Chapter Two: In the Rain

A Chapter by Shade Teller

It had been a week since the discovery of the town of Yore's great massacre. After being unable to contact Brian Murphy and any of the residents at the town of Yore, a search party was sent out and they found the same things but the living dead failed to appear. Sightings of a mysterious personage had been spotted in alley ways and rushing behind buildings, but anytime someone followed the unknown figure disappeared. The bodies had rotten and for the reasons of sanitation the bodies were burned. Through much persuasion and bribery all whereabouts of the town and what had happened was kept from the press. The only people to know of anything that happened at Yore was those who had family in the town. As could be expected no one had family that was in the town--at least any family that anyone cared for--except for three brothers and one lone person who was believed to have lived in Yore; Lance, Tyrell, and Theo, and Cody.

Tyrell and Theo were directly related brothers and Lance was their adopted brother. Their parents had found Lance at an orphanage and had what one might call, almost, inspiration to bring the child home. Lance was brought up well and his brothers though older and different created a bond between each other. Theo, the eldest, was a leader and example to both Tyrell and Lance and though leader had a liking in getting all three of them into some kind of trouble: pulling pranks, bothering neighbors, and sneaking away from home to do unsupervised activities. Tyrell though not the leader was the brains of the trio and the adviser to Theo. Lance was the energy and often the protector. The times that Lance found himself pulling his brothers from trouble is uncountable and although tiresome, enjoyable. Their parents had been visiting Yore for what their father called "special" business. Both parents were marked amongst the dead. All three were mortified and locked themselves in the house for days, discussing and comforting each other. The town that they lived in was only twenty miles south of Yore.

Cody was out of town visiting his ancient grandparents that lived in the town farther north of Yore. His parents stayed and joined the number of casualties. Cody, though sad that his parents were now gone, was lighthearted and barely dismayed at the fact that everyone's life had been taken. Unfortunately in the same week both of his grandparents had died in a violent car accident and other than his deceased parents his grandparents were his only relatives. Now he was left alone to find a new family. At first he was brought to an orphanage but only after a day he had runaway.

Lance took his parents death the hardest. Though he was only an adopted son, he felt there was a connection. Also he was depressed about his parents departure and his instinct told him to hold it in. Most of his days he spent out walking in more gloomy cloudy weather or in the rain. It was in this kind of situation that Lance literally slipped into his would-be brother. Cody.

The sky was promising a high chance of rain. Clouds engulfed the sky and the tips of the mountains in a layer of shades of gray. The wind blew teasingly at the trees, like a dancer twirling, waving, and spinning around it's partners. The winds voice was everywhere, singing and hollering, sometimes quiet and sometimes loud. Lance left the home as he had done for the past week. As Lance stepped out the clouds began to drop the tears on the world below. Lance was your average 15 year old teenager. He went to school but it was summer vacation so the worries of school were not pressed on his shoulders. But the stresses of losing his parents bore down on his mind like a hot iron.

Lance continued to walk along, lost deep in his thoughts. I can't believe their gone. He thought. It just didn't seem possible. How could one town just die away. Anger fumed with in him, and all his energy broke out into a desperate run through the rain. His mind became clouded and all things that used to make sense didn't and through the streets he ran until he tired out. At this point he no longer cared who was nearby or what was happening. He fell to his knees crying and cursing. All he wanted was to die.

Die? The thought struck him so hard that his tears stop spilling and his eyes filled with a false hope. That's it isn't it he thought why not die and see his parents. Wouldn't a brief moment of pain be better than what he was feeling now? He stood up and walked for a long time, considering and weighing his assets. Did he really want to die? Would he really see his parents again? He continued on. Then one event happened that changed and possibly saved his life.

Running at Lance at full speed, came a boy about his age and both collided and fell to the ground. The boy shocked and short of breath quickly stood up and offered a hand.

"I'm sorry, I... you see I'm..."

"Don't worry," said Lance, "I was planning on ending on the ground anyway." Lance took his hand and he lifted him up. "Now what were you saying."

"I'm Cody and you see I'm..." Many siren blares began to come up the street and Cody went pale. He began to run the opposite direction of the blares. Unable to think what else to do Lance followed him. Cody filled with fear ran to a nearby park and hid up a tree. Lance now out of breath stood at the base of the tree.

"So, what's going on Cody, you and escapee or did you just barely kill someone?" Lance said.

"No, nothing like that exactly," Cody whispered, "You see I ran away." The sirens seemed to fade off in the distance but he still stayed up.

"From what, your parents?"

"No, from an orphanage."

"Not the best of places huh? But it still seems like a stupid reason to get the police chasing you."

"Well, you see its been days since I ran away and no one was really willing to help me out so I tried to steal from the store and sort of got caught." He climbed down at this point but stayed well behind the tree.

"You know, I'm not making promises but you can come over to my place until things kind of calm down," Lance offered, "and it's not too far so we should get their without being spotted." Lance looked down at his watch and realized he had been gone far too long. "Well, if you want, lets go." Cody, with really no other option followed.

"My name is Lance by the way," Lance said.

"Like I said, My name's Cody." With no conversation they headed down the street and to Lance's home."

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