Midnight Grey

Chapter 21 Strange Feelings

I'm running. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going, but I grasp I need to get to the destination fast, to stop something.

The path is getting clearer as I run deeper past the trees. I'm in Shadeland Park and I'm heading towards the place where Kyle died. I start to think I'm reliving his death again but something is different. The trees are all fresh and appear to be nothing like the ones in the fall and I have an intuition I'm not heading toward Kyle. I'm running to someone else.

Then it hits me. The person is Austin. I don't want to lose him. He's the one I'm wanting to save.

I get through the clearing to the path and Austin's there. Though, he doesn't look at me. His gaze is directed toward the man pointing a gun at him, a guy whose eyes are blacker than coal and has dark hair to match.

I scream, though it doesn't stop the man from shooting him point blank in the chest. The small cannon blazes into him and shoves him flat on his back. I dash to him as the shooter takes off running. Austin isn't able to say any last words to me. He's just dead in the split second.

Later in the day my stomach still aches from the dream. I open the door and as my eyes fall on Austin, the jolt I receive is like I was hit with an arrow.

Austin is standing on a lab table taking out the batteries to the fire alarm, but that isn't why I surge towards him.

"What happened to your face?!?" I say as I get to the table. A large bruise covers his cheek almost like he was hit with a horse hoof. When I get in front of him, I spot where his lip was split open.

He doesn't answer me. He gives me a short glance and turns away as if ashamed. His eyes fall on the batteries as he tosses them up and catches them. "I came up with an idea for the group I thought would go well with the session today."

"Austin," I make my tone more solid, firmer. "What happened to your face?"

He sighs and jumps down. He stares right at me and I get an even closer glance of his bruises. "I'm fine."

He turns and starts to walk away, "Austin?" I grab his arm. "Did you get into a fight?"

He pulls his arm back with another sigh, "It's nothing," his voice is low.

"But you might get your probation messed up!" My voice startles me. I'm afraid of the possibility of him going to jail. My being seems shifted, morphed.

He turns around his eyes wide as if in awe. He notices the change too. His expression is soft like he's looking at me different. Someone he cares for as well. "Don't worry. This won't mess anything up with my probation I promise."

A warmth forms as if a camp fire's flame is flickering inside me. His expression is full of such sincerity which automatically relaxes me. This is a person who has messed up worse than anyone would ever imagine, and he never wants to do that again. He never wants to let people down he cares about again and one of those people I get the inkling is me.

A smile glows on my face. "So, what's this idea?"

"So are we goin' ta put da school on fire? I mean ya know lightin' dese will at least set da fire distinguishers awf right?" Joey asks eyeing the candle in his hand.

"No," Austin grins. "I took the batteries out."

"Ey, wat happened to ya face?"