Silver Trickster ⚬ Barry Allen [1]

25. Foul Play

Present

Running was something that always took my mind off of things. When I was younger, every time something bad happened, I just ran. I guess I felt like I was running away from my many problems, but in all reality, I just liked the calmness about it all. To know that I was running that fast, the people around me only able to see a blur; a flick in the wind was why I really ran. Something about the idea of it always sent chills up my spine.

So here I was now, dashing through Central City as I tried to keep my mind off of everything. I was running from Caitlin, from Hunter, from Killer Frost, and more importantly, from Barry. However, as much as I told myself that I wanted to run away from him, I couldn't help but want to run towards him. 

I couldn't even figure out why I cared about him so much. It drove me mad knowing that I cared about someone other than Hunter and didn't have a specific reason. Every time I tried to figure out what it was that I liked about Barry, I could only think about the times my heart raced when I was with him, the time he had held my hand in the club, and the first time he had kissed me...and meant it. I've never felt like that before. Barry was the only person who's been able to do that with me.

Yet despite how much I wanted to rip my hair out and scream, I ran instead. 

I find myself skidding to a halt when I reach the top of a building, overlooking everything in Central City. It was dark now as the street lights light up the city, along with the lights in the apartments downtown and the ones in the little shops, even the one far off in the distance that I knew was Big Belly Burger. I've memorized this city like it was the back of my hand; only to bring it to its knees like Hunter and I had always sworn to do, and we did.

As I look out, my eyes somehow trail upwards as I look up at the sky, my eyes widening the longer I stared. I never realized it until now, but up here, you could see the stars. Down on the street you couldn't because of all the light pollution, but up here...it was clear as day. It was amazing.

For some reason, my parents come across my mind in that moment. I usually tried not to think about them because the memories just hurt too much, but instead of remembering the bad like I usually do, I remembered the good. I remembered the times they took me out for ice cream and Big Belly Burger, the times they'd let me stay up late watching a movie, but never able to finish it because I always fell asleep, and the times we'd sit around the kitchen table every Christmas eve and make a ginger bread house. 

A smile finds its way on my face as I look above, wondering what life could have been like if they were still here. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to fully forgive Hunter for lying to me about them and his name, but he was all that I had left. Without him, I was nothing. I had no one.

My eyes flick downwards then, seeing a streak of blue race through the streets, heading back towards the forest where our home was. I bite my bottom lip gently as I watch Hunter for a moment, not sure what to say to him the next time I saw him. I just didn't understand why he could care so much about Caitlin, yet tell me that love was weakness. It didn't add up in my mind.