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I lost it all...everyone...they’re all gone now...again…
Allen sighed and leaned back against the metal trash compactor-machine, gazing up at the midday sky as gentle, fluffy clouds cruised through it lazily. He had finally managed to get a break from work and was now spending it leisurely relaxing outside by the dumpster, as he always did. It was the best way to avoid everyone else whenever he wanted time to think. Allen hated to bring them all down with his horrid mood, which had become his normal attitude for the last two weeks.
Many of them asked if he was okay and many others were worried that he had stopped eating, though he never really ate the camp food anyway...Jew food wasn’t really his style. Mostly because they didn’t use that much salt and morning food was always dairy-based, because the Jews weren’t allowed to eat meat and dairy together, they ate meat for dinner, usually. At least that’s what they did at the camp. It was kind of annoying only eating dairy for lunch everyday, so Allen usually just grabbed some fruit and hid himself away from the others to think. It was a bad habit he had developed during his time with Anna, as he had usually had to come to the dumpster to talk to her, since it was the only place where he got service at the camp.
When did it all go wrong? He wondered. Feels like just yesterday I was out here talkin’ to Lakrista...and now… He shook his head and dispelled any thought of Lakrista. Stop it. Now. You weak ass little bitch, stop. Stop carin’ so much about her...she’s gone...forever. So stop thinkin’ about her.
The thought of Lakrista brought pain like nothing he’d ever felt washing over him. It was enough to make him actually feel like crying, which pissed him off. Tears were for the weak. Men didn’t cry...not unless they were weak. Allen had allowed Anna to break down his walls and mend his pain, but as always, she had wrought destruction upon him and taken away the one person Allen had allowed himself to lean on...he hadn’t even known how much he depended on Lakrista. That sweet smile of hers...the thought of never seeing it again…
Stop… He bit his lip to force his mind to focus on anything except her. Please...just take away my damn feelings...I don’t need them anyway...all they do is bring me pain…
Even as he thought it, though, Allen knew that it wasn’t true. Something inside of him wouldn’t allow him to accept that he needed no feelings. Whatever it was seemed to enjoy seeing Allen suffer...it wanted him to feel the pain that others could and would inflict on him...but why? Why the hell was he cursed to feel things so heavily? Why did he have to care so much about other people? Allen would cut his own arm off for a friend, if it would help them. He would lay down his life and die for them. Allen would run straight into Hell, fist fight Satan and pull a friend back out, or even take their place. If it meant they would be spared pain, Allen would take it all. Every last ounce. It was in his nature...to do anything for his friends...
So...why…? Why would no one do the same for him? Was he a fool for caring so much about other people? The more people he met...the more it began to seem that way. It was a horrid existence. Cursed to forever cherish and love people, but to always receive pain in return for his kindness. Allen hated his giant heart with a burning passion, so much so that he wished the stupid little piece of shit would shrivel up and die already. Why wouldn’t it, though? Why did he have to always grow to love people again? No matter how much they hurt him...Allen would never turn his back on anyone…yet he was cursed to always have others turn their backs on him…
He clenched his fist as he thought back to the horrible year he had been through since that fateful week before graduation. The beginning of his ultimate downfall that had led to the destruction of everything he held dear...and the complete collapse of his emotions. It was a year full of ecstasy, violence, pain, and nightmares. The tumultuous storm clouds that filled his mind constantly had dissipated for a short time...but they had come back just as quickly and more violently than ever before...and he only had one person to blame…
Himself.

