Chapter 10 – Against the Clock

Lunch time rolled around and I was in a near panic. Jeremy never showed up. I have never known him to purposefully cut classes – his grades are too good for that. I think his character would forbid him from even thinking of ditching. Unless… unless he’s too torn to even be near me. Maybe he went to the office and, in a guilt-ridden move, decided that he needed to change his classes around. To ones that didn’t include me. But… even if he somehow resists his temptations for me and me for him… we’re still friends before all that. At least I would hope so. If that’s the case, why would he want to purposefully hurt me – his friend – like this? It just… boggled my mind. And it nearly drove me insane.

“Theo? What’s up?” Aaron asked as he sat down. A few other kids walked by and made a few crude comments towards me but otherwise kept moving. I decided to listen to Shane’s advice – pick my battles. This wasn’t one I wanted to fight. It wouldn’t do anything except make those kids fade from existence somehow. I’ve come the conclusion that there is some kind of curse surrounding me – one that involves any kind of conflict with me directly. A physical one. Trevor got punched by me. Mom slashed my arm nearly in half. All those kids that decided to pick on the “fag” with a shove or a cheap shot. Each of those had that physical component to it and they disappeared. There have been others that just said a few words to me in obvious disapproval of who I loved, but that was all. And they hadn’t disappeared. None of the kids who just taunted me did. I need to make sure only to fight when necessary.

Otherwise, most of the other kids will fade away.

“Aaron… nothing. Have you seen Jeremy around lately? Like in the halls or did he maybe… come talk to you?” I cast my head down, hoping not to expose my hopefully unfounded worry to my youngest sibling.

It took a while, but Aaron finally sighed. “Actually, no I haven’t. Not since I left you in the cafeteria with you staring at him this morning.” He reached towards me and raised my head up so he could look at me better. “Why? Did you guys like… fight or something?”

“N-No…” I said. I couldn’t help but sigh. “It’s just… I gave him one of the necklaces from… you know. We talked a bit as I put it on him and then he walked in the back doors of the school. That’s the last time I saw him today.” I couldn’t help but feel the panic rise back in me. “Aaron… he’s in all but one of my classes. H-He should be here right now! But he’s not! What if… what if something happened to him? What if he’s… h-hurt?”

“Jeremy’s well liked around here, Theo,” Aaron said gently. “Who would want to hurt him?”

“I-I don’t know… maybe there are kids that are jealous of him and his popularity. I-I just don’t know.” But then I brightened a bit. “But maybe… maybe I know someone who does.”

“Who?” Aaron asked as he tried to hurry up so he could keep up with me – I started to hurriedly grab all my stuff and throw my trash away.

“Karen Greene. Who else?” We left the cafeteria together.

Aaron and I walked into the senior hallway and sure enough, I saw Karen chatting pleasantly with a few other senior girls. There was also a contingent of guys around her, adding their two cents into the conversation where they could. Most looked like they were nice, but I could see a few shady characters hanging out between her and us. I swallowed and started towards her.

“Hey, Karen!” Aaron shouted happily as he waved towards her. Slowly her eyes scanned the area before her eyes found us. She actually broke out into a smile. It started to fade a bit as two burly seniors stalked over to us in three giant steps.

“What the hell’s the school fag doing here?” one of them sneered. I heard loud knuckles popping as both started to crack them, getting ready to pound a lowly eighth and seventh grade into the ground.

“I guess it’s time to run him out of our school. Show him he’s not welcome around these parts. Right Simmons?”

“Sure thing,” Simmons said, again with the sneer. It managed to transform into a full-out scowl.

“Simmons. Walberg. Enough.”

Karen’s voice sounded actually harsh as the two men whipped around and faced Karen Greene. Her eyes seemed to cut the much bigger youths to pieces, their arrogant swagger now gone.

“What’re you talking about Karen?” Walberg asked a bit hesitantly. “We gotta show them–”

“You’ll show them nothing, sweetie.” Instead of taking any comfort from her use of that pet name, both boys actually shrank a bit more in her presence. “Run along now before I decide to do something I don’t like to do. I’ll take care of these two myself – and in a more polite manner than either of you lunkheads ever could.” The two seniors actually scurried away under Karen’s very intense stare – very similar to Jeremy’s, I noticed. As they fled, her slightly scary appearance faded into the one I was expecting to see on her – a very warm smile. “Now… Theo, is it?” I nodded. “And this is your brother, Aaron. Right?”

“Yep, you’ve helped us both out and we think you’re awesome!” Aaron nearly cheered. The senior laughed lightly. My face hardened and Karen took note.

“Something or someone bothering you two, sweetie?”

“No, it’s just… I was wondering if you’ve seen your brother around lately. I saw him this morning, but since then, I haven’t seen a hair of him anywhere. I mean, he’s not one to cut classes, right?” Karen’s eyes widened a bit.

“No… in fact, he’s never been sick from school a day in his life. He takes it very seriously and short of a full-body cast would keep him away – as much as he really doesn’t like it here. But who does?” All three of us chuckled a bit. They faded quickly.

