The Piece System

Chapter Nineteen: JAKE

He should've seen it coming. Well, he shouldn't have, really. No one could've seen it coming. That was just how he always felt. He should've done something, he should've said something different, he should've been there. He should've known. Every time something went wrong, his head yelled at him. He was tired of the word should. It'd started at fourteen and he'd been dealing with the constant growing 'should' in his mind for ten years now.

Someday he'd slay it.

Today wasn't that day. Because he should've seen it coming.

Trudging down the road to Nia's house, somewhere he could sleep, he smiled despite the cold. The very thought of a proper roof and a sofa to sleep on felt like bliss.

But once he saw it, heard it, bliss was a thing of the past.

As he passed an alley in densely packed Knight neighbourhood, there was a noise. A groaning from the darkness. Jake turned, peering into the shadows. The sun had almost fallen, and the alleys were the last place he wanted to be at night: just because this wasn't Rockfoot didn't mean criminals didn't exist.

But the noise, the groans of pain, they were human. Jake's instincts, although tentative, kicked in.

Warily, he stepped into the alley, drawing down the cobblestone path. With every step, the noise got louder. Louder but also the very opposite. It was weaker with every pained moan, quieter with every second that passed.

Then he saw it. Or rather, him. A man led on the floor near the dumpsters, eyes wide as he stared at the sky. The man's breath was shaky and shallow. Jake's stomach dropped when he realised it wasn't a man. It was a boy. It was Kieran.

"Kie!" Jake skidded to his knees by the teenager's side. Kieran's eyes stayed rooted to the dimming sky.

"Kieran, hey, talk to me." Jake's hands hovered over his body, desperately trying to find what was wrong, "What happened?"

Kieran's eyes finally flicked to him. His mouth opened, but no noise came out. He looked frozen; his body limp yet violently trembling. Jake found his hand and clasped it in his.

"Hey? Hey! No!" Jake felt his chest. Had someone shot him? Stabbed him? Was he having a heart attack? Stroke?

Suddenly, Kieran stopped. A low, rumbling noise came from his throat. Words.

"He made me do it." his voice was raspy, barely more than a croak.

"Who? Who made you do what?" Jake could barely breathe himself. The look in the boy's eyes was unbearably cold and panicked. Desperate.

No. He can't, he can't...leave me.

Kieran used his other hand to gesture limply to the side. Jake looked.

There's nothing there.

"There's nothing there, bud." Jake said, trying to smile and give him reassurance. "What are you trying to say?"

Kieran's eyes rolled back in his head, making Jake's heart lurch.

No.

Kieran fought it, his eyes returning to give Jake another look. This time it was stronger, fighting.

"He made me drink it, he said he'd hurt my mum." he rasped.

Jake's shaking hands stayed clasped over Kieran's as he shouted for help. Never had he wished for a phone more than then. Never had he wished for the government's emergency services like he did then. Whatever it was, Kieran needed an ambulance. And because of his stupid, criminal mistakes, he couldn't bring it.