Nightmare on Third Street - Chapter Eight

Jake was enthusiastic when I showed up with Dominic trailing behind me. I knew Dominic was worried. Hell, I was worried too, but I couldn't let whatever was happening ruin my life. I had to act normal for my friends, or they would notice that something was up and start treating me different. I didn't want them pitying me or anything; I hated that. Jake smiled when he took notice of us, and came bounding over, energy rolling off of him. "Hey, man," he said in a chipper voice.

I grimaced inside, but smiled and said, "Hey. When're we startin'?"

"We were waiting for you," he said to me with a small chuckle. "Why'd it take you so long? You live just down the road." He seemed puzzled, and I figured I'd let him stew.

"What can I say?" I said with a shrug. "Call me the Master of Being Late."

He rolled his eyes and gave me a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Hey, the champ's finally here," he called out to everyone else. They all stopped what they were doing and smiled at me, and I could somehow hear their silent, "Finally!". Someone actually said it out loud, which got a laugh from the others.

Dominic shifted uncomfortably a step behind me. I turned to look at him. Giving him a reassuring smile, I whispered so only he could hear, "Don't worry, I'll be fine, Dom." He only looked at me and gave a brief nod of his head. He looked uncertain and worried, and I wished I could change taht, but I felt the same way myself. It was kind of hard to make someone cheer up when you yourself didn't feel so cheery.

"Okay," said Joey as he came up to us. He was a tall guy, around six foot, and had a linger build with broan shoulders. His light brown bangs fell into his gray eyes as he looked at us. "Let's start this game."

I nodded. "Okay. Who's on my team?"

Jake appointed himself speaker. "You're on my team, along with Joey, Alex, Seth...," he said as he pointed at everyone. There were a few others of whom I didn't know, but I took notice of their faces so as not to forget them and exclude them from my team. "Okay," said Jake once he was finished. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Okay," I agreed, before I turned to look at Dominic. I put my hand on his shoulder and gave what I thought was a reassuring squeeze. "Go over by the trees, okay? By the benches. Wait for me there. When I've made a goal or two, we'll leave."

He nodded stiffly. "Good luck," he said quietly, looking away. "Be careful." He turned on his heel and began walking away. My eyes followed his every move until Joey gripped my shoulder.

"You comin'?" he asked, looking me over. He seemed a bit concerned. "Usually you're the first one on the field."

I sighed. "I'm fine," I said. "I just stayed up late last night. And I've had a busy day."

He nodded, accepting what I was saying. "C'mon, then."

I nodded and followed him onto the field. I took my place and waited as the game started. Jake got the ball and kicked it, hard, in my direction. I raced forward and dribbled it down the field, toward the 'net'. The net was actually two small bushes that stood far enough apart from each other that you and another person could walk through it comfortably, but close enough together to make an okay goal. It was the same on the other side of the field, too.

Alex was open on my left, so I kicked the ball to him, and watched as he dribbled it further down the field. I ran to keep up. My chest hurt from the freezing and burning, and it hurt to breathe because of it, but I forced myself to keep going. If I stopped running or playing, then they would definitely know something was wrong.

I caught someone watching me in the crowd of people cheering us on. Dominic was in the front, watching me with worried eyes, but he wasn't the one that I was sensing. Glancing out of the corner of my eye as I ran, I noticed someone in the back with narrowed dark blue eyes which were watching my every move. The person seemed a bit puzzled, but oddly determined, too. I didn't linger on this fact, for I nearly tripped over my own feet whilst I wasn't watching where I was going, and had to turn my attention back to the game.

Seth had the ball, and when he saw that I was clear, he kicked it in my direction. I ran forward to meet the ball, and then kicked hard. The ball soared toward the 'goal'. People tried to stop it, even the goalie, but it was already in by the time they took notice of it. I shouted a "yes!" as people ran toward me, people from my team.

"Nice kick," commented Seth, smiling, panting slightly.

"Yeah," said Jake. "Nice."

I smiled at them, finally feeling like my old self. Maybe playing a game of soccer was good for me. At least, it felt good to not care about that damn voice and the pain. It felt good to have something to do, something to distract me.