“Well… that’s what I was afraid of. I mean, two thoughts came to mind and both don’t really seem likely. First off, would he willingly change classes around to… t-to avoid someone if he couldn’t f-feel like he should be around them?”

“He told you about…?”

“Reggie and Danny, yeah,” I said. She nodded.

“Okay, but as much as he might be hurting because of you… I don’t think he’d do that. He’s much too proud for his own good sometimes, sweetie. To change classes would be asking for help for something… to help him avoid you if he felt he should.”

I swallowed. I’d rather have him avoid me than… “Okay, then the other thing… d-does he have any… e-enemies here?”

Karen thought about that. “Can’t really say that I know offhand totally. I mean, there was an incident where he got detention for a few days after he and some guy named Tarrington got into it. Threw a few punches. John and his crew might still have a beef with him. But really… I don’t see why they would. The whole fight last year was really just a big understanding.”

I shook my head. “Some people hold grudges for a while. Maybe they bided their time to get back at him or are just–” I stopped cold as an equally cold thought struck me. “Karen… d-do you know if… th-those guys are h-homophobic?”

Her eyes narrowed a bit. “What difference would–”

“Maybe… they were using your brother… to get to… me, somehow?” I closed my eyes tightly. “Maybe they know he’s my friend and are trying to lure me out so they can kick my ass along with his?! Kill two birds with one stone or something…”

She sighed as Aaron shifted uncomfortably next to me. “Maybe Theo’s right, Karen,” my brother said. “I-I really hope Jeremy’s okay…”

“I’m sure he is sweetie,” Karen said as she cupped Aaron’s face. “But still… what do you plan on doing about all this?”

“I need to find him!” I almost shouted. “I-I just… I need to make sure he’s okay… and safe.” I barely held myself together. “I-If they did this… would you know where these guys are?”

“There are only a few places around here where no one tends to go unless they have to. And I have a feeling you know most of those.”

“The woods around Kester House,” I said solemnly. She nodded. “Do you drive to school?”

“I did today. Why?”

I shifted a bit nervously. Even with Jeremy’s safety on the line, I really couldn’t impose upon– “Could you drive us home so Theo can make sure your brother isn’t in danger?” Aaron said. He turned to me and smirked a bit before looking back at Karen. “If I know him, Theo here would want to ask you but wouldn’t want to be a bother or anything.”

“Cheeky brat,” I muttered. He playfully pushed me as Karen laughed.

“And could we do it now?” Aaron asked. “Also knowing my brother, he’ll probably–”

“Aaron…” I warned. He raised his hands up, capitulating.

For the first time since I’ve met her, a slightly worried look crossed her face just as she decided something. “Let’s swing by the office and let Aunt Camille know. She’ll cover for us – she’s good like that.”

A brief stop in the office was all it took before all of us were piled into Karen’s old Kia. While it didn’t look its best, the vehicle rode smoothly. About halfway to Kester House, I called Chris to inform him of our cutting of classes.

“What?!” he shouted. “No! You boys get her to turn that car–”

Karen snatched my phone from me after hearing my brother’s outburst. “Chris? This is Karen Greene, sister to your brother’s friend. I don’t like cutting class either, but if Theo’s right, then my brother is in danger. What would you do if the positions were reversed?” She nodded a few times as she seemed to speed up, dodging the few cars on the road. If we weren’t going so fast, I also swore she swerved around a horse and buggy! I saw my phone in my face. “Here, Chris wants you back.”

“Uh… yeah, Chris?” I asked tentatively.

He sighed on the phone. “I hate it when females are right.”

“I heard that,” Karen said. I glanced at her and she was smiling.

“Look, I don’t like what’s going on here with you both cutting classes. Now that my ‘Mom-mode’ is done, please don’t do anything stupid, bro. You know how I feel about you.”

“I know Chris.” I sighed this time. “Before we do any searching or whatever, how about we just talk at the house a bit. Maybe come up with a game plan to see if we can find Jeremy?”

“I’d have killed you myself if you weren’t. Alright, see you all in a bit. I’ll have drinks waiting.”

“Thanks Toph,” I said. “Like Aaron says, you’re awesome.”

“Hey! I only say that about you, jerk,” Aaron half-pouted in the backseat.

I hung up the phone. “I can be awesome to you while I think Chris is awesome to me. Is that okay?”

“I guess,” he said, but I heard a bit of playfulness in it. He leaned forward since I was in the front seat guiding Karen. He whispered in my ear, “If this ever happens to the person I end up dating, you owe me.”

I playfully pushed his head back. “Whatever, Aaron. Like this’ll ever happen to you. Just my luck that it gets to happen to me.”

Karen pulled into the driveway without any hesitation. I actually glanced at her. “What? I’m not afraid of your house, sweetie. Everyone else in this town, however…” We pulled out of the car just as Chris emerged from the house.

“Chris Wentz, meet Karen Greene. Karen, our older brother Chris,” I said as way of introduction. The two shook hands.

“Nice to meet you,” Chris said. “Although, it might’ve been better under more normal circumstances.”

“Quite right, sweetie,” Karen said. Chris actually blushed a little. She had gone inside when I smacked him in the side before making him bend a bit.

