Chapter One
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Seth sat down on the cold curb, wondering about the idea of escape. Could he break free? What did he want to be free of? He couldn't tell, just that he wanted a scapegoat from this life. What's wrong? He sipped his Budlight, looking at the foggy twilight of the stars. Maybe he should go to the mountains. Then he could finally look at the stars, he could breathe a little there. I have that feeling like someone just left and I'm stuck in my house with nothing to do. But I haven't even seen anyone I know today. Man, I wish I wasn't so strange. "No one gets it when I talk to them. Not even Jenny," he exclaimed, not realizing he had said it out loud.* * *
Seth looked around. He loved to go off by himself, just to watch people and ponder a little. His girlfriend didn't get it, but she let him go anyway. The guys were at a bar close by, but he had managed to get away for a while. The gas station was quiet. Just a couple cars, a red sedan owned by some old rich guy and his white pickup parked next to the food mart, where he had gotten his drink. A guy came out from the other side of the building, wearing dark glasses and a trench coat like some guy from The Matrix. Who's this guy?, thought Seth. The guy looked around, as if trying to identify someone. He looked over at Seth. Seth felt his spine tingle. He glanced the other way, not wanting to look like he was staring. The man began to step towards Seth, walking slowly with a big swing in his arms, like Neo or something. He looked surprisingly like him, actually. His hair was short and spiked, light brown too. Something about this guy gave Seth the shivers. But he wasn't scary or threatening, just the guy seemed so sure of himself, wearing that outfit. Odd.
Seth found himself staring at his boots, before long, which happened to be black leather. "Excuse me, you're Seth, right?", asked Matrix dude. Seth looked up at him, wondering how this guy new him. Was this a prank from one of the guys? He scanned the parking lot again, but his search proved futile. No one was there, not even the rich old guy. The street light glowed on the Matrix dude and made him look like he was glowing from the angle he was sitting at. "Well, I'll take that as a yes. I'm Sam, good to meet ya," extending his hand.
Not knowing what to do, Seth shook it, replying, "Likewise." Sam took off his glasses revealing eyes that, simply put, glowed green; a rich green that seemed to know the depths of your soul. Seth felt a tinge of fear, watching this guy stare seemingly into him, not at him. Their hands were still holding each other. The man called Sam lifted Seth up off the curb, putting him at eye level. Seth wanted to squirm, but he didn't know why. Sam released his grip and looked up at the sky, not speaking for a moment.
"Well, we should go. We've have a lot to do, and not much time." stated the man in black.
"Where? Why? Wait, who are you!?"
"You want to escape, right? Or do you want to be rescued?", replied Sam, ignoring Seth's questions.
"How did you..."
"Don't mind that, just clarify what it is you want. I don't have all day." Seth thought. Well, I guess I wanted to escape, but that would mean that I can do it myself. But I haven't found a way by myself yet, so I guess I want to be rescued.
"Okay, I want to be rescued. But what does that have to do with anything? How do you know about this stuff? Have you been hired by my friends or something? Is this a prank?"
"Well, first, it matters because I have to go to the next person on the list if you didn't answer correctly, which you did. Second, I don't have time to explain to you how I know what I know and why I don't know what I don't. But I can tell you that this is definitely not a prank. I don't have time for pranks at the moment, and now neither do you." Seth stood there dumbfounded, unable to process what this nonsense this guy was babbling about. "Well, you want to be free, am I right?" Seth nodded, still not comprehending. "I guess that would mean that I'm here to come bring you to where there is freedom. Anyway, that's what I would deduce from what I know. You want out from this life, right? This circle going round and round, just substituting life with booze and girls that leave you that fills you only with anxiety and depression and emptiness." Seth thought about it. He had been drinking more lately, and he had only been able to keep his girlfriends for about three months at a time his entire college career. Maybe this guy was on to something. "Anyway, we have to leave. I've been here to long and you don't seem to have any armor to get out of any bad situation." Armor, huh? Was this guy serious? Or even sane? Sam stared back. "Don't ask too many questions right now, okay?"
Just then a thundering sound echoed through the street. A gunshot! Seth ducked under his car, looking under the floor to see who had shot what. He saw a homeless guy walking away from his shopping cart across the street, with a handgun drawn, aiming at the guy who had called himself Sam. Sam was just staring at the homeless guy, putting on his glasses. He walked over to the Seth's car and got into the front seat. "Get in!", he yelled to Seth. Seth climbed in to his passenger seat as Sam drove away. He knew where I put my keys? Seth always stored them in his glove box when he sat by his car. The man was still shooting at the car as they drove away. Somehow, the guy had barely missed Sam every time he had shot at him.
"Man, I was almost off guard! Well, there's no turning back now, is there?" asked Sam.
"Where are we going?"
"Oh, I don't know. If I'm not mistaken, we are going somewhere near the mountains."
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