Matt’s P.O.V.

It hadn’t been ten minutes before I had left the house. I could feel the heavy rain even through my rain coat, and the occasional splash from a passing car would reach the ends of my jeans with every pass. It was cold, dark, and terribly veiled by a rough downpour, but all the better for my escape. I knew this road that I felt my shoes walk over with every step. I knew this place, this route, and now the only place that I could truly remember as well was Mark’s. It was an unsure decision of weather I would chose to follow that route. Should I tell them? No, it would be too much of a burned on them to hold. Should I visit? Merely to ask a ride further into town were I could find some sort of station? Perhaps, it was risky. If Rayne and Angie had already clarified my disappearance then I expect they would contact Mark first, but then again, could I trust them with a lie? I don’t believe Jeanne would be there, making things much easier. No, I wouldn’t have to tell him anything, I could merely ask for him to take me to town, and perhaps he would keep it to himself, at least for a while, a while was all I needed.

A while was all I needed, I repeated to myself as I turned to face what should have been his house. I could hear the droning of the cars pass, and I took that time to cross that dark road. I felt the nervousness arise as I stopped under the warmth of what should have been a light, but I shunned. I knew what I was doing was dangerous. What if he knew? What if he wouldn’t let me go? No, I could escape. Why was I wondering? Had my senses grown so lack over merely three years?

I breathed out heavily as I lifted a gloved hand to the door and knocked lightly. Inside I knew he was alone. I could hear it. The warmth of the room blew against my skin when he opened the door, and I knew there was nothing less than surprise on his face when he laid eyes on me.

“Matt?” I was right, I knew it. He had been contacted about my disappearance. I could hear the clutter of emotion in his voice. He was surprised, confused, angered nearly.

“Mark, can you give me a ride into town please?” I heard the hinges on the door open louder beckoning me to enter.

“Here, come in.” I nodded slightly in response as I passed by him, careful to lift my foot over the ridge inside that I had missed many times before. He wanted to talk, he wanted me inside, he didn’t want me to leave, he wanted answers, I heard the eagerness. “Matt, what are you doing here? Couldn’t Angie take you into town?” I listened intently to what he was saying, every tone, every emotion, he was testing me clearly.

“I didn’t ask. I ran to put it simply.” I smiled, my back turned towards him. He was obviously surprised I told him freely.

“You…ran? What? Why?”

“Mark, it’s not something I can explain easily, I have to get away. Trust me. It’s for them.” I finally turned towards him, showing a stern expression.

“You aren’t running from them…are you?” I nodded.

RAYNE’S P.O.V.

“Mom, Mark isn’t picking up his phone anymore!” I yelled down into the basement. Over the last few minutes, we had been debating over what to do. We wouldn’t call any officials, for both our and Matt’s sake. Driving in the car and looking for him would be rather difficult considering the weather, and there was no place that he could have gone, no reason as well. Did this have anything to do with the pool? Was it something to do with his past? Perhaps, it was possible.

“Rayne, take the car!” I nodded and dropping the phone against the hook turned, sweeping my hand over the table, to find, nothing. The keys were gone.

“No…” I whispered and suddenly grabbed a coat from the rack and darted through the door. I ran through the rain, I ran hard and fast. I pushed myself, I knew the way there.

“Matt, who are you?” I turned towards him slowly.

“Who?” I repeated.

“Just answer, please, I won’t tell Rayne.”

“Mark its not that simple.”

“I know you’ve been hiding it. I saw that scar.”

My eyebrows pulled together under my sunglasses.

“What?”

“Matt, please, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” I sighed deeply. “Just that then, if you just tell me that then I won’t ask any more of you.”

“There was a bad wire.”

“Bad wire?”

“It was a bomb, an explosion three years ago.” he stayed quiet and knowing he wouldn’t be able to speak I finished. “It was a building, I was one of the six, but there were only two survivors. The bomb exploded irregularly and the combustion sent a piece of sheet metal across my back.”

“How can I believe you? There was no record of an explosion three years ago.” I chuckled, hearing the tone of his voice he already was beginning to believe me.

“You can’t believe me. That’s just it, I’m supposed to be dead Mark. I’m running from those who might assume I’m alive. I can’t tell you my name or what I did, if you knew than clearly they would be able to take that information from you. I know those tactics. I performed them. You would scream what they wanted to hear. Can’t you see? I left Rayne and her family to save them, I don’t want her to know what I’m telling you. I never want her know.” I said feeling the rain against the glass to my right.

I stood breathlessly before Marks house, my knees taking in the soil and rain as I rested against them. I could feel the tears sting at my eyes but the rain washed them away as I lifted my face to the sky the cool downpour of rain dripping from my hair. I knew this day would come I just never wanted to believe it. He was gone. That’s what I could only repeat to myself watching mark’s empty garage.