“Later, Romeo. It’s bad enough one of us is love-struck… don’t need two of us like that. Besides, she says ‘sweetie’ to everyone.” Chris stood up and straightened his shirt.

Chris, Aaron, and I walked into the house after the self-assured senior and went into the kitchen. Four sodas were laid out. I grabbed one. “All right, so how are we gonna do this?” Aaron asked. “I mean, there are a lot of forested areas around here. For all we know, they might be at one of the other places that no one in town likes!”

“True,” Karen said. “But really the woods around this place are the most feared, even if there’s nothing in them. Hunters never set foot into them when no one was living in the home for silly, superstitious reasons.”

We all sat there and hashed out ideas or plans to try and find Jeremy. Something at the back of my mind tugged at me, distracting me from the discussion. I couldn’t quite place what it was that my subconscious was trying to tell me. All I knew is that I started to feel uneasy, more so than I did at school. The sensation started to grow, like mold on a wall, up my back and down my arms. I even shivered due to it. Suddenly, my eyes drifted towards the ceiling as if by instinct and it seemed the eerie feeling I got stopped once I realized something.

“I need to go upstairs,” I said, interrupting the proceedings. “There’s… something I need to check up there. To help us out and all.” I glanced at my brothers. Chris caught on first and nodded. Aaron wasn’t too far behind.

“Go on, we’ll still be here until you come back down.” I nodded to him and ran up the stairs to my room. Energy I didn’t know I had spurred me on towards the diary in my night stand. I dove onto my bed and snatched diary and key up. I hoped Matthias’s next entry wasn’t too long and it would give me a clue as to how to find Jeremy.

20th of February, Year 1840

Ethan and I were foolish… reckless. Spending every waking moment together in the cottage, alone from evil eyes and judgments left us careless. To ensure our love does not expose itself to the townsfolk, either Ethan or I tend to ride in alone; myself more than Ethan. But even with the biting winds, the two of us chose to ride into town; together.

It was difficult… not to stare at my love so. I believe he had much difficulty as well. To allow our eyes to speak but for our mouths was just as reckless as the latter. Having multiple errands, we agreed to split the difference and would meet in front of the tavern by no later than sundown.

Shopping was the least of our concerns yesterday. Upon meeting again, wary eyes seemed to follow us. Whispers in the winds seemed to find my ears. I but chanced to glance at my husband Ethan; he glanced at me. I could feel our eyes speaking again; the words were foreboding. Without lingering, the two of us rode out. Ethan broke away and headed towards the west as I rode south. With no words spoken, we had agreed to make appearances of not riding to the same home. I cannot know if we fooled anyone; it seemed like gold to me.

I must stop for the night; my hand shakes too much. Ethan is to still return; I worry deeply for the one who has my heart. I cannot help but to glance out into the glades around the residence. I feel ill knowing my beloved is not home. I also must, at that woman’s insistence, prepare for her arrival in the coming days. She has words to share with me. Words that she feels this Future Reader of my life needs to hear.

Great… that really didn’t make me feel any better. In fact, I think I feel worse! I just sighed and locked the diary up. As I slid the book back into my night stand, I noticed a strange, purplish glow coming from the drawer. I reopened it and my eyes fell immediately to the other necklace. The gems seemed to pulse with an energy or life that they didn’t have before. Carefully, I picked it up and examined it closer. Nothing else looked out of place.

My mind flashed back to an earlier entry of Matthias’s. Still holding the jewelry, I grabbed the diary back and flipped through the entries I’ve already covered. Skimming the text, I came across what I wanted to see. A grin formed on my face as I closed the journal up once more. I slipped the medallion around my neck and as I ran down the stairs, I held the gem-encrusted part in my hand, thinking only of Jeremy.

As I landed on the first floor, I came to a stop. It felt almost as if my mind left my body in an accelerated pace, leaving the front door of the house and followed a path across the frozen creek and delved into the woods that my bay window faces. Then all the motion stopped as my heart lurched in my chest.

“C’mon… let’s do something with this kid already! I’m bored. I still wanna pay this shit back for all the detentions we had to serve. I mean, right?”

“Whose fault was it to not bother to leave a note to the fucker? Hmm? Damn it Dave, I told you to do that before we grabbed Mr. Goody-Goody here.” He snorted. “Besides, I want to get him back for the detentions too. What better way to do that than to get his closest friend?”

The kid named Dave that I was watching, hearing from afar, looked guilty. “Sorry, boss. I-I wasn’t thinking.”

“Course you weren’t.” The leader of this little group glanced at his watch. “Alright, school won’t get out for another few hours. Wade, you take over first watch for Greene. The rest of us, let’s get a little power nap in until the faggot gets home. If that kid doesn’t show soon… then we’ll just kill Greene for being a queer sympathizer. They’re just as bad in my book.”

As the gang settled in for the moment, I saw him. His head lolled a bit from side to side. He tried to raise his head and I could see that some dried blood ran from his nose and the beginnings of a black bruise on the side of his head stood out like a beacon. I could make out a faint, glowing pulse coming from under his shirt. His eyes looked unfocused but after a bit, he seemed to try to stare at something… at me!

