Chapter 2: Bus Stop

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Darron Austin strode down the sidewalk adjacent to West Oaks Mall. The wind lifted his black trench coat with long icy fingers and slipped in through the button holes of his dress shirt. He stared up at the moon; her pale face returned his gaze with mournful eyes. Darron looked away and focused straight ahead, into the impenetrable darkness. The sound of traffic on highway six disturbed the silence. As Darron passed the bus stop something caught his eye.

A young man lay asleep clutching a dirty blue back pack to his chest. He shivered as the wind pushed his brown hair from his forehead and he drew his knees closer to his chest.


Strange, Darron thought.

He stepped closer and read through the young man's mind. Name's Jack, eighteen years old, born in New York... He went through the information in the his head but he then noticed the presence, one he had not come across in a long time. Hard, cold, but
strong. I've been looking for you, he thought. Immediately he knew what he needed to do.

Reaching out he tapped the sleeper on the shoulder.


"Go away," he mumbled and rolled over.


Darron shook his head and cleared his throat.


"What?" The young man turned to face him, his eyes squinted with annoyance.


"Are you waiting for the bus or is this where you sleep every night?" Darron asked.


"Who wants to know?" He sat up and leaned against his knee. His New York accent coated his words.


"I'm the headmaster of Darkwood High School and I own a house for young people who have no place to stay, I thought you might be interested if this is your predicament," Darron said.


The boy grinned and tried to stifle a laugh. "Who says I got no place t' stay?"


"You're sleeping on a bench at a bus stop." Darron waited a moment, but the boy did not respond, he merely looked down at the ground. "You can have your own room, a chance to go to school, and you won't have to work full time at McDonald's anymore." Darron continued.


Brown eyes came to meet with his. For a moment they were wide but then he grinned. "Oh, I get it, you're one of them, uh, what d' ya call 'em...?" He struggled for the right word, snapping his finger. "Ya know... I mean, ya got powers, you can read people's minds an' stuff."

"You're a smart kid Jack," Darron said. "How'd you come t' find out about all this?"


"Oh c'mon, I weren't born yesterday, just read my mind you tell me."


"I prefer to hear a person's story from them," Darron replied. He crossed his arms over his big chest.


Jack grinned, his white teeth shone even in the dark. Something about this giant of a man that put him at ease. "Alright well let's see." He rubbed his head. "Ah yeah, this girl I used to date had some weird uh 'tendencies'. Like... she always knew exactly what I was thinkin' and stuff, like, not normal stuff to know. You know, how two really good friends can end each other's sentences. She didn't do a real good job of hiding her power. The clincher was when we got into a fight one night and she sent a chair flyin' at my head, but she didn't use her hands if ya know what I mean."


Darron nodded. He had a good idea about who she was. "So back to the
present, will you accept my offer?"


Jack stared at him for a moment, eyeing him up and down. His eyes looked weary. Darron knew from the start it would take more than just the offer of a warm bed and a few free meals to convince this young man that he could trust him. But then the brown eyes twinkled with a strange brightness and the corners of his mouth reached to his ears. "Well it's against my better judgment but hey, I'd be pretty stupid t' pass up a meal and a free bed, right? Even if it does mean livin' with weirdoes."


He grinned and stood up from the bench. This time he could not hold back the shiver that ran through his body.


"Are you alright?" Darron asked.


"You tell me." They paused for a moment. When Darron said nothing he
said "Lead on."


I hope this isn't a mistake, Jack thought. I'm tired of bein' so cold.