A Stranger's Fear Edited

by Beth Hoyer

can’t touch me like it has touched her.”

  Jinks paused from talking to feel Lance’s arms stop holding him and felt his father gently push him away which he looked to see a frown on the man’s face and eyes as there was a flash of bright light behind the male.

  He spoke with pleading in his voice tone “Father don't leave me. Stay with me please. I need you.”

  Lance to his annoyance interrupted putting a finger to his lips quieting him and saw a hint of a serious expression in his father's eyes and face as the finger went down followed by speaking "I'll do what you say to me, Jinks since your begging is making me sympathetic with you. I warn you I can't stay in between life and death forever guiding you in your life. I may one day be called home via compulsion once it's obvious you don't need me. At the moment you do need me which I'll see that you'll receive the help you need."

  Jinks frowned forming a questioningly look on his face while staring at Lance who placed a hand on his forehead followed by him forcing his eyes closed as the scene went

  Jinks woke up with a start seeing that it was still dark by night vision blaring as day vision flashed back and forth from night to day as the day became lighter of the sunrise as the dinosaurs’ roaring noises ceased with the feeling of fear lowering its ebb. He slowly sat up rubbing a hand on his oxygen mask feeling himself tired and exhausted from his crying bout along with hunger pains he felt within him that couldn’t be ignored. Sighing he adjusted his position to lean against Janel’s gravestone eyes staring at the sky watching the sun slowly rise from the horizon shining rays of light. He grabbed his hat putting it on his head putting up his hair covering it and stretched his limber exercises then awkwardly got up from the ground feeling tiredness running through him. He walked to the town’s entrance walking pass people standing around who went silent seeing him making him nervous as usual. He entered the town after removing the oxygen mask walking to the library to the newspapers’ case which he grabbed a newspaper out of random and took it to his regular table in the corner and began to aimlessly reading it not registering the words in his mind. He heard a throat clearing noise sounding very loudly followed by the table jerking as if someone bumped into it.

  Jinks lowered the newspaper to see Cougar standing across from him who spoke “There’s a soup kitchen in the town hall building. See about getting a meal from there. Perhaps they can get you a bed in town.”

  Jinks nodded his head at Cougar’s words as the man again spoke “I just hope whatever is paining you to be in your situation becomes resolved. I don’t like seeing people hurt from bad situations and allowing it to overtake their life.”

  He again nodded his head as Cougar formed a frown on his face before walking away. Jinks felt hunger pains hitting him hard sighed and folded up the newspaper which he got up walking to the newspapers’ case and put it away.

  He walked out of the library as a man bumped into him who sputtered “I’m sorry about that"

  He saw the man was bald with a brown haired beard and mustache and saw the man’s clothing were a brown vest with a white short sleeve long tunic dress underneath it along with blue long sleeves and the man had on black leggings like tights with brown boots indicating a rich off family status to him who stared at him with intense probing look with his brown eyes. Jinks felt fear hitting him from the man's intense stare as the man shrugged and walked away which he went going to the town hall building. He went inside looking around at the reception area and saw a female staring at him intensively that bothered him making him still fearful.

  Jinks frowned and turned to go and heard “The soup kitchen entrance is at the back of the building with stairs going down to the basement.”

  He waved a hand in response to the female's voice and then walked out of the building going around it to spot an open door with a sign on it.

  He reached the door and stiffened as he read the sign which said “Montreal soup kitchen.”

  Jinks frowned at the word Montreal feeling himself nervous but still hungry went inside walking down the stairs to reach a door which his nose smelled food and his mouth watered as he opened the door and walked inside to see a large room with series of tables and chairs scattered around it. He saw at one end of the room on his right was an open end kitchen where two overweight men wearing cook uniforms were busy at stoves appearing to be in the middle of cooking. He saw one of them look in his direction and frowned watching as the cook he assumed was his title grabbed a tray and began loading up dishes filled with food and a cup of liquid along with silverware which the man placed on the kitchen island and gestured with a hand towards him. Jinks felt his hunger take control went to the tray picking it up and carried it to a table which he sat down placing the tray on the table. He eyed the food that smelled good to him which he grabbed the fork and knife and began eating the food and he ate in a fast motion gobbling it up till there was nothing left and gulped down the cup’s contents till there wasn’t much for him to drink down. Jinks sighed leaning back in the chair hands on his lap feeling his hunger gone from him. Jinks saw out of the corners of his eyes a familiar figure walk in his line of sight which he recognized as the bald man who bumped into him at the library going to his table to sit at a chair staring at him. Jinks felt the bald man’s eyes staring at him with an intense probing stare that bothered him.