“T…Th…Theo…” he mumbled just barely able for me to hear. He sounded winded, like he was punched a lot in his stomach. His head fell back to his chest. “H-H…Help…”

The vision faded and I fell on my ass in surprise. I glanced down at the necklace and saw the pulsing, while still active, was less vigorous than before. I heard footsteps approach me and I saw Karen, Aaron, and Chris looking at me as I sat on the bottom step.

“Theo!” Aaron shouted as he sat down next to me, thinking I was feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. He brought an arm around my shoulder. “We’ll find him… don’t worry.”

“I-I know where he is!” I blurted out. Aaron jumped a bit at my outburst.

“You do?” Karen asked. “How, sweetie?”

“Never mind that,” Chris said, saving me from trying to explain about all the supposed hocus-pocus going around. “Can you show us?”

“Y-Yeah,” I managed to get out. “But we need to arm ourselves. He’s… Jeremy’s being held hostage by four guys!” I swallowed and wiped my cheeks. “He looked pretty rough.”

“I feel like I’m missing something here,” Karen said.

“You are,” Aaron said. “But right now, we don’t have time to explain it all. Your brother’s in danger – let’s save him and then we can talk about this.”

“You’re right,” she said. “I… I just don’t like not knowing what’s going on. It makes me unsettled.”

I stepped over to the closet near the door where the brooms and other odd and ends were kept. I found a paint roller extension handle that I grabbed and judged its weight. It felt pretty good in my hand. Chris darted off as Aaron also grabbed two shorter handles of broken brooms that were never thrown away. Our eldest came back with a baseball bat and a frying pan. He held the pan out towards Karen.

“Oh no. Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I’m taking the cooking implements.” She snatched the baseball bat from Chris’s hand before he could protest. She smacked the bat against her palm. “Alright, let’s mount a rescue mission.”

After Aaron had run up to his room for one last thing, we all bundled up and headed towards the woods that held my baby. I don’t care if Jeremy doesn’t think like that – I do. We all had agreed to approach from a different subset of those woods and loop in from the opposite direction, hoping to gain an element of surprise.

The winds picked up a bit, helping to mask the sounds of our feet crunching the snow. Our steps were cautious, deliberate. But after about ten minutes of walking through the wood, I crouched down once I saw the guy on patrol – Wade. The other three ducked down as well.

“How’s your aim still, Aaron?” I whispered to him. He pulled out his slingshot as I asked. I motioned for Chris and Karen to loop around and get ready.

“It’s been a bit,” he admitted also in a whisper. “But I think I can manage.” Aaron pulled a marble from a small pouch and loaded up his weapon. I watched as the older teen paced around looking very bored. Aaron was awaiting the signal from either of our older members when I heard a twig snap in the distance. I cursed under my breath as Wade turned towards the sound. After a moment, he started towards it.

“Aaron, fire a shot to get his attention away from them,” I urged. He changed his aim and let loose with his projectile. A loud crack echoed off the trunk of a tree a few feet from the teen. I even saw a bit of bark fly off. Wade stopped in his tracks and turned sharply towards the louder sound. Aaron already prepared another shot and we both watched as the older teen turned and slowly approached the spot where Aaron shot. Just as he crouched down to examine the spot, I nodded. I heard the marble zip through the air. This time a dull thump sounded just before the teen grasped his throat.

I didn’t even have to nod to Chris as he prowled towards the distracted man. He grabbed the teen in a chokehold. His arms flailed a bit as he tried to knock Chris off him, but in only a minute, he passed out. Chris set to work binding his hands.

“Good shot, Aaron,” Chris whispered as he finished securing the kid’s hands behind his back. “Remind me to never let you shoot that thing even near me.” Aaron just laughed quietly. We walked over to Karen quietly as she managed to undo the knots holding Jeremy to the tree. My breath caught in my throat as she struggled to get him to his feet. He eventually managed to remain standing on his own, even if he did sway a bit. The injuries to his perfect face made me want to cry out for him, but even if I wanted to, I just couldn’t act. He slowly turned to me. And he smiled weakly. I started towards him.

The sound of a gun cocking stopped me a mere two feet from him.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you.” I slowly turned and saw the man from my vision earlier – the leader, John Tarrington.

“Tarrington, you’re such a lunatic,” Karen huffed, but even she sensed the direness of our new predicament.

“Come now, Ms. Greene,” Tarrington sneered. “You can’t stand there and tell me that this piece of garbage,” he waved the gun a moment in my direction before he reset his sights on Jeremy, “is worth losing your dear, sweet brother over, now is he?”

“It’s not worth it to loose either of them,” she said calmly. “You know you’re risking your college hopes by doing this. Pull that trigger and you’ll say bye-bye to that scholarship.” For just a moment, Tarrington hesitated. His grip readjusted on the gun.

“Nice try, sweetie,” he said mockingly. “No, you see that this queer here must’ve gotten to you as well. Don’t you see that they’re a menace to society? That they’re trying to take away our freedoms?”

