Heart of Steel

Heart of Steel chapter 7

Heart of Steel chapter 7

Xander's POV

I woke up feeling good. Dad hadn't been home last night until the early morning so i didn't have to see him at all. My face was a bit better that morning but there was still bruising on my left eye and jaw. I rubbed them, looking in the mirror and sighed, knowing i looked like a boy that gets into a lot of trouble.

I got up early went for a walk along the beach we went to yesterday. The sky was still an orangey colour, the sun had yet to rise. Half way up the beach i decided to jog. The sand felt great against my bear feet and the wind whipped through my hair. I smiled at a few of the people walking dogs or jogging aswell.

After a good hour and a half jog up and down the beach i stopped, sweaty and smelly and puffed and flopped down on the sand, lying like a starfish. I layed there for a while, eyes closed and listening to the ocean.

"Well, hello"

"Whoa!" i jumped, standing up quicker then i even had before. I stood, looking like an idiot, in front of Charlie. She smiled at me.

"Bit jumpy today?" she asked, amusment in her eyes.

"Bit stalky today?" i shot back, laughing.

She laughed and sat down on the sand, patting the space beside her. I plopped back down next to her.

"So, why are you here so early in the morning?" i asked her. It was only 6.45 in the morning and the sun was just rising. There were only a few people at the beach, probably getting that only bit of relaxation in the day before a hard days work.

"Um," she looked down at the sand and gathered some into her hands, then letting it fall through her fingers she finally looked up. "I don't really know. Had a bad night, i guess."

I cocked my head to the side. 'Bad night, huh? Couldn't sleep?"

She shook her head. "No, i could sleep. But i just keep having these weird dreams."

Her eyebrows were squinched into a frown as she went deep into thought.

"What kind of dreams?" i asked.

"I don't know," she repeated. "Weird ones.'

I laughed. "Oh, okay."

For the next few minutes there was silence. At first it was awkward but it ended up feeling comfortable. Charlie was caught up in her own thoughts and i started to think something must be wrong.

When i was about to say something she finally talked. "Hey, have you ever had that feeling when you think your parents are hiding something from you?" she asked.

I still hadn't told her about my parents and what they did, but i was pretty sure that my parents would come out and say whatever was bugging them. They do all the time, saying their going to leave us and that we're 'ungrateful children'.

"Um," i didn't really know what to say. "Not really, no."

There was another silence. "Why, do you?"

She nodded. "I've been having these dreams, the same ones over and over. I feel like they're telling me something, you know? I don't know, it sounds stupid, maybe i just need a good nights sleep."

"What kind of dreams?" i repeated my question from before, hoping that she would answer.

She sighed and layed back in the sand. i copied her movement.

"Okay, so from the first morning i woke up i thought something felt a little strange but my parents told me it was just from the accident and i would just have to accept-" she suddenly stopped, her eyes wide open, looking straight up at the sky. Her mouth shut quicky and she froze.