Chapter 16: finished and as of right now I have gotten to 21, although editing shall be hell. I am genuinely surprised that people are enjoying this.

I do not own any copyright.

Chapter 16

The next day gunshots exploded from the east of town, where the main road passed around the looming mountain and where storage for trade routes were left mostly silent. But not that day. Police sirens blared like crows in the night and rushed, past red stoplights and driving over curbs to a small warehouse on the edge of the city. A warehouse where The Fanatics worshiped God in presumably, the most bizarre way.

'The police were always going to do this, maybe they caused too much trouble, but the police were always going to do it!' I used as my reasoning throughout the day.

For all of school I was ignored in favour of the confusion on what had transpired at the old abandoned warehouse on Avon Rd. Some guessed it was a drug lord that had been snitched out and the cops had gotten of their lazy arses, some thought the town had just finally gone over the edge and the pigs had went mad. Only two other people had known that they and I were part of the strange police orchestration.

Damien, Kenneth and I stuck closer than before. Seeing as we were in the same room for Break and Lunch it wasn't hard. Subconsciously we had stuck to the same table, Kyle or Stan didn't take notice though.

None of us spoke about it; it wasn't like anyone would ask 'Hey! Were you, for instance, part of that police raid on that cult's warehouse?' Nothing like that was asked and we were all good at keeping our mouths shut.

Even Eric and Trent left me alone when I walked to school, of all the people to give me a day of, I didn't think anything would divert their interest in violence from me, yet I had a day off. It seemed they had better things to do when I was in eyesight. Even when I passed them in the halls, all they did was shove or glare, or in many cases, nothing at all, ignoring me. I think my broken arm elicit the tiniest, miniscule sliver of humanity from their dark, steel hearted souls. Or there was more interesting matters. I assumed the latter.

That evening I walked over to Damien's house, for no reason other than to visit, and found Lucas and Mark - who had accepted Lucas's offer - sitting on the outside in lawn chairs, dressed in light jackets to escape the cold yet enjoying a cooled Coors beer.

At my arrival Mark grinned, wide enough to rival Lucas.

'Ah, you're the kid from yesterday! Pip, right? Luke told me!' He got up and happily moved to my side, placing a hand on my slightly lower head. 'Thanks to you, you put some real shit heads to justice, enjoy it kid!' He exclaimed, gulping down on the alcohol. 'Ya know, ignoring the eyes, I've gotta say you've made yourself a good friend!' For a second he gave me a pat on the back before he continued, 'that Damien kids a nice guy, now you don't have to worry about those religious nuts.'

'Damien's up in his room.' Said Lucas and I quickly made my escape from the two smiling men. As I walked up the stairs to Damien's room, I could hear them laughing heartily.

From inside I could hear a slow melodic guitar strum and the sounds of Ozzy Osbourne's near high-pitched singings burst from inside Damien's room.

I quickly knocked three times.

'It doesn't have a lock Phillip.' Damien said.

'Oh… right.' I muttered as I entered to find him lying on his back, arms rested under his head.

'Is God dead?' Contemplated the lead from Damien's TV as I meekly moved to his side, he eyed me.

'H-how did you know it was me?'

'The power of windows,' he flatly said.

'Oh.' I simply stated, bringing a chuckle from Damien.

'When will this nightmare be over? Tell me!' Ozzy continued.

Damien spoke, 'I don't think I've ever felt this good, this… this free? You know?'

'Nuh… Not really, sorry.'

He smiled warmly 'No problem, I guess I've had to deal with this for much longer than you, but… I don't know, it's just good.' He sighed. 'So, what brings you here?'

'Um… Just seeing how you are, I guess.'

'Well, I'm good, you?'

'I'm quite well.'

'How'd you sleep last night?' He asked, rather out of the blue,

'I didn't, you?'

'You really shouldn't do that. But, damn well, very, very-very much well.'

'You seem very happy.' I noted.

'Oh god I am,' he said, relived.

He was genuinely happy, near giddy, even with the gloomy, doom music in the background he smiled at the ceiling in a way that made me think he would burst into laughter.

Lucas and Mark certainly did so from outside.

'Do you want to go on a walk?' He swiftly asked.

I stuttered in, 'S-sure, sure, why?'

'Why the hell not? All of them Pip! All of the registered members off those Fanatics, caught, arrested, Mark said so and Dad's putting it in the newspapers!'

Damien burst to his feet and swiftly strode to the TV:

'The rain turns red

I don't believe that god is Dea-' Ozzy was cut off by Damien quickly pressing the 'Off' button.

Dressed in his trench coat; he led me outside. Bidding his dad and Mark farewell, we moved on down the street.

We leisurely walked down content streets, the feeling of watching eyes had gone, I felt safer, much, much safer. Maybe it was misplaced; maybe it was foolish to think so.

'In a week,' I thought 'I will be brutalised…. Or at least tormented by Eric once more, than Trent and so forth.' I couldn't help but smile 'At least that's better then what could have happened, better to have a few knocks to the head, a few blows and a bone broken now and then to be chased by mad men!'

Damien turned and smiled at me, for no reason or context, he was just as happy as I was.

I felt that things were really going to get better.