¨So you mind telling me what that was about?¨ Kiara opened a bag of chips and offered the h/c haired some to which he politely declined.
¨Well...basically Nova came up from behind me and we talked a bit.¨ Kiara gave him a disturbed expression ¨He came up behind you? in the dark, in the middle of nowhere? what is he even doing out here?¨ Y/n rolled his shoulder ¨He told me he was there to get food, the others are hanging over.¨
Kiara nodded ¨I'm gonna act like I know exactly who the ´others´ are¨ sarcasm laced her tone.
Y/n gave her a playful jab to her rib
¨well the others as in Roy and Elio.¨
¨and Ezra?¨
Y/n rolled his eyes lightly ¨ I thought that would be too obvious to mention¨ Kiara gave him an offended look ¨Hey, how could I know that? I'm not the one who was ´BFFs´ with them years ago, I don't know them as well as you do, heck I barely know anything about them apart from their names.¨
The boy giggled and put his hands up. ¨Touché¨ Kiara stared at him for a few seconds before she too began chuckling ¨ I was just joking, don't worry.¨
the two continued walking down the dark path. suddenly Y/n's feet stopped moving. and Kiara regarded him with a light frown ¨whats up?¨ the boy didn't answer. He was staring warily into the forest a few meters away from them.
´Someone or something is staring at us´
Y/n narrowed his eyes to try the get a better view of the thing that had caught in his peripheral vision just moments prior. The longer he stared the more he was becoming convinced there was something, someone in the forest. lurking.
His eyes began adjusting to the dark. His stomach dropped.
in the woods behind some trees stood someone. The person was wearing a...mask? looked like it. The night prevented Y/n from seeing properly but he could see someone. Or at least, the outline of a figure. The moonlight shifted making it shine through the branches of the woods directly at the mystery person.
the individual was dressed in all black, with a hood pulled over their head, a dirty beige mask covering their face, with nothing but two black holes where their eyes assumingly were.
The stranger was staring right at the h/c haired boy. Y/n couldn't stop the feeling of discomfort starting to churn in his stomach. The entire encounter felt ominous. Why was this person...out in the middle of the night in the woodland of all places in a....costume? or he assumed it was a costume. Maybe he was just a jerk wanting to scare people passing by.
¨Uh..Y/n is something wrong?¨ Kiara asked concerned. Y/n snapped out of his intense staring match with the stranger and glanced at Kiara ¨Kiara..do you see...¨ he turned his gaze back to the person. But something was different. They lifted up their finger to their face and let it rest there.
Oh god. He felt like vomiting on the spot.
¨ Let's go. I think I saw a wild animal.¨
The boy began to usher the girl to continue walking. Away from the masked person. He assumed they didn't want Y/n to tell Kiara about their presence. not that he was going to listen to what some creep in the woods ordered him to do, he just didn't wanna take any chances, especially out in the middle of nowhere...cause if the person was dangerous. It wouldn't be wise to tell Kiara when they had no way of defending themselves if things did get ugly.
¨But Y/n, there's no-¨
¨ Let's just go! We don't want our parents to find out we snuck out past curfew, right?¨ Y/n whispered-yelled in frustration. He didn't mean to snap at Kiara but he needed to get them away as quickly as possible, everything about the current situation set off alarm bells in his head.
Kiara opened her mouth to protest but closed it before a word could come out
¨Okay¨
Y/n felt his heart calming down at her compliance. He took her arm in a stern hold and started striding away with haste.
¨Hey! I get it, we gotta go, just slow down, please?¨
He felt blood rushing through his ears, he blocked out Kiara's plea, he was too busy hearing his heartbeat and making sure he didn't hear a third set of footsteps. He swiftly put one foot over the other as he focused on navigating the path back to town.
he glanced back for a second. He wished he never did.
The individual had left the shelter of the woods and was standing in the middle of the dirt path. Watching the duo walk away.
Y/n practically started sprinting away, with Kiara almost falling trying to keep up. But they were not followed.
The two were standing next to the welcome sign of the town out of breath. ¨W-What was that about dude?¨ Kiara asked with a raspy tone. Y/n let out a shaky huff, he was just relieved to be away from that place. That...someone gave him the wrong vibes. Doesn't matter if they didn't ambush them. It was the feeling of foreboding that made his mind scream to leave. A creep wearing a mask roaming the woods at midnight wasn't exactly the definition of safe.