*          *          *

One year earlier…

We did it!”
Allen grinned and looked around in a daze as everyone screamed and ran around like idiots all across the football field, laugh and crying, hugging each other and giving out heartfelt congratulations. It was so amazing to think that it was finally over...the feeling was indescribable. To see everyone around him so filled with joy, crying their eyes out, and acting like idiots, it was like he was seeing them all for the very first time. Not as jocks, idiots, druggies, cheerleaders, preppy girls, punks, or nerds...but as them. They had gone through hell together, they’d lost many of their number along the way...but they had still made here to the end together. This was the last time Allen would ever be in the same place as all of these people again...after tonight...where would they go?
“Alle-e-e-e-e-e-en!”
He turned a full circle at the sound of her voice, trying to find here until she came running out of the crowd and threw her arms around his neck.
“YOU DID IT!” She exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You really did it!”
Allen hugged Lakrista back for the first time ever and nodded. “Yep...you’re a senior now, Kris. You gotta take charge for me ‘cause I’m not gonna be around anymore to take care a things.”
Lakrista squeezed him tighter. “Shut up...don’t remind me…” With a calm smile, he let her hug him until she at last pulled away, wiping her tears as she did so. “So...where’s everyone else?”
Allen looked around curiously at all the familiar faces. Tony, Ian, Jamie and Logan and Kristy had been right by his side just a second ago, but whenever they’d all made the mad dash for the bell as a final graduation tradition, they had all gotten separated. He was sure that they were around here somewhere...he just wasn’t really sure where.
“I dunno.” He shrugged and started off into the crowd. “Let’s go find those idiots, I guess.”
Lakrista fell in beside him, looking absolutely beautiful in her blue coat and black dress. She had taken her heels off so she was completely barefoot, exposing her cute little feet with their white-and-green-painted nails. Allen couldn’t help but take a few peeks at them. He still remembered how ticklish they were and how much fun they had been to rub. Lakrista had some of the cutest, softest, most ticklish little feet he had ever seen...and that was saying something, because Allen had once started up a foot-rubbing business in fifth grade, orchestrated by his crazy cousin, Stacy, who had forced him to rub her feet after basketball practice and then attracted twelve other girls who wanted the same thing. Those girls had then spread the word and the next day at a special extended recess, girls had literally lined up against the wall, took their shoes off and waited their turn for Allen to rub their feet. If he hadn’t had witnesses, nobody would believe him...not that any of the girls really remembered. Hell it may well have been a dream...but Stacy remembered. Weird.
The point being, Allen had seen some cute feet in his day...but very few were better than Lakrista’s.
As if she had read his thoughts, she gave him a serious look. “Eyes up here, Allen. You have a girlfriend, remember?”
“Yeah…” He looked up at the sky thoughtfully, trying not to focus on all the cute girls running around shoeless. Why did they all have to suddenly become so attractive now that Allen was tied down? That wasn’t fair.
Earlier that day, Allen had asked Anna out and had gotten a resounding YES! I THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER ASK! YES! as a response. Allen was no cheater...but he was still a bit of a player. It wasn’t that he meant to be, though, he was just really nice to women and that tended to give them the wrong idea. More often than not, Allen had made girls think he was crushing on them whenever he was just being a nice guy. If he saw a girl was cold, she got his jacket immediately, even if he was left to freeze to death, she would get his jacket. If he saw a girl was struggling to carry something heavy, he would help her. And Allen was just usually a really nice guy, to everybody. He would listen to people’s problems, help them, and even go so far as to give them money if they needed it. Kindness was in his nature.
As he grew older, Allen had slowly started to accept that fact. He had once hated his gentle heart, too big for its own good, but after a while, he had grown used to it. Lakrista had been by his side for years now, and here she still was. He felt confident that she would always be there whenever he needed her, and Allen would do the same for her. Whenever she needed him, he’d be there, no matter what. Lakrista knew she could call him from across the globe and he would come running.
He chuckled to himself as he remembered Lakrista’s response to him saying he would come save her: I’d be dead by the time you got there, so it really doesn’t matter. Don’t sacrifice yourself for me. No matter what. If I die, I die. How’m I supposed to have a peaceful afterlife if you’re gonna kill yourself right along with me? What’s so funny?! Don’t laugh! I’m serious!
“What’s so funny?” she inquired, giving him a curious look.
Allen shook his head, unable to stop grinning. “Nothin’. Just thinkin’.”
“Thinkin’ about wh- AHAAAA!” Out of nowhere Lakrista was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled away from him.
Allen whirled around in surprise to find Tony and Ian both standing on either side of her...tickling the poor brunette out of her mind. They had her trapped between them in an attack style that Allen had taught them years ago whenever they were still little kids--the gang tickle.
“AAAHAHAHAAAAA! STOOOHOHOHOOOOP!” Lakrista squealed and wriggled around, trying her very best to break free of them, but they had her completely trapped. “HEHEHEEHEEEELP! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! NOT THE RIHIHIHIIIBS! EEEEAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STOP IHIHIHIHIHIIIT!”
Allen rolled his eyes and made his way over to the two morons. “You about gave me a heart-attack, ya dicks. I thought somebody was tryin’ to kidnap her.”
“Give us a hand here!” Tony laughed.
Allen shook his head. “Go for her stomach. Right above the belly-button. That’s her weak spot...well, that and her feet, but if you go for those, she’ll fall and get her dress all dirty and we’ll all be six feet under…”
Tony nodded and attacked Lakrista’s sensitive belly, drawing a ticklish screech of mirthful anguish out of the poor girl. “EYAAAAAAHAHAAAAA! NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOOOOOO! HEHEEEHEHEHEHEEEHEHEHEHEEELP!"
“Damn!” Ian exclaimed. “Where else?”
Allen pointed to her exposed underarms. “Right about there. Armpits are awful, go for the center.”
Ian did as he was told, earning another squeal from their helpless victim.
“AAAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STOOOOHOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOP! NEEEEEAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!” Lakrista struggled and fought until she at last broke free of their terrible grip. The second she was free, she ran straight for Allen and hid behind him. “You...JERK!”
He grinned back at her. “Hey, I didn’t do anything, wrong. They’re the ones that went and tickled you. Not me.”
“You told them my worst tickle spots!” she protested.
“Let’s not dwell on the past, Kris.” He shook his head. “Tonight’s our graduation, after all. No need to be so negative.”
She glared at him. “One day, Allen...one day…”
“You know you love me.” He gave her a wink and then turned his attention back to his idiot best friends. “So where’s everybody else?”
They both shrugged.
Allen shook his head. “You’re such a big help.”
“I know right?” Tony grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “So where’s your woman at, anyway? I haven’t seen her around.”
Ian pointed at Lakrista. “She’s right there.”
Both Allen and Tony took a step to the side as they realized Ian’s horrid mistake. The entire area went deadly silent as Lakrista’s murderous side began to manifest itself.
“You’ve got five seconds…” she whispered, her eyes downcast. Allen could feel the murderous intent coming off of her. It was like standing beside a rabid beast. “Five...four...three…two…”
Ian may have been a complete dumbass...but nobody was that stupid. Before Lakrista could reach the number of his death, he turned and ran off, screaming like an idiot.
Lakrista smiled at Tony and Allen sweetly. “You boys go have fun, I’ll catch up later…” And with that, her expression turned dark and she took off after Ian.
“He’s dead,” Allen sighed.
“Nice knowin' ‘em,” Tony agreed.
“Was it, though?”
With a laugh, the two of them headed off into the crowd again, searching for the remnants of their missing group.
“So where is what’s-her-face, anyway?” Tony inquired again.
Allen shrugged. “Hell if I know. She don’t have her license and her dad refused to drive ‘er. She gave me some big warnin’ that her dad’s crazy and that he wouldn’t like the fact that she was datin’ me. I think I can win him over, though. I have all that natural charm, after all.”
Tony gave him a disbelieving look. “Whatever you say, Casanova. So, anyway...what’re you gonna do now? Now that we’ve graduated, I mean. Any future plans?”
Allen tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. I think I’m gonna take a year off and see where it goes from there. Where are you headed?”
“College. Me and Ian are headed off in August.”
Allen grimaced. “Guess I won’t be seein’ you guys around too often, then? Sure is gonna get lonely around with just me and Lakrista…”
“You’ll get by somehow, I’m sure. Lakrista’s a tough girl.”
Allen nodded in agreement. “You’re right about that...but still. It’d be nice if we could all have some kinda...specific time to all converge again. Like a special day or somethin’.”
Tony shrugged. “Why don’t we all just come back for Lakrista’s graduation?”
“Come back next year? Well, I mean...we could. I wanna come see my little cousin graduate, and a few other friends, too.” He smiled, warming up to the idea. “Yeah, I like that...so we’ll meet up back here in a year, right?”
Again, Tony shrugged. “If you want, man, but we’re gonna see each other between now and then, ya know? It’s not like we’re gonna disappear off the face of the planet.”
“I know, but it just sounds cool that way.”
Tony rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Allen. “If you say so. I’m outta here, I guess. See ya around, brother.”
Allen took his hand and the two bro-hugged and Tony headed off, leaving Allen all by himself. In that one instant, Allen felt a strange sensation go through his chest, like some kind of future foreboding. The same weird feeling he got whenever he met someone who would eventually become a part of his life. However, this feeling was different...it felt...cold. Almost exactly like whenever he sensed death, but not quite as crippling. This didn’t send fear through him, or a cold chill up his spine...this was more like...a premonition of things to come. As Allen stood there, surrounded by people...he felt...lonely.
He shook his head to dispel those strange thoughts. It was his graduation, after all. He shouldn’t be sad on a day like this.
With an uneasy smile, Allen made his way through the crowd and towards the edge of the field where he was sure his parents would be waiting for him. Time to go get some food and then head home…

My daughter’s not allowed to date. Sorry. Don’t mind friends, but boyfriends are off limits. I’m sorry if she tricked you into believing different. Goodbye. Don’t text this number again.

“The shit is this?” Allen demanded as he read the message he’d received a little while after returning home. He had texted Anna to see why she hadn’t come, just to check on her, and this was the response he got? It was obviously her dad, but why was he being a dick already? Allen hadn’t even met the guy yet. Anna had said that he was crazy and a bit of a dick...but seriously, this was a bit overboard.
Honestly, he thought about texting back and trying to explain the situation, but that familiar warning pulse through his chest told him different. Bad idea. Got it.
Anna would explain later. He felt sure of that. All he needed to do was be patient and let her come to him. Maybe she could shed some light on these strange events.
Sure enough, a few minutes after Allen had resigned himself to waiting, he received another message from Anna, via the Hangouts app on his phone.

Allen? It’s me, Anna. I’m really sorry about Dad...it was stupid of me to try and date you without telling you about him...he can be a real jerk sometimes...and I’m not exactly allowed to date...because of my last boyfriend...I’m really sorry.

  Allen shrugged it off. He understood that.

Yeah, I get it, don’t worry. So what are gonna do then?

  Anna texted back almost as quickly as he did. At least he wasn’t the only one who took pride in always texting back whenever he got a message. So long as he knew he got it, Allen would always text back.

Well...that’s up to you to decide. You’re the man in the relationship, you decide what to do with it. If you wanna break up, I understand…

  “‘The man in the relationship’? What the hell does that mean?” Anna was acting like some kind of abused housewife. He was a man, yeah, but that didn’t really mean jack shit whenever it came to a relationship. Allen believed that a woman had just as much right to be in control as a man, so long as she didn’t try and tell him what to do, he was fine, and he wouldn’t tell her what to do. Why restrict one another?

Breakin’ up would be kinda stupid, don’t you think? I think I can win your old man over if I can get ‘em to talk to me.

  Anna wasn’t as quick to reply this time. In fact, it took her several minutes and Allen actually began to worry a little bit. Had he said something wrong? After a few minutes, though, Anna’s little bubble began typing again.

There is...one way he’d talk to you...but...you won’t like it…

  Yet another pulse shot through his chest. This was starting to get annoying. Normally his senses only went haywire whenever there was a threat or something nearby that would cause him some kind of future issue, but Allen wasn’t out and about now, he was just in his room by himself, watching TV and texting his girlfriend. The hell could get him in here? Maybe he really going crazy…

Whatever it is, I’ll give it a shot. Lay it on me.

  Anna hesitated again, but then she responded.

Okay...but you’re going to have to come to my fire station tomorrow before I’ll tell you...I can’t do it over text. Just come around six. It’s the only station where I live up the Hollow, so be there, please. I’ll tell you then. Promise. Now I gotta go, nighty night.

Allen raised an eyebrow at her text incredulously. “Your behaviour is most suspicious...most suspicious indeed…” But if it was Anna’s desire that he went to the fire station to see her, to the fire station he would go. No problemo...well, there was one problemo... “Where the shit’s the Hollow?!”

