There’s a certain displeasure one can only feel when the blaring sound of someone’s car alarm rips you from a frigid, watery nightmare only to drag that same, seeping cold into a heated apartment. A displeasure that drew Aden’s scowl as the cold made his skin shiver in the dull light of an overcast autumn morning. He ran his hand through the layer of grime that coated his greasy hair and that displeasure, so tangled in his core, only bloomed in the nutrients of fowlness. It was this deadly combination of fear, discomfort, and anger that made the swiftness of its departure so…odd.

Aden knew why, his answer spawning in his brain in unison with the question being asked. His attention snapped back to the nightmare, focused on that young little boy he pulled from the river all those years ago. Beautifully eerie coal eyes, pale skin that rivaled the the brilliance of the moon, and those two, yawning birth stripes that wrapped around his neck…Aden hadn’t seen them for over a decade, though three, thick strips of ink carefully penned upon his skin were a constant comfort that he held on to. It was supposed to be two, a mirror of what Aden had lost. But the artist had scribbled three on far too quickly for Aden to object, his distracted mind so far away he barely even felt the pain he’d sought to keep such distracting thoughts away. Sometimes he wondered if Logan would laugh at the story, if his smile was as bright as Aden imagined. His heart clenched at the thought and he forcibly pulled himself from it with a shaking head.

“Let it go.” He had to say the affirmation out loud or he wouldn’t follow through.

With a haughty grumble, Aden rose to his feet, the moment of horrific nostalgia fading as he slipped his shirt off and over his head. His smell was no more pleasant than the filth in his hair but he had a feeling a shower was out of the question. He didn’t like it but he slicked on some deodorant, the action actually making it a little easier to throw on the clean shirt he’d grabbed off the dresser. The only detail on the otherwise plain, black fabric was a small, shield-shaped insignia printed over the left pec. It wasn’t entirely comfortable, but it was required and Aden was not about to challenge the one who made the rules.

A loud hiss escaped Aden’s lips, the bright pixels from his phone nearly blinding him as he swiped up for the phone’s clock. Six forty-eight. He’d overslept. Again.

An aggravated huff escaped his lips as he realized that, despite saving time by skipping on his shower, he wasn’t going to be as early as he’d wanted to be. Today in particular was a hell of a day to be late and the sourness from this morning sprang back to life.

The initial plan had been to avoid the snooze button at all costs, beat the crowd to the ever-elusive field day, and impress Captain Kohler for the first time in the last eight months. Aden hadn’t wanted to be the odd one out that missed repelling down Greensnake Canyon, instead taking the stairs to the base of the steep cliff sides where the real class began. Unfortunately, it had never been about him tapping the snooze button one too many times. His dreams, the delusions that kept him up at night were the same ones that tried so desperately to drown him that the sharp ring of an alarm barely scratched at his inner ear. They were the culprits behind a disheartening eight months of failure to be on time to anything no matter how hard he worked at managing his time. Yet again, he’d have to accept the repercussion of walking down the never-ending, winding stairs of the canyon due to circumstances beyond his control. Fantastic.

Optimism was out of the question as Aden stomped his way to the front door of his apartment. On his way, he lifted his bag from the armchair it had been thrown on the night prior. A clasp found a foothold in the frayed fabric and pulled back but, old as it was, the bag came free with a soft snap of thread. The door gently creaked as Aden opened it, a moment’s hesitation giving him time to make a tactical decision. Pivoting with the door still open to the crisp breeze, Aden doubled back to his refrigerator and threw the door open in search of a protein shake. Repelling on an empty stomach didn’t seem exactly wise.

There were none. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t anything there that made sense. Instead of glass shelves laden with food there was a sign that read “Yes, we’re open” in neat magenta letters, a dainty cupcake drawn on the side. It was hung on the window just to the right of a glass door, people bustling from table to table prove the popularity of the establishment. That’s all Aden could see in his peripherals because his main attention was the reflection in the window before him.

Hidden in the black backdrop of the open sign were exhausted, sunken coal eyes looking directly back at Aden.

Something in the refrigerator clattered as Aden scrambled away from it, uncaring as to whether the door stayed open. He scolded himself for acting before thinking but the bakery was close, just on the other side of his apartment. He had to try, just this once. Aden didn’t bothering wasting time grabbing the car, instead booking it through the quiet sidewalks of early morning Blue Fields. They got more crowded the closer to Cupcakery Aden got, but it was nothing his bulking form couldn’t overcome.

