While the whole plaza is lit on fire from the skies, a nimble man runs through the putrid alleys. Wearing a bonnet, the boy ran across the street with his pale skin shining out in the darkness of the night.
He pants as he sprints rapidly. As he glances back, he sees two men dressed in dark attire. The men chase after him with plans to capture him. In the pursuit, the boy turned his back on them as he runs. He took something from his pocket and a blast looms around, and suddenly, everything slowed down.
The mysterious boy's image fades as everything around him gets distorted in time in the tick of a clock. He vanished in thin air along the almost slowness sky. The melting snow showed the boy's footprints, yet his pursuers were lead to a dead end.
The men chasing him were shocked to find out they were misled. They searched the whole place as they panic. But their attempt was to no success. One of the men removed his hood and his crinkly face full of scars and burns caught light under the moon.
*Static*
He calls someone over the phone and said, "He got away..." in a malevolent voice. He just nods and puts down the phone and the two walked away. After the pursuers left, the boy peeks on a wall. Shivering in the cold. He breathes deeply and scoffs. He stares at his wristwatch and its numbers glitch.
In his distress, he wanted to shout, yet he restrains himself. As his mind was full of problems, a firework exploded in the sky. It caught his attention and he ambles towards the town plaza. The plaza is filled with people and lights. And also where two love-birds sleep soundly under the night sky.
While in his arms, Perry stared into Nil's eyes. Silently calm and sound asleep. The boy then hovers his palm atop the sleeping beauty's hair. He stopped as he hesitates to stroke her majestic dark hair, yet he can smell the scent of flowers on her.
He holds his grip tighter and his eyes would start to succumb to slumber. The lad tries his effort to remain in his consciousness. He can see only the heavens alight with the blaze of colors and the hair like that of blustering meadows.
The boy couldn't get any content. He just smiled and moves his head to lay on Nil's. He then closed his eyes, too to feel the inner peace. As Perry peeks to see the last blast of the fireworks, he sees before him a familiar face standing patiently.
"W-Who are you?" Perry asks the lad in front of them. The boy standing approached them and waved at the two. As he leans forward, his dark black hair stands out. His jewel eyes peek on Nil who is fast asleep while on Perry's grip. Perry slowly moves his arms away and let the girl lean on the seat.
Perry stood up and greeted him. The pale white boy just shrugged and pulled Perry by the sleeve and moves him a bit away from the sleeping Nil. As he drags Perry, he then talks to him, "Hey, Paul. You seem to be having a great time." Perry just chuckled and scratched his head.
While the two chat, Nil squirms. Perry glanced back and proceeds to ask the boy, "I think we've already met, right?" with a shrug to accompany his confusion. The boy nods and he pulled out his phone. "You know this profile, right? It's me, Oliver. I'm the guy who woke you up while you slept on the road" the boy explained. Perry just agreed with him with a nod saying, "Ah...I see."
"So you're the one who saw my sketches, Oliver?" Perry asked Oliver. Oliver replied while in a hurry, "Yes, Perry, I actually came to you because I needed your help." Perry was perplexed. Oliver pats Perry at his shoulder and sighs. He grabs Perry by his forearm and pulls it out revealing his pocket watch.
Perry immediately hides the pocket watch from Oliver's sight. "I need your help, Paul," Oliver said to Perry. Perry explained, "It's Perry, Oliver. P-E-R-R-Y, Perry" Oliver just nodded and glares into Perry. "I need you to come with me. I have to tell you something. It's important," Oliver said to Perry.
Perry just laughed and frowned."I don't know what you're talking about," Perry replied. Oliver looks around constantly and told him, "There isn't much time, Perry." Oliver pulls Perry out of the park away from the stage, yet Perry resists and tries to get free. "Stop it, Oliver. What's your problem?" Perry questions.
"It's about you, Perry. You are-" Just right before Oliver could finish his sentence, a loud explosion occurred. It echoed throughout the plaza and a loud sizzling noise disturbed the silence of the night.
