home."

"Oh, goodness, James," she laughed. "It has to have been by the haunted house- the show they put on for the kids each year happens right around this time each year. You must have been on Remson Street, over by Grace Church, darling."

"Oh, God, we were scared to Hell," I commented. "Thank you," I laughed and so did Steve.

She nodded and walked back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up the dishes.

I didn't wanna say anything to Steve about it anymore after Sarah told me that whole haunted house thing... but, we weren't on Remsen Street. We were on Clinton Avenue- you know, as in, 136 Clinton Avenue... like, the house I was telling Steve about a few days ago that's actually haunted. Uhm... yea.