“I think you’ve lost whatever sense you had,” Chris muttered.

“Shut up!” Tarrington shouted. He shot a glance at Chris. “You look like his older brother. Why didn’t you smack some sense into him? Tell him that what he wants is wrong?! That way of life is twisted!”

“There’s no reason to say any of that,” Chris said. I could tell his voice was strained. He didn’t want to see Jeremy hurt as much as I didn’t. “My brother is just fine the way he is. He doesn’t need to be changed. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean anyone should die because of it.”

“You’re just as bad as baby Greene here,” John said with a quick roll of his eyes. “It makes me sick to even be this close to the faggot and possibly be breathing his stench in.”

I had enough of this. “Tarrington, you wanted me, right? You want to take me out all because I can’t help it that I’m attracted to the same gender as me, right? Well then here.” I stepped in front of Jeremy and spread my arms out. “Go ahead. Let them go. Then you can shoot me.”

“What are you doing?!” Jeremy whispered behind me. “Are you crazy?!”

“At least the fag is the only one making sense around here!” An evil glint shone in his eyes. “I’ll admit, you’ve got guts, queer.”

“Teddy what are you doing?!” Chris shouted as he started towards me.

“N-No! Th-Theo!” Aaron started to cry. I think Karen gasped at my idiocy.

“Theo you can’t do this! You can’t leave me too!” Jeremy shouted suddenly.

“Too bad,” Tarrington smirked. “Because he is leaving you.”

As if in slow motion, I watched as the gun barrel flashed and kicked back from the recoil, the bullet heading my way. Everyone froze at the crack of the gunshot reverberating through the woods. I couldn’t help but swallow as the bullet was now halfway between me and the gun it left. I couldn’t help but close my eyes, remembering that first day I saw Jeremy, reliving that feeling I got when my eyes fell upon his beautiful face. How outgoing he seemed as he showed me around the school and helped me to relax a bit in his presence. All my few memories of being with Jeremy, all my hopes of falling in love with him, us maybe getting married one day, adopting or even having our own kids. Growing old together and rocking together on the front porch of Kester House in our golden years.

I chanced to open my eyes. The bullet was frozen mere inches from my forehead.

I glanced around and saw everyone else was frozen too. The air seemed to have taken on a purplish hue. Everything looked like I saw it through purple-shaded lenses. I shook the feeling away quickly. To be safe, I pushed Jeremy out of the path of the bullet and I stepped out away from it as well. As soon as I did, the purple haze lifted and everything came back into motion. The bullet struck the tree.

“What the hell?!” Tarrington shouted in frustration. In a burst of fury, he hurriedly aimed and pulled the trigger again. In no time, my left shoulder lit up in agonizing pain. I fell to the ground from the shock.

“Ahh! Fuck!” I shouted as I grabbed my arm. It fucking hurt! Like someone just lit up a metal rod and smacked me with the red-hot end! I rolled on the ground, trying my best to control my screams of pain. “Shit!”

The gunshots woke up the other two members of this little gang. “Get him on his feet!” John barked. Jeremy tried to rush to my aid as I glared daggers through my tear-laced eyes at Tarrington. One of them pushed Jeremy back to the ground and away from me. John stepped over to me as his other goons lifted me off the ground. “This time,” John laughed evilly. “The bullet goes in his head.”

Before anyone else could speak, the trees shook violently as a low, guttural moan echoed around us. “Wh-What’s going on?!” Suddenly, I felt the tension on my right arm go slack. I glanced over and saw that Dave, the one Tarrington talked to in my vision, just gone. Then the other guy on my left arm vanished too. The pain in my shoulder renewed itself once again as the hold gave way, making me scream again.

Tarrington glanced around worriedly as he dropped the gun in sudden fright. Before he changed his mind, I kicked it away from the two of us and more towards Chris, Karen, and Aaron. I felt the ground beneath me rumble a bit. I watched as something seemed to burrow its way straight to the bully. A skeletal hand shot out of the ground and wrapped its bony hand around his shin. And without another sound from the senior, he disappeared into the ground.

“Um… d-did that just… happen?” Karen asked in shocked disbelief.

“Yeah… it did,” I sighed, doing my best to ignore the unbearable throbbing of my upper arm. “I was… counting on it sadly. Just not the… bullet in my arm thing, though.” I winced in pain again. I glanced at Jeremy but spoke to everyone else. “Could… we, uh, get a few seconds?”

“Sure Theo,” Chris said. As he walked by me, he smacked the back of my head harshly, jostling my already sore shoulder making me wince yet again. “Don’t ever do anything like that again! Don’t be too long – we’ll need to take a look at your arm. The sooner the better.” He, Aaron, and Karen started back for the house.

Once silence enveloped us, I spoke. “A-Are you… okay, Jeremy?” I couldn’t help but gently stroke his arm with my slightly bloody hand. He didn’t pull away.

“I-I’m okay.” He sighed. “You?” He turned and the two of us started walking back to the house. “That… l-looks painful.”

“I’m okay for someone that was just shot. But… I’d be better if, um, we could…. You know, go out sometime.” I couldn’t stop myself from biting my lower lip in nervousness. “I mean… like on a date.”

