His chest heaved up and down as he pressed his back against the wall in the heart of night.

    Cautiously, he slid down the alleyway, making sure his footsteps were quiet and certain. The concrete ground caused the burns on his bare feet to throb, and the frozen air just made it worse. Open cuts all over his arms, legs, and face stung terribly. He shivered in his thin shirt and shorts; not just because of the cold.

    "This way!" a gruff voice called, causing him to wince.

    He crept into the dead end, faintly making out piles of trash. Quickly, he let himself sink into one of the far piles, covering himself in the disgusting junk of citizens living in this part of the city.

    "Why would Concord want this guy anyway? We don't even know who he is!" someone else said, drawing nearer to the entrance of the alley.

    "Exactly! He isn't recognized. He could be someone from outside the city, which means he's a threat," the first voice answered.

    He heard them pause to catch their breath, which had been lost during their pursuit of him. He sunk deeper into the trash, praying silently they wouldn't find him.

    He'd only been there for about two days, and already he was a wanted criminal. His mind wandered back to his last moments in the other world, which felt like a dream. How it all ended still confused him. The only thing that was clear was the kiss he had shared with her.

    He longed to be back there. When she was around, he felt safer. She always seemed to know what to do.

    A beep sounded from a device the guards carried with them.

    "C'mon, let's go. Tomorrow we'll have more reinforcements to help look for him," the gruff one said.

    He heaved a sigh of relief as soon as their footfalls couldn't be heard. He pushed himself out of the trash, picking off the remnants that clung to his dirty clothes.

    "Hey," a voice whispered from above.

    He jumped and immediately looked up to see someone hanging out an open window of an apartment. At first, he just stared, trying to make out a face. The person motioned him closer and soon he stood directly beneath the window.

    "Need someplace to stay tonight?" they offered.

    He hesitated before nodding. No one had asked him before, and quite frankly, he didn't know any better.

    The stranger climbed out his window onto the fire escape and landed swiftly on the ground just in front of him. The dim light revealed a teenage boy who had dark locks of hair and a concerned expression.

    "You look like you've been through it all," the stranger commented before leading the way back up the fire escape.

    "Something like that," he said under his breath, following.

    "We'll have to swap stories then."

    Soon, they were in an apartment where warmth sent chills down his spine. His rescuer closed the window and turned to him in the dark, silent, nearly vacant setting. The only furniture in the single room was a small table, two chairs, and some kitchen appliances.

    "Thank you," he said quietly, wringing his cold hands.

    "No problem. I do what I can." The stranger moved away from the window to the kitchen where he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "So, who are you?"

    "I don't know if I should tell you that," the runaway replied, glancing out the window and stepping away from it. About a week ago, he wouldn't have even known who he was.

    "Hey, don't worry about me," the guy said, grinning a bit. "I'm just a nobody who woke up one day in the wrong universe."

    As he was handed water bottle, the stranger waited for an answer. He raised his eyebrows, but took the water.

    The runaway took a deep breath and the stranger invited him to sit. So they did, at a small table in the dark.

    The silence was drawn out. He swallowed, thinking of what she would do. He glanced around, expecting her to show up. If she rescued him once, surely she could again. But she wasn't here.

    He glanced down at his hands, where the gash was still on his fingers from slamming them in the door. His heart ached within him, but he was oddly at peace. Somehow, he knew the Being he remembered would take care of her.

    The stranger caught his eye with a look of sincerity, prompting him to open up.

    Seth then proceeded to tell Jonathan the whole story.

<<<<<<<<<<

(author's/note)

"I'm just a nobody who woke up one day in the wrong universe." (:

I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS STORY YOU HAVE NO IDEA *dances around room in excitement*

Like the first book, "Episode 0" is in third person and the rest of the story will be from Rowin's point of view.

I have a whole cast lined up for this book and I'm super pumped about it 😎

If you remember who Jonathan is, you're awesome. If you don't, you're still awesome. 💁🏼

OKIE THANKS FOR READING BE COOL WITH JESUS AND VOTE AND COMMENT IF YOU WANNA. I'M JUST GLAD YOU DECIDED TO CONTINUE THIS ADVENTURE WITH ME! <3

-Abigail Rayne

(P.S. If you haven't realized yet, this is a sequel to my other work "The Center of Gravity" , so if you haven't read it you might want to so you understand what's going on.)

{6.28.16}

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