Chapter: The Hunt

The classes before lunchtime passed like a blur as my attention was barely focused on the teachings, but more on the mortifying dream I had at dawn. Putting all the pieces I had together, on the events that took place two days ago, I came to the conclusion that I was actually at the venue of that assembly. And I actually fought off those people in the woods, and now with the dream, it made sense to assume that they would be after me seeing as I actually trespassed on their premises and interrupted their assembly. So the big question remained, what do I do next?

I was still pondering with my thoughts when Amy slid into the chair opposite mine with her tray and a look that said we need to talk. There was silence for a moment like we were both trying to get a read on each other. With a mild smile and one look around the canteen, she rested her gaze at me.

“Hi Bruce, sorry to interrupt your solitary lunch, but we need to talk.”

As at this point, it was a choice to either play dumb or cut straight to the chase. Playing dumb would just be me refusing to believe the gravity and reality of the things bugging my mind and on the other side, being in the dark about all this, with no answers was becoming too much a burden to bear.

“You are right, Amy we do need to talk, but while don’t you take the lead.”

She pushed her tray aside, drawing close to me, “where were you at about 6pm two days ago?”

“I don’t know,” the answer came out of me like it was a script I had rehearsed for. She rubbed her hands around her temple for a moment and dropped them in frustration. “Look Bruce I need you to answer honestly because if I'm correct you might be in danger.”

“In danger of what or from who?”

“I can’t tell you that right away until I'm sure that you are actually the one in danger.”

“Interesting, but here is the thing, I can’t tell you what I don’t know or understand, especially when I don’t know if I can trust you.”

I could see the frustration creeping up her face now she scanned the canteen once more and reached to hold my hands. The frustrations disappeared but the seriousness her face held hadn’t wavered. “I’m the girl you saw jump across the alley.”

“What! Sorry could you say that again.” I could hear my heart pound heavily against its rib cage with a loud throb, echoing in my head. She held my hands tighter than she previously did, “The other day in class you said you saw a girl jump across an alley and walk through a wall…well that girl is me.”

“I didn’t see that coming, I knew you were not just a regular teenage girl, though I wasn’t totally sure, but this, this I didn’t see this coming.”

She let out a warm smile now, “Bruce, I want you to know that you can trust me, if my guess is correct, sometime not too long ago, you had a near death experience, something that should have killed you, but rather you recovered instantly and haven’t felt the same ever since.”

“I say you guess hits the mark,” this all seemed true, but could I still really trust her. As if sensing my doubts, she drew my hands together with hers and in an instant our hands went through the solid table and after a moment, she drew our hands out and smiled as she watched me examine my hands and the table, which was currently 100 percent solid. She waited a moment then joined her hands to mine again, “I only want to help you and also keep you safe if it comes to that, but you have to trust me and let me in.”

“I trust you,” I saw the smile form on her face now and I knew deep down that it was genuine.

“Can you tell me what happened two days at sunset,” her voice was gentle and relaxed now.

“I can’t say it in any way that makes sense.”

“It’s alright Bruce just say it as you remember it.”

By the time I finished telling her about the events of that day starting with me watching them enter a portal, to the sonic blast on my way home and by body possession experience, she sank back to the chair and took a sip of coke from the neglected tray she brought to my table.

She was about to say something when the bell rang and students began to gradually leave the canteen.

She turned to me with a look of urgency now, “Bruce, listen to me carefully, there’s so much more we need to talk about but we can’t talk about it here. An assembly of people like us was interrupted by an unidentified individual whose description matches yours. And from what you just told me, I’d say you are the unidentified individual and with the assault on the guards you have been made a person of interest and as at early this morning a hunt for you was issued. You are to be brought in for questioning.”

“Amy I don’t like the sound of that, I’m not a criminal, I just want a normal life.” I could feel the fear slowly creeping in now, the horrible things that a waits when I get caught.

Holding my hands closely now, she looked around and noted that the canteen was almost empty.

“Bruce, the truth is your shot at a normal life ended when you almost died. Now listen closely, I'm going to try to get you out of this, but you need to do as I say. As we speak, they are doing a sweep around the city for you, and said sweep will intensify between 3pm to 6pm when schools will be over for the day and kids will be on their way home. If you don’t want to get caught, meet me after school at the park and I will take you to a place where you can lay low and after the duration of the hunt for you is over, I’ll come up with a plan to clear your name. Being said, we still need to talk at length, there’s a lot you need to know about who we are, is that okay with you?”

We both rose in sync, she kept her eyes on me while I slowly processed my current situation.

“I’ll meet you after school and we can lay low at your place, I have questions that need answering.”

“I bet you do,” with a soft smile she hurried out of the canteen.

The sound of the bell had me almost racing to the door if not for the need to be discreet. I had to meet up with Amy at the park now, or I risk being captured and taking in for questioning.

“Why the hurry Bruce, is there a place you need to be?” Morgan’s voice had my heart racing. As much as I enjoyed our conversations in between the classes all day, I wasn’t eager to have one now. “Yeah I have to…” her phone rang out before I could respond in what was obviously going to be a lie. “Hold on a minute Bruce,” she answered the call and turned around to listen to the caller. Without hesitation I raced for the door, the hallway was jammed, so it didn’t matter to anyone that I was racing like a lunatic.

The parking lot was filled with kids chatting, kissing and playing music, but I blocked all that out, trying to pinpoint Amy’s location, an orange Audi blocked my path and the front passenger door opened. When looked at the driver’s seat, Amy was at the wheel, “Get in, we don’t have much time.” Without waiting for another invitation, I got in.

“Seat belt on,” was all she said before stepping on the gas.