"What. You. Said?" Nate asked, eyes widening, and the girl repeated. As soon as those words reached Nate's ears, his level of interest in the stranger tripled. And, like a scared cat, he turned his attention to the door, determined to get up and confront the stranger. But there was no one else there.
"He often appears and disappears around here as if he were a ghost. I don't think he's a student... I don't think people notice him, which is even more bizarre." She added, sitting on the empty seat opposite the boy. "He didn't take his eyes off you for a second. I'm not sure if he's an intern, troublemaking gangster or a secret CIA spy…" Nate laughed, trying to hide his nervousness. It could be something worse.
"Seriously, what do you mean by that?!"
"The teachers never do anything, they just let him stand there, as if he were a statue... Have you never noticed?"
"Well, first of all…" Nate took a deep breath and pondered the question for a few seconds, it was really strange. But the answer was no. " I don't really think seeing a ghost is something you can brag about" — Nate joked, trying to change the subject quickly.
— Oh, c'mon. It's not funny. — she said, and Nate laughed.
"Actually, It's a little funny." He said, and the girl rolled her eyes in disapproval. "but I don't think you need to be so worried anymore. There's nothing there."
The girl seemed to freeze and immediately fell silent as soon as she fixed her gaze on the exact spot where the mysterious boy was leaning before. She turned back to Nate with a curious look.
"Do you believe in ghosts?" she asked. "Since it was you who brought up the topic, I mean… Do you?"
A smile danced on his lips, but the piercing, hard gaze suggested the question was serious. Nate coughed, startled by the sudden question and looked away from the girl's unsettling gaze.
"Well, never mind. It's not something people usually take seriously, anyway... Your name is Nathaniel, isn't it? I just realized I don't think we met before, I'm Helen, I got transferred only a month ago."
"Oh, what a bad timing… we could've been good friends."
"You're leaving?" she asked, pouting.
"Yeah…"
Nate wasn't used to being nice to people he didn't know, but it wouldn't hurt to be a little social now, would it? After all, he was already leaving. After zipping up the backpack, he threw it over his shoulder and patted the other on the back.
"To tell the truth, it would be nice to make at least one friend" before leaving.
Helen smiled and raised both arms, letting her hands float in the air, a few inches above her head.
"What are you doing?" Nate asked, in a low tone, as soon as they stopped in front of the room where they would have their next class.
"It's called a high-five" Helen explained "you should hit my hands like this, you know?" she acted, joining her own hands with a quick gesture. "It's impossible for you not to know the famous "high five". Were you living under a rock or something?"
"Of course I do," Nate said, embarrassed. Helen laughed and repeated the gesture, which this time was returned successfully. As soon as his fingers came into contact, an ice-colored spark glittered in the boy's eyes and a dull crack echoed near his ears. Nate saw a dead serpent, blood and wings, as black as a raven's.
He pulled his hands as quick as possible, feeling startled.
"What was that?" asked Helen. The concern in her tone didn't bring relief to Nate, it just made everything even more uncomfortable.
That could not happen again.
The vision lasted only two seconds, but the boy still felt the chill run down the entire length of his spine, making him stand on end. Nate then suddenly moved away from the girl, jumping back as soon as he was freed from the trance. He knew those signs, it was the triad of death.
"Nate, is everything okay?" Helen's voice invaded his ears, preventing him from getting lost in the limbo of his mind any longer.
"It looks like you saw a ghost. And I'm not even kidding this time." she laughed, still worried.
"I think so…" replied Nate, who felt a chill run through his body when he saw a black spot take shape at the end of the corridor. He blinked a few times and, when he looked back, he found only a group of girls advancing towards the gym. That wasn't really happening, was it?
"Are you sure?" Helen asked. Nate dodged before the girl's slender fingers touched his skin again and tried to think of a quick excuse to get out of there. His head throbbed nonstop and he couldn't think of anything else that could justify what was happening. More than anything, he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"No, sorry." Nate ventured. "I'm not feeling very well. I need to go home." He added, sneaking away. Helen continued to stand in the same place, not understanding what was happening. Maybe I should stay friendless. It would be better that way.
Once through the double exit doors, Nate shot down the sidewalk like a cannon, moving away from the school building until his miniature disappeared completely. He doesn't needed running, but he liked the feeling that permeated him as his steps quickened. the heart beat fast, pumping blood throughout the body; He felt it burning and pulsing inside him, a reminder that he was still alive.
Nate wasn't very far from the place where he had arranged to meet Jimmy. I knew how grumpy he was around that time and it wouldn't be good to hear his unreasonable complaints throughout the trip.
"You're late!" shouted the man as soon as Nate's figure became visible around the corner. Jimmy wore his old linen shirt and a rodeo hat on top of his head; He was standing next to the truck, looking impatient. Nate had a similar look: eyebrows drawn together and forehead furrowed. -
"What there was? Did you fight with your boyfriend?"
Nate rolled his eyes.
"You know I don't have a boyfriend." He replied, irritated, and Jimmy laughed. "Don't talk about this around my mother when we get there…"
Jimmy raised his eyebrows.
"And… Have you spoken to her yet?" asked the man while stroking his spare belly, sounding uninterested. Nate nodded. The boy knew that, deep down, Jimmy always cared about him despite the heavy tone in his voice indicating otherwise.
"Yes. And I know what you want to know… but really I need to go. I can't stay here alone." and it was the first time he had spoken the truth since his father's mysterious death. "My mother is waiting for me."
He added, opening the back door. He threw his backpack on the bench and noticed all the boxes I had hastily packed the day before inside the car. "Did you stop by the house?"
"Of course! I'll ignore the tone of surprise in your voice, boy…" he replied, as if it were the most obvious question in the world. "I don't know how you managed to sleep in that house these last few days, the burning smell was unbearable. I couldn't stay in that place for five minutes... Besides, I knew I was going to be late." Jimmy shook his head from side to side as he explained, and Nate slammed the back door of the car.
"Well, everything is ready, right? Now, come in now. "
With a smile, Nate walked around the car and sat down next to the man. Jimmy's rounded face, the marks left by time and the fatherly look reminded the boy of his father; There was no physical resemblance between them, but they both had a face of someone trustworthy, of someone who brought him security. And that used to be comforting.
But at that moment, something different took over his body. Fear. As soon as he slammed the vehicle door, a strange feeling of being watched invaded him.
Nate didn't feel safe there.
After his father's death, he knew Seattle was no longer a safe place for him. No one could protect him, not even Jimmy. And so he needed to escape.
After they arrived at Bainbridge Island via the ferries, the two made their way along the highway in a rented pickup truck. Nate hated long trips and his body complained at every turn. But buried deep in his heart, relief timidly covered him like a blanket on a winter day as he noticed the memories of Seattle lying forgotten behind him. However, the omens could not be ignored, and the fact was: the only place one could be truly safe was nowhere.