Phantoms

Ch. 2 Connection

By: Kyron

Screaming. Pain. Fire. Death. Everything was surrounding everything else, melting it all into darkness. There was screaming. People were running in every direction, panic etched on their faces. Fear. That's all the body could feel was an undying fear. Nothing made sense, nothing posed to logic, everything was in chaos. Blood spattered the walls, burned flesh and singed clothing littered the ground. The sky was open above where no sky should have been. Steel and plaster lay tattered and twisted among the rubble. The sky cried, water pouring in atop the blazes, sending up a smoky haze of steam. A face. A kind face yet so terrified. A voice, speaking, but the words were jumbled. Only one thing stood out. "Get away! Run!" and then the sky was opened more, dropping building supplies on the face, silencing the voice. Terror gripped the body. Flee. Get away. Run! But something was wrong. Stuck. Couldn't move. Crying. But then hope. Freedom! Flee!

The air outside was cooler, running further from the fire. A glance back. A blinding flash…

Nacoma sat straight up in her sleeping bag, her breathing ragged. Her eyes darted about, seeking the dwindling candle burning in a hurricane lamp. Sweat beaded from her forehead, gliding down her cheeks. She quickly looked at the small, dingy window. No rain. There was no rain, no fire…only her and Ram. The dog was simply looking at her, her head slightly cocked to one side. Nacoma breathed deep, moving her now plastered bangs away from her face and pulled her knees up. She laid her forehead against them and closed her eyes. That dream bothered her. She hadn't had it in years and didn't even know where the material that it contained came from. It didn't make sense, really. She didn't remember anything that happened in that dream from real past experience. She sighed again, glancing at the worn out watch, 4:45 am. She wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight. "Bloody hell." she said, getting up and preparing to leave. A few minutes later, she was out the door, Ram staying behind.

4:46 am. He didn't feel right. Things were coming back again, things he wasn't sure existed. He dreamed. He fought. But there was no escape. Something was wrong. He checked his location, noting the two bums standing around a garbage fire. The rain had stopped, the sky clear and the morning sun still a couple hours away. But there was something else, something eating at him that he couldn't place. It felt nearby. An engine sounded, the quiet hum of exhaust the only clue that something was there. Neither of the bums even glanced his direction as he left the narrow alley, headed for South and Main. He drove for several minutes, finally settling near an open alleyway. He could tell there were people in there. One person at least. He could recognize the quiet footsteps. Someone was down there. But there was something else, the shattering of glass. Curious, he moved forward and turned the nose of the truck slightly into the alley, headlights off. He could see people now. A girl…and two others. Another shatter of glass. One of the other two threw a bottle against the wall. "C'mere sugah…" one called, stumbling towards her. She backed away. The second man lunged haphazardly, and she dodged. She was scared, he could tell my the sound of her breathing, and yet she didn't scream for help. He could only wonder why as she dodged both men again.

"Whare ya goin, sweetie?" one of the men slurred, lunging again. She dodged, only to be caught by the other drunk. "Uh, oh…no wheres else for you to run…" he said, wrapping his arm around her throat. She was repulsed. He reeked of cheap liquor and booze and smelled like a public bathroom. She could even smell the vomit on his breath. "Let go of me you slimy bastard!" she said, thrusting an elbow into his gut. He doubled over, releasing her. She moved to escape only to be caught again by his buddy. "Oh, you's a lil bitch…I'm gunna teach you a lesson 'bout hurtin' my buddy." he hissed, throwing her against the wall. She tried to get away but his fist met her jaw and she slid down the wall. He grabbed the tail of her shirt and pulled, tearing the fabric around her stomach. His buddy got up to join him, holding her arms against the wall. Suddenly, both men stopped at a thunderous roar, lights beaming directly at them. Nacoma ventured a look, lightly cracking an eye open. Her face had already begun to swell and she felt the warm trickle of blood down her chin. She couldn't see anything but bright lights and heard nothing but a roar. Tires squealed, both men releasing her and beginning to run. She slid the rest of the way to the ground as a dark blur shot past her and then her world went black.

He was angry. He thought that he shouldn't care but he was already pissed. At first, he'd been curious as to what had brought him here…but then he heard the girl talk. It was the same girl from the store. That's when the anger started. It wasn't directed at anything in particular at first but moved to target each of the drunken men each time they managed to even lightly touch the girl. He couldn't stand it. He knew what they were planning to do to her and he refused to allow it. The engine screamed, exhaust howling. Tires smoked as the truck charged forward. Both men ran as fast as their drunken limbs would carry them, but he was faster. He caught up with them before they were even three quarters of the way out. He realized that people can sober up quite quickly when faced with danger, but unfortunately, they didn't sober up fast enough. Both men ran blindly out of the alley, the black truck stopping in the shadows. The truck silenced the muffler and backed a few feet into the alley. The men kept running, not noticing the two police cruisers headed their way. He watched, not nearly satisfied, as the police pulled their guns on the two raving men, locked them in cuffs and drove away. He growled and reversed the truck, pulling to a stop next to the girl.

It was defiantly the same brunette he'd seen the day before. The only difference now was the large bruise that was sure to form on her cheek. He growled again, but became silent when he noticed her coming to. The truck began to glide forward, muffler silent as she started to stir. He moved slowly, trying not to make any unnecessary sounds on his way off. A loud crunch sounded under the tires, echoing off the walls. He could feel it then, he could feel her looking at him. He continued to move slowly forward. "Hey! Wait!" she called, still sitting against the wall. The truck paused, brake lights glowing in the darkness of the alleys end. She was quiet for a few moments. He wondered if he should just continue on his way and ignore the girl. "Thanks." she said, her voice not much louder than her breathing. That was it. No questions, no interrogations, just a thanks. He found himself shocked and confused at the same time. The truck sat for a moment or two more before releasing the brakes and turning onto one of the streets. He attempted to monitor her from the road, watching the heat traces until he knew she was in her room with her dog, then, he sped up, heading for a different part of the city. The shock gradually wore off and a sense of pride came over him. 'You're welcome.' he thought, revving on the gas, sounding the muffler to the skies, daring for it to rain.