Disclaimer: I do not own TSL.
Dark Angel
Chapter 5: Harsh Reunions
An alleyway. 'Thank God it isn't that black place again.' Zack thought.
He felt a light breeze, causing leaves to dance and the water to ripple. Sudden movement. Zack spun around; he felt a penetrating pain rip through his side. He saw his blood fly. Zack fell to his knees as he saw a red and black swirl. His eyesight began to dim. He tried to stand but felt a great weight on his back; a cold object was wrapping itself around his neck, causing him to shiver. Feathers, white feathers. Bloodstained feathers swirled around him. Everything was enclosed in a blinding gold flash before going black.
---
"Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin? Mr. Martin!"
Tapeworm tapped Zack on the shoulder and he sprung up to a sitting position, gasping.
"Y-yes, sir?" he asked, wiping the hair from his eyes with one hand.
"Tell me, what is the answer to number twenty-six?" his teacher said, his voice ridiculously calm. "Hmm?"
"I…it's…um…" Zack stuttered, feeling his face turn hot. "It's…uh – "
"Save your breath." He cut Zack off and continued on the lesson, keeping a close eye on him for the rest of the day.
---
Zack rested his head on the dining table, feeling drowsy and a bit nauseous. He sighed and tried to focus on his homework.
'This is hopeless.' He thought and pushed his notebook away. His gaze fell on the phone, resting on the desk next to him. He picked it up and began dialing.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey Max." Zack said, trying not to yawn.
"Yeah, what's up?" she asked, picking up her pencil and doing her algebra homework.
"Look, I gotta tell you something."
"Yeah, what's that?"
"I've been having dreams lately, nightmares. I can't go to sleep without having one of 'em."
"What are they about?" she asked, balancing the phone on her shoulder.
"I don't know, they change all the time. Some I find myself walking in a black place…thingy. Other times I'm in an alleyway or a room."
"Mm hmm." She said and switched the phone to her other ear.
"But somehow, Cody's always involved." Zack heard his voice crack and he cleared his throat.
Max dropped her pencil in surprise, "Cody?"
"Yeah. Sometimes I see him being tortured, other times…I just see blood. And feathers, yeah…and usually, it ends in a gold flash." He recalled.
"You know what, record all the dreams you remember. I'll take a look tomorrow." She said and turned the phone off, leaving Zack with the dial tone.
Ignoring his homework, he booted up his laptop and began typing.
---
You've got mail, A very annoying popup read. Zack clicked over to his inbox and stared.
"Help me." He read. He clicked on it. It was blank.
'Who the hell would send an empty E-mail?' he wondered. He was about to re-open his word document until fifty more E-mails poured in, each saying the same thing. Help me.
"No way." Zack breathed, "This can't be happening. Virus. Yeah, must be a virus." He disabled the alert and closed the window.
"Okay, calm down." He said to himself, "It's a virus. Don't freak out."
"Zack! Finish your homework!" Carey called and knocked on his door.
"Coming!" he yelled back and printed his work.
---
Max bit her lip as she read Zack's dreams. Zack paced back and forth, nervous and anxious to find out Max's reaction. After what seemed like half an hour, Max handed Zack back his paper.
"So?" he asked, trying not to be rude.
"I think it's your twin telepathy's doing." She answered, "Either Cody's really gone, or…" she paused, "He didn't leave at all."
---
Zack's POV"Mr. Martin!"
"Aah!" I gasped as I woke up from yet another nightmare.
"Okay, that was the last straw. Principal's office, now." My English teacher said. That's not good.
I obediently got up. Mr. Gaub was the nicest teacher around. Getting him mad must've been the last thing I've expected. I slowly walked into the hallway. It was dead quiet. Too quiet
'I gotta get some sleep.' I thought as I stifled back a yawn and walked down to the east wing.
Thump. Thump. Cre-a-k.
I spun around. Nothing. I shrugged it off, must've been the wind…wait, there's no wind indoors!
Crunch.
Nervous, I looked over my shoulder and still saw nothing. My heart started pumping. I walked back the way I came from, what the hell is that noise? I heard a loud bang around the next corner and I slowly walked to it. Putting my back against the wall, I craned my head sideways to see around the corner. Nothing. Nobody, not even a trace.
I breathed a sigh of relief, allowing my muscles to relax. I turned to go back and I came face to face with…my heart nearly stopped.
"Cody?"
"That's my name, don't wear it out." His cold voice said playfully.
I stood frozen. That didn't sound like Cody. He didn't even act nor look like the Cody I once knew.
"No, I don't believe it." I said ripping away from his gaze. His hair was long and shaggy, hanging over his eyes. but that didn't stop his penetrating stare.
"Well then you'd better believe it." He said, "I'm going to kill you, Zack. Someday, I'll kill you."
He slowly approached me. To tell you the truth, this guy's really freaking me out. I backed up only to hit the lockers. Man do I wish that I had that knife. He slowly withdrew something from his pocket. I visibly flinched, it's a pistol. My life is officially coming to a close.
He leaned close to my face. I mean REALLY close. Close enough that I could count how many freckles he has.
"You'd better say your prayers, brother." He snickered and pulled his gun close to my left temple. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Riiing!
"Shit." I heard him mutter. My eyes snapped open, "You're lucky this time." He whispered in my ear and disappeared in a gold flash. I could still hear his voice echoing in my head. 'Soon...'
I slumped down to the ground. Talk about saved by the bell. I unclenched my fists. I could see deep ridges where my fingernails cut into my palm. I also found something else.
A silver key. Decorated with a highly detailed skull with wings at the base, it also had a hole, where I suspect a chain would be threaded through. On the ground beside me, I found two black feathers along with a strip of folded paper. I unfolded it. It had three sentences of crude handwriting:
"Tomorrow night. Zylac building's rooftop. Come alone."
So…Tired…! Anyway, I just saw "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things." It was…creepy. And to those who saw it, I have a question. Before Jeremiah went into that building, why did he see (Dylan) on that horse? Thanks if anyone could answer it.Dylan/Cole looks so cool with black hair!
Trivia: Originally, Ashley Tisdale actually wanted to play the role of London. In the episode "The Suite Smell of Excess," she actually got to see what it's like.