Echoes of Alex

The weather was starting to change from the height of the uncomfortable heat of summer to the chill of autumn; the leaves turning various colors all the while the streets covered in colorful foliage line the roads as the day goes to night.

It is well past ten at night Alice, Christian and other co-workers push out the doors giving their nightly farewells waving to each other crossing their paths to reach his or her vehicle on the way.

Alice is parked the nearest to the office unlocking her car. Christian and Alice work in the same building, but do not work on the same projects together let alone the same crew despite the fact they carry on in a very small office.

She flicks her hair back before opening her car door flaunting in front of one of the older men she works with, Christian finds himself slightly agitated realizing what she was doing causing him to sigh.

Christian became so distracted he trips hard on the hard damp cement causing him to gaze up at the tree's shadow reflecting off the building; Alice's car takes off leaving him on the ground.

A group of men dash past him stepping on his hands not looking to see if he needed help getting up, he howls tending to his fingers at the same time observing the small party chase what looks like a boy in the distance.

He was quick on his feet running like a bow-legged cat on fours jumping and dodging them when he could, a large man built like a beanstalk ambles past Christian causing him to be curious of the spectacle.

The man makes a motion with his hands catching the kid in what started as a splash of blood on the ground; it begins to bubble up spiraling up forming a hand attempting to seize him from his acrobatics, Christian is stunned.

Butterflies rise in his stomach the more he scrutinizes the situation dusting himself from the ground trailing after the lanky man dressed in black going far enough till Christian stops becoming aware the person is trapped and being squished.

Christian watched as the man makes a downward motion causing the one composed of blood to mimic his actions to fall apart.

The kid collapses to the ground as the blood begins to fade, flat on the ground he tries to get up.

"Are you ready to give up?" The man asks slowly strolling over. "Come, Alex let's go home."

The crowd restrains Alex by his hands when Christian hops up on a small stand meant for waxing shoes chained to the nearby mailbox. "Pick on someone your size."

Shoveling rocks from the ground Christian finds himself throwing every single rock in his hand like it means something; one after another he punts the man in the head for him to turn around angrily.

"You are still here are you?" replies the spindly gentlemen. "Are you not scared of me?"

Staring straight into Christian's eyes provoking his body's reaction, in defiance of his bodily stature he catches Christian in his arms whose head tilts against his chest.

"Dominique…" Alex says struggling against his henchmen, "Please let him go!"

Dominique slaps the stones clinging to his fingers from what was a balled fist; Christian keeps a constant unfeeling gaze above him as if he was blind and deaf to his surroundings.

His bony fingers grapple his chin lifting his face upwards; opening his mouth to show protruding, long, curved fangs clasping his jaw shut immediately marveling over Alex's resentful expression.

"What will you do then?"

His captors bow his head down at Dominique's feet forcing him to kneel while the assistant clan leader carries his human prize in tow smashing his head against the pavement.

Alex tries with all his might to retract lifting himself from their heaviness combined in which piled against his back like gravity thrusting him in place from above, his hands confined to the unpleasant space between his legs squeezing him tightly before letting him go falling to the side.

They all laugh watching him catch his breath gasping for air, "I will go back...let him go."

"Then I will allow this one to live," Dominique replies complying by dumping his victim into the puddle nearby.

Alex squats down lifting him from the muddy water placing him back on the sidewalk gingerly placing his hand against Christian's cheek effectively waking him up.

Loud laughter could be heard from Alex's small clique watching Christian sit up placing his back against the building nearby.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"My head is spinning…" Christian replies placing his hand on his face.

The twiggy man comes back glaring at Alex he only stares back; Dominique drags his hands through Christian's hair.

"Your days are numbered, Dominique."

Dominique springs back on his feet from receiving a flurry of images where Christian towers over him with a twisted and contorted grimace; he pushes Alex out of the way while they were chatting to haul Christian up by the hairs on his head examining his eyes twisting his head left to right unable to shake this feeling of dread.

"We will meet again I can feel it…"

"What is your problem, Dominique?"

"What is your name?" Dominique shouts demanding. "Hurry up already!"

Intimidated by this his face turns red, "Christian sir, why?"

The man turns walking away saying nothing more to the both of them. Alex helps Christian to stand on his feet, but he tips a little against Alex nudges him concerned, "Christian, what is wrong?"

"Who is that man?"

"He is my clan leader's assistant…"

Covering his head with his arms he shudders, "Something doesn't feel right."

"I wonder what is going on…" Alex mumbles to himself. "Christian I need to go now."

Alex waves weakly trailing behind the others waiting for him above. Christian felt a sense a deep sense of sorrow from this departure almost mournful, "What did he mean?"

"We will meet again?" Christian thought out loud.

Going back up the hill alone he felt apprehensive of the meeting at hand, but slowly calmed down from the series of events that unfolded to him.

Standing back in front of his office in the middle of the night he stares into the half-lit halls of his locked workplace from the outside like it was some sort of foggy dream.

Something feels like it is touching his back, he twists around to see nothing, "Nerves…it's just nerves."

Making his way back to his car he slinks down into the driver's seat exhausted falling asleep the rest of the night to be awoken to the sound of rapping on his window by Alice.

"Christian, did you sleep in your car?" Alice asks confused. Christian darts up in his seat nearly flustered by seeing Alice he gets out of the car gently slamming the car door behind him.

"It is a very long story, Alice…"

His clothes were severely wrinkled from sitting in one position all night; his co-workers jeer and laugh at him in dismay as he explained what happened to him.

He goes back to his desk humiliated; he ends up kicking his legs up staring at the ceiling. It was hard for him to keep his eyes open as they sway open and shut; his head bobs up and down periodically rousing him to sit up.

"Christian…"

A voice rings out like someone is stuck behind a wall muffling their speech.

"Chis—tian…"

He hears his name again jumping up from his seat completely spooked, no one is near his desk or even attempting to reach out to him. The entirety of that moment had only been solace up to this point.

Observing Alice from afar slightly gives him chills. Alice is pretty, but strange things have also been known to happen to her right in the office alone.

He watches her being given a paper from one of the other attractive men who are on her team.

Her giggle is loud enough to be heard from the other side of the room.

Unimpressed Christian detects nothing unusual perhaps he was just hearing himself, but that logic alone made no sense to him since he has no mental problems he was aware of.