Alive Again: Awakening (Book 1)

200 (*Chapters Count Down from Here)

"Yo! Brandon, man, get up!" Spike slapped Brandon's bedpost. "We're gonna be late for breakfast. I don't know what kinda dream you're having, but snap out of it! We gotta go!" He stuck one foot on the bunk-bed ladder and swung his arm over the railing, attempting to shake Brandon awake. To his surprise, his hand fell on empty sheets.

Spike looked over the railing. Brandon was gone. A bud of panic sprouted in the pit of Spike's stomach. He cursed under his breath, hopping down from the ladder. He hurried out onto the front porch of the cabin and looked around. No one was in sight.

Possible places Brandon might be flitted through Spikes's mind. Stay calm, he warned himself, as he sprinted for the boys' bathroom. There were plenty of guys inside performing their morning rituals, and Brandon could've been one of them, but Spike knew better.

Brandon was reckless, impulsive, clever, but not the best decision maker. Spike had expected a stunt like this, but wouldn't believe it until he was sure.

Specials were pouring out onto the trails headed for the outdoor cafeteria. Even through the crowd of kids and teenagers, Spike could pick Brandon out. He wasn't there. Spike rushed back to the cabin, panic in full bloom. 

What would he do? Someone would have to tell G about this.

G would be a little more than murderous when he found out—

"Spike!" Sting walked up to the cabin. Spike flinched, looking up.

Sting recognized the panic in his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine..." Spike lied, looking around them. Brandon was nowhere to be found and Spike had no choice but to believe he knew why. He cursed under his breath again.

"Okay, but everybody's waiting, where's—" Sting stopped short, intuiting why Spike was so on edge. "Oh no..."

Spike shook his head, nervousness taking over. Quills elongated from his arms.

"He didn't," Sting said, his voice trailing off. Their expressions of dread and shock mirrored one another.

"What are we gonna do?" Spike asked quietly.

Sting's mind was racing. Different emotions swirled around in his head. "When Delilah finds out, she's going to go ballistic..."

"Sting, what are we supposed to say to G and Xion? Brandon's missing."

Delilah, right on cue, walked up behind Sting. "Who's missing?"

Sting looked at Spike whose face paled. The one person who'd be more upset about Brandon's staged absence than G was Delilah, and neither of them wanted to be there when she blew up.

She looked back and forth between the two of them, confused. "What?" she asked, when no one responded. Spike's grave expression tipped her off. She bypassed the boys and went into the cabin.

"Delilah, wait!" Spike called, a step behind, trying to stop her.

"Brandon!" she roared, staring around the room. She realized she was alone and stormed out, ignoring Spike's pleas.

"He better not be where I think he is or he's a dead man running!"