Once again, he sighed as he scratched his head. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. “You don’t give up, do you?”

A small smile cross my face. “Nope… I don’t… can’t give up my true love. Even if he’s being stubborn.” My hand rubbing his arm slowly worked its way to his undamaged cheek. “I told you… I’d wait forever for you. I just… hope I don’t actually have to.”

Jeremy didn’t resist and leaned forward. Our lips brushed against each other’s tenderly as I made sure my arm wasn’t bumped again. The spark I felt in the library at my house seemed to pale in comparison to this one. My arms wrapped around his neck as his hands found my hips. He gently pulled me closer to him, Jeremy being mindful of my arm as well. Nothing else seemed to matter. Just this boy in front of me, the love of my life, the one my heart yearned to have. Just as the kiss picked up in intensity, Jeremy slowly pulled himself from me.

He went to speak, but stopped when his eyes stared at something. I couldn’t help but turn to look in the direction he gazed. In the distance, a small gray stone stuck out from the ground. Jeremy started walking towards it. I followed. He crouched down and dusted the stone off with his hands, uncovering a small tombstone made by someone in a hurry. I read the inscription on the metal plate bolted to the stone.

Here lies E.G.

Friend, Lover, Companion

May we meet again when times accept us – M. K.

We stayed for a few moments, even though the significance of what lay before me went over Jeremy’s head. I made a decision then. Jeremy started walking away. He stopped when he saw I didn’t follow right away. He held a hand out towards me. “Let’s go. It’s cold out here. And we need to get that wound checked.”

“I don’t feel a thing except your heart when I’m around you,” I said dreamily. I ignored the ache in my arm as it kept stubbornly reminding me of its existence. Jeremy laughed lightly as he tossed an arm very gently over my shoulder. The walk back to Kester House was quiet but very relaxing. Jeremy never took his arm off me and I never stopped letting him lean into my good side. The feelings of him just walking with me almost overwhelmed me.

“Can you tell me something?” Jeremy asked as we walked onto the porch of the house.

“What’s that?”

“How did you know?”

“Know what?” I asked. I reached for the doorknob. He stopped me with a hand on top of mine. I shuddered and not from the cold.

“How did you know that, if Tarrington shot at you, that you wouldn’t get killed?”

“Well, I really didn’t. It was… just a belief I had. One that I think I should share with you soon. Spend the night?”

“Of course,” he said warmly. “I owe it to you anyway at least. Since I was gonna that one day but kinda… freaked out and ran away.”

I kissed his forehead. “It’s okay, Jer. You had your reasons at the time.”

“Still felt bad about that,” he said.

We walked into the house and I heard the tail end of a conversation where Chris and Aaron were telling Karen all about the weird happenings of late. She seemed rather okay for one that just witnessed a kid being taken into the ground.

“Can you bring me some stuff Karen?” Jeremy asked his sister. “I… want to stay the night with Theo. I think he and I need to talk again.”

“Sure Jer,” she said. “I’ll bring it by later, like after dinner. Okay?” Jeremy nodded.

“That’s fine.” He turned to me. “Mind if I just… relax for a bit?”

“Yeah, we can… talk later,” I said. “Why don’t you go ahead and watch some TV?” I wanted to sit with him, but I felt he needed some space to think. I didn’t want to rush him at all if it meant him being my boyfriend finally. Jeremy nodded. “Oh, do you need anything for those cuts and bruises on your face?”

“Nah, not right now,” he said. “Maybe once I warm up again.” He stared at me before he slowly turned and went into the living room.

“I’m gonna go upstairs and maybe catch a nap,” I said. “Jeremy can come and wake me up whenever.”

“Okay,” Chris said. “Let’s take a look at that wound first.” Chris carefully lifted the sleeve and allowed me to pull my arm from it. It hurt a lot but I just bore it. Chris then raised my shirt off my shoulder on that side. “Oh, it’s not too bad really. Seems like the bullet nicked you a bit. Let me clean that out.” I grimaced as he dabbed at it with peroxide and bandaged me up.

“Thanks Chris,” I said as I put my arm back through the sleeve.

“Everything else okay, Theo?” He tilted his head a bit.

“Never been better,” I sighed as I stole a brief glance at Jeremy sitting on the couch, his legs tucked underneath him. I looked to my brothers and both were smiling at me. I just shook my head as I ran up the stairs. Since I had the time, I felt that the end had come. I didn’t think there was much more to the diary.

15th of March, Year 1840

My heart is empty. Nothing can console me. There is no joy left in this world for me. My Ethan… oh, my Ethan was stolen from me! Those heartless bastards! They know not what true love is! My Ethan and I had it for but a moment… it is now gone.

They killed him… in front of me! I tried to stop them! I did all that I could! But it was for naught! If I only could have felt the sweet release with my love; but it was not meant to be.

Ethan and I tried to escape. It was all ready to go; I had left the house to William and we were but ready to leave for another territory. Another life. A few from the town caught wind of our departure and intercepted Ethan before we could leave. I tried to save him! It still pains me to hear his last words inside my head: “May we meet again when times accept us, dear Matthias. My one… my love.”

