Chapter 2

"Wait, I'm not crazy! It's not safe!" Alex pleads as I limp as fast as I can.

"I'm going home Alex, I insist that you go see a doctor," I adjust my bag and start searching for a bus stop.

I feel the warmth from Alex's hand clutch onto mine, my heart starts fluttering. I don't think I've ever seen him hold hands with anyone.

"Please, I promise this is all real, and now that he's seen you he can come after you too," He asserted, squeezing my hand, "Please let me keep you safe."

"What do you care?" I mutter, "You've never spoken to me before, you don't know anything about me!"

He looks hurt, as if I've said something to offend him. He lets go of my hand and looks down at his feet.

"That's not true Jules," I can barely hear him but it still catches me off guard, "You and I have had classes together since seventh grade, and you're kind of hard not to notice. I saw your work at school, the paintings that is."

I can't help but blush, and looking at him, he does seem scared and concerned. Maybe he's not crazy, that man did seem odd, he acted like an animal, his eyes glowed; how else could that be possible?

"What do you propose we do? If what you're saying is true, how can we escape?" I question, given the fact that this man is supposedly the devil he doesn't seem easy to escape.

Alex looks at me with a soft smile, he gently pulls me back to the bike and continues to look at my ankle which has now become swollen and burns.

"He's not as powerful as everyone thinks, he can only do so much. Does this hurt?" he gently presses my ankle causing me to wince.

"Ow! Yes, stop that!" I holler, he removes his hand and apologizes, "What do you mean 'he can only do so much'?" I inquire quietly, the last thing I want to do is sound stupid in front of him.

He smirks at me as he rises. Now towering over me, he offers me his hand and helps me to my feet, "Let's get out of here first, with the rain stopping it'll be easier to drive. We need to get dried off and your ankle wrapped up. I promise after that I'll explain everything."

He mounts the bike where I had been perched and revs the engine, he takes a quick glance back at me before smirking and telling me to get on. I stay silent as I cling to him, feeling the fabric of his shirt clutched in my fingers. As my hair whips against the wind, and my stomach clenches at the speed I begin to wonder; why would Alex ever get in a situation like this? Will I ever get to go back to my life safely? What's going to happen now?

I don't even realize we're back in our neighborhood until Alex turns of his bike and nudges me, "Hey, we've got to be quick. Are you alright?"

I look up and nod, "Where are we?"

"My house, we'll stop by yours next," he gets off the bike and pulls me forward on the seat, "If anything happens, you start up this bike and you get the hell out of here, do you understand?"

I feel my jaw drop in disbelief, is he serious, "I don't know how to drive a motorcycle!"

He smiles sweetly and puts my hands on the handles, "This is the clutch, hold it and press that lever by your foot, when you're ready to drive release the clutch and twist this part of the handle, and do not stop," he takes his hands off of mine very slowly. Then he disappears inside the house.

Tick tock, tick tock. Twenty minutes go by as I wait, I fidget and test the motorcycle, nearly sending myself flying. I want to know the plan, I want to understand. I want answers! Yet, here I sit, 17 years old, don't have a license, sitting on a motorcycle that isn't mine, in front of a house that isn't mine, running from someone I didn't even think existed. That'll make an interesting college admittance essay.

I jump as I hear a door close, glancing up I see Alex with a backpack, a duffel bag, and that same briefcase as he rushes towards me. He straps the duffel bag and briefcase onto a secure hook on the back of his bike and hands the backpack to me.

"Where's your house?" I look into my lap, blushing and embarrassed, "Jules?"

"I live by Hamilton Park," I mumble under my breath, "I live in that crappy little run down house on the corner."

He stares for a second, "That's your house?"

I look at him and then glance back at his house; no one in my town has it great but most are living comfortably. Like Alex, most live in a nice house with working lights and intact roofs, most of my classmates don't work because they don't need to help pay rent or bills. Only my friend Jen has seen my house, and even that is rare.

I can't look at Alex, he climbs onto the bike and we drive in silence. He tells me when we get back into Englewood and I get ready to dart into my house and get back out as fast as I can. I tell him when to turn and in no time I see the familiar door to my house. Thankfully my mom isn't home for another hour, I can't face her right now.

I get up to run inside but Alex stops me, "Grab everything you need, your clothes, food, bath stuff, everything," I let my confusion and fear shine through, he sighs and takes my hand, "I'm sorry to do this to you, but I said I'd protect you and to do that you have to trust me."

I pull my hand back and walk inside. I hurry to write a letter to my mom telling her I'm sorry and I'll try to come home soon and send money when I can. I fight the tears as best as I can but I don't do very well; shoving my clothes into the largest bag I can find makes it feel even more real and I start crying. I shove everything in, my journal, wallet, clothes, makeup, pads, bath stuff, iPod charger, even a couple of books, sketch pads, and art supplies. I fall to the floor, dragging myself against my living room wall and try to calm down. I tell myself I won't let Alex see me cry, I tell myself to get it together. I take a few deep breaths, force myself to stand as I throw my duffel bag and shoulder bag across my chest.

I step back outside and see Alex waiting on the bike, as I draw closer He gets up and gently hugs me. He slowly takes my duffel bag and hooks it on with his. I take his backpack and throw it over my shoulder bag, not saying a word. I can't speak, if I do I know I'll cry and I don't want to break down.

"Hey!" he calls out over the roaring engine, "Are you sure you're alright?"

I nod and look around, I don't recognize anything. It hits me that I don't know how long we've been driving, and I'm starting to get hungry.

As we pull up to a red light I gently nudge Alex's shoulder, he glances back to me, "Where are we?" I inquire.

"We're near Joliet," He elaborates, "We're heading to Springfield, then hopping on a train out of the state."

"What?" I holler, "Are you crazy? What about school? Our families? Isn't Springfield in Missouri?"

"There's two Springfield's, and trust me Jules, I don't want to leave either, but here we're vulnerable," He looks heartbroken, his mouth strained thin and eyes sagging.

I place my hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Alex."

"It isn't your fault, I caused this," he tries to give a reassuring smile but I can tell it's fake.

The light turns green and we get moving again. I feel bad for how I questioned Alex, he wouldn't do this if he didn't think we had to.

He glances back at me, and with a small smirk he speeds up and pops up his front wheel. I let out a squeal as I tighten my grip around Alex. Almost three in the morning, the roads are empty, and we're just zipping by everything. After my body adjusts to the speed I relax and enjoy the thrill.

Feeling the corners of my mouth turn up I can't help but burst into laughter, to the point of tears. It's oddly freeing, just speeding by on the open road. For once I didn't have to think about grades, or work, or helping my mom pay for everything, or how I would pay for college. I didn't even think about the fact that we were on the run from the devil. In that moment the only thing I cared about was the feeling of the wind against me and the world ahead of me, waiting to be seen.