Chapter 20 - Test

"We split up and went our seperate ways in silence. She walked away with the grace of an angel and for a split second time slowed as she filled up all my vision but then reality came back forcing me to turn away. Darkness was setting in soon which meant when night hit she had to be as far away from me as possible or else. The last thing I remember was my eyes closing and repeating one phrase over and over again; "It's not time yet. It's not time yet."

"Ooo! Seems like I'm not the only nightcrawler here."

"Hop, let's just say while you and your dad may have been chased and caught by the blues on seperate occasions the blues could never keep up with me. Look out the window at the rain and tell me what you're thinking?"

"Croak, what are you trying to accomplish here?"

"Friends are supposed to be there for you; help you and always have the best intentions in mind for you but what happens when one friend turns on another. What do they feel?"

"Don't do this Croak."

"What do you think about when the rain falls outside? Do you like the way it trickles and runs down everything it touches?What about when all the water falls to the bottom in a big puddle? It just sits there on the floor then the earth licks it up and the cycle starts all over again."

"Enough."

"Do you want to know what I think about when the rain comes?"

"Croak, I said enough!!"

"No matter how good or how much you try not to hurt someone; without thinking you always will. Now what was that word again? It's on the tip of my tongue."

"I SAID ENOUGH!!!!"

"Oh now I remember what the word was. Silly me. Don't know how I couldve forgotten. I see it everyday. It's called anger. Everyone has emotions Hopper. It's just a matter of figuring out how hard you need to push someone so all of you can see them."

"If what I say offends you then sorry I said those things but they are the truth. You know I would never hurt you."

"Ha! Ha! Haa! Thought you'd say that. As for the matter that your words offended me I say that you're very mistaken. It's not that you offended me but more of you deceiving me and thinking it ok just like you deceived her a long time ago. So yea; I'm angry at you."

"Croak, you were hopping from religion to religion then started thinking of this one so you technically already were on the right path before Swift and I helped push you along."

"Don't play that card Hopper. Just because someone is already in the right state of mind to do something doesn't give you an excuse to push them further."

"What's your point Croak? What happened has long been in the past. There is no sense dwelling on it anymore."

"There you go again back to emotionless Hopper. Something big happens, especially a hurt and you just brush it away like one of your cleaning projects like it never happened then wonder why people are still crying and hurting over it when you're not."

"All those bad moments aren't what define you Croak. What defines you is how you handle each of those bad moments. What is the result you want each of them to turn into?"

"True, but you make it seem like nobody ever has a bad moment or even a time they hurt someone so when they hurt someone or if you hurt someone you just brush it off and say bad moments are not what make a person. You're right Hop. Bad moments aren't what makes a person but they do help play a part in shaping them out to be. You must've not heard anything I talked about cause Goliath asked me if I would own up to my actions cause He already knows what we did so lying and saying those bad moments dont define us so forget it. Like that will ever happen. He wants you to dwell on them and then figure out how to not do it again. 'People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.' Those are words you live by am I right? I care so much for you that I know that this is the best intention for you. You already handle it so I just want to help strengthen you in this. Wouldn't do this to you if I didn't know you were capable of such a task.

Live in the moment and not the future. Do you truly follow anything you preach or is it all water and vapors? It just slides off the tongue"

"W...what do you want me to say?"

"Well for starters you can start with saying sorry."

"Sorry about what? I've only strengthened you. I'm not sorry for that."

"No! You're not sorry you tricked me on this journey just to test me? Not sorry about where we are now and how things have turned out? Maybe pick one and go with it."

"Wait. If it wasn't for me you'd have never met that girl."

"Always looking for a silver lining to make yourself justifiable. When you want to talk you know where to find me. I'm heading out."

"Croak, don't go out there in the storm. Stay in here with me please."

"I rather take my chances out there then stand another minute in here with a deceiver like you."

"Where are you going to go, Croak? You're already dead!!!!"