Hey all! Thank you for all your positive reviews here and on Twitter, I love you all so much!
So I probably won't have a set updating schedule for this, I'll just post chapters as soon as their done and revised! Hopefully it won't be too erratic lol.
Anyways, enjoy chapter 2!
This time it was a field of sunflowers
The sun beat down, the warmth of summer hitting his face.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was so blue, an abstract painting of hues.
She ran past him so fast he felt a breeze blow by as he saw her in the distance
She called his name, the sound of her voice so beautiful and commanding. He knew he had to keep running. He tried to run faster, but couldn't catch up. She called out his name once again, but he couldn't yell back
Zeke woke up panting. The same "insignificant'' dream he and Michaela spoke of a few days prior... was now recurring.
This has never happened to him.
In his whole life, he's never once dreamt something more than twice at most. Yet here he was, waking up after having it for the fifth time, still as confused as before.
But in all honestly, he didn't mind the dream. It was calm. Like waking up just as the sun makes it's way into the sky in the early hours of the morning. The temperature halfway between cool and blazing, the birds chirping.
Normally callings ripped him apart. Tore at his chest like he was going to lose his soul. But whatever he called this, a calling or a vision, or even just a dream, was the opposite of anything he had felt or seen before.
Mick was surprisingly still in bed. She had been complaining of fatigue the last few days, which is understandable. Their life up to now is nothing but emotionally draining. He checked his phone, 7:45. Regardless of how tired she was, she should be awake by now. He ran his hand up her arm, letting his hand slip to meet her forehead, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She was sound asleep, borderline snoring.
"Mick." He whispered softly, careful not to startle her. He'd prefer not to start his morning in a choke hold on the floor. "Michaela." He whispered again.
"Hmm." Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of his voice. It was as sweet and soft as honey. Kind and easy. She wished she could wake to him talk every morning, but she woke up to early for that. She stretched out her arms, moving from her position and leaning into Zeke's embrace. She didn't even think to look at the time.
"Good morning." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his chest. "Good morning to you too."
She yawned, finally realizing there was no way it was 6:30. "Oh my gosh. What time is it?" She released herself from his warmth and turned to her phone.
"Ahh crap!" She yelled as she frantically got out of bed, the force pushing Zeke back to edge of their bed. She ran to their closet, shimmying on her jeans, and quickly throwing on a shirt. Zeke just stared at her, trying not to laugh. She was funny when she was in a rush.
"Why didn't you tell me it was almost 8?!" She yelled. Her toothbrush now in her mouth.
"I didn't wanna wake you." He said as he sat up, pushing away the blanket. Which was halfway true. He just didn't want her to leave.
"Ugh, now I'm gonna be late!" She said as she spit into the sink.
"Do you want me to make you something?" Zeke asked, as he shifted his body to face her. She smiled. But as obsessed with his cooking as she was, she didn't have time.
She walked up to him, toothpaste still on her chin. "As much as I love you, I'm very late, so I'm gonna have to pass." She gave him a kiss, letting it linger fr a few seconds before pulling away.
"Suit yourself."
She rolled her eyes, half out of annoyance, and half out of the fact she was gonna miss out on a famous Zeke breakfast.
"Love you!" She yelled as she exited the room. "Love you." He spoke softly.
But as she was halfway down the stairs, Mick heard a noise.
Ba boom, ba boom, ba boom.
Zeke had heard this the other day, but it never came back. Why was it happening to her now? It just became louder and louder as she slid herself down the wall. Why was this happening again? Why was this happening to her?
"ZEKE!" She managed to scream as she held her hands over her ears.
"Babe?!" he yelled, not recognizing the panic in her voice. Suddenly his empathic abilities kicked in, and panic crashed over him like a wave. "I'm coming!"
He saw her there on the steps, the same way he was the other day. He held his hand out and gestured for her to grab it. She couldn't even look at him, she was so focused on getting through and not throwing up from the vertigo. She gripped onto him so tight he thought his bones would break.
He knew this feeling… this sound. This is exactly what happened to him the other day. But he hadn't felt or heard it again. But in that moment, it was almost as if he jinxed himself. He began to hear it too. Ba boom, ba boom, ba boom. One after the other, almost like heartbeats chasing each other.
He cried out too, their hands interlocked until it finally passed.
"What the hell?" Mick asked, her hands on either side of her head now. Her blonde hair shaken and disheveled.
"I don't know." Zeke spoke out. Finally able to ground himself into his surroundings once more. His eyes opened, his heart finally slowing.
"Is this what happened to you the other day?" She asked, trying not to panic.
"Yeah."
"Same sound?"
"Heartbeat." He replied.
Heartbeat of what? She thought.
That was when it hit her. "The last time I felt this It was calling to go help the kid who got Evie's heart, Carlos."
Zeke stared at her in confusion. "I've never known a calling to repeat after it was solved… If this even is a calling." Zeke added.
"Me neither." What the hell was going on? Zeke survived his death date, he shouldn't be having callings, or anything remotely similar for that matter. What is this trying to tell us?
As always, they had no answers, and Michaela really needed some.
"But maybe Carlos needs help?" She asked, shooting ideas out into the open. That is what happened last time. He could be sick, he could be in danger, there are a number of possibilities. Michaela's head spun with possible scenarios.