Upon reaching the small lot brimming with an overflow of vehicles, Aden’s eyes flitted over every person and every empty space they left as they moved to the ebb and flow of the business. He looked for those familiar coal eyes inside of the bakery, stepped to the side to look down the narrow but lit alley. Nothing. He…he wasn’t here anymore.

“Shit! Fuck!”

Anyone nearby scattered at Aden’s cursing shout.

“Sorry,” he murmured, shyly ducking into whatever shadows he could hide within as he kicked himself up into a jog. He no longer cared about the impression he’d make on Captain Kohler, didn’t care that he’d be late. Even later, still, with this whole, pointless endeavor.

But he had to try. Even though he rationalized that he shouldn’t, that it was better this way, Aden always had to find excuses to try.

A raw bitterness disintegrated his anger and left him tense and tired. Aden had left his bag on its cushioned chair and he trudged back up the stairs to get it. On his way out, the old door creaked in a way that made his fury throb. Setting his bag on floor next to the door, Aden jerked and wiggled the door handle until the door sat properly in its frame.

“Damn it,” Aden whispered against the wooden grain of the door as his head fell forward onto it.

He didn’t let himself stew in the bitterness as he drove to the canyon just outside of Blue Fields, but what bitterness remained dissipated as he pulled into the nearly-empty parking lot. Only two vehicles sat snug against the sleek pavement, one being Captain Kohler's grungy beige pickup and the other a stranger’s crimson Striker. Expensive.

Seeing Aden’s car, Captain Kohler jogged to where Aden had decided to park. It was several parking spaces down the lane, but Captain Kohler cleared it in seconds.

“Been a long while since you showed up on time,” the captain smirked. “Even with the schedule shift, I wasn’t sure you’d make it on time to be part of the team. Glad to see it.”

Aden could only blink dumbly in response.

Captain Kohler frowned and looked at the watch on his wrist. “Ah. Late any other day, early by chance.”

Aden didn’t bother responding as he quickly pulled out his phone and looked at the notifications still lingering where they’d been when he woke up. One, an email from Captain Kohler.

“It’s your lucky day for anyone who partied a little too hard last night,” the email read, “because today’s exercise has been moved to 09:00 due to a conflict in schedule with our dive instructors. For those of you up already, get a little more shut-eye. Today’s definitely a day that warrants it. Those of you who slept because of the party for Skylar I know you threw, relax. You’ll make it on time. Though, to everyone, remember that only a few students get to repel and it’s entirely based on arrival to secure a spot on the team.

Regards,

Captain Kohler.”

The seasoned captain shook his head and sighed. “I forget how often you seem…adrift.” Despite his clear disappointment, Captain Kohler still smiled. “Well, regardless. It’s good to see you finally getting the opportunity to show your prowess. You deserve the attention for once, as belated as it may be.”

Aden’s chest constricted and, for a moment, he lost the ability to breathe. He hated how often he disappointed Captain Kohler and how often it could be attributed to Aden’s deranged hallucinations. Despite his own anguish over them, Caption Kohler's disappointment cut through Aden like butter and the taste of failure was fresh on his tongue.

“Right,” Aden answered, somewhat disheartened.

“Meet Latifi Naeem. He’s the head of Welford's repelling and dive team, and will be assisting us in today’s class,” Captain Kohler said, leading Aden towards the car he hadn’t recognized. “Aden Kellington. A little bad with time management—”

Aden looked down at his feet in an attempt to keep himself from being washed away by the wave of humility trying to throw him off balance.

“—but it’s so incredibly rare to see a kid his age so passionate about fire rescue. Or, well, rescue in general.”

“Even more so for a rich kid,” Naeem said with a lighthearted chuckle as he extended a hand.

Aden took it with his own in a strong shake, resisting the urge to squeeze until the man squealed. He knew Naeem didn’t mean anything by his words, he did. But it always pinched at the base of his spine whenever his familial connections were brought up in conversation. Captain Kohler had learned that a while ago, back during Aden’s first semester—so it wasn’t a surprise when he immediately intervened.

