3 Chapter Two

A car pulls up to the curb and Dan came out. "Get in, both of you." Still unsure since this was Dan, the one man who seems to be after my head. I got in the back seat nonetheless. Anna smiled, as she knew her father was going to cave in sooner or later.

The drive, wherever we were going, was quiet. I enjoyed the silent ride, it made it a bit more enjoyable as I watched streets pass by I haven't even been on. I watched as people and stores passed by. I knew the city was big but I felt as though I knew nothing in all the years I've been alive.

Every so often I felt eyes staring at me, I thought it was Anna looking at me but I could just have imagined it.

Dan parks the car in the parking lot of a hospital. Anna got out, looking directly at me, "Stay here. I'll be right back." She closed the door and darted into the building.

Doesn't she know that was a bad idea? To leave me here with him... I thought. Dan glanced at the building then in the mirror at me. The silence lasted five minutes when Dan finally spoke, "Boy. You best keep away from my daughter. She don't need folks like you poisoning her," His voice got lower and sounded more sinister than human. "I still don't believe a word you say. Ghost, rouge, whatever you call it, there's got to be a file or people who know who you are," He paused to take a breath. "One way or another, I will find out. And if you lied about anything, you will not live to see another day."

I cringed at the thought. I don't lie or even the thought of lying. The door next to me flies open, Ana pulls me out, glares at her dad and pushes me inside. "Mom, this is the boy I was talking about."

I know her but from where exactly? I silently pondered my ever growing thought.

Mrs. McCain looked at me, her eyes grew wide with surprise and then became gentle. She walked around me, examining me from all sides. "Well, he certainly thin for his height, but healthy overall." She lifted my right arm, feeling the muscles. "Squeeze my hand for me." She held my hand as I gripped as hard as I could. "Good grip. Now let's try the left." Before she could move my arm, I held it close to me, refusing to move it anymore.

"Hmmm...that is troubling. Come with me."

Anna followed after her mother, with myself in tow. "Come on, I'm sure my mom can help." She smiled brightly, like the sun on a gloomy day.

We followed her to the MRI room. "I need you to lay right here and stay still." I did as asked, wondering why I even decided to tag along. "Don't talk much, huh?"

I didn't even answer that little sarcastic remark. She and Anna walked away as the scan took photos.

"Just as I feared,"

"What? What's wrong, mom?"

"I won't be able to help, I'm afraid."

Anna tilted her head in confusion. "Why not? You said you could,"

"That I did. However, as you can see here," She circled around the joint and the tissue area, "he will need a surgery to fix the damage his shoulder has taken," Her mom said. Anna turned her head in horror. "His shoulder has been dislocated as shown here, thus causing the soft tissues to be damage severely."

Though they were in a different room, I can clearly understand what was being said, without hearing it. I've gotten to used to my arm being injured or the pain when I move it the wrong way. I just ignored seriousness it truly had taken.

"Do you have a name?" Mrs. McCain asked as she walked up to me.

"Nolen, ma'am." I said, refusing to make eye contact.

"So you do speak." She joked. "Mind telling me how your arm got this way?" I shook my head, refusing to let that memory, well memories to be precise, come into mind.

"Alright, I won't force you to tell me." She spoke her words kindly.

I gave a faint smile but only have it fall to a frown when the ugly memory came through my eyes. I gripped my sleeve tightly, shaking.

#

March 13, 9:00 pm

I laid in the old couch, trying to sleep when footsteps came thundering to the room I was in. "Nole! I need your help!" A voice shouted, breaking the long silence I wished for. Anita Jones, is an average tall and well-built female with ocean colored eyes. She has long wavy auburn hair that seemed to shine even at night. She had a slight hourglass shape on her as well as other curves to make her a bit skinny for her age. But today, everything was different.

She didn't look like her normal self. Normal self being, bubbly, smiling and with a glow on her face. All I saw was a frown and bruises. "What's wrong?" I asked.

Anita told me everything about the notorious gang, the Royal Bloods, and their plan to start a war. "Wait. Nole, are you eating well?" Anita asked, changing the subject. I frowned at her, knowing perfectly well I hate talking about myself. I'm just a man in his early 20's with blueish-grey eyes that seem to lose all light and short black dull hair.

"Your skin is becoming more pale, which doesn't suit you and you've been losing weight. If you keep this up, you end up worse than a twig." Anita continued to talk.

"Anita, you should know I am a ghost," I began. "I have nothing to my name." I paused for a breath, trying to get back to the original subject. "Now what about the war?"

Before Anita could speak, more thundering footsteps rushed into the room. "Nolen!" This is Claude Victor. "Anita?"