After much searching, many detours, and several occassions of losing his way, Allen at last pulled into Fire Station Six. He drove up the gravel road and found a parking space over where everyone was parked. Apparently this was a public meeting where the firefighters would practice fighting a mock fire. That didn’t sound too bad.
Nervously, he got out of his truck and followed the crowd over to the fenced in area where all of the fighters were gearing up. He looked around curiously, but saw no sign of Anna anywhere. Had he gotten the wrong place? Anna said that this was the only one over here...but knowing Allen’s luck he probably wasn’t even in the Hollow. Hell he could have been in Cincinnati for all he knew. That’s how bad his sense of direction was.
Nevertheless, he followed the small crowd through the gates and stood against the fence shyly, hoping beyond hope that Anna would show herself eventually…
Without warning, something suddenly poked him in the back through the fence. “Boo!”
Allen jumped three feet in the air and whirled around to find...Anna standing on the other side of the fence, smiling at him deviously, her pretty brown eyes sparkling with mischief. She had her long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a tight black T-shirt that accentuated her perfect form, blue jeans and black boots. Hardly the attire of a firefighter.
“You nearly gave me a heart-attack!” he exclaimed, holding his chest.
Anna laughed and ran through the gates and came over to greet him with a big hug. “I didn’t think you’d really come!”
Allen smiled at her. “Of course I came. You asked me to.”
She smiled up at him and rested her head on his chest. “Well, still...thanks…”
“Don’t mention it.” He looked around curiously at all the other fighters who were geared up and ready to go. “Why ain’t you dressed up?”
Anna pouted up at him. “I’m just a junior member...I don’t get to fight the fire...just watch.”
“That’s bullshit.”
She shrugged. “It’s actually a safety measure. They don’t want anyone getting hurt in there. Only the senior members are gonna participate. Go figure.”
“Well how come you came if you’re not gonna get to do anything?”
Anna smiled deviously and sat down against the fence. “Because I knew it was the only way I could see you.” She patted the grass beside her. “Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about…”
Allen took a seat beside her. “Let’s hear it, then.”
“We’ll start with my dad…” Suddenly her eyes filled with sadness. “He’s...not really my dad. Actually, he’s my uncle. I was adopted by him whenever I was really little. My mom was on drugs and smoking and everything else with a little baby in the house. Dad and Mom showed up one day and found me, lying in the floor, coughing my lungs out while my real mom smoked and flirted with random guys. They took me away and fought to adopt me...after that, it was all over. I was their child...and my mother became just a figment of my own future failure…”
Allen listened in silence for a long while. As Anna talked, he could see the pain lifting from her shoulders as she recounted terrible story after terrible story and told of the horrors she’d seen. The pain she’d been through made Allen’s look like a little scratch. The sun grew lower in the sky as Anna went on and on and on, the terror never seemed to end. It was as if her life was one disaster after another...much like his own. She had attempted to take her own life, and failed. Her real father was a jailbird, and she was an orphan in a home of people who saw her as a little version of her mother. Every move she made was in the direction of her mother...that’s what they thought…
That struck a nerve in Allen. Nobody should be treated like they’re a mistake from birth. That pissed him off. No matter who you were, no matter what you did in the future, you were not a mistake. A human baby might have been smelly, annoying, and most of the time ugly...but they were innocent. They were pure. It didn’t matter if they were gay, lesbian, or handicapped in anyway. They were not a mistake. Ever. Anyone who thought differently needed shot...that was Allen’s humble opinion.
His entire life his parents had raised him to believe in himself and only himself. It didn’t matter what anyone thought. They told him he could be and do whatever he wanted. They didn’t restrict him at all, so naturally...he did nothing wrong. Allen had no desire to be “bad”. Strict parents created the little punks that ran around nowadays. Now, Allen had gotten his ass beat about a thousand times over, sure, but he deserved it. He was proud of his upbringing, and from what he was hearing from Anna...her parents saw her as nothing more than a nuisance that was doomed to fail from the beginning. The thought made him want to tear her worthless “dad’s” head off.
“...and that’s why Dad’s obsessed with me being Christian. He swears it’s the only thing that’ll save me...and it’s the only way he’ll ever let me have a boyfriend. You’re...gonna have to come to my church...and show him you’re a good kid...or else. He won’t let me date you...and...he might...hurt y-” Without a word, Allen reached over and dug his fingers into Anna’s sides, taking her by surprise. “AH!” She squealed and fell over in his lap. “AAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! NAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STOOOHOOOOP!”
“He can’t touch me,” he said calmly. “I think you could really use a good laugh, eh? You got me all depressed and angry now.”
In all honesty, Allen was hiding his anger. He didn’t want Anna to see him angry. Everyone who had seen him angry...was scared of him. His own sister had looked at him as if he were a horrid monster, her eyes filled with terror...Allen would never forget that night...the night whenever Liz had looked at like that… He didn’t want the same to happen again. Anna was someone special to him. He would take her pain and heal it, as always, but he wouldn’t allow her to take his own pain. That was his and his alone to bear. Even if it killed him, he would bear Anna’s pain along with his own and carry her until she could walk again.
“AAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!” Anna squealed and wriggled around in his lap, not even trying to get away. “STOOOHOOOOHOHOHOHOOOOP! AAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! IT TIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLES! NEEEEAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEASE!”
Allen kept his focus mainly on her ribs and stomach, avoiding her waist completely. He wanted to keep this fun and playful, not torturous. Anna actually loved to be tickled. She adored it...and she despised it. She loved the feeling it gave her, but she also hated the fact that with just a little poke in the side, anyone could turn her into putty in their hands. Anna was actually very sensitive to touch, unlike Allen. That was why she touched him so much, she loved being touched in any way.
As he tickled his cute girlfriend, the firefighters were finally ready to start their fake fire. A ways away from where he and Anna sat, there was a fake, stone building set up that was already covered in scorch marks. According to Anna, they put hay bales and things like that inside of the building and set them on fire. The volunteers would then run in and put out the fires in order to practice. It was all pretty cool to watch. Allen had always been interested in fire...not to unhealthy level, but it had always been cool to him. It was like fire was something that he had always been drawn to...weird.
The firefighters shouted drills to one another and a few ran into the building, their faces covered in masks and their bodies suited with protective gear that looked like it weighed a ton. He watched with interest as they pulled out dummies and whatnot and how a few of them went into the upper regions of the house, searching for people to “save”. It was all quite fascinating. If Allen had been a bit more crazy, he might have thought of volunteering, too...then again, he wasn’t getting paid to risk his life. Allen was no hero, that wasn’t something he would lie about. He had already sworn that if he ever joined the military, he would be a sniper, like his Uncle Jeb.
You get to see the face of every man, woman, and child you kill...and you never forget them...because they will never forget you...
Now that would be cool.
“AAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAAAHAHAHAAA! STOOOHOOOHOHOHOOOOOP!” Anna grabbed his wrists, reminding Allen that she was there and pulling him out of his thoughts. “NEAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! I’M GONNA PEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEE! NEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEE! OKAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAY! OKAY! OHOHOHKAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAY!”
“You haven’t smiled enough yet, though…” he said, “maybe just a bit more.”
“NOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOO! STEOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOHOHOHOOOOOOOP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!” she squealed and struggled, no longer enjoying it.
With a sigh of resignation, Allen stopped tickling the poor brunette and let her breathe.
Anna gasped and lay in his lap for several seconds, staring up at the darkening sky with wide, tired eyes. “You’re...evil...pure...evil…”
Allen nodded in agreement. “True, but you needed to laugh a little. I’m sure you feel better now, right?”
She sighed and sat up, finally catching her breath. “A little…” She pouted and leaned against the fence again. “But...I’d feel better...if I had your hoodie…”
Allen felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart. “No way! This’s my baby!”
Anna stuck out her bottom lip and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, fine...I’ll just freeze, then…”
“I guess so,” he agreed. That might have seemed a little harsh, but Allen’s Columbia hoodie was his pride and joy. If he knew he was going to be getting it back, then he would have definitely let Anna borrow it, but he had been through more than enough with women to know that once they obtained a man’s hoodie...it was theirs for all eternity...and Allen wasn’t ready to give up his baby just yet. He’d already lost his favorite shirt to Mia. The poor thing was probably burned or in a dumpster by now...God rest its fabric.
“Whatever.” She leaned over on him, laying her head on his shoulder. “At least keep me warm, will you?”
“That I can do.” He smiled and put his arm around her gently, preventing her back from pressing against the hard metal fence. Truthfully the pressure of her back against his arm which was caught between her and the fence lengths hurt like a son of a bitch, but Allen kept cool, ignoring the pain. Anything to keep her comfortable.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the fire burn and the firefighters run in and out. Before long the sun had gone down completely and the only source of light in the area came from the burning flames that sent shadows dancing across the grass.
Anna had remained silent for some time now...that was very unlike her. Curiously, Allen looked down and, to his surprise, found Anna fast asleep, her head resting against his chest comfortably, a serene look on her face.
With a small smile, Allen leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Guess all that ticklin’ wore ‘er out. Poor, poor Anna.
As he sat there alone, watching the dancing, rhythmic flames, Allen thought back to what Anna had told him and processed it all at once, going back over every little detail in rapid succession until finally he came back to the stuff about her father…
He’ll only let me date you if you’re a perfect Christian...you’ll have to come to my church and talk to him there. It’s the only way.
That would be difficult. Allen’s family was Christian, sure, but he had never really been about that life. He wasn’t Atheist, but he wasn’t the most devout man, either. What right did anyone have to claim to that their religion was right and others were wrong? That wasn’t fair. Wars were waged over the religions constantly, but Allen had never understood it...why would they go so far for something so trivial? They killed each other for it. Allen believed that all religions were fascinating. He wanted to learn them all, not be confined to one. Who says you’re right? he had always wondered. No one knew for sure.
Allen squeezed Anna gently. If it was for her, though...he would do it. Allen would become the most devout Christian boy ever to live. If it was for Anna...he would do anything. Her father had to like him, right? What could possibly go wrong?

