Chapter 4: Blood in the Water

I woke with a start and looked outside to see the mist. It was no longer there. Disappeared. After all, we had continued down the road, but the river was still there. Slowly filling with the dark purple blood I had seen before.

I stared continuously until I came to my senses. Who was the one to ask when strange things happened? He was the strange one after all so there wasn’t anyone better to ask.

“Warwick!” I cried.

He awakened with a jolt. “No! Keep the Záritronz aw- oh! Kid. Pardon my mumblings. What is so important that you must awake me for….”

He looked past my shoulder and into the forest.

“See! Don’t you! It’s disgusting!” I exclaimed as I spun around. The blood was still slowly spreading farther down the river.

“Umm, son what do you mean. I-”

“Excuse me, sir.” It was Keanu. He reached up the side of his face and lightly gestured to his glasses.

“Ahh, yes. Pardon me, fellas.” Barnett reached up and copied Keanu’s motion. I expected some great explosion to occur, according to the recent events, however, nothing happened but a distinct silence in the car. “I see, my son.” He stared right into me. Through my eyes and down to my feet. It felt as if he could see and find everything that I have ever done, lied about, and loved.

“What are your-”

“Nothing for you to think about, Ford.” He looked away from my eyes but left a grim feeling in them, and then out the window once more, touched his glasses, and tore them off his face.

“Sir!” Keanu shouted.

“No!” He snarled. “I’m done with this shit, and nobody is going to tell me otherwise.

I next saw Gabriel look into the rearview mirror. He then spoke for the first time since we left the hotel.

“Keanu, we all know you’ve been dreading this but you might ne-”

Keanu cut him off abruptly and glared at Gabriel so hard, it was as if he would burn a hole through the driver’s heart. “My abilities are no use in a situation like this!”

“They’re amazing powers, Keanu. You must use them when the time comes,” Gabriel said calmly.

“Keanu! Don’t use them. You know what will happen.” Warwick stared into Keanu’s eyes, seemingly still in his stage of fright and horror at his job. It seemed to be the only thing that would stop his shouting.

“Do you see, Gabe! I used them just in that way, and at that moment I became a murderer. It won’t happen again!”

I stiffened. A murderer? My brain screamed. What are you doing! You are in a car with a killer. Get out. Get out, get out!

“Gabriel,” I said with concern.

“Powers. You must listen to me.” It was if his words were of life and peace. It was all I could listen to. The mumblings and arguing of Keanu and Barnett were blocked by his calm, soothing words. “This is a strange world you have been brought into and there are people you can trust and those who you cannot. But right now, I want you to know that you can fully trust me.” He glanced at the two maniacal men in the car. “Don’t be scared, Ford.” And as he finished his sentence, he pulled a taser out of the console between the seats and shot both Warwick and his bodyguard.