Chapter 3
Ashton had woken up last night crying and screaming and then painted a gruesome picture right after. He worked and worked for hours on end. When he finally broke out of his trance he as faced with six different paintings of Calum Hood, the football star of his school. The curly haired teen had always felt helpless with his ability. He had painted many beautiful and horrendous things. He wishes he could bare witness to the beautiful moments and prevent the terrible ones. Most of his paintings happened in far away places though, he only bare witness to them after the fact. He sees them on the news and online. There have been countless times when he had cried himself to sleep. He felt useless. What was the point of this ability? Why gift him with it when he could do nothing?
He asked himself that everyday ever since he discovered it. So, when he painted Calum Hood being murdered by none other than Justin Farrow, their ex football star, he knew this was his chance. He could finally save someone. He can add a one to his score card. He was tired of letting people die. He wanted to save someone, even if it was a jock like Calum.
The artist wants to claim that Calum was just like the rest of the student population, but he would be lying. He’s seen how meek the Australian was. He’s seen Calum try to leave the herd dozens of times, but due to his ever growing popularity he had always been brought back. The younger man had actually tried to talk to Ashton a couple of times, but when he did his “friends” had always made sure that he steered clear of Ashton. They had tried to deter him by saying he was psychotic and that he was dumb. Ashton admits that he had been held back a grade, but that wasn’t because to his intellect. It was more of a necessity due to truancy. He had missed a lot of school when he had first discovered that his “nightmares” weren’t really nightmares. It had been a huge shock to see his dreams come true and it had drove him to drug abuse as well as self harm. It had been a rough year and people were cruel. They did not sympathize nor did they try to understand. They couldn’t even just ignore him. They pointed out all his insecurities ad flaws. They used it to bully him and further his descent into depression.
People were cruel and self absorbed, but Calum was aware. He had seen the younger boy stare at him and at first he thought that maybe the jock just wanted to join in on the “fun,” but there were a handful of times when he had passed the art room and seen the raven-haired boy looking at his art. He had been flattered, but he didn’t dare let himself hope. He had thought of befriending the younger man plenty of times, because his mum, brother, and sister always reminds him that you cannot live alone. You can love yourself, but you cannot live alone. He had always put it off— talking to Calum that is and now that he’s painted the soccer star’s impending fate— he fears he might never get the chance.
Ashton gathers his things hurriedly while his thoughts ran rampant. He had not meant to stay longer; however, he had been caught up in this one piece. There had been this picture of a boy with red hair stuck in his head and he hasn’t been able to get it out. He had let the world around him melt away and he had immersed himself in his art, forgetting that Calum’s life depended on it.
He had been tailing Calum all week and it was Friday. The soccer team had no practice on Friday’s meaning the younger man have had a great head start. Ashton zipped up his bag and zoomed out of the class. He heard his teacher screaming at him, but he chose to ignore it. He had to make sure that Calum was okay. He had to save him. His sanity depended on it.
Ashton ran down the hallways and into the main building of the school.
‘Why do we have so many exits and have only one open at the end of the day?’ He thought agitated.
The curly haired senior knew the answer of course, but did not care. The safety regulations were hindering him from shaving off a few minutes to get closer to Calum. He ran down the hallway and took a sharp right outside to the courtyard. He then ran down the stairs and ran faster to get to the gate. He tried to think where Calum could have gone, but he realized he only had to go to one place to know if what he feared happened or not.
He ran across the street to get to the next block into an alleyway. It wasn’t the stereotypical one you see in the movies. It’s a dark little alleyway after sundown, but during the day it was pretty. This alleyway was located in a cul-de-sac. It had been created as a shortcut to the main road and whoever created it had put a lot of effort. The walls were covered in vines with beautiful pink flowers growing. It was paved, but the sides were covered by grass. When he had dreamed of this moment, he had thought that this place was beautiful. He climbed the stairs leading to the impasse and turned on the flashlight on his phone. He directed it in from of him and a sob escaped his mouth when he saw someone lying on the concrete floor.
Ashton had thought of running away, but his legs would not move. He could not believe he had failed. He stood glued to the same spot for who knows how long and he didn’t notice when he started walking towards the raven-haired boy. He kneeled next to the younger boy and turned him over. He thinks that if these were normal circumstances that he would have not touched a crime scene; however, he was emotionally invested in this. He wanted Calum here. He had always thought that the soccer star had a beautiful smile and he wished that Calum would grace him with it right now.
He brushed the younger man’s hair out of his eyes and then closed his eyes for him, since the raven-haired man could no longer do it. The world around him felt so still. Ashton could not believe this was happening. He caressed the younger boy’s skin and felt the warmth on it slowly fading. He heard birds chirping in the distance and wished they would shut the fck up. There was no reason to sing. He couldn’t think of any.
A sob broke out of Ashton and as soon as it was released reality had set in. He had failed. He failed himself and he failed Calum. He picked up Calum and cradled him to his body. He took out the knife stuck on the younger man’s neck and cried. He wanted to look at the soccer star as he was and not a gruesome crime scene. He hugged the younger boy and tried to rub heat back to the cooling body. He had started to smear blood all over himself and Calum, but the curly haired man did not notice. His face was ashen and tears constantly fell. He buried his face on Calum’s chest and over analyzed on what was going to happen next.
He heard that Calum had a sister he was close to. He heard that his mom and dad worked constantly, but they were all close. How was he supposed to leave this place and inform them that… inform them of what transpired here? How was he going to live with himself after this? Prior to this he had used the excuse that they were to far away of he was too young to do anything! But now! Now, he was eighteen and he attends— attended the same school. He didn’t want to leave. If he left— he doesn’t know what would happen. So, he cried. He cried for Calum and himself. He cried for their possible friendship and he cried for unbeknownst to him. Because he knew, he knew Calum would change the world one day.
“Hey, I— I usually wouldn’t say anything if someone was crying to me, but it’s cold on the floor and I feel really gross right now.” Someone croaked.
Ashton drew back swiftly and stared at the raven-haired senior with wide eyes. His mind was screaming at him to run, but that was a bit hard to do when the younger boy was still on his lap. They stared at each other for who knows how long. Ashton didn’t dare say anything and the shorter boy was still feeling perplexed about what was going on.
The raven-haired boy was never one to let anything rest when he saw a kindred spirit sad. Calum raised his hand and wiped the tears from Ashton’s cheek.
“Why are you crying?” He asked softly.
Calum has seen Ashton’s work around school. He had seen most of the student body pass it by without a care. He had also seen several kids tear them down. He had hated seeing the curly haired boy’s work treated that way. Calum appreciated people who poured their feelings into things. He enjoys seeing people’s work made out of experience and emotion. He did it too after all.
“For me. For you.” Ashton said softly. “How— how? You were dead?”
“I— no?” Calum replied confused.