chapter two

"Not again, mother. You need to tell me what is going on." James drew his mother's hand back and stared at her face. "All we ever do is run since dad died. Aren't you tired of running and always looking over our shoulders? I need to know exactly what is going on. I am no longer a child that you can just order around anymore. I am grown up for god's sake!" James shouted at Martha, making her come back to her senses. The look in Martha's eyes showed she was scared. The look of uncertainty and the alarm in her eyes showed she had been running from something for the past five years since the death of her husband.

She adjusted her spectacles and stood still. "Mother," James paused, seeing that she was not moving. "What the hell is going on? You need to talk to me. I can't keep running." He said he was sitting on the bed in front of Martha.

Martha shrugged, coming back to life. She looked at James and knelt before him. "I am sorry, I sacred you. I don't mean too. Ever since your father died, these people have been threatening us; they want the ultimate power to control the world and the universe, and once they do, we all will be at their mercy." Martha looked at James.

"Is that why we keep moving from pillar to post? Who are these people, and what do they know for then to kill me, father? I am no longer a kid. I think I deserve to know why he died." James stared at Martha.

Martha sat down and was about to speak when her phone rang again. Both mother and son stared at the strange number and weren't sure if they were going to pick it up or not. Their heartbeat could be heard across the room as beaded sweat formed at the forehead of Martha. The call cut off, but the tension lingered.

The call came in again, and this time it ran several times before Martha picked it up. "Where the hell did you put your phone?" a voice shouted at the end of the call.

Martha eyes and brows went up. "Rose?" She said she was trying to confirm who the caller was. "There is an emergency, and your attention is needed." Rose said it in a hurry and cut off the call.

Martha looked at James, '"I am sorry, son. I have to go." She said she was walking into her room to get dressed.

"Mum, we need to talk about this. You can just leave me hanging every time we are discussing something this serious."

Martha was in a haste; she knew how her boss could be, and that was the only job that was paying the bills. She adjusted the spectacles and looked at James. "I need to go. I promised to explain everything to you once I am back." Martha looked at James and kissed him on the forehead.

"Mother, I. " The door slammed in James face. He opened the lourves and watched his mother cross the street, flagging down a cab. James sighed and sat down.

He looked at the dim light in front of him and knew there was something special about his father. He wondered why his mother would leave everything behind—the money, the goods, and the riches. He wondered why they kept running every day and looking over their shoulders. There were many questions going through his mind. Questions that needed answers, but he was stuck with his mother, who had tight-sealed lips. *************************************************************

James woke up the following day from a horrible nightmare. His breath was shaky as he looked around the room, trying to know where he was. "Bloody hell!" James screamed out of his lungs as he ran into the bathroom. He was late for his classes. Martha had been the one to wake him up most of the of the time.

James took his scooter and raced to school, but he met some of the teachers outside, stopping the latecomers.

"You are late." A teacher stopped James from looking at his rough hair.

"I am sorry. I had some home issues." James said, bowing his head slightly to the ground.

"The new kid? I can't believe you are late on your second day at school." The man scolded him. "You are watching the male toilet, and make sure you scrub it clean." The man's voice was loud enough to be heard.

James looked at some of his classmates and noticed most of them were school teachers. Some had pierced ears.

As they were marched off to the male toilet, James mind went back to the dream he had. "Could it be real? Does it have to do with his father's death?" James asked himself

He had remembered the day his father had died, but it was all in the past now. He was a kid and barely remembers any of it. He rested against the wall and was lost in thought when one of the students threw a mopping stick at him. " Hey,dummy." He heard a shout and turned to look at who had called him.

The look on James face showed defiance, and the boy walked towards him. "New kid. What is your name?" The boy asked again.

James looked at him and noticed they were around the same age, although he was bigger and more muscular than he was. James tried to walk away, but then he was pinned down by some of his friends. "Don't walk away. You are going to do all of our shares, and you are going to do the. very well, or I wish to bash all your teeth out of your skull." He shouted, looking at James, who didn't seem to be scared.

James headbuttedhim and sent him back to his ass. Stiles looked at his nose and saw it was broken. "Beat him up!" He shouted at his friends, and they all rushed at him,, smacking James everywhere. He was lying on the floor as they trampled all over him. Suddenly, they heard above at theirbacksks and turned to see who it was."James McCall?" The man shouted at them.

James lowered his hands over his eyes and looked at the teacher standing before him. "There is a message from the hospital." The man's face showed he was a little anxious about what to say next.

"What about it? How is my mother? Is she alright?" James looked at the man's face, searching for an answer.

"I am sorry, kid?" The man hasn't finished his words when James took to his heels.