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His lungs were on fire and his feet were pounding against the wet pavement as he continued to run. The cold and icy air stung his face, which created a sharp prickling feeling on the tip of his nose, but he couldn’t stop- not until it stopped chasing him. The air around him was sour and stale, and he gagged at the sudden smell of cigarette smoke.
Soon it would come for Geoff and Otto, and it would bring friends. It hadn’t brought friends before, or rather, he hadn’t brought friends before. Awsten didn’t even know it had friends. He wasn’t sure if he preferred calling the thing he or it.
It never came to him in reality, always in a dream, always warning him that one day it would be real. That one day he couldn’t solve everything just by waking up. It was horrible. These dreams had been happening since the 4th of December, 2017. But now it was March of 2021 and suddenly, it was real.
The dim lamps on the street gave off a halation type effect and there was a ringing noise inside his head. He had to find Geoff and Otto and he had to find them fast.
So he continued to run.
He saw them talking under a sycamore tree. “Geoff! Otto! Over here!” He called out to them and as they turned around, their jovial expressions now turned worried.
“Hey Awsten, what’s up-,” Otto asked, his voice concerned.
“No time, we need to go!” He grabbed Geoffs arm and Ottos hand, pulling them along. “No matter what, keep running.”
“Awsten can you tell us what’s going on?” Geoff turned to look Awsten in his beautiful heterochromatic eyes.
“They’re following us. Or something, I’m not sure if it’s got friends yet,” he said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
“What’s this something that’s following us?” Otto asked, as his hand tightened in Awsten’s.
"I don’t think yours have a name yet,” Awsten explained, “but mine’s called Steve. Felony Steve.”
“Awsten, Felony Steve is an artist you made up. He’s not chasing us-,” Otto sighed. Just then a loud cackle was heard from the distance, followed by the loud bang of a trashcan falling into the street.
“So that was just a coincidence?” Awsten spat. “Whether you believe me or not they are coming and will hunt us down.”
“The thing is,” Geoff started, “we never made anything like Felony Steve.”
“So we should be okay, right?” Otto glanced at Awsten.
Awsten began to giggle. “Oh, no way. I just gave mine a name. I recognized it. Yours are out there, they just don’t have a name. No name, no name, no name!” He chortled, “we’re gonna die. They’re gonna find us. It always finds me in my dreams.”
“Awsten you gotta calm down!” Geoff insisted to the younger boy, his crystal blue eyes seemed to be pleading for Awsten to calm down. “We’ll be okay, we have to be. I can’t lose you guys.”
“We’ll make it out of here. We can do this, we’re best friends and the good guys always win, right?” Otto gave a weak smile as he said this.
“Right.” Awsten nodded his head, the ringing noise was getting louder.
“Right Geoff?” Otto turned, but Geoff was no longer there. “Geoff? GEOFF?!” Otto yelled into the inky black, but there was nothing but garbage and the slow trickle of water into the street drains. "Awsten, where did Geoff go? Where's Geoff, why'd Geoff disappear-"
He saw Otto go.
He’d turned to look at him, to tell him to keep running and not look back but it was too late. He saw the fear in Otto’s warm, dark brown eyes as he was ripped away from Awsten, their fingers brushing against each other for a split second.
Then he was gone.
Of course, now was the time for Awsten to trip. He tumbled into a brick wall, his pale blue jumper now stained with mud.
“Please, I- I’ve got so much to live for! So much to do, so much more to say!” He pleaded, a tear streaming down his cheek. He had so much to give, he couldn’t die now. He’d saved so many people, had brought joy to those who couldn’t bring it to themselves. They all had. He, Geoff and Otto and done something magical.
Felony Steve smiled at him, the light bouncing off his large sunglasses.
“And?”