Chapter 1

Kioni Turner

I ran as fast as my feet could take me. I was tired and afraid, but I had to keep going. Everything happened so fast in my head. Where should I go and who will help me now? The only thing that was on my mind was to run. 

Come on, Ki, just a few more blocks. Don’t let them catch you. You are not a runner, but today you run. That is all I kept thinking in my head. Run as fast as you can. Don't stop. Don't look back. Get as far away as possible because if they catch you, it's all over.

BANG!

“I’m sorry!” I stopped and heaved in deep breaths. I chanced a look back to see if they were close.

“Hey, it’s ok. I wasn’t looking,” he responded, holding my shoulders.

I stopped listening to him and looked back again, and all I saw was a silhouette drawing closer. They were going to catch if I stayed in this spot. I knew my tired feet had to move again. Quickly, I pulled away from him and ran, but my bracelet slipped from my hand and fell.

I looked back, not realizing where I was before blinding lights were flashing in front of me. I didn't have time to scream or move. I crouched my hands to hide my face with the truck’s honk blaring closer before impact and there was darkness.

*****

James Miller Pega

“OH MY GOD!” I shouted in shock, my hand flying to close my mouth.

One minute she had bumped into me and the next she was running again. It all happened so fast. She looked back, not realizing she was running into traffic, and in a few seconds, she was flying in the air before falling hard on the ground. Why did she look back? Why was she running? 

I have never witnessed something this gruesome. I thought my heart would explode because my heart was pounding so hard. My body even shook with the feeling of such a scene. Just staring at her body with eyes opened was intense. She looked dead. It was freaky.

My feet moved toward to check on her against my better judgement of the accident. I prayed she was alive. I shook and exhaled hard, moving one foot at a time and stepping on something. It made me stop. Her bracelet must have slipped off. I knelt and picked it up, my head turning to look in her direction.

“K. I?” I whispered, fisting the bracelet.

I started moving closer, but they drew me back because it was an accident. There was not much I could do other than let the professionals help. Some people were snapping photos, and some had their hands on their mouths, and the man who had hit her was shaking his hand in panic before his hands interlocked behind his back. He was a sobbing mess.

As the ambulance and police sound kept getting close. I noticed two men in black suits. One was on the phone, who whispered something in the other man’s ear before he nodded. I drew my attention to him as I was reading his lips as he was whispering something that sounded like ‘we must find it’. He noticed me staring, and I quickly averted my gaze to watch the girl. When I looked back at the men again, they were gone.

The ambulance came in and took her away. Thankfully, she was still alive from the little I heard from the medics. Hopefully, she was going to make it. The police put tape around the spot where she was. There was a lot of emotion from the man who had hit her as the officer was questioning him. I didn’t realize that it was late. I had been standing here until my phone was buzzing in my jacket.

“Where are you, James? Mom is freaking out. You better get home in the next minute.” I was late again, and I needed to rush home.

“SHIT!” I muttered as I put my phone in my jacket to notice I still had her bracelet in my hand, which I slid in my jacket and jogged home.

As I saw the house close by, I took a deep breath, shaking off the scene I had witnessed, and I grabbed the doorknob with a deep breath. My heart was still racing hard.

“Where have you been?” my sister whispered.

“Jesus, don’t sneak up on me like that,” I whisper-shout, holding my heart.

“What’s got you all creeped out?” She stared at me under her lashes. "You can be so dramatic sometimes."

“Nothing.” I shook my head quickly.

“Fine, whatever.” She rolled her eyes before walking away.

I sighed before I dropped my backpack on the floor and started running upstairs to my room.

“James, how many times have I told you not to run into the house? Especially on the stairs,” my mom shouted.

“Sorry,” I responded.

“Did you leave your backpack down again?” 

I rushed back again so I could grab my backpack only to see her with her hands on her hips giving me a look.

I sighed, kissing her on the cheek. “Hi mom, sorry mom,” I smiled sheepishly.

“Hi, dinner will be ready at 7:15,” she said, cupping my cheeks with her hands smiling. “Are you ok, Jam?” She eyes me with a raised brow.

“Mom, don’t call me that. It’s embarrassing.” I groaned.

“I will call you that because you are my sweet boy,” she proudly proclaimed.

I shake my head and walk to grab my backpack and I dash past her running the stairs.

“James!” she shouted as I ran up the stairs again.

“Sorry,” I shouted before opening my door and slamming the door.

I could hear my mom’s exasperated voice, as she was not happy with me running and slamming my door. I threw my backpack on the bed before I slammed on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

Things my mother couldn’t stand were me and Harper fighting, us running on the stairs, and slamming our doors, which happened a lot. Even dad ran into the house. This mostly happened in the morning because that’s when breakfast was being served. I smiled at this thought, happy to have calmed down after witnessing that terrible accident.

I reached for my pocket so I could take my phone and that’s when I felt the bracelet once again. I took it out and examined it and it looked like something that was specially made and by the engraving on it this bracelet meant something to her.

“K. I?” It must be her name, I thought.

Could she have been running away from those two men in black suits? She looked like she was running away from someone. I drew away my attention from those thoughts and I got my sketchbook and drew. I drew today’s incident from the moment she bumped into me and the accident to the shocked people, the driver, ambulance, police, and the two men in black suits.

“What is that?” I jumped from the chair where I had lost myself to my drawing.

“Harper, get out. Must you always be a creeper?” I yelled at her.

“Why so jumpy, James? Did you do something?” she smiled wildly. "Is it something that will get you in trouble with mom and dad?"

“Nosy much?” I scowled, “What do you want? I told you to knock before walking into my room.” I glared at her.

“I did, knock. Three times.” She rolled her eyes and looked at me. “Mom asked me to get you. It's dinnertime. She told you 7:15,” she said as she started touching the drawings, observing them with her head tilted.

“She is pretty. Who is she?” she asked, looking at me. "Is that why you were late? Got a crush?" she stared at the sketches. "What is her name?" her eyes were sparkling with mischief. 

“No one.” I snatched the sketch from her.

“These guys are scary.” She had grabbed the other sketches.

“Stop that,” I responded.

“Why does that pretty girl look like she is dead here?” she said, pointing in a confused look.

“None of your business, troublemaker.” I started dragging her out of my room before slamming the door in her face and locking it.

“Mom, Jam is slamming the door again,” she shouted, then there were footsteps of her walking away.

All I could hear was a conversation between the two of them having an argument about me slamming the door and Harper complaining as always.

I took a few steps to the drawings as I stared at one of her, looking like she was dead. I took the bracelet from my jacket again and relief ran through my body because if that troublemaker had seen it, this would not end well.

I hid the bracelet in one box where I keep my private possessions. I would go look for her at the hospital the next day so I could make sure that she had survived the accident. 

My sister was right. She was pretty. I smiled at the thought and my mind couldn’t get her face out of my head. After all, I had a photographic memory.

My stomach growled, reminding me I was hungry. I looked at the clock and saw it was 7:30. If I did not go down soon, my mom would send that troublemaker again. I unlocked the door and ran downstairs for dinner.