I made but a crude headstone for a crude grave. He deserves better than this; I cannot provide it. It hurt to bury my love, but I can hope he remains at peace now that the deed is done. He always did like that bit of wood.

As much as I want to just give up… join him now, I cannot. Left to me, there are things needed to be done before the townsfolk make it my time. I must wrap up affairs, affairs left to me by that woman. She foresaw what will become of us and, if what she says bodes well, then I must do my part.

There are things to do. If I can help it, this journal should be no more.

Indeed he was right. He wrote no more in his diary. And it’s not too surprising really, since he died or went missing only three days later. I closed the diary, probably for the last time. Just as I went to lock it up, Jeremy knocked on my door lightly. “Hey, are you up?”

“Yeah, I actually didn’t lie down for a nap yet, so it’s cool.” He pushed the door open and strolled into my room. “Are you up for some talking?”

He sighed as he sat on the edge of my bed. “Theo,” he said quietly. He brought a hand to my face and stroked it lightly. I almost moaned at the touch. “You do know I love you… right?”

“Mm-hmm,” I cooed, melting at the caressing.

He stopped, but left his hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw… distress. Conflict. He still warred internally with his past and his desire to be with me. I saw it plain as day on his face. “Theo… I–”

I cut him off in a hurry, for fear of his answer. “Before you say anything else, can you do me a favor?” He looked at me a bit oddly. “Please… it’s important.”

“What is it?” he asked cautiously. I held the diary out to him.

“Read this. It should answer a few things.”

“I can’t read your diary,” Jeremy said in obvious distaste. “That’s an invasion of your privacy.”

“It’s not mine. It belonged to someone named Matthias. Matthias Kester.” His eyes sparkled with a curiosity at that moment. He remembered reading that name in the library with me. “All I ask is that, before you make your final decision about… a-about us… read this. It should answer a few things that have been happening around here.”

“So this isn’t your diary?” Jeremy asked, making sure he wasn’t going to end up reading all the things I wish I could do to the boy that sat next to me.

“Jeremy, look at it. The cover’s like really old.”

He did glance at it a bit more. “Hmm… I guess you’re right.” He held it up a bit before gently smacking his thigh with the book. “You really think some crummy, old man’s diary’s gonna really make that much of a difference in what I say about… well, you know?”

“I do,” I said with sincerity. “What could it hurt, except maybe waste your time?”

“Okay, I’ll read it. Move over.” I slid over and did slide under my covers as Jeremy kicked his shoes off and climbed onto my bed and covers.

“I’m really gonna take that nap now. Just… wake me when you’re done?”

“Sure Theo,” he said with a warm smile. He started to reach for my face but stopped short. Unsure with what to do with that hand, he just let it drop. “Sweet dreams.” I rolled over and drifted off to the sounds of pages being flipped by the one I wanted more than life itself.

It seemed like only a few minutes had gone by when I felt a gentle shake to my injured shoulder. “Hmm?” I groaned a bit.

“Theo… I finished the diary,” Jeremy said. That got my attention.

“So?” I asked as my brain came back to me.

“Well, it does answer a few things… I mean, given what’s happened and all.” He laughed a bit. “If Trevor never disappeared, I’d just have to say that this was all just crazy.”

“Same here… but don’t you think it’s odd that everyone that’s ever challenged me physically has just… vanished?”

“Yeah it does seem weird. Again, if Trevor never faded away…”

“I know,” I said. I glanced at my friend expectantly. He sighed before looking away.

“Theo… given all that’s happened to us… to you… even if you are protected by some magic or whatever… I can’t forget my past. Sure it was only two guys, but still… the pain is still there. Still here,” he said as he brought his hand to his heart. “I want to actually try again – try it with you – but… my heart isn’t ready yet. What if whatever’s helping you fades away and… a-and I l-lose you too?”

“S-So…” I said, trying my best to hide my utter heartbreak. “Y-You’re not gonna g-give me a chance…” I swallowed. “E-E-Ever?”

“I-I don’t know!” he shouted, hurting just as much as I was, maybe more even given his past. He accidentally flung the diary into the air and it hit the wall before plopping back on the bed. “Th-Theo… you… y-you just don’t understand!”

“Help me to understand!” I shouted. “Why can’t we try?!”

Something fluttered to the bed.

“Wh-What’s that?” Jeremy asked as he wiped his eyes.

“I-I don’t know… maybe you knocked a page out.” I picked it up and noticed that it didn’t come from the diary itself – the page was folded and somehow seemed less warped by the elements and environment. Carefully, I unfolded the sheet.

17th of March, Year 1840

Future Reader… my time is nigh. I know men approach me at this moment, to finish what they started… do to me what they did to Ethan. I must make this as brief and succinct as possible.

The witch woman that I have written about… she saw me yesterday. I made it clear that I was done with her and her nonsense. She had warned me of my trial and so far, I had failed it. She told me more… more than she intended to yesterday. She had told me the names of who will inherit our love. If I were to believe her, this would be the time, especially as she told me some newer details that had recently been divined by her. It all still seemed so… queer to me. As she left the cottage, I still dismissed her words as false. But now, after she also mentioned my time was almost at an end… I think a bit differently.

