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*** To Be the One ***
Volume One: The Awakening
By: Myke D
Part 1: Coming Together
Chapter 3: Shaking
Brayden was in my kitchen the next morning when I entered, and Elliott was planted firmly in his lap.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him as I crossed the kitchen in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to get myself a bottle of water. My entire body ached for some reason, but I still fully intended on going for my daily run.
"Well, I was going to give you a gift for your birthday, but then I rememebred that your birthday isn't until tomorrow." Brayden teased me with a giggle. Brayden looked at me in concern. "Why are you so pale, Eli?"
I shrugged. "Who knows? I think I may have slept too long. I remember lying down for a nap, then I was talking to Aunt Madison and my mother for a little bit. Now, I'm talking to you."
"You look like you're getting sick," Brayden commented.
As if his statement queued something in my body, I began to sneeze.
"Great," I mumbled as I went in search of some tissues in the downstairs bathroom.
Brayden chuckled from behind me.
"Here," he said when he found the box I had been looking for and handed it to me. "They were in the cabinet."
"Ugh," I groaned. "Normally, she keeps them under the sink. Where is my mother and Aunt Madison, by the way?"
"They asked me to watch Elliott while they ran to the store," Brayden explained as we headed back to the kitchen. "You're not still planning on running are you?"
"Not anymore," I grumbled.
I grabbed my bottle of water and headed for the living room where I pulled the blanket off of the back of the sofa to cover myself up with. If I was going to be sick, I was going to spend my day firmly plated on the couch watching television.
"So much for that idea," Brayden complained as he sat on the far end of the couch. Elliott immediately burrowed into my best friend's side.
"What?" I asked as I flipped on the television with the remote.
"I was going to invite you to the amusement park today," Brayden explained with a frown. "I'm allowed to have one guest each week."
I grinned at him.
"Thanks for thinking of me, Brayden." I said with a nervous blush. Brayden always made me feel weird inside, but I couldn't tell him how I felt. I couldn't tell him how I constantly fought the urge to press my lips against his. It would ruin everything we had. We were friends. His brown hair was always short. He had kept it that way since we were eight. I had tried spiking my hair on several different occasions, and Brayden had spent the entire summer I had gotten my hair cut in a mohawk calling me `skid-mark'. I couldn't tell him how happy I felt just being in the same room as him. I was even starting to feel better with Brayden around me.
"I should probably go since you're awake, now." Brayden said softly as his brown eyes gazed at me for a moment.
"You don't have to," I said. I didn't want him to leave. Ever.
Brayden grinned smugly at me. "You probably shouldn't be taking care of your little brother while you're sick..."
I giggled and turned to find something for the three of us to watch together. Elliott's attention was focused solely on the screen once I had settled on one of the `Ice Age' movies. I glanced over to see Brayden running his fingers through Elliott's hair lightly. Elliott had long ago adopted Brayden as his older brother. Brayden didn't have a choice in the matter. I don't think he minded, though. His mother Natalie was never able to have any other kids making him an only child. Being around Elliott gave him the experience of having a brother with the option to get up and leave whenever he had enough.
"You better be well enough by next weekend to go with me to the park, Elijah." Brayden spoke softly to keep from disturbing Elliott.
I smiled over at my friend. "I should be. Besides, Aunt Madison probably has some sort of strange concoction to help me get over this before sunset."
Brayden laughed at me comment, but we both jumped at the sound of Aunt Madison's voice.
"Help you get over what, Elijah?" She asked with concern as she crossed the living room to check on me. The woman quickly sat down on the sofa beside me and put the back of her hand against my forehead with a frown.
"All I know is that I feel like shit, Aunt Mattie."
"You definitely have a fever," she said with the same frown of concern on her face.
"What's wrong with me, Aunt Mattie?" I asked with a nervous chuckle.
"I'm not sure yet, Elijah." Aunt Madison said quietly. I could hear the edge in her voice as she placed a finger against my temple. Her blue eyes went distant for a moment before she pulled away. "Hmm. You might just have the flu, nephew."