The game resumed. Dominic was seemingly glaring at me. I had said one goal earlier, but maybe I wanted to do at least one more. Or maybe I was too into the game to quit now. For one thing, it was sure making me feel alive, and that was definitely a good thing.

It wasn't until I'd made the second goal that things got strange. Right after the ball had gone soaring through the air, I felt a wave of dizziness and stopped in my tracks. Feeling winded for some reason, I stumbled back a step, almost losing my footing. People came running toward me to cheer at me again, but I couldn't really focus on them or their words.

Jake's excited expression quickly changed when he took notice of the look on my face. He gripped my shoulder and gave me a small shake. "Bryan?" he questioned. His voice somehow got through the haze clouding my mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I wheezed, waving him off. "Got a cramp, that's all."

He nodded in understanding. "I hate those," he said.

I managed a small nod. After the dizziness and queasy feeling subsided, I rose to stand straight, and took in a deep breath. "Okay...I'm better now," I said.

Dominic came running toward the crowd, his expression fearful. I sighed and stepped away from everyone as he came up to me. "Are you okay?" he inquired immediately. "What happened?"

"Small cramp," I said, though I knew it was a lie. "That's all."

He looked at me for a long moment, before he sighed and nodded his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"...If you say so," he said. "Can we leave now?"

I frowned at him and then looked back at my team. "I...I guess so," I murmured. "Hold on." I moved away from my brother and walked toward my team. "Hey, Jake?"

He looked at me. "Hmm?"

"I have to go. My brother's not feeling very well."

He looked at my brother and nodded slowly. "Okay. You comin' to the concert tonight?"

"Of course," I said. "Wouldn't miss if for the world." Technically, I COULDN'T miss it, for I had a solo to play that only I knew by heart.

He nodded and slugged me on the shoulder. "Okay. See ya, Bry." He turned to head back to the team.

I moved toward Dominic. "Okay," I said with a small sigh. "Let's go." He nodded and began following me as I started to walk.

The person who had been watching me earlier stepped in our path when were just about to exit the park. I frowned at them. It was a man, probably a few years older than me, with dark brown hair. His dark blue eyes looked at me for a long moment, before he said, "You hear the voice?"

I frowned at him. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"The voice," he said. "The one in your head, the one in the phone. The one with the pain."

I froze. "Who...who are you?" I managed to whisper. Dominic gripped my hand tightly. I squeezed back, trying to be reassuring. "What do you want?"

He gave a small smirk. "I don't want anything, except to warn you. Who I am is unimportant."

"Warn me about what?"

"About the voice, what it can do. You have only seen the beginning."

"And you've seen more?" I asked, suspicious. Just who was this guy? How did he know about the voice?

His eyes grew hard. "Yes," he said curtly. "I've seen a lot more than you. I've been dealing with it since I was seven-years-old."

I gazed at him, mouth gaping open in shock. "Seven?" I croaked. I was seventeen, and I had a hard enough time dealing with it for just a few days, let alone YEARS. He nodded. Dominic let out a small whimper, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"Yes," said the man.

I frowned again. "Who are you?" I repeated my earlier question.

He sighed. "It is not safe to talk here. But then it will not be any safer in your house, unless you have taken some precautions." He raised a delicate brow questioningly. "Have you?"

"Er, no," I said, my frown deepening. "What kind of precautions?"

He shook his head. "We need to get to your place so I can help you. Otherwise, he will surely eat you alive."

His words and tone of voice chilled me to the bone, and Dominic buried his head in my side. I tightened my grip on his hand, and then swallowed as I looked back at the man. "How do you know?"

"I've dealt with it longer," he said. His eyes grew sharp. "Do you doubt me?"

"No," I said, for I didn't. I believed him. "This way." I began leading him to my house, with Dominic gripping my hand all the while. "But you still haven't told me your name."

He gave another, ghostly smirk. "Elrick," he answered.

"I'm Bryan," I said.

He nodded slowly. "I know. He told me."

I frowned, wondering what he could possibly mean. Oh yeah, we definitely had a lot to talk about.