Chapter 2: DEADBEAT CLUB

Noah misses his real clothes when Duncan brings him Riley's outfit. He feels naked with broken jeans, and the leather jacket with silver spikes seems like a threat to his own life. He hides his disscontempt as he changes into these weird clothes. When he looks in the mirror of the hospital bathroom, with the white light coming from above, he looks menacing. His fading bruises and cuts add to the unhinged vibe.

Riley's friends are waiting for him outside the room. Rune, the red haired mysterious figure, is also there, silent as always. He hasn't spoken a single word directed toward him but, Noah thinks, he hasn't really talked to the others either. Noah doesn't know if he should feel relieved that he is not the sole target of Rune's cold shoulder. In the week he has spent in the hospital, Rune has been watching him from the distance, with a mask of indifference. However, Noah knows better than to trust that indifference.

After a quick recommendation from the doctors to avoid intense exercise and to watch out for symptoms, they get out of the hospital. It is midday, and the sunshine heats the pavement. Noah closes his eyes and takes the warm in, while shaking off the septic cold of the hospital room. It feels like he hasn't felt his skin being caressed by the sun. He stretches his arms, careful not to tug in his still healing wounds.

"It feels so good", he mutters to himself.

Duncan clasps a hand to his shoulder, "Should we pay a visit to Sam?"

Noah hesitates before finally nodding. He does not know who Sam is, or if he's the one who attacked Riley. Maybe Sam is related to him somehow. There is something about that idea that revolts him. He doesn't remember killing that girl, but he's afraid of asking questions and finding out he was better off without the answers.

They arrive to a Tesla with a sleek design. The grey paint shines like a beacon of opulence. Eve gets into the driver seat, Duncan looks at him from head to toes. "Are you fit to ride on a bike? Or do you prefer to go with my girl?"

Noah doesn't like the idea of riding with Eve, and there is something in Duncan's voice that tells him he isn't fond of the idea either. "Bike's okay", he answers. Rune shoves a helmet to his chest and keeps walking, so Noah waves goodbye to the couples and follows him to the far end of the parking lot.

Contrary to the car, the bike is stained with mud. It's an untamed beast, fitting to the dangerous creature that drives it. Rune is already igniting the motor, so Noah hurries to sit on his back, and puts on his helmet.

"Don't you have a helmet?", Rune does not respond, so Noah doesn't press it. He guesses he is wearing Rune's helmet. However, before he can dwell on guilt, the motor roars to life, and the vibration has him holding onto Rune's chest for dear life. As they exit the parking lot, Rune accelerates and Rune feels the air against his body, trying to tear him down from the driver. It's a beast, and Rune is its master.

The reflection on the passing cars seem lines of light. The speed wakes up something in him, a ticklish sensation in his stomach, and suddenly he wants Rune to go faster. The boy's bomber jacket is scrunched up in Noah's fists.

In his excitement, he barely notices they are slowing down, until they are in the entrance of an alley. The Tesla is parked beside them, and the couple are sitting in the hood of the car. Eve is smiling, her head leaning against Duncan's shoulder.

"Let's go fuck some shit up", Duncan says as he directs the group toward the alley. The entrance to the club is almost hidden for onlookers, but a metal door leads to a hallway lit by pink neon signs. Posters litter the walls, crumpling or teared, with detached edges. Noah feels the vibration even before hearing the techno music. They descend a metal spiral staircase that seems to be falling apart, and the door at the end opens to a packed space, stroboscopic lights barely illuminating the people dancing. Noah feels the irrational impulse to run away from the loud sound before it damages his eardrums. The group moves swiftly, so Noah pretends he's comfortable and fakes a relaxed gait.

Soon enough, the group splits, and Noah is left alone in the dancing floor. He looks around, uncertain of what he is supposed to be doing, or the group's plan. Maybe they're waiting for something, he prays it's not him who they're waiting for to make a move. Riley knew how to move in this kind of setting, so he has to learn fast.

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He moves through the crowd. The humid ambient smells like sweat, and the smoke penetrates in his skin. His boots stick to the ground, filthy with dried alcohol and broken glass. The dancing bodies have raised the temperature, and he feels suffocated and hot. His cheeks are burning. In the bar, he buys a soda. Maybe Riley is a drinker, but Noah died before he got to taste alcohol. Besides, he needs his mind clear.

He looks for a far away corner from which to observe, but his peace is short-lived. The only warning comes in the form of a red flash, before a hand shoves him in the chest. His back slams agains the wall, and he spills soda on the floor. When he is about to scowl at the attacker, he stops, his mouth hanging slightly open. He is so close, Noah can smell his hair. Vanilla. Stop. He is dangerous, Noah reminds himself, but the piercing black eyes of Rune pin him in the spot. Noah is smaller, so Rune has inclined his face downwards, the tip of his nose brushing against the bridge of Noah's. His black and red hair falls on his forehead, which gives him a wild look. A predator that has finally made a move on the prey, his imaginary teeth clenching Noah's chest.

Noah tries to escape the forced proximity, but Rune slams a hand on the wall, caging him further. The free hand shoots up, closing around his neck. Noah is sure he's not using his brute force, but he also understands the hidden warning in the gesture, so he stays still. There's a light scent of alcohol in Rune's breath, but his determined eyes show a sobriety that scares Noah. He's afraid even a faint breath may break this dangerous calm, and his teeth will plunge deeper into Noah's chest. Ripping. Tearing.

"What are you hiding?", he asks. The pressure on Noah's neck increases, urging him to answer.

He inclines his head towards Rune's ear. A question. A request to answer that earns a squeeze before the hand eases some of the pressure. Noah takes this as a cautionary consent, so he pushes further until his mouth is brushing against Rune's earlobe. "You intrigue me as much as I intrigue you", he says, certain. It is a truth. Even if this truth buries the other unsaid truths, it's as much as he can afford to say. Rune turns his head and stares at him. His expression, cold and unfazed, says nothing to Noah. He waits. The seconds stretch, the techno music fades in Noah's mind. The light protects a halo of white light around Rune's hair. A soldier prepared for war, the madness spreading deep in Noah's chest.

Maybe the adrenaline of the bike ride still has a hold on him. Because the ticklish sensation in his stomach is back. He feels the urge...

Rune is gone. His black outfit camouflages with the shadowy parts of the club, where the lights do not reach. Noah touches his neck, the fine scab is pealing. But he is more interested in the lingering warmth of Rune's fingers. He looks at the empty space in front of him. He's gone. And it feels empty.

He spends the next half hour finishing the soda. And by the time he is about to go for another round, Duncan and Eve appear. Rune is behind them, back at keeping the distance. Noah wonders if they know what happened. If it was a test, did he pass?

"Sam is in the back room", Duncan says pointing at a door guarded by two bouncers. Noah nods.

If the others know of Rune's warning to Noah, they don't say anything. So Noah keeps his mouth shut and follows them. Being so close to Sam fills him with expectations. Not all positive. He's afraid he will recognize him, that this encounter will further confirm that the life Noah has forgotten is better to be kept that way. It's too late to run. Not when his life before death came crashing into him. It was already too late when he saw the newspaper, when the name came to him with an uncomfortable familiarity.

Leonarda.

What a strange name. A name that rings something deep inside Noah.

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