*          *          *

Get outta here...don’t ever let me catch you near my daughter again…”
“Allen...calm down...please...just leave...I’ll be okay...” Anna kissed Allen on the cheek, her warm lips sending a surge of energy through his already adrenaline-spiked bloodstream.
Allen stood between Anna and her father, ready for a fight. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins as the huge man stared him down. This fight was one that was long incoming. Allen had suffered through months of degrading torture just to stand here today and fight against the man who had made his life a living hell for the past year. He wanted to smash that smug bastard’s face in...make him suffer the way he’d made Anna suffer...he wanted to get revenge for what the man had done to him…
The very first time Allen had met him, the man had demanded Allen sit beside him in the middle of a church session. Out of respect for his elder, Allen did as he was told and sat nervously and quietly beside John, barely daring to breathe. It seemed to go off without a hitch...but a few days later, Anna informed him of how much her dad disliked him. That had pissed him off, but Anna stopped him.
Not two weeks later, Anna told him of how her dad had “looked into” Allen’s family. He had dug into their past, his father’s records from when he’d gone to jail as a teen for fighting with his idiot friend and then again for trying to stop a fight between his idiot friends. There was nothing to find on Allen’s mom, lucky for John. That was when Anna had told him something that sent his blood broiling...the thing that had nearly caused John’s death.
He found out your sister’s a lesbian, Allen...he said he doesn’t approve of that and that if you don’t leave...he’ll ruin your family…
That was when it all had went downhill.
You could talk about Allen all you wanted. Push him, kick him, spit on him, scream at him, most of the time, he’d just shake it off...but if someone ever insulted his family--especially Liz--there would be no stopping the bloodbath that would ensue in the wake of Allen’s wrath…
Yet again, Anna had stopped him that day...but from then on he had hated John with a burning passion. Things had only gotten worse from there, until finally it had come to this..
Anna hugged him tightly, her warm tears seeping into his jacket. “Allen...please...don’t do this…”
Why not? The demon inside of him inquired. Why shouldn’t I make him suffer the way he made me suffer? Why shouldn’t I end his pathetic existence once and for all? It’d be doin’ the world a favor...one less prick in the world…
He glared right into John’s eyes, letting him know that if Anna wasn’t in between them, he would be a dead man. He saw the fear in the older man’s eyes. He was scared of Allen’s wrath, with good reason...the bastard had tortured Allen to the brink where his compassion completely disintegrated. That was something that he tried to avoid nowadays--not feeling. Whenever Allen stopped feeling completely and gave in to his anger, which he’d only done twice in his entire life...bad things tended to happen.
According to the three people who had ever seen him truly angry, he had the eyes of a beast. They shined with murderous blood lust. His own sister had looked at him as if he were a monster whenever her girlfriend had slammed her against the wall and Allen had tried to kill her. He remembered the look of terror Liz had worn that day...Allen really was a monster whenever he was angry...
“Don’t let me go…” he whispered in Anna’s ear. “Please...I don’t wanna go to jail for murder tonight…”
John glared at him and grabbed Anna by the shoulder, trying to pull her off of Allen. Bad move. The second he touched her, Allen grabbed him by the wrist and squeezed until he felt the bones pop.
“Don’t touch her…” he growled, feeling the inner rage begin to boil again. “I’ll tear your god damn arm off if you touch her again.”
John jerked his hand away, lucky that Allen had decided to let it go and not tear it out of socket, as much as he wanted to. “You really need to learn your place, punk.”
Allen was about to smash his head into the sidewalk, but before he had the chance to even breathe, Anna rounded on her father, her eyes shining in that crazy way that Allen knew all too well. And he thought Liz was scary when she was pissed...his sister didn’t hold a candle to Anna’s terrible wrath.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” she screamed at him. “You ruin everything for me! All I wanted was to date a nice guy for once in my life, and you ruined it! I hate you!” She started forward, probably to kick his ass, but Allen put a hand on her shoulder gently to stop her. No sense taking this to the physical level...because if he hit Anna back...Allen would slaughter him.
“It’s okay, Anna…” he said, calming down slightly. “I’ll go. It’s fine, really.”
Anna looked back at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I-It’s not okay…” She plunged her face back into his chest again and sobbed uncontrollably.
John shook his head at her. “You think I ruined everything for you? You have no idea what kind of good I’ve done for you. You’re going down the same path Pam followed...and I refuse to allow that to happen a second time. I won’t watch another person destroy their life with the likes of him.”
Allen took a deep breath to steady himself...he had taken enough. Now it was time to start giving it back.
“I’ll calm her down,” he said evenly. “You can leave. I’ll be gone before you get back, trust me.”
John blinked in surprise. “Good, but-”
“I’m not finished,” Allen interrupted him. “If you ever lay another finger on Anna...she’s gonna let me know...and I will find you. Believe me. I will hunt you down and gut you like the worthless piece of shit you are. Now go. She’s had enough of your shit for one night.”
John stood there for a moment, seemingly dazed. Allen glared at him, daring the bastard to do or say anything. At last, he gave a huff and stormed off. Whenever he got far enough way that Allen couldn’t castrate him, he turned back and yelled at Anna. “You’d better be in here in twenty minutes, Anna!”
The second he was gone, Anna began sobbing again.
Allen patted her back, his heart racing with adrenaline. “It’s okay…” he said, “calm down...it’ll be okay…” He was telling himself that just as much as he was Anna.
Anna continued to cry for a long while, until Allen’s jacket was completely soaked in tears. At last, though, she managed to pull herself together and stop crying for a moment. Long enough to speak.
“I-I-It’s...o-o-o-over...uhaaaah!” she whimpered.
Allen shook his head. “No. It’s not. I’ll leave and never come back here, sure...but he hasn’t beaten me. C’mere…” He guided Anna over to his truck and opened the door and grabbed the green party bag that rested in the seat. He handed it to Anna with a sad smile. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Panda.”
Anna gently took the bag and peeked inside...and immediately gasped in surprise. Allen grinned as she reached inside and pulled out his Columbia hoodie.
“Y-Your hoodie?!”
He nodded. “Yeah...it’s yours now. Keep it...and don’t forget...this ain’t over. He’ll never beat me. He just started a war that he’ll never be able to fini-” Without warning Anna suddenly ran over to him and kissed him full on the lips, stealing his voice.
She pulled away and looked at him with those fascinating eyes. “It’s ok, Allen...I’ll be fine. Just go...get outta here…” She pushed him backwards into his truck and turned her back on him, heading back towards the church. “You’re right, though...it’s not over...but you’re not starting a war. He’s my dad and I’ll fight you to the death if you hurt him...remember that the next time you threaten him…”
Allen watched her go until she disappeared with a final wave into the church. Once she was gone, he got in his truck started it up, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“You have no idea who you’re up against, John…” He threw the truck in reverse and backed out of the church for the last time. “This ain’t over...not by a long-shot…”

TO BE CONTINUED…?