Anita looked shocked to see him as well. Claude is taller than me but shorter than Anita by an inch. His had a messy ginger colored style for his almost rounded face and brown eyes. There isn't really a difference from his appearance and my own, besides the fact he is able to eat better than I and his skin is a brighter peach.

Long after words were thrown and silence came back, the most un-expecting thing happened. A loud blast struck the wall of the building we stood in. I glance over to Anita and Claude, which what extremely difficult due to the dust in the air, unable to see beyond the nose in front of me. The silence echoed as my ears rang a long beep. My head spun as I tried to gaze at the surroundings.

Everything was gone. There was no trace of a room anymore. The dust finally settled after ten minutes. I tried to move, but soon found my leg and arm were pinned to the ground. I saw Anita trying to free my leg. We both looked up at what remained of the ceiling above crumble. I hid my face, eyes shut tight. Pieces fell beside me but felt nothing. I gaze up to a horrid site. "Anita!" I cried. She smiled as she collapsed beside me. A tiny pool of crimson stained the white cement floor, even though her smile faded. I found the strength to push the remaining debris off and lifted her in my arms. Nothing. She passed away before I could tell her how I felt. I gently laid her down and rush to Claude.

He was in worse shape than Anita was, I didn't dare say it. It seemed he protect her from the worse of the blast, as he was already gone, now I was left truly alone. Voices were faint outside. I couldn't stay here, I also couldn't leave Claude and Anita. I gave a quick prayer to them both, wishing they were alive still. Climbing out of the crumbing building was a challenge, my leg was partly bleeding from the gash it got, every part of me ached as I hobbled out.

By the time I reached the streets, everything was a blaze. The sky was burning, clawing with agony. Screams of innocent lives calling for help or suffering in pain. The streets were filled with men fighting with men, hungry for power or hungered for justice. My heart was racing; I couldn't bare the sight any longer nor could I breathe. I reached the dense forest near the city. From there, I saw everything. From the flashing lights of cop cars and fire trucks, to the burning buildings, nothing will ever be the same after this day. The day that will live in infamy.

#

"Nolen? Are you feeling alright?" Anna asked, breaking my link with my memory.

"Yea, I'm fine," I said. "Could I go now? I don't want to stay out any longer."

Anna looked at her mother and both said, "How come?" They both laughed as they were perfectly in sync with one another.

"It's..." Should I tell them? I didn't want to get them involved with my problems but seeing as how if I lied, Anna would know automatically. "There's a man out for my head, that's all."

"Hold up! A man's out to get you?" Justine spoke, almost shouting.

"Shh, he has many followers. One might overhear you." I said, covering her mouth in case she protested.

"What's the man's name?" Mrs. McCain asked softly.

"Glen Rivers." I told her. A shadow quickly passed by the doorway, which made me think it was just another doctor or a visitor.

"Why?" She spoke a bit softer.

"Because he believes I killed his girlfriend,"

"Did you?" Anna whispered as she stepped closer to me.

"Of course not. She was one of the two friends I had growing up." I hadn't realized how much time passed me by as the pain of her loss as I clenched my shirt. The pain in my heart was unbearable just remembering her sacrifice.

Anna didn't hesitate to pull me into her hug. "It's alright. I'm sorry you had to remember that terrible time. Does your other friend know the truth?"

I kept silent as tears built up. I didn't know how to respond that he was gone from my life. My voice was muffled, but I just couldn't stop the tears. Anna hadn't let go, feeling the energy around me; she knew the truth without a word spoken. Even if it lasted a few minutes, it felt longer. "S-sorry." I said, taking a step back. I felt like such an idiot for crying this badly and in front of a girl with her mother. God, how embarrassing. I thought softly.

Anna shook her head from my apology. "You don't need to be sorry. I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't realize how long you suffered for,"

"Besides you needed to let the emotions out before they ate you alive." Mrs. McCain finished.

I smiled at them both. "Thank you," I looked down at my feet and frowned. "Today marks a year since I lost them." I still couldn't understand the entire ordeal and the gang which burnt nearly half the city to the ground. Nothing good came of it, just burned buildings and lost lives.

"Do you want to visit them?" She placed her hand on my right shoulder, her eyes pleading for me to answer. Those eyes of hers, that crystal aqua color, made it hard not to say no.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." I smiled. The feeling her eyes gave off were both calming and hope for a brighter day.

Anna jumped with glee as she grabbed my right arm, dragging me out of the building. "Alright, let's go!" I managed to wave goodbye to Mrs. McCain before we both vanished from the doorway.

Trisha stood in the room with nothing but a grin on her face. "Such an energetic child." She told herself. "I'm glad you've recovered well, Nolen. It was wonderful to see you again. Faith, my dear friend, you sure raised him well."