"You could be right. Doesn't hurt to try, does it?" Zeke said as he stood up, helping Mick up as well.
"I'll let the chief now I'm calling out." She said as she reached for her phone. Zeke reached his arm out, pulling her hand down. "No no, let me go."
"What? Zeke. I'm not letting you go by yourself."
He sighed. "You've missed work for the callings a lot Mick. I can't let you put your job on the line."
She put her job on the line all the time, but his argument was solid, thorough. Which bugged the hell out of her.
Plus someone needed to look after Beverly, she can't be without either of them for too long.
"Fine. Just go before I change my mind."
Zeke got to the barber shop not long after, only knowing what Carlos looked like from a picture Mick sent. The shop was pretty busy, but as soon as he walked in, he was greeted by Carlos as he was sweeping the floor.
"Hey. You got an appointment?" He asked.
"Umm no." He stuttered for a second, trying to compile his words. "Carlos right?" he asked, receiving a nod from him. "Yeah. What's up man?"
Zeke smiled, holding out his hand for him to shake. "I'm Zeke. Zeke Landon. I'm married to Michaela Stone."
Carlos took his hand, raising his brow in the process. "The cop? I thought she was with that other guy, Jason or something."
Zeke laughed, the comment jabbing a little at his heart... and ego. "No. That's Jared. Michaela and Detective Vasquez called it quits a while ago." If one more person were to ask about Jared, Zeke thought he might explode.
Carlos smirked. "Ahh I see. Well what can I do for you?"
Zeke looked at the floor for a second in hesitation, trying to come off as normal as possible. "Oh, Michaela asked me to come see you."
A look of confusion swept over Carlos' face. Zeke brushed off his concern. "She was worried you were in trouble."
Carlos stopped sweeping to look at him. He stared on for a moment, appreciative of Michaela and what she's done, and continues to do. "That's Officer Stone for you. I owe her one you know?" He said with pride.
"You do?" Zeke asked.
"Yeah. She caught the man who murdered my uncle. I owe her everything."
His words hit Zeke like a truck. Mick never told him that. Of all the things to tell your spouse, catching a murderer is a pretty big one.
Carlos spoke up again. "But to answer your question. No. I'm not in trouble. Everything is good here."
But as soon as those words reached the air, they heard a noise. Ba boom.
But it wasn't a heartbeat.
"Get down!" Zeke yelled as the glass doors shattered, and fire filled the room. He grabbed Carlos and threw him to the floor, saving him from being hit with shards of flying glass.
"Let's go!" He yelled, practically dragging Carlos outside by his arm.
They stared out in absolute horror.
The shop was gone
And they were the only survivors.
"Zeke!" Mick yelled as she ran to him. He was sitting inside the ambulance being checked out, his head in his hands. Luckily he was fine, except for a few burns from the fire.
"Hey" He replied, his tone absolutely lifeless.
She wrapped herself around him like she hadn't seen him in years. "Are you ok?" She asked. Her anxiety causing her breathing to become rapid and heavy.
He grunted, his body sore. "I'm fine. The shop though, not so much."
Michaela's heart broke, as she turned around. What stood before her now was basically just a pile of ashes. "Poor Carlos. This place was everything to him."
In the midst of her thoughts, she practically forgot the reason Zeke was even there in the first place, until she remembered the aftermath of the calling.
"What did Carlos say?" She blurted out, realizing her comment was a little too soon.
"That he was fine." Zeke shrugged. He wished he could give her more, but that was all. At least, that was all before the bomb went off.
"I don't get it." Mick spoke. "He clearly wasn't fine if his barber shop was just blown to smithereens."
"I don't get it either." Said Zeke softly. "But at least I saved him."
Mick turned her head back over to the building, realizing that she only saw Zeke and Carlos after the fire was put out. She didn't even think to ask about anyone else.
"Were there others?" She hesitated to ask after what Zeke said. She knew the answer after looking back.
"Yeah." Zeke's voice broke, hope clicking off inside of him like a light. He couldn't save everyone. He knew that. It was so sudden, so fast. He knew he couldn't do it. But something inside of him felt guilty. Something irrational deep down felt like he could've done more.
"Zeke. You did what you could."
And Mick wholeheartedly believed that. He wasn't the kind of person to leave the people he loved behind. Even strangers. He'd bend over backwards to help anyone, regardless of how well he knew them. This was a quality he possessed that she loved more than anything.
"I know. I just wish-"
"That you could've done more. I get it." She finished his sentence for him.
"But the calling, or whatever it is, is solved. So at least we don't have to worry about that." Regardless of how insensitive that sounded, that's how Zeke felt. There was a reason for this... there had to be.
But he realized he wasn't right.
Ba boom. Ba boom. Ba boom.
The loud heartbeat echoed in his mind once again, making his ears ring.
Mick grabbed a hold of him, looking at him with eyes riddled with fear. she was having it again too. They sat borderline convulsing, their hands on their ears as they tried not to scream.
This time it passed quickly, but it was double the sound, leaving them breathless sitting on the edge of the ambulance.
They were wrong, It wasn't solved.
Hope you guys liked this chapter! Next one will be up when it's finished! Please leave your theories on my twitter (Mendozas_Closet) or here in the comment section! I reply whenever I can!
-The Color Gray