“Kellington's just a name. Got nothing to do with Aden’s outstanding performance as a member of this team.” The captain put a hand on Aden’s shoulder as the latter looked to the ground with a humbled shyness. “Looks like the first ones are arriving. Still quite a bit early.”

“Of course they are,” Aden said absentmindedly, “field days are rarer than ever with the forests being shut down for the fire season.”

Two sets of eyes were suddenly on him and Aden stiffened under their gazes.

“There’s only so much we can learn revolving around water so, I mean, it’s understandable. It’s not exactly a big deal or anything, just-well, they’re….” Aden sputtered into silence, the embarrassment turning his heart to lead as it dropped through his chest. He took a deep breath. “Answering questions on paper to pass a test is an inferior way to test the willpower and capability of any given person. These field days aren’t just a fun escape away from the classroom. They’re…well, they’re one of the few times we get to show that we are just as physically capable as we are intellectually intuitive. You need both to be a good first responder. This is where we prove it.”

“Shit, kid,” Naeem said with a wide smile. “Excuse the language, but it’s now very clear to me why Kohler likes you. Now, just get your shit together and be on time, and you’ll make one hell of a fighter.”

Aden’s stomach turned a little from the unwarranted praise and he was thankful when a beat-up, pastel yellow truck pulled in right next to his, the color a stark contrast to the forest green of Aden’s car.

“Oi! You’re here on time for once!” The Irish pull of his accent had faded slightly over the years but it was still so different and unique that it still surprised Aden to this day.

“Not…exactly,” Aden responded, breaking away from Captain Kohler and Naeem who were already speaking with other students and marking them down for the repelling portion of the lecture.

Henry offered a soft smile and encouragingly pat Aden’s back. “The nightmares again?”

Aden nodded as the duo made way back toward Captain Kohler. Aden was on the list, but Henry hadn’t added his own, yet.

“Henry,” Captain Kohler greeted with a broad smile. “Always a pleasure.”

“Pleasure’s all mine, Captain,” Henry said, tightening his voice to further drop the accent.

After those lucky enough to make it early had finished suiting up, Naeem and his fellow instructors verbally walked through the processes and procedures enough times to ensure they were ingrained into everyone’s brain. It also just so happened to be long enough that the handful of unfortunate souls unable to join the exercise had made it three quarters of the way down the stairs. Repelling wouldn’t take nearly as long as walking—something everyone would realize by the end of the day seeing as they’d all be returning to the top via the stairs—so allowing time for those walking to make it down was a necessary evil that might as well be filled with the constant droning of security measures and the importance of following orders. Not that Aden disagreed with it, it just seemed…excessive. This was all common sense.

Aden feels like the repelling portion passed in the blink of an eye. One second he was preparing to descend and, the next, he’s disengaging himself from the line and shimmying out of the harness.

“Just me or that seem short to you?” Henry inquired, pulling up beside Aden.

Aden smirked.

“Don’t,” Henry snapped before Aden could say anything. “You know what I mean.”

“No,” Aden answered through a chuckle he failed to suppress. “It’s not just you. I was literally just thinking the same thing.”

“Hm,” Henry hummed, brushing his auburn hair out of his eyes with an irritable frown.

Aden didn’t even want to know what his hair felt like. Two days of sweat and grime turning his golden locks to a dull yellow mop sat flat against his scalp.

Fortunately for him, repelling to the base of the canyon was only half of the outdoor lecture. Each student was outfitted with dive gear, each piece being explained in great detail by Naeem and his colleagues. Once they were sure everyone knew what they were doing, they led the class into the middle of the Greensnake Canyon River. At seven feet deep and with calm waters disturbed only by each clumsy body, this was the perfect place to perform diving drills. The water wouldn’t do much, but the dive suit would hide his shamefully gross appearance.

….Unfortunately, diving was Aden’s absolute worst nightmare. This river was calm, sure. But it was renowned for its murky depths and large walleye pike. Rescuing Logan from that river all those years ago was as close as Aden had ever wanted to get into water at that point, and even that wouldn’t have happened without the bird’s manipulative push for Aden to be a hero. Still, he knew going into this field that diving would be part of it and he followed his peers with only the slightest hesitation, tensing as his head dipped below the water.

To be continued...