The Great Divide

6. The Man on the Street

As it turned out, James did manage to get a snippet of the piece of paper strung to the inside of Wes's locker door; however, it was so fleeting, the contents written on the paper appeared as a blur. Even when we paused the footage on the television while in the media room, the image wasn't clear. It looked like someone had swiped their hand across a page full of wet ink. The exchange between James and me went something like this:

"Why's it so blurry? Can't you fix it?"

James had his nose up against the television screen. "No, he slammed it shut too fast. There isn't a clear frame."

My hands flailed in the air. "You had one job, James. One job!"

James rounded on me. "You're the one who got an actual look at the paper. You should be able to remember what was on it."

"But you had the camera! We should be sitting comfortably on the couch dissecting what was written on the paper because we have a clear picture. What's the point of even having you if you can't do your job?"

James's eyes stormed, and his mouth formed a straight line. "I'm the one who discovered all this stuff in the first place. You would have looked right past the guy behind Derek during his interview."

"You're such an asshole!"

"Looks like I'm an official member of your club, then."

"Ugh!"

It had been a couple days since then, but the remembrance still made my skin break out in hives. I had gotten James and myself into the locker rooms and even managed to find a clue taped to Wes's locker. And so far, the only thing we had to work off was a blurry picture of the piece of paper. Now, I would be subjected to going on a date to try and discover more while James sat comfortably inside his mansion probably snacking on exotic fruits and cheeses costing more than my family's entire dinner.

With a twisted face, my feet pounded the sidewalk alongside my sisters. We were on our way home from their violin practice. The night had settled; the sky was inky black and starless, but it was always starless. Living within the city limits hindered the sight of the vast universe above, even with the dysfunctional streetlights which, at best, flickered eerily.

We had another two blocks to travel before our apartment complex. My stomach was grumbling, and I placed a hand over it to try and calm the vibrations echoing inside. I was hopeful my mother would have dinner set as soon as we arrived. The thought made my mouth water and stomach rumble more.

My sisters and I were silent, and it seemed to exaggerate how quiet and still the streets were. Not that it was out of the ordinary for it to be nearly empty this time in the evening; most people were tucked away inside their apartments eating dinner. The only stragglers were those hurriedly walking towards their homes, and they were few and far between.

The night was growing deeper. The expansive apartment building stood tall and dark above us, seemingly blocking us inside the chilly street. The streetlights didn't even so much as flicker where we were. A shiver rolled up my spine as my feet picked up pace.

We were close to home now, only one block left. My sisters, too, seemed to be feeling on edge as they scanned the surrounding area with as much ferocity as I was. Every place my eyes landed I thought I saw something move, or got the impression something was hiding in the shadows.

It was then my attention caught on something near the other side of the street by a collection of metal garbage cans. It was a person - a man - and he was standing unnaturally still. His face was shadowed and empty; a dark, blank canvas, but his frame was solid and tall. My breath left my chest and heart hammered in my ears.