Element
Of Dark
Chapter Five
Kevin sat with his legs up on the small table used for eating on the bus.
AJ sat next to him, talking quietly to his girlfriend on a cell phone. Howie
napped in the back room. He was still shaken up from the morning’s ordeal.
Kevin sighed. His gaze drifted over to Brian who was resting peacefully. Nick,
lay close, their heads opposite eachother. Dream sat between the two stroking
their hair and murmuring softly. Kevin studied Dream for a moment. She might
have been small for her age but there was something about her that seemed older.
It was almost as though she had done what she did that morning every day of her
exisitence. She wore a tight pale green shirt and shorts that couldn’t have
been more than three inches long. Kevin smiled to himslef seeing how comfortable
the three of them were. He heard a click and turned his head to see AJ closing
his cell phone and placing it in his pocket.
"What’s up Kev?" AJ propped his elbows on the table. Kevin
took a deep breath.
"I was just thinking about Rok and Kaos," he replied quietly so
as not to wake the two.
"Same." He sighed. "Kev?"
"Yeah?" Kevin shifted his weight. He could feel his one foot
begin to fall asleep and he massaged it roughly.
"Well, what about....what about Dream?" AJ’s face was tight
with concern and Kevin could see AJ had chewed his nails to the stubs which was
not a usual habit for him.
"What do you mean?" Kevin was perplexed.
"Well, do you, do you ever wonder about her?"
"Yeah, sure I do."
"So," AJ stumbled, "what do you think of her?"
"I think," Kevin began, "that she’s very....," he
searched for the right word, "..peculiar. Sweet but peculaiar." AJ
nodded and stared at the three for a long, hard moment. He laughed, a tiny
laugh. "What is it?"
"Call me crazy Kev, but doesn’t Dream look like a small
mother?" Kevin chuckled.
"You’re crazy Bone."
"No, no. I’m serious. Doesn’t it look like that?" Kevin’s
eyes set upon the girl who gingerly pressed a small cloth on Nicky and Bri’s
necks. Nick whimpered patheticlly and she rubbed his stomach tenderly until his
moaning subsided. After a minute or so, Kevin turned to face AJ. He shook his
head with disbelief.
"I can’t believe it," Kevin said slowly. AJ grinned a wicked
grin.
"So you agree with me?"
"How did I miss that?" Kevin inwardly punished himself for not
paying close enough attention.
"Freaky, huh?"
"You can say that again." AJ suddenly became serious.
"Well I don’t care as long Rok and Nick are okay. She’s the only
one that seems to be able to calm them. There’s just something about
her...."
"I know what you mean." Out of the corner of Kevin’s eye he
saw Nick wince as a rush of pain ran through his body. "I’m worried
Bone.....he’s looking worse. Did you catch a glimpse of his eyes yet?"
"Yeah," AJ shuddered slightly.
"I don’t think he's gonna be well enough in time for the
conference, do you?" AJ shook his head sadly.
"No. No I don’t."