¨I´ll bring you home.¨
The pair were walking down the street in silence until Kiara spoke up ¨So, what did you talk about with Pierce?¨
¨We were talking about the Runswick killer.¨
Kiara's breath hitched in her throat and she creased her eyebrows ¨...Why?.¨
Y/n bit the inside of his cheek ¨He asked why I was back in Runswick, I told him the reasons why I am back and he told me I've come at....regrettable times.¨
¨Well he isn't wrong. Everyone in this town are sitting ducks.¨ she said with bitterness
Y/n looked at her ¨Why do you say that?¨ the girl stared at him intensely ¨Because you're just waiting for the psycho to strike again. you never know if you're gonna be the next victim. and people still insist on staying in this wretched town. It's dumb.¨
¨Then why don't you leave as well?¨
That hit a nerve.
Kiara glared at him and he could feel her unsteady breath as she tried to compose herself. She narrowed her eyes ¨Why don't we hurry home? We don't want our parents to find out we snuck out past curfew. Right?¨ her tone was filled with hostility.
Y/n caught onto the hint and the rest of the walk was once again silent.
Kiara and Y/n reached the female´s house. He walked her up to her door and when her hand landed on the doorknob she hesitanted. ¨Look Y/n I didn't mean to come over so aggressive towards you. it's just...been hard. This killer has been a hard hit for...for everyone. I know you're new, I don't blame you, but just..be careful what you go around saying.¨ she glanced back at him for a second and he swore he could see tears going down her cheeks.
¨You might end up telling the wrong person the wrong thing.¨
With those last words, she opened her door and slammed it shut. Leaving the boy in his lonesomeness. ´What was that about?¨
he began walking back home, luckily Kiara´s house was only a few minutes away from his own. Although it was not an enormous distance he needed to walk, Y/n couldn't keep his mind off the creepy stranger lurking in the forest. it was an eeriness he couldn't shake, anxiety swirled up inside him.
´F**k this, I´m not letting some creep make me scared of walking home´
he took out the earphones he had put away in his pocket and plugged them into his phone, finding a random song from his playlist and hit play.
(start video at 00:31)
An angel's smile is what you sell
You promise me Heaven, then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passion's a prison, you can't break free
Music flew through his ears as he began moving down the street. Music always helped him calm down his mind.
Oh, there's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done
He started to recognize the neighborhood he walked into and let out a sigh as he saw the roofing of his mother's house in the horizon.
´I haven't gotten mugged yet so it most likely only was a creep wanting to scare people back there.´
Hey, you give love, a bad name
Y/n took out his earphones as he neared the porch of his house. There wasn't any light to be seen shining out of the windows so he concluded that his mother was sleeping soundly. it was pretty late, and if she indeed was back in her position as lead detective. she needed the rest, especially with the current case.
he stuck his key into the lock and began wrestling with the lock a bit before it caved in ´She really needs to fix the lock.´ he opened the door quietly and stepped into the hall.
¨Where have you been?!¨ a voice boomed off the walls of the house. Making the boy jump.
Y/n locked eyes with his mother, her eyes were tear-stained and red but there was no hiding the deep frown of disapproval she wore.
The boy stood stared at the woman wide-eyed.
¨Well!?¨ she gestured for him to give her an explanation for his absence.
Y/n stood stunned in the opening of the residence, his mind not being able to grasp the situation or the woman standing before him. he stepped inside and closed the front door speechless. He felt like a deer caught in headlights.
When the male gave no indication of answering, the woman continued her speech ¨Have you any idea how worried I was?!¨ pain and shakiness were evident in her voice. The gleam in her eyes made it clear she had been crying. ¨What were you thinking going out around this time, especially after what I told you on our car ride to Runswick?!¨
The boy lowered his head in shame, feeling as though the ground could swallow up his pathetic form at any moment.
¨Answer me, Damn it!¨ She snapped. Tears started to come out of her eyes once more. Y/n flinched and forced himself to answer. ¨I was out with a friend to...the convenience store just out of town.¨' It was quiet. A frustrated sigh was heard from his mother and she pinched her nose in annoyance.
¨Nothing out of the ordinary happened?¨ Y/n swallowed a painful lump that was in his throat. ¨No. Nothing strange happened.¨
Lies.
The h/c haired woman visibly relaxed at his answer but remained agitated. ¨Do you know how irresponsible that was?¨ her voice was stern. The boy nodded and he peered up at his mother.
¨Yes mother.¨
her face contorted to one of sorrow and she stepped closer to her son and put a hand on his cheek. ¨I know you are eighteen and are allowed to do what you want.´ her voice cracked ¨But..please...I can't lose you too.¨
Y/n stiffed at the last few words ´ I can´t lose you too´ the boy felt his composure crumbling ´She has never...´
His mother pulled him into a tight hug. The boy stayed unmoving for a few seconds, he proceeded to return the hug. His mother buried her face into his shoulder and the boy could hear his mother's soft sobs. The boy patted her back in comfort.
¨ I just...really miss her.¨ the male felt his heart clench up at the mention. It had been years since she had been brought up in this family.
