Jacksy

Ƒ༏ѵ𝖾

They didn't find anything on the cameras.

The footage from last night finished just as the sun was beginning to set, and Trish gave them sandwiches before they were to go back to the roof. Noah couldn't eat anything. He was hungry, but he couldn't bring himself to eat. He had a horrible feeling that his time was running very short.

"Will you at least eat something tomorrow?" asked Skully as they climbed up the stairs.

Noah sighed. "I will. I just... Gotta make it through tonight."

Skully stopped once he reached the roof and turned to Noah, his eyes hard. "Noah, you have to stop thinking like that. It's going to be alright. Whatever happens, it's going to be alright."

Noah shook his head, glancing at the building across the street. It was as still and quiet as snow. "No one believes us. I have to prepare myself because if I go missing, there will be no hope." He couldn't bring himself to say it, but Ashton hadn't come back, and he went missing four years ago. Where was the little girl who went missing twelve years ago?

"I know he's not dead," said Skully quietly, his eyes glazed. "I can feel him, Noah. Ashton isn't dead."

Noah had never heard Skully speak of Ashton like that before. Immediately, Noah became embarrassed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Skully sighed. "It's alright. We-" He suddenly stopped, looking behind Noah. Noah swiveled around and saw Princess. She was standing a couple of feet away, her hands clasped in front of her. Skully reached her in one stride. "You've got to be joking."

Princess' eyes were wide. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to see..." She looked to Noah. "How're you doing?"

Noah pulled down his hood. There was no point in hiding from her. "Have you told everyone about me?"

Princess shook her head. "I wouldn't do that. I can't speak for Bear... I can't find him. He might've told his friends..."

"I thought you were his friend," said Noah.

Princess glanced down at her shoes. "Noah, I'm sorry about what happened. Bear shouldn't have said those things, and he shouldn't have attacked you."

"It doesn't matter," Noah dismissed. "I should've known."

Princess frowned. After a moment, she glanced at Skully and took a breath. "Bear can be dangerous. I wanted to warn you of him. He has dangerous friends... They can hurt you."

Noah scoffed. He hated himself for treating Princess poorly, but he was bitter. "How could you be worried about Bear's friends? The mayor is kidnapping kids. He's looking for me! I can't trust anyone!"

Princess shook her head. "Noah, you can't... You can't be serious. Bear's an actual threat!"

"You don't know what you're talking about," said Skully. His eyes were black pits in his skull. "Look at the building across the street-the apartment building. What do you notice about the windows?"

Princess looked to Noah. Noah sighed and gazed at the building across the street, and the windows that did not reflect light. Princess hesitantly stepped to his side and looked. After a moment, she shook her head and met Skully's gaze. "That doesn't mean anything."

Skully scoffed. His hands were clenched into fists. "You should leave."

Princess looked to Noah, but Noah couldn't meet her gaze. He closed his eyes and nodded his head.

Princess left, using the ladder to disappear in the alley below. Skully and Noah both exhaled. Noah was in disbelief. "How could she deny what's in front of her?"

"Fear," Skully mumbled. "She knows. She just won't admit it."

Noah sat down against the ledge, and so did Skully. They sat awhile in silence, watching the sky grow darker and darker. Noah closed his eyes and thought about all that had happened in the past few days. He wondered if his mother missed him. He wasn't sure if he would ever see her again. Her farm was being watched, especially now that she had bought a watch and the police had been called. Where was Noah's father? Was he still in the city? Did he know about the mayor? Maybe Noah had simply been too much for his father to handle. Noah wished his mother would tell the truth about everything. He wished everyone would just be truthful. He wished Princes and her friends would be honest about how they felt. He wished the dealer would tell the truth about the origin of the rumors. He wished Skully would open up about Ashton. Noah felt like everyone thought he was too naive to handle all of the information. Just because he wasn't perfect like everyone else didn't mean he was any less than them. He had to prove that he could make a change in this city. He had to prove it to his mother, Princess, Skully, and himself.

"I'll take the first shift," said Skully, his eyes glued to the building.

Noah frowned. "No, I can take the first. You might fall asleep."

Skully stifled a laugh. "Alright. You'll wake me up, right?"

"Of course," said Noah honestly.

Skully took a slow deep breath, then laid down on the roof, using his hands as pillows. He closed his eyes.

Noah listened to the city as the sky turned black. He could hear the faint hum of screens and holograms. On the sidewalks, he could hear the faint shuffling of people passing by, and he even thought he could hear a scuffle in the dealer's alley a couple of buildings down. Noah suspected the dealer had another reason to fear the mayor. The dealer was hiding something important. Noah imagined he could hear the clanging of the zippers on the dealer's pants...

Noah heard a soft metallic sound, like metal rolling along pavement. He looked beside him and saw a thin metal pen. Noah jumped to his feet, but it was too late: a red holographic wall had erupted around him, enclosing him inside. He touched the wall. He couldn't pass through. A woman with a bright red ponytail emerged from the ladder on the side of the roof, red lips smiling faintly. "Don't fight, Noah. You knew this was coming."

Noah didn't fight. He could see Skully through the red wall. Skully was heavily asleep. Noah called his name. He shouted. Skully didn't stir. "You were right, Skully!" he shouted. He hoped by some miracle that when Skully woke, he would remember Noah's words. "I'll be alright. I'll find him!"

A hissing sound filled Noah's ears. Some sort of toxin was flooding through his nose. Immediately his knees felt weak, and he let himself fall. "I'll find him..." Noah's eyes closed, and a heavy sleep overcame him.