I groaned and leaned back in the couch.
"Such is life, dear child." She said sympathetically before she stood from the sofa. "I'll make you some tea."
I smiled as the older woman left the room and Elliott was quick to follow her, making a comment about cookies that made Brayden laugh.
Once we were alone, Brayden reached over and squeezed my hand gently. "I hope you feel better soon, Eli."
"Thanks, Brayden." I said with a blush. "What time do you have to work?"
"Three to nine," he replied. "Anisa and Corban are going to be riding a few rides after we all get off work."
"I wish I could go," I said disappointedly.
"Me too," Brayden said as he squeezed my hand again. "I should go and start getting ready. I'll be back tomorrow to check on you."
"Okay," I said with a nervous grin.
Brayden slipped out the front door just before Aunt Madison returned with a plate of brownies.
"Where did Brayden go?" She asked as she placed the platter on the coffee table.
"He had to get ready for work," I replied.
Aunt Madison sat down beside me. "Where did he get a job at?"
"The amusement park," I said with a shrug. "Mom doesn't want me to get a job, yet."
"You should enjoy your freedom while you can, Elijah." The woman said with a shrug as she handed me a brownie. "These are store-bought, so don't expect any special magic."
I giggled at her comment, and she hugged me from the side.
"Your tea will be ready in a little bit, Elijah." Aunt Madison told me. "I'm going to put something in it that will help you feel better."
"Ha! That's what I told Brayden, earlier." I teased the older woman. "I told him that you would be able to come up with some sort of concoction that would make me feel better."
Aunt Madison laughed at my comment.
"Am I that predictable?"
"Far from, actually." I informed her quickly. "I just know that you know how to cure anything, or so it seems."
Aunt Mattie laughed and hugged me tightly.
"Careful, Aunt Mattie." I warned her. "I don't want you to get sick, too."
"I haven't been sick in a long time, Elijah." Aunt Mattie said as she rocked me in her arms. "Besides, I would never pass on moments like these. They keep our family strong."
"I love you, too, Aunt Mattie." I said softly.
Aunt Mattie brought me the tea as promised, and I sipped it slowly throughout the afternoon so it wouldn't force me to sleep. Aunt Madison chastised me multiple times for not drinking the medicine the way it was supposed to. She would check on me continuously throughout the day to see if I was feeling any better than I was before. The answer was always the same.
"Nothing's changed," I would mutter quietly.
Besides, I could smell the birthday cake that Aunt Madison was currently in the process of making, and I didn't want to take the chance of sleeping through it. No matter how much I struggled though, Aunt Madison's medicine forced me into the world of dreams.
"It took him long enough," I heard my Aunt Mattie say at some point as I drifted in and out of consciousness. "I thought for sure I was going to have to use magic to put him under."
I heard my mother laugh slightly.
"I'll summon the members of the Summit," my mother said before I heard her leave the room.
"Relax, little one." Aunt Mattie whispered. "We'll have you feeling better soon enough. Then, I'm going to go have a long chat with Jarik. Somebody needs to teach him some manners."
I felt her touch the side of my face with the palm of her hand before I slipped even deeper into my drug induced slumber. A tingling sensation began to fill my mind as I saw images of Brayden appear suddenly. Each one was just as fleeting as the one prior to it, but each image focused on Brayden and his golden-brown eyes. I was always drawn into his gaze whenever we were together.
Thinking about Brayden made my stomach twist into knots. I had never realized how much time I spent with my best friend until I witnessed my own memories of him flash through my mind. Then, Brayden was yanked away from me, and I was standing in the downtown area of Bellefontaine. It was the present, though. There were wagons overturned, and a young man with jet black hair was crouched down behind one of the wooden vehicles. There were four people standing in a circle wearing black robes, and the black-haired boy was watching them carefully. A blonde-haired girl suddenly joined him.
"I told you to stay hidden, Samantha." The boy scolded her.
