When we arrived at the bus terminal, we got on the bus and waved goodbye to Julie.

She headed home in a different direction. “see you guys later!!” Julie shouted, running toward her bus.

Soon, the trio turned into a duo. Louise would sometimes stay with her grandmother, who knew my grandmother very well.

“I am heading to my dad’s,” lulu stated,

“Really?” trying to mask my disappointment.

“When you coming back.”

“When we are heading to our new high schools,” Louise replied, begins walking to her bus

“ hmm, if we get up at the same high school, I will join the track team the first day,”

I got punched in the arm, “you better!” Louise replied with a stern look Turns and smiles before running to her bus;

What have I gotten myself into... “Ow! She hit me in the nerve!”

I walked to my bus; before I board, I pondered that the school won’t be open till September. I have never explored the town, always went straight home because I had to get home by a particular time or dad would get mad.

I had one foot on the bus step, uncertain on what to do. Then people behind were getting frustrated. The person behind me “kid, you getting on the bus or not !?”

I did not respond. “ Hey, kid!!!” the person shouted.

I took my foot off the step, decided to turn around, said “no”, and began heading into the town center. It was was in the evening at about 4.

Okay, has long had I get home before 6:30? I am good.

The town of half way tree earned its name because it is the midway point of the city; at the center, there is a vintage clock that does not work; they say that weird stuff happens at the clock like leaves coming out of it, mysterious voices in unknown languages at least that what I heard?

I approach the clock. It was not very tall. It isn’t no big ben, about 30 feet high with the rectangle metal door in the middle.

“Funny, I always passed it but never really check it out.”

I inspected the structure and walked around it; I returned to the front of the structure. Hmm bored, let’s see what else is around; I realized the door lock was not locked.

then small objects spilled through the cracks,

I looked around to see if any passer-by was seeing what I was seeing, but it’s like everyone disappeared.

“Wait, what?? Cotton!?”, and they were fresh like they just came off a tree. I am in a highly urbanized area, and there is not a tree near here. I heard a voice I could not make out what the person was saying, and the light started blasting through the hinges of the door. I think to myself, should I open it?. “Nah, forget this ?!!”

Then I heard a girl’s voice say, a bit distorted, “Hello? “I reluctantly approached the door, thinking to open it, that person might need help, then retracting my hand from the latch. What can I do? I am just some kid. Maybe I can check on her at least. I can do that trying to convince myself. Heart pounding, sweating, thinking what was I am to unleash by opening this door.

I open the door slowly, then it flew open, pushing me back. The light blinded mostly me and going back on my butt., the light became so intense I could not see; the only thing I saw was a figure that looked like a girl, then the light and the figure faded.

When I opened my eyes, the only thing I saw was the door swinging slowly... Creaking and people appeared out of nowhere and looking at me funny I looked up and asked, “did you see that”.

Pointing to an empty and trash infested interior of the clock tower. Random person" go home, kid." a random person replied.

I looked down, confused... What was that?? I got up, grabbed my bag, brushed off my butt... ow!! I think I got road rash. I walk to the clock tower slowly; I grabbed a stick nearby and peeked inside. All I saw was a burned trash and fire marks.

I used the stick to search in the tower. It was the size of a closet, not much to see. I dropped the stick and walked away from the tower.

Maybe it’s just my imagination. I continued my exploration of the town. The memories of what happened earlier still fresh in my mind.

what had just happened, was it only in my head, did nobody else see that, I stopped in the middle of the street... “I should just go home”.

I took out my phone and looked. It’s almost time to go home, anyway.

I was about to put the phone back in my pocket, and then I felt a vibration from my phone. I looked back at my phone a message from lulu.

“Hmm...” I was about to open the message when I was alerted to loud noise, a car barreling toward me.

I tried to move, but my body stopped moving.

They hit the brakes.

There is no way they are going to stop in time. This is it, I would not get to high school, I would not get to go to the track team... Well, the track team sucked anyway.

The light from the headlights came ever so close I closed my eyes, but I felt an elbow in my back. I was being propelled forward; the next thing I knew, I landed on my belly.

My heart pounding! Felt like the wind got knocked out of me.

I slowly got up.

My stomach felt horrible, road rash on my butt and my belly.

I lazily looked in the direction the car was going. The guy did not stop going. “I almost died again,” whispering, who saved me from being roadkill.

I scanned the area and saw the person who saved me. He was getting up, brushing himself off, “are you okay “he turned around. I cannot believe it’s that same Asian dude I bumped into before.

He reached his hand out to help me up “are you okay? “Asian kid stated,

“Yeah, I am okay,”; I gingerly said, thank you. “

“Good, watch where you’re going; next time, you might not be so lucky,.” he sternly remarked.

He went to where his bag was and grabbed it and walked back to me. Then he punched me in the arm hard “that for messing up my uniform,” he stated and began walking toward downtown.

“ow,” I swear I thought to myself, better than dying, I checked my phone, oh man, I gotta get home my dad is going to kill me! It’s past my curfew gotta get home; I hurried to the bus terminal.

I was kinda scared of what would happen, what punishment would be in store for me.

My father was a stringent man; if he wanted me home by a specific time, I gotta be there, or the consequences would be... A chill went down my spine; I saw my bus and hurried and got on the bus.

Something later, I reached home; I saw my dad’s motorcycle.

“oh no, I am dead!”

My thoughts raced what kind of punishment would I get, no internet for a month, more chores for the whole summer?We lived in a 5 bedroom house we did not have a big yard. There were only three ways into the home, through the front, through the kitchen at the side, or thru the back.

The side door was closed by now, and the front was suicidal.

Grandma and dad would watch TV.

My dad makes me watch the news; he and grandma say it is essential to know what is going on in the world and country.

I had 10 mins; I stood at the wall outside the house, planning my attack route.

I heard grandma and dad talking about something almost like arguing,

you cannot deprive your son of that, Johnathon," my grandmother said

“ deprive me of what?”

“ 12 years of nothing, and suddenly they want to see him,” my father responded.

“ Who are they?”

“Johnathan, he won’t be whole if he doesn’t.”

What are they talking about? I began making my way to my room. It was at the back of our house; I rehearsed it in my head.

okay, step 1 jump the wall and not be seen back my dad, Step 2 hmm..., not sure ...wing it

I was in my father’s line of sight, but my attention was to the television. I had to creep.

The wall was taller than me, so I had to jump up. I was hanging from the wall and slowly bought up my head.

My father’s eyes were dead on TV, slowly pulled up self up, and I was sitting on the wall. I could not jump down. He would hear me. I groaned silently. Going down is going to suck.

I Placed my hands on the wall and slowly bringing myself to the ground as best as I could, gravity really trying to win its best.

Every tweak, blade of grass, or debris that my feet touch to make a sound, my heart would skip a beat.

I was on my toes, moving like a snail did not would to make too much noise. I felt i was out of earshot of my father, and I relaxed

quietly “no consequences “, I strutted, and something caught my foot next time I knew, I felt light as air, and my field of vision became inverted, I blinked, and the next thing I know I was on the ground and I made a lot of noise

“Oh, man.”

“Who is that” my father shouted. He got up and looked outside.

I could hide at the side of the house out before he looked outside; I was sweating bullets, c’mon; sit down and watch back your show, old man.

He whispered, “Damon strays!“, and I heard him return to his seat.

“Okay, safe to move, “I whispered. I made my to the back slowly. I opened the side gate slowly and closed it back, and made my way to the door for my room. I was about to open the door when the knob started turning by itself.

“Uh, oh!”