  He stared back at the bald man who spoke “You’re Jinks Montreal.”

  Jinks stiffened at the bald man’s words that sounded like a statement of fact and not a question making him feeling angry instead of nervous.

  Jinks spoke narrowing his eyes aimed at the man “The name’s Dominique. I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  He stared at the bald man who shrugged and spoke “The name’s Steven. As for the name of Dominique it’s the name of your cat who passed away years ago which you have been heard calling yourself that from people in New York City.”

  Jinks felt annoyance hitting him which he again spoke allowing anger to take control instead of feeling the familiar emotion of nervousness when confronted on his identity “I don’t know of a cat named Dominique. It’s just a name I’ve taken a liking to and have been calling myself that.”

  Jinks felt anger arriving within him to cause him to glare at Steven who again shrugged and spoke “Only Jinks Montreal would sleep on a grave belonging to a girl he had a friendship with in his life in some cemetery said to be really haunted by ghosts of the dead who kick people out as spoken around by the town’s folk and people who have reportedly slept there which doesn't matter if their from the town or not.”

  He felt his anger take control angrily got up from the chair slamming it onto the table and walked away going out of the building up the stairs. He sensed Steven had followed him outside and he went to a bench to sit and felt the man sitting next to him to his annoyance.

  He heard Steven speak “Put your faith in Lance, Jinks.”

  Jinks snarled an angry animal like sound and got up from the bench storming towards the airlock entrance as he sensed the Master powers inside him itching to take control. He felt a hand grab his arm in a tight grip which he angrily yanked his arm out of to face Steven who had a frown on his face.

  Jinks pointed a finger at Steven and spoke “Leave me alone. Go back to where you come from and forget about me.”

  He lowered his hand as Steven spoke “You have forgotten yourself, Jinks.”

  He walked away and again felt his arm grabbed in an ironclad grip which he angrily allowed the Master to take control grabbed the hand with his hand and yanked the hand off his arm as Steven again resumed grabbing at his arms. He felt annoyance take hold as Steven refused to quit grabbing his arm despite hand yanking it off. He grabbed Steven's wrist and twisted Steven around till the arm was behind the man in a loose grip who struggled against his hand hold but managed to get out of his grip to again attempt grip his arm again. He freed himself and again got Steven into a lock hold by hand gripping the male's arm in some tight painful grip whil
e hearing the male groan softly from the hold as his other arm went around the male's neck choking him.

  He spoke “I said leave me alone and stop intruding on my privacy and freedom. Go back to where you came from and forget me. I’m sick and tired of your behavior towards me.”

  He heard Steven speak with pain in his voice in some gasping tone “I would if I could, Jinks.”

  He angrily kept Steven’s arm raised as he heard the man groan in pain still gasping for air before groaning out “There are others who don’t view you the way you’re thinking of. Allow them to help you like I will.”

  Jinks snarled some animal like sound and growled out “Leave me alone, Steven.”

  He raised a knee hitting it on Steven’s back who groaned loudly before pushing the man away from him who fell to his knees with hands onto the ground while appearing to be gulping for air and looking out of it. He angrily walked around Steven till he was in front of the man and raised his fist aimed at the man’s face that had pain in his eyes.

  Jinks heard a sound of a whistle blowing coming from behind him followed by “Enough! Break it up now stranger!”

  He again aimed his fist towards Steven as he again heard the voice he recognized as Stonehawk’s sounding closer coming