"The Prophecy wouldn't let me stay away, Lucas." She replied calmly. "We all have our roles to play."
Lucas frowned before he turned his attention back to the four figures in the distance.
"What are they doing?" Samantha asked in an almost curious tone.
"Aren't you the one that's supposed to be answering my questions?" Lucas countered with a roll of his blue eyes.
"That doesn't answer my question, Lucas." Samantha scolded him.
"I think they're summoning Resin," the boy said dryly.
"Oh, no." The girl muttered in disbelief.
"I know," Lucas said softly. "There's only one thing I can do now..."
"It doesn't have to be this way..."
"Yes, it does, Samantha." Lucas said with a tone of resignation in his voice. He knew what he was about to do. "It's up to me to me to bury them until the Chosen One has been awakened."
"Will he be strong enough?" Samantha sounded worried.
Lucas grinned smugly.
"Ask him yourself, Samantha." The boy jerked his head in my direction. The girl stared at me in disbelief.
"Impossible," she muttered quietly.
Lucas laughed quietly before his entire demeanor changed.
"Don't let my sacrifice be in vain, Chosen One." Lucas said firmly before he stepped out from behind the wagon and strode purposefully towards the four figures.
Samantha turned to look at me with sadness in her eyes.
"Good luck, Chosen One."
Suddenly, the world twisted around me and I was standing in the center of the amusement park. I stumbled forward slightly until I managed to catch my balance.
"What the fuck is going on?"
Everything twisted again, and I suddenly found myself standing beside Brayden, Anisa, and Corban as they waited in line for the roller coaster.
"I wish Elijah was here," Anisa said with a frown. "It's not the same without him."
"He's really sick, Anisa." Brayden said with concern in his voice. I reached out to console him, but my hand seemed to pass right through his body. "I'm going to swing by his house after this ride to see if he's feeling any better."
"Any idea what's wrong with him?" Corban asked.
"Nothing," Brayden said with a shrug. "I shouldn't be here."
"Where would you rather be than with me?" Corban asked with a grin.
Anisa smiled and shoved her boyfriend playfully.
"Don't be a jerk, Corban." Anisa chided the brown eyed boy. Then, she turned back to Brayden and put her arm around his shoulders. "Have you told him yet?"
"I can't," Brayden said in a quiet voice. "I just know that it would ruin everything. We've been friends for years, Anisa. I don't want to risk it. I would rather have him in my life as my best friend, than not have him in my life at all."
"I think it's a chance you should take, Brayden."
"Why?"
"I see the way he looks at you, Brayden." Anisa said pointedly.
I stared at my friends in confusion before I found myself suddenly standing outside of the school. I was out near the football field, and I could see a tall man with long black hair walking towards the building. He stopped short one hundred yards away and held his hand out towards the school. Then, the ground seemed to surge beneath my feet, and I fell to my knees as a loud cracking sound could be heard resonating from deep within the earth.
I felt everything twist around me again, and I was suddenly staring at the roller coaster. I didn't see my friends in the line anywhere, so I knew that they were on the first hill. I felt the ground tremble slightly again and I turned towards the direction of the school in disbelief. The next tremor was more pronounced than the last one, and other people began to notice it as well. I glanced up at the roller coaster train to see that it was just topping the first hill. A string of lights hanging next to the track swung slightly as the earth shook again. I heard the track rattle slightly louder than normal as another surge struck.
`Why am I seeing this?' I asked myself desperately until the next tremor made the roller coaster track screech in protest to the forced movement. I felt myself pale when I realized what I was seeing. The ground shook heavily as the train flew towards the first loop in the track. I felt the ground disappear from beneath my feet as another shockwave rolled through the area. Everyone around me was in a panic, but I didn't pay attention to them. I was focused on the fact that the loop had twisted slightly.
