THE CHASM

Part 4 - Fire In The Lion

By Tessa Harvey


        Still annoyed, Dylan moved away to get to work, thinking of the table he was working on at the carpentry shop, wondering how his friend Mike was doing, annoyed about Jackson. 

       A family of children came towards him. Deep in thought, Dylan moved to veer around the children, but became they were all staring at him. "Not again," he thought. Usually nobody noticed him. Resigned, he paused.

There was a shy little boy hiding behind two older children who were identical, a boy and a girl. They looked Italian, but Dylan scarcely noticed. He was staring in his turn at the older boy. It was just like looking in the mirror when he was about fourteen, and thinking how great he was being almost grown-up. Then the boy swayed and became very pale. A slightly bigger girl tried to hold him.

"Livia," she said, "call mum, dad if you can't get her. "Mischa, do not run away. Hold on to Luca." Dylan also moved to help. "What's his name?" he asked. "Jono, he has...." "I know," answered the strange man. "I have some medical training. Let me help. Do you need a doctor?"

A crowd was gathering. A tall, commanding presence spoke. "Move along, please. We need some space. You are scaring these kids." A woman in a nurse's uniform helped lower Jonathan on his side and carefully checked his tongue was clear. He moved convulsively only a short time, then opened his eyes. Ashamed, he spoke in a soft voice, "I'm sorry. Please make them go away. I'm okay now." He looked at Dylan. "Just help us to school. Who are you?"

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