The midnight saga

Chapter One- Welcome Back To New OakWood

Hardin was rarely the sentimental type, listening to his mothers cries of desperation to get out of town and see the world, because he was an only child, and his mother's only son. Knowing her she was going to miss him the most.
A month. Only a month he's been away, and his mom's already began her assault on his phone, leaving him no choice to come back when she once called him to ask about handling a drill. Knowing how she gets with tools he decided on returning home from New Orleans to a pocket town at south Carolina named New Oakwood. Which of course was only a name; there was nothing new about the town.
Sprang out around the late 1500s or so, Hardin hardly listened in History class, even though he had one of the brightest student of his set as one of his best friend. Mia.
Mia was his back up for everything; homework, pop quizzes, tests, even exams. They had known each other since they were in diapers. Another person is Zack; a total gaming nerd who obsessed about comic books and stuff like that. The school nicknamed them the Harry potter trio, and coming to think of it they weren't very far off. If Mia was Hermione, Zack was Ron, then he would be a Harry without glasses.
Hardin chuckled in silence at the thought, solemnly jabbing his head to the band music playing from his stereo: walk again by Foo Fighters.
One of the old things his uncle Sean had given him over at New Orleans for his one month stay. Through out he couldn't help but tinker of the expression his middle aged uncle wore when he learned he was turning sixteen on October 31 which was a month's time from now. Through out his stay he only seemed to be scrutinizing him with keen eyes, as if looking for something.
Hardin reeled his truck into a highway, his head lights slicing through the darkness, sighting a sign post that read New Oakwood- Two miles ahead. Seriously! He breathed tiredly.
It felt like he had been driving forever endlessly. Plus it was 1:04am passed midnight. He needed his full sleep for the troubles that accompanied the next day of school which would be the start of his junior year. In front of him now was nothing but fog, spreading out across the road, the headlights worked a little which was a relief.
He squinted in the mist, but it only made it much worse. His phone buzzed and he picked it up, putting it instantly on loud speaker. It was his mom.
"Hey sweetie are you home yet?" She asks silkily.
Hardin continues to squint.
"Um... About a mile." He says hypothetically.
"Hardin" his mum draws. He sighs.
"Fine. Two miles, I think I'm actually running low on gas too." He says looking at his gas gauge that was going towards empty.
"That's not good, I told you not to take that stupid truck!"
"Well its not my fault. Dad didn't seem to have a problem with it." He says darkly. There was a palpable silence for a while, knowing the subject of his dad was a sore topic to bring on. He felt a stab in his chest. He had always wondered why things always turned out the way it did. He would aim to hurt someone, but always ended up hurting himself in the process.
"I'm sorry mum."
"No its nothing." He heard her sniff dismissively. "Just make sure you make it home safe."
He smiled. "I will—"
Just at a split second, a silhouette of a person stood in front of him, he swiftly swerved the truck left, it obliged, but violently smashing across the wooden railing separating the highway from a steep hill.
Hardin struggled frantically to keep the car steady as he plummeted down a very stumpy road that was obviously not for cars, hopefully his truck was built for these  kinds of movement but it didn't make it anymore pleasant. He tried to bring the car to a stop but the break failed. He stepped on it multiple times like his  life depended on it. Well then again...
Chunks of branches from stray trees poked him through his open window, grazing his arms and face, using a hand to shield his face, and the other one the wheel. He gave up all hope when he saw what looked at him in the face: an abandoned bridge project over a running stream. He could hear the power of the rushing waters even from that distance. His door was also stuck. His car hit a rock, it tipped over in one swift somersault, the world was in slow motion, and his breath caught beneath his tongue. His eyes were shut before he hit the water.
Then blackness followed. He dreamt.
In his dream he felt as light as a feather, light shined from a distance before him, breathing was impossible, and from his half closed eyes he could see something coming for him at amazing speed... Felt something strong grip him, probably a wild sea creature wanting to devour him. Before his eyes closed for good.

*******
When his eyes managed to open again, he could see better with every blink, though his chest felt like a ton of weight had been placed against it, beneath him was dry soft grass, as the sound of the cool night began to sip into his hearing. It felt like a dream, someone was caressing his head, parting his wet hair to the side so he could see properly, and he was grateful, in front of him though he still couldn't make out the face was a white glorious angel, with over flowing glistening dark hair, and shiny Sapphire eyes. In fact her eyes stood out more than anything else. He blinked twice as hard so he could make out the face more vividly, but it would appear his brain wasn't done recovering from the shock of dying. Perhaps this was heaven. He thought. He reached out to put a hand on her face but she caught his hand softly automatically, they were warm, and it warmed him too like osmosis.
From afar the wailing of sirens filled the night as the sound drew nearer. She places a hand upon the side of his face blood flowed into his cheeks as she leaned close, her face getting vivid.
"Over there on the grass!" He heard an officer yell, and what sounded like ten people running towards him.
When he glared back up, the angel was gone, and in Hardin's hand was a gold glistening hair pin that felt heavy. Was this real gold?
His senses dulled once more and his hands droped by his side, the hair pin buried under the brush he laid and he embraced darkness again.
******
Hardin could clearly make out his mom's worried look on his hospital bed, she had blond stringy long hair, flowing across her shoulders. Tender face with eyes that could turn furious at a moments notice. He knew. That night she was wearing a blue dress, with a scarf wound around her neck. The annoying smell of drugs and sterilized air haunted his nostrils. Hardin had always loathed hospitals. Now he was in one.
"Mum." He says propping himself on an elbow, his belly still felt like he swallowed the whole river and some of the fishes were actually trying yo break free.
"What happened sweetie?!" Cried his mum.
He tried putting everything together, but his memory seemed a bit distant to recover. All he remembers was swerving his car off of the highway because of someone he saw standing in the middle of the road. Then he plummeted down to his own death in the stream. And that was it.
He told his mom everything, then it flashed by: he saw her beautiful face again, even though a blur but still irresistible. Her ever so soft touch. Who was that girl, and she had left something with him. Tugging a hand in his jeans, he couldn't find the gold hair pin. Then last night replayed in 3D in his head. That's right. He says internally. He had dropped it on the grass he laid back on, which. By now will be long gone. Gold of that kind wouldn't just sit around in the grass waiting for the owner to come back an take it. Someone must have taken it.
The door opened, :Mia and Zack strolled in. Mia carried a get well soon card, while Zack carried a welcome back to New OakWood white card.
Mia had a look of anxiety and worry all around her face. His own surrogate mom, whenever his mother would go out of town for business she'd take care of both him and Zack.
"What happened man?!" Zack asked first then questions came flying here and there.
"Who pulled you from the stream?" Mia retorts.
Hardin stared at his palm that once held on to his Savior. Her perfect groomed hair.
He sighs.
"I can't remember."