The first car hit the bottom of the loop and was near the top when a horrible grinding noise made me cover my ears. I glanced up to see that the train was stuck completely upside down in the middle of the loop. The people on the train were screaming in fear as the track shook again. Brayden's car was directly at the top of the loop and I saw him holding on to his restraints tightly. The ground shook again, and I saw the restraints on several seats give way – including Brayden's. Anisa and Corban both screamed in terror from behind him as he dangled helplessly ninety feet above the ground. Brayden had managed to stop himself from falling to his own death by hanging tightly to the restraint.
`You have to wake up, Elijah!'
I turned around quickly to see the girl with the black hair standing behind me.
"This can't be a dream!" I shouted at her.
It's not a dream,' she said without moving her lips. It's a vision, Elijah.'
"You're lying," I stammered nervously even though I didn't believe what I was saying.
You know I'm not,' she said calmly. Now, wake up, Elijah. Your friend is in danger.'
I turned around to find myself sitting up on the sofa in my living room gasping for breath. My fever was gone, and I honestly never felt better. Then, I saw Brayden in my head dangling from the roller coaster. I had to save him somehow. The girl had said it was a vision, not a dream. I jumped to my feet and the room spun around me.
I was at the amusement park. I could smell the different fried foods, the smell of smoke caused by the earthquakes, and hear the screams of fear as people fled from the collapsing park. The roller coaster was stuck in the loop, and Brayden was hanging by one hand. Anisa and Corban were trying to reach for him, but our friend was too far away. I could hear their screams of terror over everybody else's as the boy I dreamed about regularly clung on for his life.
"Brayden!" I screamed out as loud as I could as my foot took off from beneath me. I was running for him. I had to save his life. Nothing would stop me.
The ground shook beneath me again and I stumbled forward, barely able to stop myself from falling with my hands. I glanced up to see Brayden looking in my direction as the shockwave hit the coaster track. My best friend lost his tentative grip on the shoulder restraint and began falling towards the track below.
Everything seemed to slow down around me as I took in the situation quickly. I was too far away to catch him, but I had managed to send myself to the amusement park. I ran faster as my friend fell. Then, in the space of a breath, I was nearly beneath Brayden. I didn't question the sudden jump forward in space, I just used it to my advantage. I wouldn't be able to keep Brayden from hurting either of us if I caught him on the tracks. We would have to go somewhere else. My bed would cushion the landing somewhat, but there was still the chance of us getting hurt. No. It would need to be water.
I leapt into the air towards the track, and the world shifted around me again. Brayden was directly in front of me, and we were both twenty feet above the roller coaster track. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and closed my eyes as I thought about the swimming pool in my backyard.
Suddenly, Brayden and I were plunging into water. The slap of the water against my body stung, but I managed to push myself to the surface without losing my grasp on Brayden. He put his arm across my shoulders and helped keep us afloat as I swam for the pool ladder.
"Holy shit, Elijah!" He gasped out in shock as we clung to the ladder for a moment. His face was pale, and his brown eyes were wide with fear as he gazed at me. "You... I fell... Then you... Now, we're..."
"I don't know, Brayden." I told him honestly. "I have no idea at all. Let's go see what Aunt Madison has to say."
Brayden pulled himself out of the pool, and I was quick to follow. The moment I was out of the water, Brayden threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly.
"You have no idea how much I love you, Elijah." He whispered softly before he kissed the side of my neck. "Thank you for saving my life."
I felt my cheeks flush red as I wrapped my arms around him. Brayden sighed and seemed to relax in my grip.
"I... I love you too, Brayden." I said in a whisper.
Brayden leaned back from me and blushed as he smiled.
"Really?" He asked quietly as if he wasn't sure what he heard.
"Yeah," I said with my own blush. "Really."
Brayden bit his bottom lip nervously before he suddenly pressed his lips against mine. My stomach turned in a million knots all at once as the world around us seemed to fade out of existence...
***Thank you for reading this Chapter of "Be the One". Stay tuned for Chapter 4 – The Awakening
****I have other stories here on nifty under the Gay/Science Fiction section! The Touch The Legends of Blood – Volume One – Blood Lust
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