*Boom*
One of the fireworks wasn't able to fly off and exploded while still about to launch. It caused a chain reaction to the other stocked fireworks and all ignited and caused fire around the park. Perry hurriedly went to Nil to see if she's safe.
"Wait, Perry..." Oliver calmly shouts right after Perry leaves him behind. He tries to catch up to him, yet the crowd of panicking people became an obstacle for both of them. One of the observers of the fireworks show tripped over some gasoline tanks and the fire spreads around the park.
*Splish*
The sound of fire sizzling and burning away everything caused Oliver to fall down in pain. Oliver gets dizzy and mixed up. His breathing gets deeper and he tries to reach out his hand. Meanwhile, Perry tries to wake up Nil from her sleep, and Perry tries all his effort to get away from the fire.
As Nil opens her eyes, the place was engulfed in flames and everyone is in chaos. Perry carried Nil on his arms and both ran away to safety. While dashing out of the park, Perry caught glimpse of Oliver having an asthma attack due to the smoke.
He turned around and his chest felt a sudden pain. "N-Not again. Please, not in here," he said in anguish. Perry then tries to reach his pocket watch, but he quickly noticed his pants caught fire. Nil gets down and tries to help Perry. The lad laid down and rolls over the sandbox he found earlier.
As Perry tries to put out the fire, his pocket watch fell. Seeing the situation they're in is dangerous, Perry grabbed the opportunity to use his newfound power. "Let's see what does this thing has to offer," Perry confidently said.
He tries to touch the pocket watch, yet nothing happened. Perry set their lives in jeopardy as he forcefully tries to activate the pocket watch's power. However, it was to no success. He tried tapping the pocket watch, swiping it, pounding it, pressing it, still no avail.
As the fire spread around them, Oliver falls down and loses his consciousness. When it was all hopeless, Perry desperately tries to save Oliver. He put the pocket watch in his pocket and sprints towards the crackling flames.
He slides to Oliver's level and tries to carry him to safety on his shoulders. "Come on, buddy. Get up," Perry told the gasping Oliver. He lifted the boy and strapped his arm around his shoulders. The two walked unstable as both are tested by the hazards around them.
Walking away slowly, they both grunt and cough out of harm's way. Oliver thanks Perry for saving him and Perry just scoffs with a smile. When the two was about to leave the plaza, Perry had a vision of an incoming danger heading straight to them, so he immediately looked behind them.
*Zoom*
As the boys glance at their back, fireworks explode and fly all around the place. People panicking and fire spreading all over. Perry's heartbeat raises as his eyes observe their surroundings.
At the glimpse of a shining object flying in the sky, Perry took notice of it and immediately flung themselves out of the way. Seconds after the two moved away from their path, a huge firework flew towards right behind them. It hurled some burning debris at the two boys, yet they are at most safe. Nil rushed towards the two with a wet towel and helps Perry carry the unconscious Oliver.
When the three was near to safety, paramedics came to their aid and firefighters attempts to douse the raging crimson fire. There was barely any victims and the plaza was wrecked. Leaving nothing, but a barren and burnt field.
Oliver woke up with an inhaler attached to him. "What...happened?" Oliver asks. Perry showed up beside him and said. "You're going to be fine. Okay? Don't panic, just relax. I'm so sorry, Oliver," Perry said as he tries to comfort Oliver.
Nil approached Oliver and bowed her head in sadness. Oliver stared at Perry's pocket. He noticed something and grabs Perry's pocket watch. Perry was hesitant to give the watch, however, he was immediately shocked when Oliver showed him another pocket watch. Almost identical in appearance.
"I also have one of those things," Oliver said in a faint tone. Perry was out of words, and Nil was just confused. "Tell me what you know," Perry asks the weaken Oliver. Oliver nods and lends out his hand to which both lads shook hands. "I have so much to tell you," Oliver added as their pocket watches chimed.
----- Hand Struck to IX -----