Again italics are thoughts, flashbacks or dreams! Thanks for all the reviews so far.

Chapter 4

Twelve year old Jesse was running for his life, blood was pouring from his lip and his hair was drenched with sweat, he could hear shouting behind him, but he didn't dare turn around. Instead he tried to increase his pace, glancing around him he tried to work out where he was, and then as his surroundings registered he breathed a sigh of relief and slowed slightly. Now he could hear footsteps right behind him, his attackers were catching up with him. He turned right and into the garage, where he doubled over panting for breath. He heard his assailants behind him and then their were hands, all over him, but they were gentle, concerned. He glanced up sobbing then fell into his brother's arms. He heard footsteps then, but for once they were running away from him, not after him.

He was safe, but then he heard a voice in the doorway, one of the boy's had not ran, one of them had stayed.

"Jesse, are you okay, what happened?" Jesse wanted to tell his brother everything then, how the boy standing there asking if he was okay had made the past year of his life hell, but he didn't, he was too scared. So he shook his head and buried himself deeper into his brother's chest.

Jesse woke up, he was shaking, sweating and couldn't control the sobs that raked his body. He curled up into a ball and began rocking, why did Bryan have to turn up now, why couldn't he just leave me alone?

He thought about his brother, Chris. Chris was technically his step-brother; he was nine years older than Jesse and had only lived with him for a year before moving into a place of his own. But they had always been very close; neither boy had ever got on with Jesse's step-father and had bonded very quickly. Nobody had ever found out what happened to Jesse at the hands of Bryan, they thought that the both of them had been friends, Jesse shuddered at the thought.

Jesse glanced over at the clock; it was 3 am only half an hour since he had last woken up. He couldn't even ring his brother or Rick as it was too early, so he turned on the lamp by his bedside and reached under his bed for the book he was reading about a mad scientist who was trying to take over the world by turning people into Zombies. After a moments thought he placed the book on his bed and went into the kitchen, as it was only his first day in the apartment he didn't have much in, but he managed to find cocoa and he made himself a hot chocolate, then he climbed back into bed and started to read his book.

Jesse glanced at the clock again, 5:30 am, he had bean rereading the same line over and over again for about twenty minutes, he hadn't been able to concentrate. So he clambered out of bed and pulled his favourite jeans and a tee-shirt on. Then he rang a taxi to come and pick him up.

Ten minutes later Jesse was sitting on the sand at a beach in Malibu looking out to sea. His head was filled with thoughts and memories, he just could not get Bryan out of his mind, he wasn't due at the hospital for another couple of hours, it was too early too ring anyone and he didn't have any idea about what places there were to go in the city, so he had nothing to distract him. A tear ran down his cheek and he buried his face in his hands.

Steve Sloan stood and watched the lone figure sitting on the sand, he had been disappointed when the boy had disappeared and had at first thought that maybe Jesse was just really shy, however now he wondered if there was something more. The kid was obviously very distressed, and by the looks of him cold, he himself had a jumper and thick jacket on yet he was still shivering, the boy only had a tee-shirt.

He had come down to the beach to sit awhile, he liked to get up early and do this at least once a week, to clear his head and think things through. He wondered if that was what the boy was doing. Well, there was only one way to find out. Steve started walking towards Jesse, hoping he was doing the right thing.