Chapter 3

"E-excuse me?"
There is no way he just asked me to… you know… "play". I must have misunderstood that. Francis giggles upon seeing my shocked expression.
"Ze expression on your face is hilarious, you know zat?"
I try to say 'excuse me' again but for some reason my lips won't move. I gasp for air when I suddenly feel his other hand going under my shirt. As fast as he slipped his hand under my shirt it is pulled back again. He also puts his other hand back. Francis is staring at something right behind me. Curious about what he is looking at I turn my head a bit. A little girl just entered the bookstore.
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asks with a red head.
Francis tries to put a grin on his face but it looks horribly fake.
"Of course not, belle petite fille, zis costumer is almost paying zis book and zen we will start looking for some books for you, OK?"
The little girl nods and starts looking for some books herself. When she can't see us anymore Francis grabs my shirt and clenches his fist. He is looking really mad at me, as if it was my fault the little girl walked in.
"You know, zis isn't over yet. I will get you in my bed, but for now pay your book," he whispers mad.
He lets go of my shirt so I can take the money out of my wallet. I give it to him, take the book and run as fast as possible out of the store.

While walking on the sidewalk I try to get my head clear. What was that just now? Also, a note to myself. Never enter bookstores again. I always thought it was a bad idea to enter them but now I'm really sure.
Suddenly I remember how Arthur always was complaining about me not reading books. I always said that they were too boring and that they are stupid anyway. Arthur almost freaked out back then. To prove me wrong he started reading books out loud for me and suddenly I did care for books. Well, not really the books themselves, I didn't mind what he was read out loud for me. The thing I loved about Arthur doing it was how beautiful it sounded. I could listen to him for hours, but of course I never told him. Another thing he will never hear from me. I try remembering the last thing he read out loud for me. Oh yes. I remember. It was the same day he asked me about the Angels. I can almost hear his beautiful voice saying the words again.

'Out, out, brief candle.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.'

Yes, I remember. It's written by William Shakespeare. When Arthur read it out loud, I didn't fully understand what it meant, but I think I understand it now.
"So, I guess I will never hear from you again, right Arthur?" I whisper only loud enough to hear myself whispering it.
Tears are coming up, I try to hold them back. I don't want to cry. Not with this many people so nearby. I look up to the sky. It's a beautiful day, there are almost no clouds that take away the warm sunlight. I wish I could share this beautiful day with Arthur, but most wishes keep on waiting until they fade away. I shake my head to get these sad feelings out of it. You know, you could take a beautiful photo shot here, it's only a pity that that ugly old flat is in the way. Now that I'm looking at the flat I notice something weird about it. For as far as I can see it looks like there is a little boy standing on top of it, his shilhouette stands out against the blue sky. Is he… is he going to jump? In a panic I try to get the attention of one of the people on the sidewalk. I tap on the shoulder of a passing gentleman. The man stops and looks down at me.
"Is that a boy on top of the flat? Is he going to jump?" I ask.
The man looks shocked at the building, stares for a while and then looks mad at me.
"Which boy? I don't see anything," he says.
"On top of that ugly old flat!" I say.
The man stares again but doesn't seem to see him. I point my finger at the boy.
"Over there!"
The man tries again but is now really pissed off.
"I'm sorry sir. I don't have time for your stupid games!" the man says while walking away from me.
Games? What is he talking about. I'm dead serious here. Maybe the boy really is going to…
Before I finish my thought I see how the boy takes some steps backwards, then runs forward and jumps with stretched arms of the building. I see how he falls faster and faster towards the hard ground. I can't see how his body hits it because of the buildings that are in the way, but I can imagine how it might have looked like. My whole body feels cold. For some minutes I'm not able to move. Most people around me ignore me, just like they hadn't seem to notice the little boy jumping of the building. I get some weird looks from people who are passing me by and weren't ignoring me. They are probably wondering why I'm standing still in the middle on the sidewalk like that, but I don't care. I try to get a grip of myself.
Come on Alfred. You got to do something. Maybe the little boy survived it. You must go look for him!
With this thought I start walking to the place the boy probably hit the ground. I walk fast but don't start running. I don't want to attract too much attention. The flat comes closer and closer, I'm almost there. Suddenly I hear the sound of a crying child at my right. Could it be? I quickly walk in the small alley the sound is coming from.
"H-hello?" I say while I scan the wall on my right with my hand.
I reduce my walking pace and carefully take a few steps in the dark. The crying get louder by every step I take.
"It's OK. We are going to the hospital as fast as we-"
Before my sentence is finished I find the boy. He is laying on the ground with tears dripping off his face. I can't believe my eyes and take a few steps more. The boy is young, about the age of 8 I guess. He is wearing a small white dress with nothing on his feet. His blond hair is a mess but somehow it makes him look cute. But what shocks me the most are the white Angel wings on his back. One of them is bleeding really bad, it has a painful looking cut in it. The wings are moving a little bit in the rhythm of the boys breathing chest. I still can't believe what I see. It's impossible.
Finally the boy notices me. He looks up at me with bright green eyes I could never forget.
"Arthur…"