In Fear of Life

Matt

"I think, I met logan." He says, dropping a bombshell. I notice Adam swaying and catch him before he hits the ground. I snap a finger in front of his face and shake him a bit. In a moment, his eyes are open.

"What..He..Lo-?" He starts to say. I rest him on a chair. Rayy and Jake sit down, too. I look at Gus.

"Tell us everything."

At first he hesitates, but seems to be determined. "Well..Last night, uhm..I got a call. And Jonas said he would drive me to where I needed to go. So..we're driving, very slowly, and we see someone who.." His voice starts to shake. "Who looks like he needs..help. So Jonas is at the car, looking for plugs, and I ask him..like, what's wrong?"

He stops for a minute and takes a deep breathe. "He told me..nothing. And then.." He closes his eyes. "He says, I think you may have found what you're looking for. And..pulls out a large knife. Like, really big, but really thin. And I remember yelling and running back to Jonas, before the guy tackles me. I manage to fight him off, and me and Jonas get in the car, right? The car wouldn't start. Engine..flooded. So we lock the doors and I call 911, and then..and then."

His mom sits down next to him and smooths his hair over. He calms down. "It was like out of a movie or something. He wrote on the window, you will die first. To me. I freak out and he breaks a window, and..he stabbed me in the back of my leg. Jonas and I run out of the car, our best chance, to get to his, try to start it or something. But I'm limping, and I tell Jonas..to..to leave me. But we make it, and he shoves me in the car, but..the guy..Logan..he gets him, Adam. He..get's him."

Gus busts out in tears. His mom says, "But Jonas will be okay, it will be okay."

Gus nods, and opens his eyes. "I thought he was dead. I thought I was going to die. I..but then the police came and he was gone.."

He looks at Adam, who looks like he's about to throw up. "I think that he's targeting your friends, or something, Adam." I nod and remember a certain part of the story. My knees go weak and my lip trembles. Jake notices and comes to my side.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I don't say anything and sink to my knees.

"You found what..you're looking for. This guy..Did he have dark hair? And..a pale..skeleton like face?" Gus nods and everyone looks at me.

Adam is the one who gets it first. "No..No, no, Matt..This is wrong. You're wrong. It can't be..Why?"

Gus looks confused, but in a moment a look of understanding crosses his face. Rayy asks, "What? What don't I get? What's going on?"

Gus looks around like he doesn't want to say it, so Adam does. "The man who attacked Matt, the one who attacked Gus, and me.. all of us, and Jonas..is the one and same." A silence falls over the room.

Rayy breaks it. "Well, he must be a sucky killer, then. Not having killed anyone."

But Adam shakes his head. "No. He could have killed me. He did kill that man that night. He almost killed Gus and Jonas and Matt. What is he playing, I just..I don't understand. Why is he doing this to us? Why us?"

Gus's mom looks him straight in the eyes. "It's obvious. It's not 'us'. I'm sorry to say this, Adam..but I think you need to leave my son alone. This..this freak seems to be targeting people close to you. Don't you see that?" I gasp and hold Adam tight. I can feel the shudders rack through his small body.

"No. Leave him alone." And Gus nods. "Mom, this is not Adam's fault. He was completely clueless. He doesn't even know anyone named Logan.."

Jake speaks up after a considerable silence. "Wait, why is he doing this, is one question. We need to think it over. Why is he letting us know his name is another. But really, we need to go to the police, tell them the story and protect anyone who we don't know is safe or not. I haven't been attacked, and he hasn't killed anyone, so maybe he'll try that again..And Rayy.." He looks at the one he loves. "I won't let him touch you. I won't."

Rayy smiles at him, a teeny bit. Then his face registers one of terror. "Wait a minute. What about Roarke and Lisbeth? They stayed at Matt's and Adam's last night. are they in danger?" Jake looks like he wants to throw up, then rushes out the door. We stare at him for a second, and say goodbye, stay safe, lock the door, call the police at any sign of danger, yada yada before running after him. He's already up the road, running. We climb into the car and pull up next to him.

"Jump in, we'll get there faster." I say, but he shakes his head.

"I can't risk the chance of them being seen with..Adam. I'm sorry, but if it's true, I have to protect them. I'm sorry." And he runs faster towards her apt building. Adam looks hurt but understands. Rayy had silent tears running down his face.

We all go back to Matt's. "I should go home." Rayy starts to say, but I refuse.

"How else can you be protected? You live alone..well, with an uncle, who's never home. So you stay here. I know it's not exactly safe, but..I can't stand the thought of him..getting you. you're my friend."

He smiles at me and we share a moment. He's not bad for me hating him at first. You know the whole, getting my boyfriend addicted to prescription meds, beating him up, leaving him for dead. I'm past that. I guess I can forgive him if Adam has.

Speaking of which, what to do? We all sit down on the couch and I call Jake's cell. He doesn't answer. Biting my lip, I look at Adam. "D'you think that he's okay? That his son and Lisbeth are okay?" Adam nods and holds me.

"It's going to be okay. We'll call them again in five minutes. If they don't answer in ten..You and Rayy can go over there."

I start to protest, but Adam quickly goes on. "You can't go alone, and neither can Rayy. I can't go, in case they're right. If you lock up and I keep and phone and weapon with me, I'll be oookayyyy, Matt. I'm not a weakling. I can defend myself." I shake my head, still not convinced.

He sighs and we sit there and wait. A knock at the door startles us all. I start to get up, but Rayy decides it would be best for him to answer and in a few seconds, Hannah is in the room, crying her eyes out.

"Hannah, what's wrong?" I ask, scared. Did someone attack her, too? But she's not even that close of a friend. We don't hang out that much, really.

Hannah gulps. "My mom went crazy and locked me in the basement. She told me that I couldn't see anyone, but would let me go to school today if I didn't talk to Gus..I ran away from the school..Gus wasn't there. Someone told me he was attacked last night. Is he okay?" I nod, and pull her into a hug.

"Poor thing, it's okay. Gus is at his house. We, uhm..there's someone out there..attacking people close to Adam..no one knows why. So, I think maybe it's safe if you just go to Gus's and stay there. Don't let anyone strange talk to you. Okay?" She starts to nod, but then says, "No! Mom will call the police and they will go straight to Gus's house. Please, can I stay here for awhile?"