What's The Worst... Chapter 07

Kevin just happened to be standing in the front window at the time. He’d seen the young man coming stumbling down the street. At first Kevin had assumed that he was being chased, he’d even craned around to look up the street for the sign of the pursuing officer or gang, but neither was apparent and the youth himself never once looked back.

Kevin had watched him veer left and crash or trip straight over the low wall of the church yard. The lad had tumbled through the air, but had made a passing good job of bunching himself into a forward roll to absorb the worst of the impact.

Then the lad had just laid there.

From Kevin’s vantage point it looked like he was on his back, eyes wide open, holding his head and laughing... or screaming.

This was the decision point; Kevin decided that the lad needed some help. He turned to pick up his mobile phone; it was on the low table immediately behind him.

When he turned back the churchyard was empty, the fallen youth was gone.

Kevin scanned the street before him, fully from left of arc through to right of arc. Empty. No sign of him or anybody else anywhere within sight.

He waited for a few more seconds, just in case he reappeared... but nothing.

Shrugging, he turned back to the start of his day; giving barely another thought to the fleeing stranger.