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I lost it all...everyone...they’re all gone now...again…
Allen sighed and leaned back against the metal trash compactor-machine, gazing up at the midday sky as gentle, fluffy clouds cruised through it lazily. He had finally managed to get a break from work and was now spending it leisurely relaxing outside by the dumpster, as he always did. It was the best way to avoid everyone else whenever he wanted time to think. Allen hated to bring them all down with his horrid mood, which had become his normal attitude for the last two weeks.
Many of them asked if he was okay and many others were worried that he had stopped eating, though he never really ate the camp food anyway...Jew food wasn’t really his style. Mostly because they didn’t use that much salt and morning food was always dairy-based, because the Jews weren’t allowed to eat meat and dairy together, they ate meat for dinner, usually. At least that’s what they did at the camp. It was kind of annoying only eating dairy for lunch everyday, so Allen usually just grabbed some fruit and hid himself away from the others to think. It was a bad habit he had developed during his time with Anna, as he had usually had to come to the dumpster to talk to her, since it was the only place where he got service at the camp.
When did it all go wrong? He wondered. Feels like just yesterday I was out here talkin’ to Lakrista...and now… He shook his head and dispelled any thought of Lakrista. Stop it. Now. You weak ass little bitch, stop. Stop carin’ so much about her...she’s gone...forever. So stop thinkin’ about her.
The thought of Lakrista brought pain like nothing he’d ever felt washing over him. It was enough to make him actually feel like crying, which pissed him off. Tears were for the weak. Men didn’t cry...not unless they were weak. Allen had allowed Anna to break down his walls and mend his pain, but as always, she had wrought destruction upon him and taken away the one person Allen had allowed himself to lean on...he hadn’t even known how much he depended on Lakrista. That sweet smile of hers...the thought of never seeing it again…
Stop… He bit his lip to force his mind to focus on anything except her. Please...just take away my damn feelings...I don’t need them anyway...all they do is bring me pain…
Even as he thought it, though, Allen knew that it wasn’t true. Something inside of him wouldn’t allow him to accept that he needed no feelings. Whatever it was seemed to enjoy seeing Allen suffer...it wanted him to feel the pain that others could and would inflict on him...but why? Why the hell was he cursed to feel things so heavily? Why did he have to care so much about other people? Allen would cut his own arm off for a friend, if it would help them. He would lay down his life and die for them. Allen would run straight into Hell, fist fight Satan and pull a friend back out, or even take their place. If it meant they would be spared pain, Allen would take it all. Every last ounce. It was in his nature...to do anything for his friends...
So...why…? Why would no one do the same for him? Was he a fool for caring so much about other people? The more people he met...the more it began to seem that way. It was a horrid existence. Cursed to forever cherish and love people, but to always receive pain in return for his kindness. Allen hated his giant heart with a burning passion, so much so that he wished the stupid little piece of shit would shrivel up and die already. Why wouldn’t it, though? Why did he have to always grow to love people again? No matter how much they hurt him...Allen would never turn his back on anyone…yet he was cursed to always have others turn their backs on him…
He clenched his fist as he thought back to the horrible year he had been through since that fateful week before graduation. The beginning of his ultimate downfall that had led to the destruction of everything he held dear...and the complete collapse of his emotions. It was a year full of ecstasy, violence, pain, and nightmares. The tumultuous storm clouds that filled his mind constantly had dissipated for a short time...but they had come back just as quickly and more violently than ever before...and he only had one person to blame…
Himself.

