Page 64 of Black Hollow: Awakening

“Yet,” Alden echoed, then handed him back the phone, turned on his heel, and walked away.

“Blake!” Will called after him, disoriented by the exchange.

He didn’t see Blake again until his classes were over. Leaving the school, he noticed Alden standing in front of the building with Abby and Liam. When they spotted him, Will waved goodbye, but Liam immediately started walking toward him. Will guessed they had been waiting for him.

“Hey, Will,” Liam said.

“Hey,” Will replied warily, leaning to one side and glancing suspiciously at Blake.

Alden was talking about something with Abby, looking at Will.

“I’ll walk you home,” Liam said.

“That’s not necessary.”

Just then, Blake came over to them.

“I think you called today,” he announced.

“Uh-huh. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. Or in a year,” Will said with a note of irritation. He’d thought about what Blake had told him and was starting to grasp what he was trying to say, but it sounded completely irrational.

“No. I think it was today,” Blake insisted.

“Why? Because you think so, and you’re never wrong?” Will said sarcastically. “Except for yesterday, of course.”

“Listen…” Surprisingly, Blake didn’t seem like he was about to argue. “Go straight home with Liam, and then lock all your doors and don’t go out again today.”

“This is absurd! Don’t you understand that…”

Blake grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. Will instinctively fell silent.

“You may not believe me, but you really did call me.”

“I believe that you think so, but…”

“And I didn’t just hear you calling for help. I heard… I think I heard you die,” Blake finished after a long moment of hesitation.

Will stared at him, shocked. He felt uneasy.

“There was a loud bang… like a gunshot,” Blake recounted. A shadow crossed his face, revealing these were not pleasant memories. “And I heard you scream. And then a crack… like the phone hit the ground. And I called for you, but you didn’t answer. Someone, a man, said enough. That’s when the call ended.”

Chills ran down Will’s spine.

“You don’t have to believe me, but if I’m wrong, the worst that will happen is you have a boring evening at home,” Alden continued. “But if I’m right… Do you really want to take that risk?”

Will shook his head, too overwhelmed to speak.

“Go home,” Blake said. “Don’t go out for any reason, and don’t let anyone in. Understand?”

“Yes,” Will confirmed weakly.

“Good. I’ll try to find out what’s going on.”

*

Darkness had already fallen, though it was barely eight in the evening. Will felt on edge. He shouldn’t have, really. After all, he still thought that whatever Blake had experienced had nothing to do with him, and a “phone call from the future” seemed like an absurd explanation. Still, a fear flickered within him that something might actually happen.

Suddenly, he heard a strange clatter. Will shifted uneasily, then got up from the couch and listened intently. The sound didn’t repeat. Until, suddenly…