¨ I miss her too, Mom.¨
Y/n was laying in his bed once again staring at his ceiling, the clock read: 02:16 am. It felt as if he was gone for more than two hours. but he suspected all the things that had happened had left him so drained it felt as if the time had gone slower than it actually had. He pondered over the events that had taken place over the span of two hours, Meeting Nova Pierce after six years, the creep in the forest, and his mother's breakdown.
It made his heart hurt to think about his mother's hurt expression, it felt more stressful than seeing someone ogling at him from the trees in a f**king Halloween costume.
It felt funny. When it came down to it, he was more concerned about his mother than any regard for his safety. He would sacrifice his own life for her life any day of the week. He didn't know if that was a healthy way to think about life but frankly couldn't care.
The boy started slipping into the realm of slumber.
A young boy came dashing down the stairs, tears in his eyes ¨Dad! Please take me with you! The two parents snapped their heads toward the boy ¨ Absolutely not! I am not-!¨
¨Please Dad! I know it's all my fault but I just...¨ the boy was practically blabbering out words and used the sleeves of his shirt to wipe away the tears that fell down. The couple shared a look, and the woman gave him a pleading look. The man looked in deep thought and eventually let out a huff ¨Fine. pack your bags we are leaving first thing tomorrow morning.¨ with that he stomped out of the room without sparing his son or wife a single glance.
The boy looked back at his mother ¨Mom I'm so sorry, i-¨ as he was about to sputter out an apology his mother rushed up to him and gave him a tight hug. ¨ it's okay...you don't need to apologize...just calm down.¨ his mother's soft voice reached his ears like sweet honey, Engulfing him. he sucked in a shaky inhale. He hugged her back and he noticed that she too was crying.
Y/n opened his eyes hazily and looked at the clock. 06:05 am. he had slept proximally four hours and he felt like crap. His classes started around eight am. but his school itself opened at seven am. He was still tired but he had no motivation to continue sleeping so he decided to get ready for school. he took a shower. Ten minutes. Did his morning hygiene routine. Five minutes. Put on his uniform. Two minutes. Pack his bag he had forgotten to pack in advance. Five minutes. Eat breakfast. Ten minutes. Walking to school. Forty minutes.
7:17 am. It was 7:17 am when he arrived at the gate of the school. he stood once again staring up at the building. Y/n felt a sense of deja vu as he walked up to the entrance.
The halls of the school were empty. Only the sound of the boy's footsteps could be heard echoing off the marble ground. He knew he wasn't actually alone in the building, some teachers were present, the principal, and janitors coming to do some pre-cleaning before the swarm of students emerged. It left a calm feeling behind to know he was pretty much alone, it made concentrating on his thoughts without the sound of other students around, that much easier. There were only a few lights turned on, the essential to make sure the staff at least saw where they were going.
Y/n went up to his locker and checked his schedule for the needed books. ´ My first period is homeroom...I share that class with Kiara and Clark. Then I have Math, which is a class, I guess I share with Nova. After that I have...Chemistry? That is a class I haven't had yet...Maybe I can ask Nova the way there...¨ Y/n pulled up his nose in displeasure.
´Or I can ask Clark and Kiara. Me and Nova. I don't know...are we still friends? does he see me as a friend? do any of them see me as a friend still? The h/c haired boy felt a shudder of vicarious embarrassment go through his body. ´Yeah, I'll definitely ask Kiara or Clark the way to the chemistry lab.´ Y/n let out a grunt of irritation as he went to close his locker. ´That way I can save myself from humiliation.´
Y/n turned around to continue walking around the school until the other students began coming in and classes started. But as he turned around he bumped into something and his back arched against the locker, he had bumped into someone's chest, the person had supposedly been looming over him for a while.
Y/n eyes were wide as plates as his brain tried to register what had happened. Y/n felt his momentary shock being replaced by annoyance ¨Hey can you watch where you going...! And why on earth were you behind me, breathing down my neck?!..ever heard of personal space?!-¨ Y/n stopped his rant as he met sights with a pair of steel blue eyes. His mouth was open mid-air as he looked at the other boy standing before him up and down. There was no denying who it was, ash blond hair, bangs that slightly covered both sides of his face, blue eyes. Just more vibrant yet grayer than his brother. Yep. no doubt, the one he had bumped into. Was the one and only.
Ezra Pierce.
Author note: okay, my bad. impulsive decision to end the chapter on a cliffhanger and make it way shorter than I originally intended. But I could not help it. my brain was itching to do a cliffhanger if you even can call it that. In return, you will meet Ezra and someone else next chapter. Fun fact: I ended up scaring myself when writing the first half of the chapter. who would've guessed? lol.
comment for motivation. it helps <3 thank you in advance.