*          *          *

One year earlier…

We did it!”
Allen grinned and looked around in a daze as everyone screamed and ran around like idiots all across the football field, laugh and crying, hugging each other and giving out heartfelt congratulations. It was so amazing to think that it was finally over...the feeling was indescribable. To see everyone around him so filled with joy, crying their eyes out, and acting like idiots, it was like he was seeing them all for the very first time. Not as jocks, idiots, druggies, cheerleaders, preppy girls, punks, or nerds...but as them. They had gone through hell together, they’d lost many of their number along the way...but they had still made here to the end together. This was the last time Allen would ever be in the same place as all of these people again...after tonight...where would they go?
“Alle-e-e-e-e-e-en!”
He turned a full circle at the sound of her voice, trying to find here until she came running out of the crowd and threw her arms around his neck.
“YOU DID IT!” She exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You really did it!”
Allen hugged Lakrista back for the first time ever and nodded. “Yep...you’re a senior now, Kris. You gotta take charge for me ‘cause I’m not gonna be around anymore to take care a things.”
Lakrista squeezed him tighter. “Shut up...don’t remind me…” With a calm smile, he let her hug him until she at last pulled away, wiping her tears as she did so. “So...where’s everyone else?”
Allen looked around curiously at all the familiar faces. Tony, Ian, Jamie and Logan and Kristy had been right by his side just a second ago, but whenever they’d all made the mad dash for the bell as a final graduation tradition, they had all gotten separated. He was sure that they were around here somewhere...he just wasn’t really sure where.
“I dunno.” He shrugged and started off into the crowd. “Let’s go find those idiots, I guess.”
Lakrista fell in beside him, looking absolutely beautiful in her blue coat and black dress. She had taken her heels off so she was completely barefoot, exposing her cute little feet with their white-and-green-painted nails. Allen couldn’t help but take a few peeks at them. He still remembered how ticklish they were and how much fun they had been to rub. Lakrista had some of the cutest, softest, most ticklish little feet he had ever seen...and that was saying something, because Allen had once started up a foot-rubbing business in fifth grade, orchestrated by his crazy cousin, Stacy, who had forced him to rub her feet after basketball practice and then attracted twelve other girls who wanted the same thing. Those girls had then spread the word and the next day at a special extended recess, girls had literally lined up against the wall, took their shoes off and waited their turn for Allen to rub their feet. If he hadn’t had witnesses, nobody would believe him...not that any of the girls really remembered. Hell it may well have been a dream...but Stacy remembered. Weird.
The point being, Allen had seen some cute feet in his day...but very few were better than Lakrista’s.
As if she had read his thoughts, she gave him a serious look. “Eyes up here, Allen. You have a girlfriend, remember?”
“Yeah…” He looked up at the sky thoughtfully, trying not to focus on all the cute girls running around shoeless. Why did they all have to suddenly become so attractive now that Allen was tied down? That wasn’t fair.
Earlier that day, Allen had asked Anna out and had gotten a resounding YES! I THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER ASK! YES! as a response. Allen was no cheater...but he was still a bit of a player. It wasn’t that he meant to be, though, he was just really nice to women and that tended to give them the wrong idea. More often than not, Allen had made girls think he was crushing on them whenever he was just being a nice guy. If he saw a girl was cold, she got his jacket immediately, even if he was left to freeze to death, she would get his jacket. If he saw a girl was struggling to carry something heavy, he would help her. And Allen was just usually a really nice guy, to everybody. He would listen to people’s problems, help them, and even go so far as to give them money if they needed it. Kindness was in his nature.
As he grew older, Allen had slowly started to accept that fact. He had once hated his gentle heart, too big for its own good, but after a while, he had grown used to it. Lakrista had been by his side for years now, and here she still was. He felt confident that she would always be there whenever he needed her, and Allen would do the same for her. Whenever she needed him, he’d be there, no matter what. Lakrista knew she could call him from across the globe and he would come running.
He chuckled to himself as he remembered Lakrista’s response to him saying he would come save her: I’d be dead by the time you got there, so it really doesn’t matter. Don’t sacrifice yourself for me. No matter what. If I die, I die. How’m I supposed to have a peaceful afterlife if you’re gonna kill yourself right along with me? What’s so funny?! Don’t laugh! I’m serious!
“What’s so funny?” she inquired, giving him a curious look.
Allen shook his head, unable to stop grinning. “Nothin’. Just thinkin’.”
“Thinkin’ about wh- AHAAAA!” Out of nowhere Lakrista was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled away from him.
Allen whirled around in surprise to find Tony and Ian both standing on either side of her...tickling the poor brunette out of her mind. They had her trapped between them in an attack style that Allen had taught them years ago whenever they were still little kids--the gang tickle.
“AAAHAHAHAAAAA! STOOOHOHOHOOOOP!” Lakrista squealed and wriggled around, trying her very best to break free of them, but they had her completely trapped. “HEHEHEEHEEEELP! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! NOT THE RIHIHIHIIIBS! EEEEAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STOP IHIHIHIHIHIIIT!”
Allen rolled his eyes and made his way over to the two morons. “You about gave me a heart-attack, ya dicks. I thought somebody was tryin’ to kidnap her.”
“Give us a hand here!” Tony laughed.
Allen shook his head. “Go for her stomach. Right above the belly-button. That’s her weak spot...well, that and her feet, but if you go for those, she’ll fall and get her dress all dirty and we’ll all be six feet under…”
Tony nodded and attacked Lakrista’s sensitive belly, drawing a ticklish screech of mirthful anguish out of the poor girl. “EYAAAAAAHAHAAAAA! NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOOOOOO! HEHEEEHEHEHEHEEEHEHEHEHEEELP!"
“Damn!” Ian exclaimed. “Where else?”
Allen pointed to her exposed underarms. “Right about there. Armpits are awful, go for the center.”
Ian did as he was told, earning another squeal from their helpless victim.
“AAAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STOOOOHOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOP! NEEEEEAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!” Lakrista struggled and fought until she at last broke free of their terrible grip. The second she was free, she ran straight for Allen and hid behind him. “You...JERK!”
He grinned back at her. “Hey, I didn’t do anything, wrong. They’re the ones that went and tickled you. Not me.”
“You told them my worst tickle spots!” she protested.
“Let’s not dwell on the past, Kris.” He shook his head. “Tonight’s our graduation, after all. No need to be so negative.”
She glared at him. “One day, Allen...one day…”
“You know you love me.” He gave her a wink and then turned his attention back to his idiot best friends. “So where’s everybody else?”
They both shrugged.
Allen shook his head. “You’re such a big help.”
“I know right?” Tony grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “So where’s your woman at, anyway? I haven’t seen her around.”
Ian pointed at Lakrista. “She’s right there.”
Both Allen and Tony took a step to the side as they realized Ian’s horrid mistake. The entire area went deadly silent as Lakrista’s murderous side began to manifest itself.
“You’ve got five seconds…” she whispered, her eyes downcast. Allen could feel the murderous intent coming off of her. It was like standing beside a rabid beast. “Five...four...three…two…”
Ian may have been a complete dumbass...but nobody was that stupid. Before Lakrista could reach the number of his death, he turned and ran off, screaming like an idiot.
Lakrista smiled at Tony and Allen sweetly. “You boys go have fun, I’ll catch up later…” And with that, her expression turned dark and she took off after Ian.
“He’s dead,” Allen sighed.
“Nice knowin' ‘em,” Tony agreed.
“Was it, though?”
With a laugh, the two of them headed off into the crowd again, searching for the remnants of their missing group.
“So where is what’s-her-face, anyway?” Tony inquired again.
Allen shrugged. “Hell if I know. She don’t have her license and her dad refused to drive ‘er. She gave me some big warnin’ that her dad’s crazy and that he wouldn’t like the fact that she was datin’ me. I think I can win him over, though. I have all that natural charm, after all.”
Tony gave him a disbelieving look. “Whatever you say, Casanova. So, anyway...what’re you gonna do now? Now that we’ve graduated, I mean. Any future plans?”
Allen tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. I think I’m gonna take a year off and see where it goes from there. Where are you headed?”
“College. Me and Ian are headed off in August.”
Allen grimaced. “Guess I won’t be seein’ you guys around too often, then? Sure is gonna get lonely around with just me and Lakrista…”
“You’ll get by somehow, I’m sure. Lakrista’s a tough girl.”
Allen nodded in agreement. “You’re right about that...but still. It’d be nice if we could all have some kinda...specific time to all converge again. Like a special day or somethin’.”
Tony shrugged. “Why don’t we all just come back for Lakrista’s graduation?”
“Come back next year? Well, I mean...we could. I wanna come see my little cousin graduate, and a few other friends, too.” He smiled, warming up to the idea. “Yeah, I like that...so we’ll meet up back here in a year, right?”
Again, Tony shrugged. “If you want, man, but we’re gonna see each other between now and then, ya know? It’s not like we’re gonna disappear off the face of the planet.”
“I know, but it just sounds cool that way.”
Tony rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Allen. “If you say so. I’m outta here, I guess. See ya around, brother.”
Allen took his hand and the two bro-hugged and Tony headed off, leaving Allen all by himself. In that one instant, Allen felt a strange sensation go through his chest, like some kind of future foreboding. The same weird feeling he got whenever he met someone who would eventually become a part of his life. However, this feeling was different...it felt...cold. Almost exactly like whenever he sensed death, but not quite as crippling. This didn’t send fear through him, or a cold chill up his spine...this was more like...a premonition of things to come. As Allen stood there, surrounded by people...he felt...lonely.
He shook his head to dispel those strange thoughts. It was his graduation, after all. He shouldn’t be sad on a day like this.
With an uneasy smile, Allen made his way through the crowd and towards the edge of the field where he was sure his parents would be waiting for him. Time to go get some food and then head home…

My daughter’s not allowed to date. Sorry. Don’t mind friends, but boyfriends are off limits. I’m sorry if she tricked you into believing different. Goodbye. Don’t text this number again.

“The shit is this?” Allen demanded as he read the message he’d received a little while after returning home. He had texted Anna to see why she hadn’t come, just to check on her, and this was the response he got? It was obviously her dad, but why was he being a dick already? Allen hadn’t even met the guy yet. Anna had said that he was crazy and a bit of a dick...but seriously, this was a bit overboard.
Honestly, he thought about texting back and trying to explain the situation, but that familiar warning pulse through his chest told him different. Bad idea. Got it.
Anna would explain later. He felt sure of that. All he needed to do was be patient and let her come to him. Maybe she could shed some light on these strange events.
Sure enough, a few minutes after Allen had resigned himself to waiting, he received another message from Anna, via the Hangouts app on his phone.

Allen? It’s me, Anna. I’m really sorry about Dad...it was stupid of me to try and date you without telling you about him...he can be a real jerk sometimes...and I’m not exactly allowed to date...because of my last boyfriend...I’m really sorry.

  Allen shrugged it off. He understood that.

Yeah, I get it, don’t worry. So what are gonna do then?

  Anna texted back almost as quickly as he did. At least he wasn’t the only one who took pride in always texting back whenever he got a message. So long as he knew he got it, Allen would always text back.

Well...that’s up to you to decide. You’re the man in the relationship, you decide what to do with it. If you wanna break up, I understand…

  “‘The man in the relationship’? What the hell does that mean?” Anna was acting like some kind of abused housewife. He was a man, yeah, but that didn’t really mean jack shit whenever it came to a relationship. Allen believed that a woman had just as much right to be in control as a man, so long as she didn’t try and tell him what to do, he was fine, and he wouldn’t tell her what to do. Why restrict one another?

Breakin’ up would be kinda stupid, don’t you think? I think I can win your old man over if I can get ‘em to talk to me.

  Anna wasn’t as quick to reply this time. In fact, it took her several minutes and Allen actually began to worry a little bit. Had he said something wrong? After a few minutes, though, Anna’s little bubble began typing again.

There is...one way he’d talk to you...but...you won’t like it…

  Yet another pulse shot through his chest. This was starting to get annoying. Normally his senses only went haywire whenever there was a threat or something nearby that would cause him some kind of future issue, but Allen wasn’t out and about now, he was just in his room by himself, watching TV and texting his girlfriend. The hell could get him in here? Maybe he really going crazy…

Whatever it is, I’ll give it a shot. Lay it on me.

  Anna hesitated again, but then she responded.

Okay...but you’re going to have to come to my fire station tomorrow before I’ll tell you...I can’t do it over text. Just come around six. It’s the only station where I live up the Hollow, so be there, please. I’ll tell you then. Promise. Now I gotta go, nighty night.

Allen raised an eyebrow at her text incredulously. “Your behaviour is most suspicious...most suspicious indeed…” But if it was Anna’s desire that he went to the fire station to see her, to the fire station he would go. No problemo...well, there was one problemo... “Where the shit’s the Hollow?!”

