Hollow {STARTLED -- BOOK 2}

Chapter 1: A blind man has no use

All around him, flames rose. Silent screams seemed to echo from the sand beneath his feet as he trudged along. A new weight sat on the boys back, and his face was pale. He didn't know where he was, all he knew was that he'd done it, he'd finally reached Hell, and no one was coming to save him.

Adam's POV

Adam awoke to the sound of his door opening. He was sweating and breathing a little heavy, but he couldn't really remember his dream. He opened his eyes, hoping to see like he had before the fight two months ago. Unfortunately though, all he could see was the same dull white color as before. He felt his chest tighten a little as the bed underneath him moved. He felt a hand grab his wrist and turn it over, feeling his pulse.

Adam had learned whose hand it was after two months. He was almost able to walk around his house without running into a table or chair. Seto had made everyone let Adam hold their hands for a little while, trying to help make it easier for him to identify them.

Now Seto checked Adam's pulse, which had been weak soon after the fight in the clearing. Adam had been sick for almost the entirety pf the two months and just now seemed to be recovering. Still, Seto checked on him every morning.

"-better today?" Adam looked up, not realizing he had drifted off till Seto caught his attention by speaking.

"Hm? What did you say?" His voice was quiet, much quieter than it used to be. Everything--and everyone-- seemed to be a lot quieter now.

"Is your hearing going out too?" He heard Seto mutter in a tone that probably would have been inaudible to the average person. "I asked if you could see any better today."

"Oh... No then. I still can't see..." He felt Seto stand and take his hand away from Adam's wrist just as the door opened. Adam flinched a little as it shut, still trying to get used to his heightened hearing to replace his missing eyesight.

"Hello Justin. Toxic." He heard footsteps stop near where his kitchen table was.

"Hello S-Seto. We found t-the book you n-needed." He heard a heavy thump as something--probably the book--landed on the table.

"Good. Can you guys go and find Mitch and Jerome? I want to talk to them about something." A few weeks after the fight, Mitch and Jerome "started" dating. Most people think that the main reason Mitch agreed was to take his mind off of Angel. Everyone else thinks they were already together and they just used Angel's death as an excuse. Either way, gay or not, Seto wasn't about to give them any time together. He constantly had them doing tasks or out looking for Ty and Jason.

No one had forgotten about their missing friends, and no one was about to stop looking for them. Adam had begged more than once to join a search group and was declined every time.

"A blind man has no use..." He mumbled quietly to himself, before he pushed the blanket off of him. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and sat up. He put his hand on his nightstand, feeling around for his sunglasses. Why does he wear sunglasses when he can't even see you ask?

People were getting creeped out by his dull and blank golden eyes.

He heard footsteps walk towards him, following by a slightly irritated sigh. "Adam, just what are you doing?" He finally found the glasses and placed them over his eyes. He looked up in the direction of Seto's voice.

"I'm going to help and be useful." He stood up shakily and Seto raised an eyebrow.

"You are, are you?" He heard a few footsteps as Seto walked away from him. "If you can find me, then get outside on your own, you can go out and help." Adam felt a small smile creep onto his face. A challenge!

He tried to pinpoint where Seto's voice had come from, and began to walk slowly in that direction. After a few moments of not hitting anything, he got cocky and let his guard down, running into a wall with an 'oof'. He heard Seto chuckle from across the room and Adam groaned. He had been walking in the wrong direction!

He turned around and began to walk towards Seto's voice again, this time keeping his arms in front of him. His hands hit a wall again and he seemed to give the wall a confused look. He heard Seto chuckle again, once again from the opposite end of the room, and Adam finally realized what was going on.

"Stop moving around! That's not fair!" He complained, standing up straight. Seto laughed a little louder for a few moments before quieting down.

"Its perfectly fair, I never said I wouldn't move." After a few moments and a death glare from a blind man, Seto gave in. "Fine, you "found" me. See if you can get to the door now."

Adam nodded briskly before feeling what was around him. He felt a hard chair and the edge of a table. /I'm in the kitchen!/ He decided, before he turned to his left and began to walk slowly in the direction he remembered the door being. After a minute or two, he felt his hand touch cold metal and he twisted, suddenly excited. He felt the door open and the crisp fall air came rushing in.

He jumped as Seto put his hand on his shoulder. "Took you long enough." He teased before letting go and walking out. Adam stood at the doorstep for a minute, before stepping down. When Adam felt nothing underneath his foot and he fell forward, letting out a yelp as he put his arms out to catch himself. He managed to do so, and lay in what almost looked like a push-up position. A few laughs from different people were heard and Adam's face heated up.

"You alright there dood?" Mitch called, voice teasing. For a moment, Adam felt an uncontrollable rage fill him, before disappearing a split second later. The man blinked, unmoving for a few moments, until he felt furry paws grab under his arms and heave him back to his feet.

"You okay Adam?" Jerome asked and Adam nodded, feeling a little lightheaded.

"Yeah..." He could feel in the air that Jerome didn't believe him, but the bacca just shrugged.

"Alright. Lets get to work then shall we?"