The moon hangs high overhead and Tri walks the streets staring at his phone while occasionally glancing up at the sky. He sighs loudly tired from the school day but forcing the energy to go outside and stay out late. He sits on a park bench seeming inconspicuous as he stared around at his surroundings.
This area was the last location of the attacks from last night if Saffy’s going to be anywhere it’s around here. He thinks to himself. All I have to do is find her and take her home, that’s it, I’m not playing Hero I’m just helping my friend make the right decision.
Tri sits around staring at people go by with groups giving him the occasional glance. However, as the time passes Tri moves location across the area, standing outside of buildings, sitting on benches and leaning against walls. Each time he leaves before anyone can get suspicious or before anyone can approach him he leaves changing locations but always keeping an eye out for other suspicious individuals.
If Mom or Sis were here, they’d yell at me and Ethan might try to join in. He thinks to himself in order to pass the time. Saffy better appreciate me, going to all this effort to keep her out of trouble and all.
He sits around outside of a convince store holding a can of soda as he takes a sip with a plastic bag in his hand. “I had wanted an actual dinner not a random convince store sandwich for dinner.” He says to himself.
No sign of Saffy, maybe she did actually run out tonight, or maybe she’s good at hiding. He takes a glance at his phone. I’ll give it one more hour than I’ll head home. No way she’ll stay up that late on a school night.
As he sits around, he notices something moving out of the corner of his eye. A man covered in rags walks down the street marching along as if in a trance.
Is this guy? Is he the one attacking people? Tri asks on edge readying himself to flee at the slightest provocation. If this guy gets any closer, I run if he pulls out a weapon I’ll run if he pulls out a gun then…
As Tri formulates his thoughts, the man approaches only for the man to stumble on his own rags and fall to the ground exhausted. “Food.”
“Huh?”
Tri approaches cautiously and hears the man’s stomach with a loud rumbling coming from within. “Food, please I’m begging ya!” He yells out.
Tri looks down on the man and then looks at the bag in his hand. Well, it’s not like it was all that expensive, anyway.
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“Hey, are you awake still? I’ll give you something to eat so don’t die on me.” He says reaching into the bag.
Tri pulls out a sandwich wrapped in plastic and places it on the ground. “Here eat this if you're starving.”
Suddenly the man sparks to life and grabs the sandwich eating it so fast Tri doesn’t see him take off the wrapper. “Wow, this tastes like crap!”
“Well, no one said you have to eat it.”
“But it’s still worth it, with this I’ve bought myself at least another week.” The man says as he turns towards Tri.
Tri notices the man’s wrinkles and grey hair as he stares at his face. “So what’re you doing old man?”
“Nothing but old man things.” He says nonchalky as he reaches into his clothing. “It’s rare to see children as nice as you are these days. Most others would’ve left me to die, I can say you're my own personal hero.”
“Trust me, I’m not, it’s just hard to leave an old man dying on the street is all,” Tri says dismissively as he starts to leave. “Anyway, I should be going.”
“Wait!” The old man yells out.
Tri turns around and looks as the old man holds out an old rusted watch and a rusted coin. “I have to repay you, I’m sure that sandwich cost you a dollar at the least.”
Tri looks on the objects with disgust and tried his hardest to push them away. “Thanks, but I don’t need your junk.”
“Oh, trust me, kid, the days to come this will be one of the most important things in this town.” The old man says seriously.
Oh, great this guy’s crazy. Tri thinks to himself. “If you insist.”
Tri begrudgingly takes the items holding them in his hands as he resists the urge to toss them away. Once I’m away from this guy, I’m tossing this crap out into the nearest trash can.
“Well kid, you better be on your way.” The old man says. “It’s getting dangerous out here these days, lots of people being attacked and the like.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“Anyway kid, good night to ya.” The old man gets up and walks off. “Maybe I’ll be seeing you again sometime.”
“I hope not,” Tri whispers to himself as the old man walks into the night.
After a while, Tri walks the streets making his way back home as he holds the rusty objects in his hand staring at them. The watch was slightly bulky for a simple watch, most likely some kind of old kid’s toy, while the coin was thicker than anything valuable also most likely a kid’s toy. He sighs as he walks along glancing back every so often to make sure the crazed old man wasn’t following him as he reaches a trash can.
“Well now’s as good a place as any,” Tri says as he holds the items over the trash. “Hopefully he’s not watching me from the shadows or something.”
He loosens his grip and prepares to let go only to hear a loud roaring coming from the bushes nearby. “Crap! Is that old man mad?” Tri asks confused.
A man in a suit walks out of the bushes foaming at the mouth as he screams towards the sky. He glares at Tri as Tri stares back confused.
“Blood, blood, I need blood!” The man yells out as his body shakes. “Please, I need you to give me your blood.”
“What?”
“I need you to bleed for me!” The man yells out as he charges ahead in a crazed dash.
Tri looks on terrified as his body refuses to move and in his hands, the rusty watch begins to glow slightly as the rust falls off of it and the coin. “What the hell is going on!” Tri yells out utterly confused.