She told me, that if I did believe her, then I would scribe those two names to this parchment. And scribe the details she told me. I have not the time for all that. But I do have time to wrote one of the names. They bang at my door now! Future Reader – the one the mistress calls Theo. Find him… as I said before. Find your Greene…Find my Ethan’s descendant and give him his ancestor’s baubles; the ring and medallion! Find the one that is to be yours! Complete the rite!

Both Jeremy and I stopped reading at nearly the same time. My heart was racing. Matthias wrote my name down in this last-ditch effort to commune with the future! It seemed so unreal, so far-fetched. Given all that’s happened… maybe it isn’t. Maybe whatever rite Matthias and Ethan performed all those years ago bound them.

I saw Jeremy eyeing the medallion still around his neck as he pulled it from his shirt. His gaze then found mine. “There’s a ring too?”

“Yeah… they’re in the drawer there.” He slid it open and pulled both rings out. I quickly looked over the inscriptions. “Here. This one belonged to Ethan… your ancestor.” I lifted the other ring up. “This one was… his. Matthias’s.”

Jeremy slowly stood back on his feet. “Theo… this is crazy!”

“Is it?” I said, getting up behind him. I lightly grasped his arms and made him face me. “I know you still have issues. I have a couple myself. Did you know that I was supposed to have been born almost five years before I was?”

“What do you mean?” Suddenly Jeremy lost a bit of his color.

“Chris informed me that my mom was going to have a boy when Chris was only six or so. But something happened and the baby died. My parents were gonna name him Theodore Allen. That’s my name. They used it again when they tried again and got pregnant.”

Jeremy paled a bit more. “Y-You… you too?”

“Huh?”

He swallowed. “M-My mom… she told me something similar. That a-about five years ago… she was about four months into her pregnancy when… wh-when she said she felt a sharp pain while she slept. Sh-She started to bleed a lot and… the baby was lost.” He stared intently into my eyes. “Th-That baby’s name was s-supposed to be…”

I gasped quietly. “You… your mom was gonna name that boy Jeremy, wasn’t she?” He nodded.

A stricken look came across his face. “So… I’m just supposed to fall into your arms all because this letter and that diary both say I should?” He glanced away. “And that, by some weird chance that my mom and your mom both had miscarriages and were gonna use the names we both have on those kids?” He paced a bit. He laughed somewhat bitterly. “And… if I’m not reading too much into this… that both Danny and Reggie both… b-both died because I was getting too close to them?!”

“Hey, while you lost a few things, I did too!” I said heatedly. “I got uprooted from where I lived probably because I was getting too close to my best friend there named Shane! Even if he said he couldn’t reciprocate how I felt, I know that if he pitied me enough he’d probably forsake his own sexuality just to see me happy! So in a way, Shane ‘died’ for me too!”

“How can you say that?!” Jeremy shouted angrily. “I bet Shane’s still alive!”

“But for me, it’d be easier to know if he was!” I wiped at my eyes. “Do you know how much it still hurts to know he’s out there… but there’s two fucking thousand miles between me and him?! To not experience what he is… to know that he’s okay or if he’s sad or happy? While I got to say a painfully tearful good-bye to him… I really didn’t get that sense of… closure. I can still talk to him, sure, but it’ll never be the same as me just walking into his house like I used to and hang out.”

“Whatever,” he mumbled. “It’s still not the same thing…” He stared at me, his eyes staring into my very soul. I did my best at matching Jeremy’s intense stare.

“I’m still sorry that your friends had to die and make you so bitter about risking your heart again. Right now… you’re breaking mine with your… prideful display.” I turned my back to him. I didn’t want him to see my tears. “You said you’re bi… you then can’t fully understand my pain of even trying to find someone to love. You could, if you wanted to, ignore the gay side of your life and focus on just girls. Live the fully hetero lifestyle, have kids, the white picket fence. I can too, if I deny who I am to even myself. I can’t do that. I won’t do that. I deserve to be happy. So do you, even if you’re being stubborn about it.”

“Theo… do you really love me that much that I’m actually hurting you right now?”

“Y-Yes, damn it!” I couldn’t control the waver to my voice. “I want you… so badly that it’s hard to even be in your presence, knowing that I can’t! If you refuse to even give me a chance…” I trailed off, not wanting to voice the rest as it was silly and reckless. “Y-You c-can’t just stand there and tell m-me that the two times we did kiss… that it wasn’t pure magic. Total bliss.” I turned around again. “Tell me to my face… right now that you felt absolutely nothing those two times if you can. If you can tell me that and truly mean it… then maybe… I deserve to have a broken heart.”

The two of us stared into each other’s eyes. Time became irrelevant. It had no meaning until Jeremy spoke. Would he finally give into his heart’s desires? Or would it clam shut so tight that no love could ever escape again while shattering my heart against the rocks?

“Theo…” I held my breath as he told me his decision, the one that would either make or break me.