Chapter 10: The park
A cold gust of wind rippled across Damien's face as he walked down the Takunda Drive highway. He blew warm air into his hands, increasing his pace in the hauntingly starless night.
He was close to the park now.
He could see the old people's home that it faced, and the humongous Jacarandas swaying in the distance, dropping their delicate purple flowers all over as the wind carried their scent and spread it in the air.
Shuddering at the thought of what he was doing, Damien placed his hands into his jean pockets to make sure he had brought it—the faux gem he had stolen from Ahara's bedroom.
Whatever Kaos's reason was for wanting the original, Damien had already resolved not to give the Gem to him.
He was going to ask the doctor to provide him with intel on Ahara, and once he had what he wanted, he would escape. He was the fastest runner in his school, probably the entire world, too, since he'd never encountered a worthy opponent in the national championships yet, but that was a question of whether the Doctor was human or not.
If he were non-human like Ahara, then Damien knew he was already toast before the battle even began.
That's why he brought the fake gem.
He was planning on throwing it a distance and luring the doctor away from him as he escaped. That way, he could both outsmart and outrun the old fart, and he'd be back home before Ahara or their soon to happen confrontation.
It was a perfect plan that allowed him to uncover Ahara's identity without looking suspicious or getting hurt.
The loud engine of a car speeding across Houston Road into Takunda Drive made Damien stop. It passed by with a loud whoosh, the drunk green tea bitch in it waving and grinning as he left a gust of carbon dioxide with his Mazda 323 for Damien to choke on.