Chapter 3: In Hiding

I was running, running as fast as I could. I didn't turn back one time to see if anyone was tailing me I was so scared. I just hopped into my room through the window, pulled down all the blinds and hid right under the mattress.

My room was the only safe place for me lately. It was the only place I safely hide away from the suckers if a plan fell through, which happened every now and then. Like today for instance. Everyone was crowding around us and some of them looked really, really mad. Even the ones who didn't, like Sarah oddly enough, had a history so I couldn't stay there. I had to hightail it out of there and my room was the only real safe house now a days. I waited impatiently, but eventually I fell asleep. I knew because when I woke up I was sucking on the leg of the bed which was as disgusting as it sounded.

I then peered through the blinds of the window, and there was absolutely no one outside. None of the kids, none of the parents, not even the animals. It felt uncomforting, so I decided to go out and see what was going on. Walking out the door and into the street, there still was practically no one in the area. It was odd. I walked around to the playground and still no one was there. But on the way back, I finally did see somebody, and it was a living person thankfully.

"Heya Eddy!" Johnny said in a somewhat exasperated tone before sneezing.

Of all the Cul-De-Sac kids to run into, Johnny was probably one of the few I didn't really mind running into. He was a bit more to himself and although he was an occasional victim to my plans, he never really seemed to hold onto a grudge beyond that day or so. He looked like a ghost today though, with a runny nose and a pale complexion.

"Johnny you don't look so good. Are you doing alright?" I said. I tried to sound at least kind of polite, but he just kind of looked real stone faced back.

"To be fair, I'm actually kind of sick." He said back before hacking up a storm. I instinctively leapt far back away from Johnny "Sorry Eddy, I hope I don't get you sick too."

"It's ok, just don't give me your Ebola or whatever it is." I said back just wanting to get my word in already. Now he definitely looked aggravated with me, but I was too now.

"Say, do you know where everyone went? I totally lost track of everyone not too long ago." I was glad I finally made some progress.

"Well I was in my room sleeping when whatever happened, but I did look out my window at some point a-and…" Johnny suddenly began to trail off, as though he'd lost his thought.

"What did you see Johnny?" I asked with great worry. He clearly saw something and it would help me figure out what was happening

Johnny then leaned into Plank. Plank is this piece of wood Johnny made into an imaginary friend, and it's really annoying. It's like he believes it's actually real or something. After a moment or so of "talking" with Plank, Johnny looked back up at me.

"Well, I really don't remember, but Plank does." He said.

I rubbed eyes out thoroughly. I had a feeling this was going to be quite ridiculous.

"Well, what did he see?" I asked, really impatient now.

After "consulting" with Plank again for the second time in as many minutes, Johnny looked back at me and shoved Plank in my face.

"Plank told me that a strange, red truck came by… it was really loud and that was what awoke us…" He began to trail off again.

"Yeah, go on go on." I said, trying to mask my impatience with enthusiasm.

"Well, the only other thing he remembers is that… it came for Ed." Johnny finally finished.

Suddenly everything was suddenly clear to me. I was entirely right to run away after the car thing: they were kidnapped!

I still wasn't quite sure how to handle the doctor's news. I mean, he obviously was in great pain no doubt, but the pain looked almost entirely physical. Never could I have even begun to imagine that he was in-

"A comatose state. He's alive, but unresponsive."

A coma to be short with it. He's practically a breathing vegetable. She explained in a calm manner that came across a lot better than most probably could, but the gravity of the situation made it too much for any of us to bear. Sarah hadn't really stopped crying since the actual moment and it certainly didn't stop here. Rolf moaned in his corner at how this loss was as difficult as the day his third aunt removed had been devoured by the wolf men, which I thought was a warlord but I never bothered to ask him. Even Kevin, who never liked Ed because of me and Eddy, had a brief spell where he looked clearly pained upon hearing the news.

My mind just raced after those words. It raced with the ideas of alternate realities, ones where Ed isn't there and I am instead, one's where somehow I get Eddy to call off the plan. I just wanted to close my eyes, open them, and see a new reality. Unfortunately, it wasn't changing and I knew it.

Shortly after that, the doctor allowed us some supervised visiting time, but nobody took the offer. They didn't want to have the image of a breathing vegetable in their minds I would imagine was the main reason behind this. But I knew that I couldn't turn down the offer since I know Ed would do the same for me. After a moment to regain my composure entirely, I walked into the room and it was quite filled actually. Ed was attached to a machine through a mask that was pumping in air for him. For the first time in my life I didn't want to know about the science behind something, this was just too human to attach numbers and equations to. He looked so peaceful, as though he was living in his dream fantasy right now. Even feeling his hand, it felt warm as any other day.

Then I ran my hand by his rib cage area and it just fell flat down on him. This must be why he needs the machine, his lung was practically flattened by the wheel. What a miracle for him to even be here right now. But I couldn't think of miracles for longer when facing him. All I could think about was the guilt I carried as luggage now.

I then fell into his chest and began to cry. Not just sob or tear up a little. I mean just cry and cry and cry as many tears as I could handle. Now that it was just me, Ed, and his parents I had nothing to hold back anymore from anyone. I tried saying I was sorry repeatedly to Ed, but it just came out all mumbled and jumbled. Even after my time was up I didn't finish, I just lightened up the amount of tears. Finally after I stopped, Mr. Tanner showed up behind me.

"You ready to go Edward?" he asked me. I nodded back.

The car ride home was silent the whole way. The two of us (Jimmy had left earlier with Sarah and walked back to the Bus Station rather than wait on us) were all ready to put this day behind. As we pulled into my driveway, I waved as he drove a few inches away to the Ed residence. I was about to finally put this awful day behind, when suddenly something leapt at me from the bushes. It was dirty and rancid, and for a split second I feared I was about to get rabies to make this even worse.

But then I realized that it was a person. I knew who it was too.

"Eddy! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHAT'S GOING ON?" I yelled, my instinctive response upon being attacked.

He then skittishly looked around as if looking for someone or something. In particular.

"Did you escape?" He asked me.

"What are you talking about?" I shot back at him. This was beyond absurd. First he doesn't show up after HE hurts Ed, and now he's attacking me. What's going on here?

"…. The kidnapper! He took Ed right?" Eddy asked almost fearfully.

At that precise moment, everything between the two of us changed forever.