After much searching, many detours, and several occassions of losing his way, Allen at last pulled into Fire Station Six. He drove up the gravel road and found a parking space over where everyone was parked. Apparently this was a public meeting where the firefighters would practice fighting a mock fire. That didn’t sound too bad.
Nervously, he got out of his truck and followed the crowd over to the fenced in area where all of the fighters were gearing up. He looked around curiously, but saw no sign of Anna anywhere. Had he gotten the wrong place? Anna said that this was the only one over here...but knowing Allen’s luck he probably wasn’t even in the Hollow. Hell he could have been in Cincinnati for all he knew. That’s how bad his sense of direction was.
Nevertheless, he followed the small crowd through the gates and stood against the fence shyly, hoping beyond hope that Anna would show herself eventually…
Without warning, something suddenly poked him in the back through the fence. “Boo!”
Allen jumped three feet in the air and whirled around to find...Anna standing on the other side of the fence, smiling at him deviously, her pretty brown eyes sparkling with mischief. She had her long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a tight black T-shirt that accentuated her perfect form, blue jeans and black boots. Hardly the attire of a firefighter.
“You nearly gave me a heart-attack!” he exclaimed, holding his chest.
Anna laughed and ran through the gates and came over to greet him with a big hug. “I didn’t think you’d really come!”
Allen smiled at her. “Of course I came. You asked me to.”
She smiled up at him and rested her head on his chest. “Well, still...thanks…”
“Don’t mention it.” He looked around curiously at all the other fighters who were geared up and ready to go. “Why ain’t you dressed up?”
Anna pouted up at him. “I’m just a junior member...I don’t get to fight the fire...just watch.”
“That’s bullshit.”
She shrugged. “It’s actually a safety measure. They don’t want anyone getting hurt in there. Only the senior members are gonna participate. Go figure.”
“Well how come you came if you’re not gonna get to do anything?”
Anna smiled deviously and sat down against the fence. “Because I knew it was the only way I could see you.” She patted the grass beside her. “Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about…”
Allen took a seat beside her. “Let’s hear it, then.”
“We’ll start with my dad…” Suddenly her eyes filled with sadness. “He’s...not really my dad. Actually, he’s my uncle. I was adopted by him whenever I was really little. My mom was on drugs and smoking and everything else with a little baby in the house. Dad and Mom showed up one day and found me, lying in the floor, coughing my lungs out while my real mom smoked and flirted with random guys. They took me away and fought to adopt me...after that, it was all over. I was their child...and my mother became just a figment of my own future failure…”
Allen listened in silence for a long while. As Anna talked, he could see the pain lifting from her shoulders as she recounted terrible story after terrible story and told of the horrors she’d seen. The pain she’d been through made Allen’s look like a little scratch. The sun grew lower in the sky as Anna went on and on and on, the terror never seemed to end. It was as if her life was one disaster after another...much like his own. She had attempted to take her own life, and failed. Her real father was a jailbird, and she was an orphan in a home of people who saw her as a little version of her mother. Every move she made was in the direction of her mother...that’s what they thought…
That struck a nerve in Allen. Nobody should be treated like they’re a mistake from birth. That pissed him off. No matter who you were, no matter what you did in the future, you were not a mistake. A human baby might have been smelly, annoying, and most of the time ugly...but they were innocent. They were pure. It didn’t matter if they were gay, lesbian, or handicapped in anyway. They were not a mistake. Ever. Anyone who thought differently needed shot...that was Allen’s humble opinion.
His entire life his parents had raised him to believe in himself and only himself. It didn’t matter what anyone thought. They told him he could be and do whatever he wanted. They didn’t restrict him at all, so naturally...he did nothing wrong. Allen had no desire to be “bad”. Strict parents created the little punks that ran around nowadays. Now, Allen had gotten his ass beat about a thousand times over, sure, but he deserved it. He was proud of his upbringing, and from what he was hearing from Anna...her parents saw her as nothing more than a nuisance that was doomed to fail from the beginning. The thought made him want to tear her worthless “dad’s” head off.
“...and that’s why Dad’s obsessed with me being Christian. He swears it’s the only thing that’ll save me...and it’s the only way he’ll ever let me have a boyfriend. You’re...gonna have to come to my church...and show him you’re a good kid...or else. He won’t let me date you...and...he might...hurt y-” Without a word, Allen reached over and dug his fingers into Anna’s sides, taking her by surprise. “AH!” She squealed and fell over in his lap. “AAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! NAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STOOOHOOOOP!”
“He can’t touch me,” he said calmly. “I think you could really use a good laugh, eh? You got me all depressed and angry now.”
In all honesty, Allen was hiding his anger. He didn’t want Anna to see him angry. Everyone who had seen him angry...was scared of him. His own sister had looked at him as if he were a horrid monster, her eyes filled with terror...Allen would never forget that night...the night whenever Liz had looked at like that… He didn’t want the same to happen again. Anna was someone special to him. He would take her pain and heal it, as always, but he wouldn’t allow her to take his own pain. That was his and his alone to bear. Even if it killed him, he would bear Anna’s pain along with his own and carry her until she could walk again.
“AAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!” Anna squealed and wriggled around in his lap, not even trying to get away. “STOOOHOOOOHOHOHOHOOOOP! AAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! IT TIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLES! NEEEEAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEASE!”
Allen kept his focus mainly on her ribs and stomach, avoiding her waist completely. He wanted to keep this fun and playful, not torturous. Anna actually loved to be tickled. She adored it...and she despised it. She loved the feeling it gave her, but she also hated the fact that with just a little poke in the side, anyone could turn her into putty in their hands. Anna was actually very sensitive to touch, unlike Allen. That was why she touched him so much, she loved being touched in any way.
As he tickled his cute girlfriend, the firefighters were finally ready to start their fake fire. A ways away from where he and Anna sat, there was a fake, stone building set up that was already covered in scorch marks. According to Anna, they put hay bales and things like that inside of the building and set them on fire. The volunteers would then run in and put out the fires in order to practice. It was all pretty cool to watch. Allen had always been interested in fire...not to unhealthy level, but it had always been cool to him. It was like fire was something that he had always been drawn to...weird.
The firefighters shouted drills to one another and a few ran into the building, their faces covered in masks and their bodies suited with protective gear that looked like it weighed a ton. He watched with interest as they pulled out dummies and whatnot and how a few of them went into the upper regions of the house, searching for people to “save”. It was all quite fascinating. If Allen had been a bit more crazy, he might have thought of volunteering, too...then again, he wasn’t getting paid to risk his life. Allen was no hero, that wasn’t something he would lie about. He had already sworn that if he ever joined the military, he would be a sniper, like his Uncle Jeb.
You get to see the face of every man, woman, and child you kill...and you never forget them...because they will never forget you...
Now that would be cool.
“AAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAAAHAHAHAAA! STOOOHOOOHOHOHOOOOOP!” Anna grabbed his wrists, reminding Allen that she was there and pulling him out of his thoughts. “NEAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! I’M GONNA PEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEE! NEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEE! OKAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAY! OKAY! OHOHOHKAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAY!”
“You haven’t smiled enough yet, though…” he said, “maybe just a bit more.”
“NOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOO! STEOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOHOHOHOOOOOOOP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!” she squealed and struggled, no longer enjoying it.
With a sigh of resignation, Allen stopped tickling the poor brunette and let her breathe.
Anna gasped and lay in his lap for several seconds, staring up at the darkening sky with wide, tired eyes. “You’re...evil...pure...evil…”
Allen nodded in agreement. “True, but you needed to laugh a little. I’m sure you feel better now, right?”
She sighed and sat up, finally catching her breath. “A little…” She pouted and leaned against the fence again. “But...I’d feel better...if I had your hoodie…”
Allen felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart. “No way! This’s my baby!”
Anna stuck out her bottom lip and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, fine...I’ll just freeze, then…”
“I guess so,” he agreed. That might have seemed a little harsh, but Allen’s Columbia hoodie was his pride and joy. If he knew he was going to be getting it back, then he would have definitely let Anna borrow it, but he had been through more than enough with women to know that once they obtained a man’s hoodie...it was theirs for all eternity...and Allen wasn’t ready to give up his baby just yet. He’d already lost his favorite shirt to Mia. The poor thing was probably burned or in a dumpster by now...God rest its fabric.
“Whatever.” She leaned over on him, laying her head on his shoulder. “At least keep me warm, will you?”
“That I can do.” He smiled and put his arm around her gently, preventing her back from pressing against the hard metal fence. Truthfully the pressure of her back against his arm which was caught between her and the fence lengths hurt like a son of a bitch, but Allen kept cool, ignoring the pain. Anything to keep her comfortable.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the fire burn and the firefighters run in and out. Before long the sun had gone down completely and the only source of light in the area came from the burning flames that sent shadows dancing across the grass.
Anna had remained silent for some time now...that was very unlike her. Curiously, Allen looked down and, to his surprise, found Anna fast asleep, her head resting against his chest comfortably, a serene look on her face.
With a small smile, Allen leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Guess all that ticklin’ wore ‘er out. Poor, poor Anna.
As he sat there alone, watching the dancing, rhythmic flames, Allen thought back to what Anna had told him and processed it all at once, going back over every little detail in rapid succession until finally he came back to the stuff about her father…
He’ll only let me date you if you’re a perfect Christian...you’ll have to come to my church and talk to him there. It’s the only way.
That would be difficult. Allen’s family was Christian, sure, but he had never really been about that life. He wasn’t Atheist, but he wasn’t the most devout man, either. What right did anyone have to claim to that their religion was right and others were wrong? That wasn’t fair. Wars were waged over the religions constantly, but Allen had never understood it...why would they go so far for something so trivial? They killed each other for it. Allen believed that all religions were fascinating. He wanted to learn them all, not be confined to one. Who says you’re right? he had always wondered. No one knew for sure.
Allen squeezed Anna gently. If it was for her, though...he would do it. Allen would become the most devout Christian boy ever to live. If it was for Anna...he would do anything. Her father had to like him, right? What could possibly go wrong?

