ENDOHUMAN: Book 1 - Love Vs Duty (Completed)

Chapter 25: Tug of War

The stadium lights dim as they are switched off, one by one.

I am still sitting in the middle of the field after the last people have left the bleachers. Only a few minutes ago, those stands were filled with so much energy and anticipation.

The physical and emotional rollercoaster I have been through is unbearable. I have let down so many people over the course of the last week. I have just lost the match for my team, disappointing the whole town. I almost lost Evie. I failed to find Mary and Harry, and didn't catch the mysterious hooded creature. I have betrayed Grandpa.

It seems that whatever I do ends up in disaster. Every decision I make is the wrong one.

But no more. I will find my path again and concentrate on my training to fulfill my mission, whatever it is. Pappou will explain soon. I have finally come to understand the one thing that is clear in my mind.

I am an Endohuman and there are Rules.

No more games. No more school. I will drop out on Monday and ask Pappou if we can move away to concentrate on my training, and to get to the bottom of everything that has been happening.

I look up at the sky again. The mysterious lights are still there, hovering at the very limit of my endosight.

"Who are you?" I whisper to the sky.

"Who are you?" says a familiar voice behind me.

I turn to see Evie standing in the rain. She is still in her cheerleader uniform. She has let her hair down. It is no longer in a ponytail but falls in wet locks over her collarbone and breasts. Her hands are crossed in front of her. She must be freezing, and the rain is becoming stronger. She bites her lip as she tries to hold back tears.

The effect she has on me is so uncontrollable and dangerous that it takes all my energy not to just take her and draw her into my arms. To hug her, and tell her how much I love her. How she has been the only glimmer of hope in my miserable life. The only light in a dark tunnel. A tunnel, however, that I have just decided to never escape from. And so I have to end what has never begun.

"H-h-hey you," I stutter back, and stand up to face her.

"Enough games, Adam. No more with the stutter! How did you do that back there? Did you miss that shot on purpose? Why did you write RUN on the ball?"

"I thought I saw something in the shadows. With all that's happened I—"

"Was it you calling me last night on my cell phone?"

I look down.

"Adam, look at me. Was it you? Tell me! What's going on? What do you want? You are confusing me!"

"I don't know what I want!" I snap back in honesty.

"Did you write this?"

She holds up a piece of paper. I can recognize my handwriting from years ago. An unfinished poem.

SHE WHO RUNS IN DREAMS.

"Did you write this?" she asks again.

I look at the word RUNS in the title and the word RUN on the ball, which is being slowly washed away by the falling rain. The handwriting is identical.

There are tears in her eyes. Evie takes a step closer. She reaches out and puts her hand in mine. Her touch is freezing and I fight back the urge to warm it with my endoaura.

She looks into my eyes and moves even closer. Her other hand, still holding the now sodden piece of paper, rests on my bare chest.

Pappou's voice screams in my head, louder than ever. No one can know! Poison be the mortal's kiss.

"Adam, please. Did you write this?" Evie's eyes are shining with tears of uncertainty and hope. Years of anticipation.

Her lips are not even a breath away from mine. As they are about to touch, I turn away, shaking my head.

"Adam?" Evie takes a step back, looking at me in confusion. "You need to speak to me. Enough of this. Please say something. Let go of your emotions. Why are you doing this? Don't you care?"

"No," I whisper in pain.

That single word makes me feel I am dying. My stomach is a tight ball of tension. I grow dizzy. My heart is being torn from my chest.

At that moment a police siren breaks the uneasy silence. Red and blue lights illuminate the dark soccer field and our anguished faces. Sheriff Damon McBrook's voice echoes in the night from the police megaphone. I can hear the sound of guns being cocked. They are aimed at me.

"ADAM VANOLF. STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST."

Evie takes a step forward and extends her hand in a protective gesture. "No. He hasn't done anything. We are just talking," she shouts towards the police cars. "Tell them, Adam! Tell them you didn't do anything," she pleads to me.

I raise my arms in the air and lock them behind my head, kneeling in the mud in surrender.

Surrender to your destiny! Pappou's voice, loud in my head.

I close my eyes and count to five.

1...2...3...4...5.

"Adam, tell them! Say something!" Evie screams as a police officer grabs her from behind, dragging her away from me.

I feel the cold metal of handcuffs forced onto my wrists behind my head. I allow the three police officers to push me down into the mud. They press me down, their knees in my back.

Sheriff Damon McBrook bends closer; I feel his warm breath on my ear. "Adam Vanolf, you are under arrest for the murder of Mary Tobor."

Evie's voice sounds shaky. I know that tone. She is scared and about to surrender to another stress, or should I say, Adam-induced seizure.

"Adam. Say something! Please!" Evie's voice now sounds so far away.

TO BE CONTINUED

AUTHOR NOTE

This is so fun writing! I really appreciate your support everyone with your reads, likes and comments. Have never gotten so far in my writing ever and it looks like we are going to finish this book together in a few weeks. All thanks to you that are keeping me motivated and accountable for my updates. I really appreciate that and appreciate YOU!!! So thanks!

Also note that I have started narrating the book so if you go back to the first chapters you can read them and listen along to the audio.

If you like Endohuman, please add it your reading list, voting and commenting your thoughts and suggestions. Would also be Endohumanly fantastic if you could share the story on your social media to get it out there. Love ya! nick_dream