Starry Night

Author's note: It will be a while before I upload another chapter. Till then enjoy the story thus far and if you see anything wrong with it please tell me so.

Please read and review! Reviews are greatly appreciated!

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It was weird having a policeman be nice to me. Carter was leading me through the office till we made it to the lounge where a soda and vending machine was located just across from the entry door. There were two large brown leather couches sitting in front of a widescreen television set in the left corner of the room. On the right was a refrigerator next to a counter covered in fast food boxes.

We had sat down on the couches as he questioned me. I stuck to my story of being a lost boy named Shane Singer just passing through town who had run into Jack by coincidence.

From the looks of it, this Carter guy believed me more than Cecelia had, though it may have been due to the fact that I was speaking with him in a deeper tone of voice in order to throw him off.

The officer brought me doughnuts and coffee, which I quickly found I hated. So he went back and got a hot chocolate for me.

I felt like a little kid the way this man was treating me. Though he promised to have the other police look for my ‘parents’ and ask around to see if anyone else has seen them. Till then, he asked where I would like to stay for the night.

“I don’t know.” I answered honestly.

“Would you like to stay here? We do have night shift who can help keep an eye on you. You could sleep on the couches. Otherwise the only other option is to sleep in a vacant cell and I’m sure you wouldn’t want that.”

“Here sounds nice.” I smiled nervously. I have had enough experience with sleeping in cells for a lifetime.

Suddenly, one of the other officers burst in. “Sir! Jerry is wondering when you’ll get on with searching for Jack.”

“Give me a break already.” Carter appeared bored with the conversation already. “I’m sick of hearing that kid’s name! Where the hell do you think he’s gonna go? Just set up posts at his old house and around the dump again. That stupid brat is sure to go back there.”

“Don’t you think he might go elsewhere since that’s how we caught him last time?” The other officer wondered.

“Oh shut it! That bastard is too much of an idiot to find another place to hide. Besides, I already had his little hiding tree cut down, so no worries.”

Shock jolted through me all of a sudden as realization came. The other day when I was heading for my old yard with the tree I had grown up playing in, I had found it cut down. I looked up at Carter in revulsion. He was the one responsible for that.

“Alright sir. I’ll tell him.” The officer turned and left.

Carter then sighed and rubbed his temple. “Sorry about that.”

I remained silent.

“You’re probably wondering why everyone’s making such a big deal over that boy you helped last night huh?”

To keep my lie going, I nodded.

Carter smiled down at me. “Well, it’s because he a convict. His full name is Jack Thomas. Growing up he was known to steal from any store he ever entered and pick pocket anyone who came within ten feet of him. On top of that, every word that came out of his mouth was a lie. He dropped out of school and began living off the streets when his parents died. When we finally caught him, he kept running from his probation so we finally stuck him with the toughest person we could find, which, of course, was Mrs. Cecelia. Though after a while we found out that boy was nothing but a worm when held under her thumb. Everyone hates him. Especially with all the trouble he causes us. I gotta admit that bastard was the ugliest boy I had ever laid my eyes on. He looked as if he had never brushed his hair and he was always covered in dirt. Not to mention he wore old thrown out trash for clothes.”

“Do I look like that?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“You?” Carter looked down at me. “Why would you ask that?”

“Umm….” I thought quickly, “Because Mrs. Cecelia had mistaken me for him. I just though that maybe it was because I looked like him.”

Carter laughed. “You? Ugly? I got something to tell you then. You’re probably the best looking man in all of Cumberton right now!”

That answer surprised me and I looked up at him. “You really think so?” I asked.

“Obviously you’re from out of town then. Otherwise you’d have noticed that plenty of the people here are about as pretty as a group of mutated pigs!”

I laughed to myself. I knew just how ugly a majority of people from here appeared, but never realized that I wasn’t the only one who noticed. This Carter man had to be one if not the only exception.

Then I realized what was happening. Obviously this man hated me with a passion and the only reason I could talk to him now was because he thought I was some one else. So in other words, I couldn’t let him figure out who I was no matter what.

“Umm, I’m kind of tired. Is there anyplace for me to lie down for now?” I asked.

He looked at me in contemplation before answering. “You could sleep here now if you wanted to. But don’t be surprised if you find another officer asleep on the other couch. Believe me, it happens a lot.”