*          *          *

Get outta here...don’t ever let me catch you near my daughter again…”
“Allen...calm down...please...just leave...I’ll be okay...” Anna kissed Allen on the cheek, her warm lips sending a surge of energy through his already adrenaline-spiked bloodstream.
Allen stood between Anna and her father, ready for a fight. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins as the huge man stared him down. This fight was one that was long incoming. Allen had suffered through months of degrading torture just to stand here today and fight against the man who had made his life a living hell for the past year. He wanted to smash that smug bastard’s face in...make him suffer the way he’d made Anna suffer...he wanted to get revenge for what the man had done to him…
The very first time Allen had met him, the man had demanded Allen sit beside him in the middle of a church session. Out of respect for his elder, Allen did as he was told and sat nervously and quietly beside John, barely daring to breathe. It seemed to go off without a hitch...but a few days later, Anna informed him of how much her dad disliked him. That had pissed him off, but Anna stopped him.
Not two weeks later, Anna told him of how her dad had “looked into” Allen’s family. He had dug into their past, his father’s records from when he’d gone to jail as a teen for fighting with his idiot friend and then again for trying to stop a fight between his idiot friends. There was nothing to find on Allen’s mom, lucky for John. That was when Anna had told him something that sent his blood broiling...the thing that had nearly caused John’s death.
He found out your sister’s a lesbian, Allen...he said he doesn’t approve of that and that if you don’t leave...he’ll ruin your family…
That was when it all had went downhill.
You could talk about Allen all you wanted. Push him, kick him, spit on him, scream at him, most of the time, he’d just shake it off...but if someone ever insulted his family--especially Liz--there would be no stopping the bloodbath that would ensue in the wake of Allen’s wrath…
Yet again, Anna had stopped him that day...but from then on he had hated John with a burning passion. Things had only gotten worse from there, until finally it had come to this..
Anna hugged him tightly, her warm tears seeping into his jacket. “Allen...please...don’t do this…”
Why not? The demon inside of him inquired. Why shouldn’t I make him suffer the way he made me suffer? Why shouldn’t I end his pathetic existence once and for all? It’d be doin’ the world a favor...one less prick in the world…
He glared right into John’s eyes, letting him know that if Anna wasn’t in between them, he would be a dead man. He saw the fear in the older man’s eyes. He was scared of Allen’s wrath, with good reason...the bastard had tortured Allen to the brink where his compassion completely disintegrated. That was something that he tried to avoid nowadays--not feeling. Whenever Allen stopped feeling completely and gave in to his anger, which he’d only done twice in his entire life...bad things tended to happen.
According to the three people who had ever seen him truly angry, he had the eyes of a beast. They shined with murderous blood lust. His own sister had looked at him as if he were a monster whenever her girlfriend had slammed her against the wall and Allen had tried to kill her. He remembered the look of terror Liz had worn that day...Allen really was a monster whenever he was angry...
“Don’t let me go…” he whispered in Anna’s ear. “Please...I don’t wanna go to jail for murder tonight…”
John glared at him and grabbed Anna by the shoulder, trying to pull her off of Allen. Bad move. The second he touched her, Allen grabbed him by the wrist and squeezed until he felt the bones pop.
“Don’t touch her…” he growled, feeling the inner rage begin to boil again. “I’ll tear your god damn arm off if you touch her again.”
John jerked his hand away, lucky that Allen had decided to let it go and not tear it out of socket, as much as he wanted to. “You really need to learn your place, punk.”
Allen was about to smash his head into the sidewalk, but before he had the chance to even breathe, Anna rounded on her father, her eyes shining in that crazy way that Allen knew all too well. And he thought Liz was scary when she was pissed...his sister didn’t hold a candle to Anna’s terrible wrath.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” she screamed at him. “You ruin everything for me! All I wanted was to date a nice guy for once in my life, and you ruined it! I hate you!” She started forward, probably to kick his ass, but Allen put a hand on her shoulder gently to stop her. No sense taking this to the physical level...because if he hit Anna back...Allen would slaughter him.
“It’s okay, Anna…” he said, calming down slightly. “I’ll go. It’s fine, really.”
Anna looked back at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I-It’s not okay…” She plunged her face back into his chest again and sobbed uncontrollably.
John shook his head at her. “You think I ruined everything for you? You have no idea what kind of good I’ve done for you. You’re going down the same path Pam followed...and I refuse to allow that to happen a second time. I won’t watch another person destroy their life with the likes of him.”
Allen took a deep breath to steady himself...he had taken enough. Now it was time to start giving it back.
“I’ll calm her down,” he said evenly. “You can leave. I’ll be gone before you get back, trust me.”
John blinked in surprise. “Good, but-”
“I’m not finished,” Allen interrupted him. “If you ever lay another finger on Anna...she’s gonna let me know...and I will find you. Believe me. I will hunt you down and gut you like the worthless piece of shit you are. Now go. She’s had enough of your shit for one night.”
John stood there for a moment, seemingly dazed. Allen glared at him, daring the bastard to do or say anything. At last, he gave a huff and stormed off. Whenever he got far enough way that Allen couldn’t castrate him, he turned back and yelled at Anna. “You’d better be in here in twenty minutes, Anna!”
The second he was gone, Anna began sobbing again.
Allen patted her back, his heart racing with adrenaline. “It’s okay…” he said, “calm down...it’ll be okay…” He was telling himself that just as much as he was Anna.
Anna continued to cry for a long while, until Allen’s jacket was completely soaked in tears. At last, though, she managed to pull herself together and stop crying for a moment. Long enough to speak.
“I-I-It’s...o-o-o-over...uhaaaah!” she whimpered.
Allen shook his head. “No. It’s not. I’ll leave and never come back here, sure...but he hasn’t beaten me. C’mere…” He guided Anna over to his truck and opened the door and grabbed the green party bag that rested in the seat. He handed it to Anna with a sad smile. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Panda.”
Anna gently took the bag and peeked inside...and immediately gasped in surprise. Allen grinned as she reached inside and pulled out his Columbia hoodie.
“Y-Your hoodie?!”
He nodded. “Yeah...it’s yours now. Keep it...and don’t forget...this ain’t over. He’ll never beat me. He just started a war that he’ll never be able to fini-” Without warning Anna suddenly ran over to him and kissed him full on the lips, stealing his voice.
She pulled away and looked at him with those fascinating eyes. “It’s ok, Allen...I’ll be fine. Just go...get outta here…” She pushed him backwards into his truck and turned her back on him, heading back towards the church. “You’re right, though...it’s not over...but you’re not starting a war. He’s my dad and I’ll fight you to the death if you hurt him...remember that the next time you threaten him…”
Allen watched her go until she disappeared with a final wave into the church. Once she was gone, he got in his truck started it up, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“You have no idea who you’re up against, John…” He threw the truck in reverse and backed out of the church for the last time. “This ain’t over...not by a long-shot…”

TO BE CONTINUED…?