Here's Chapter 3, as promised!
CH 3
2 years later
Bree
High school has been a pain. At last I am a senior. Adam graduated, but only barely. We still live with Mr. Davenport. Chase's disappearance still rings painfully, but it has faded a bit. He is more like a bittersweet memory now. My memories of the day he left are vivid, yet still far away. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, jolted awake by nightmares where I had killed him, or almost been killed by him.
Today is the seventy-seventh day of school- but who's counting? I remember Chase loved to take stats and keep track of things, and I do it, in his memory. I pull on a sleeveless pink shirt, skinny jeans, and tall brown boots. I pull my long, thick, dark brown hair into a braid and slide some silver balls into my earlobes. I look in the mirror and nod in satisfaction, then head upstairs to grab some breakfast.
Mr. Davenport and Tasha are already up there. Leo is sitting at the table, eating cereal and looking particularly subdued. I suddenly remember that today is Chase's birthday. A ding sounds behind me and Adam steps out of the elevator, looking extremely disheveled. I grab a muffin and a piece of toast, mumbling,"I'm have to be at school early," and leaving the house quickly, my bags weighing me down.
Halfway through the day, during lunch, I receive a mission alert. I leave with Adam in tow. Ever since the incident with Chase, Mr. Davenport programmed an alert into our phones to go off when there was a mission. We are home in seconds, and suit up quickly.
"Okay, guys, the mission is a warehouse fire. Bree, this will be an easy go for you, but the trick is getting everyone inside the building out before you put out the fire, as the vortex will suck out all the oxygen instantly. You ready?" We nod, but I can't help remembering that this was exactly the kind of mission that Chase was on when he ran away. Adam hops onto my back, and we're off.
I dash through a forest and arrive at the warehouse sight. The situation is not as bad as we thought, though we still need to hurry. We set to work, soon rescuing everyone endangered by flames and smoke. As I drag a young woman from the inferno, I see a figure, wreathed in smoke, that is helping two others out. It isn't Adam, as he is outside trying to put out the smaller of the flames, and it isn't any of the workers. I am pulling the last of them out. When I get outside, I see no sign of him (or her), except for a single footprint in the ash near the treeline. It is too small to be Adam's, and too big to be mine. I wonder who it is?
After I put out the fire, I make sure that everyone is safe before calling Mr. Davenport. "Everyone is safe," I report. "Should we come home?" "Yes," he replies. "Good job, guys." I disconnect the communicator, and grab Adam's arm. We run through the forest, though not at full speed. Chase loved nature, and I want to take the time to appreciate him as well. It is then that I slam into someone and knock them to the ground. I see that it is a young man.
He stands and brushes himself off, then turns to leave, but freezes in place when he sees my face. "Bree?" he says in a strangled, familiar voice. For the first time, I get a glimpse of the guy. He has tan skin that shimmers with an odd metallic gleam. He is fairly tall, though not as tall as Adam. He wears a black shirt that has a red patch on it. It seems to be made of rubber. The shirt is tucked in to beige hiking pants that are covered in ash. His hair is bleached blonde, and it is wild and full of ash and twigs. His weathered, rugged face is tense with shock. And then I see his eyes.
They are a glittering, calculating hazel color. They are full of pain and knowledge. They carry the story of a rough life. And in this moment, I realize who this person is.
"Chase?!"
Sorry if that seemed a little rushed, but I will have very little time to write this week, so I wanted to get this out before I leave for vacation on Friday. Expect another chapter next week. Happy Holidays, everyone!