“That’s alright.” I answered, just wanting the man to leave.

“I guess I should get you a blanket and pillow then. I’ll be right back with them.”

“You don’t really need to do that.” I said as he stood.

“Nonsense, you’re a guest. Let me express my hospitality.”

I don’t quite know how to explain it, but the look he gave me appeared to hold a small spark of amusement in it. As he left, I wondered if it were possible that he knew who I really was and was just playing a game with me.

Once he was out of sight I lay down and closed my eyes. Even if that were the case, I didn’t have very many options of what to do right now.

I didn’t realize how comfortable the couches felt to me till I began to get drowsy. I wasn’t even tired yet a nap didn’t sound too bad.

Before I knew it, I woke up to find myself alone in the room with a warm quilt draped over me and a feather stuffed pillow beneath my head.

Know really knowing how long I had been asleep I sat there and waited for Carter to come back. While I waited I watched a comedy that was airing on the flat screen. An officer came in with some Chinese food and I asked where Carter was. He didn’t know and suggested I stay where I was if I expected him to come back.

I did as the man suggested and waited for the longest time. Every now and then I walked out and explored the station, only to have some one tell me each time to go back to the lounge and wait for some one to escort me. After a while, I became anxious and decided to do something else.

I wandered out of the lounge to see what was going on. Out in the office room a few policemen stood around a desk nodding their heads. It was some sort of meeting.

One of them noticed me and excused himself.

“I’m sorry, but Carter is a bit busy at the moment. Is there anything you need right now?” The beer bellied officer asked.

“Just some fresh air, other than that I’m fine.” I answered.

The officer looked at his watch before responding. “We can give you an hour, after that you’ll have to be in so we’ll know how to get you if we hear from you’re parents.”

“Okay.” I falsely smiled and left the station, noticing that there was some one else sitting at the entry desk in Carter’s place.

Looking up, I noticed that the day was almost over and the shadow would be coming to take me away again soon. Perhaps in a couple hours.

Some people passed me, yet they didn’t scorn or frown towards me like I was accustomed to them doing. Some even smiled at me while they walked by.

I felt as though I were in an alternate version of my world. I just didn’t know what to think.

I spent my hour exploring the more appealing half of Cumberton, learning nothing more than I already knew.

When I got back to the station Carter was sitting behind the entry desk engrossed in his work. He looked up as the little bell at the top of the door rang.

“Mr. Singer! I didn’t even realize you had left the station!” He exclaimed.

I shrugged nervously. “I spent all day in the lounge till one of the officers said I could get some fresh air. I waited for you to come back but…”

Carter stood. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been caught up with work. I checked up on you while you slept, but that was hours ago huh?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I think I’m gonna go back to the Lounge now.”

“Oh. Before I forget, we haven’t heard anything from you’re parents yet, and so far no one has recalled seeing them at the gas station last night.”

“That’s probably because there was nobody around when we parked.” I replied, quickly falling back into my lie. “The gas station was closed and we didn’t know where to go, so I volunteered to go out and find someone to give us directions.”

“How old are you?” The officer suddenly asked.

I almost said sixteen, but realized that it wouldn’t be smart to tell him that. “Eighteen.” I lied then.

“Really? You don’t look it.”

“I’ve been told that, but that’s what it is.”

“Well, at least you weren’t fifteen or anything like that, or I might have had a bug to pick with you’re parents for letting a minor wander around a town all alone at night.”

I nodded. “I can see where that might be a problem. Well, see you later.”

I headed back to the lounge and covered myself up with the blanket again. I waited for a long time and wondered if that shadow would appear here. My worries subsided as it eased in under the entry door and slid over to me.

I allowed it to envelop me. The blanket was suddenly gone and I found myself falling. The soft caress of the carpet pressed against my back and I was then looking up at the ceiling painted in blue and littered with fluffy clouds.

“I don’t believe it….” I heard someone’s voice from behind me.

I turned to find him standing near the door and staring at me as though I were the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

This man looked familiar and it took me a while to realize that this was the very same curly brown haired man whom had bowed at me at the foot of the stairs a couple nights ago.

I simply stared at his handsome features, waiting for him to speak. Though when he did say something, it wasn’t what I expected.

He examined me as though he were in a stupor. “You, you really are a phantom!”