The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twelve

Good practice, Christopher said, stopping next to matted as he headed step up of the locker room. Youve got some great moves, man.Thanks, flavourless said, glancing up from putting on his shoes. You were looking pretty good pop there yourself. He could tel Christopher was going to be a solid team-mate, the winning of guy who did his job and focused on the big picture, working to dish up the rest of the team. He was a great roommate, too, generous and laid-back. He didnt raze snore.Want to skip the dining hal and order a pizza? Christopher collected. This is my wickedness to beat you at Guitar Hero I can feel it. matt laughed. In the couple of weeks theyd been living to give wayher, he and Christopher had been working their way finished al the Wii games Christopher had brought with him to naturalize. Al right, Il see you back at the room. Christopher slapped him on the back, smile widely.After Christopher left, prostrate took his time getting his things together, letting t he other guys get out of the locker room ahead of him. He matte up handle walking back to the dorm alone tonight. They were a nice mass of guys, but he was sore and jade. Between footbal practices and Vitale Society pledge activities, hed never worked his body quite so hard.It tangle good.He felt good. plane the stupidest of the Vitale activities and some of them were pretty stupid theyd had to work in teams to build houses out of newspaper the other night were kind of fun, because he was getting to eff some amazing state. Ethan had been right. As a group, the pledges were smart, determined, talented, everything youd expect. And he was one of them.His classes were interesting, too. abide in high school hed gotten okay grades but had to the highest degreely besides done what he had to do to pass. The Civil War, geometry, chemistry, To Kill a mocker al his schoolwork had sort of blended into the background of his real vivification of friends and sports.Some of what he wa s doing at Dalcrest was like that, too, but in most of his classes, he was starting to see connections between things. He was getting the vagary that history, language, science, and literature were al parts of the same thing the way people thought and the stories they told and it was real y pretty interesting.It was possible, sluggishness thought, with a self-mocking grin, that he was blossoming in col ege, beneficial like his high school guidance counselor had predicted.It wasnt ful y dark yet, but it was getting late. Matt sped up, thinking about pizza.There werent a lot of people roaming the campus. Matt guessed they were either in the cafeteria or holed up in their rooms, afraid. He wasnt worried, though. He figured there were a lot more vulnerable targets than a footbal player.A breeze started up, waving the branches of the trees on the quad and wafting the smel of grass to Matt. It stil felt like summer. In the bushes, a few early-evening fireflies blinked on and off. He rol ed his shoulders, enjoying the stretch after a long practice.Up ahead, someone screamed. A guy, Matt thought.The cry cut off suddenly.Before he could even think, Matt was running toward the sound. His heart was pounding, and he tried to force his tired legs to move faster. That was a sound of pure panic, Matt thought. He labor his ears but didnt hear anything except his experience ragged breaths.As he came around the business building, a dark figure that had been bent everyplace something in the grass took off, its long skinny legs flying. It was moving fast, and its face was altogether concealed by a hoodie. Matt couldnt even see if it was a guy or a girl.He angled his own pace to race after the figure in black but came to a sudden halt by the shape in the grass.Not just a shape. For a moment, Matts mind refused to process what he was seeing. The red and metallic of a footbal jersey. Wet, thick liquid spreading across it. A acquainted(predicate) face.Then everything snap ped into focus. He dropped to his knees. Christopher, oh no, Christopher. There was rake everywhere. Matt frantical y felt at Christophers chest, trying to figure out where he could put compress to try to stop the bleeding. Everywhere, everywhere, its coming from everywhere. Christophers whole body was oscillation, and Matt touch his hands against the soaking footbal jersey to try to hold him stil .Fresh blood ran in thick crimson streams against the brighter red of the jerseys material.Christopher, man, hold on, its going to be okay. Youl be okay, Matt said, and pul ed out his phone to dial 911.His own hands were covered with blood now, and the phone was a slimy plenteousness as he held it to his ear.Please, he said, his voice shaking, Im at Dalcrest Col ege, approach the business building. My roommate, someone attacked my roommate. Hes bleeding a lot. Hes not conscious. The 911 operator started to ask him some questions and Matt tried to focus.Suddenly Christopher opened his eyes, taking a deep gulp of air.Christopher, Matt said, dropping his phone. Chris, theyre sending an ambulance, hold on. The shaking got worse, Christophers arms and legs vibrating in a rapid rhythm. His eyes settled on Matts face, and his mouth opened.Chris, Matt said, trying to hold him devour, trying to be gentle, who did this? Who attacked you? Christopher gasped again, a hoarse gulping sound.Then the shaking stopped, and he was very stil . His eyelids slid down over his eyes.Chris, please hold on, Matt begged. Theyre coming.Theyl help you. He grabbed at Christopher, shook him a little, but Christopher wasnt moving, wasnt breathing.Sirens sounded in the distance, but Matt knew the ambulance was already too late.