Dark Wings

Gunner chewed on his lower lip, not looking to Hope, but still listening. He finally shook his head. "I don't wanna burden JT...or Bree." He remained on the floor and started rocking slightly, not even realizing it was a dead giveaway for how nervous and stressed out he was. "It's not fair...not fair to Bree...None of this."

He tried to think straight. Tried to clear his mind. But it felt like he was trapped inside a thick fog with no light to guide him out. Never had he felt so confused and unable to think. 

"I forgot everything," he whimpered. "Why can't I forget about this? Why am I cursed? I just...I want to give up. It's not worth fighting anymore. Just not worth it." 

He turned his eyes to Hope with a pitiful look of desperation. "Am I really going crazy? Too crazy to stay here by myself?" His gaze lowered. "My parents wouldn't be very proud of me, would they?"

"Hey, Misty..." Alec stood in the kitchen on the phone, having just called Misty's cell phone. He knew she was at work, but he was dying to talk to her. 

"I just wanted to let you know that when I was out today, I brought some ice cream home...to celebrate... 'cause... I got a job." A genuine smile was on his face. "It's with the city - I can't figure who put in a good word for me, but somebody must have, since they turned me down once before. Anyway, I get to do work like cleaning up sidewalks, mowing grass at the park, stuff like that." He couldn't help the excitement in his voice. 

"They're gonna give me tasks to do on a weekly basis, and I can work up to thirty hours. If what they give me isn't enough, I can find stuff to do, too. I figure that, plus the few hours with Carson... I can finally start paying you some rent."

Rick sat in the kitchen with Janet, having taken time to come home for lunch. Clay was out job hunting, and it was just as well for the moment. 

"What do you make of this?" Rick furrowed his brow as he studied the handwritten words. He'd found the paper crumpled by the bathroom waste basket, and would have thrown it away - as was probably intended - but some of the words had caught his attention. 

"Dark wings spread to circle high

Above the blood red moon.

Descending into black for prey below,

I shake.

But not in fear.

Muscles poised ready to fire

My arrow into his heart.

Death.

One must die tonight.

Avoiding razor talons, I must fight

Lest I become

One of them.

Dark creature of the night,

Thirsty for slaughter.

For my flesh.

But I am prepped for battle

One arrow pulled to aim.

Yet I find

There is no heart to pierce.

Dark wings spread around me,

Lifting me high

Towards the blood red moon.

I've lost myself.

No longer man.

But a creature of the night.

And heartless, I fall."

Rick sat back and finished off his iced tea. "I didn't know Clay wrote at all, let alone anything so dark. Think its anything to be concerned about?"