Once more, Jacob found himself in the sea of gold. It was an oddly serene place devoid of all stimuli. He was less floating in an ocean of light and more experiencing it in a way that defied normal senses. He wasn't in the light; he was the light. His every fiber, his every cell, his every atom: all of it was one with the light, and it gave him peace. He felt devoid of all the stress and panic he had known these two days, content to simply float within this empty void of silence.

  Or was it empty?

  As before, he sensed a presence and saw something move before his eyes. He perceived the faint outline of a humanoid figure but its shape was elastic and fluid, resembling a sent ball of water moving in graceful turns. It moved with a myriad of bright and colorful lights, reminiscent of a rainbow reflected off a clear lake, and presented an almost hypnotic yet non-threatening display in its wake. This entity, this living lake of light, floated over him and enveloped him completely. Jacob felt no stress, simply allowing it to fully surround him as the world went black.

  The next thing he, he was lying on a slab, a bright, painful light piercing into his eyes and stunning him. He raised his arm to block it out, but it refused to move, seemingly held down by something. The same could said of its twin and both of his legs. He pulled and tugged as his senses returned, and fear began to rise from his heart. That was when it appeared in his line of sight: a dark creature hidden in shadow. It raised its hand, and a slew of knives and blades extended in lieu of fingers. Jacob heard something akin to words coming from it, but he couldn't understand what was said. The next thing he knew, a blade was driving into his chest, and Jacob's throat refused to scream as pain flooded his core...

  ............................................................................................................................................................

  Jacob awoke in a cold sweat, throwing off his blanket and bringing his hand to his chest. There was no blood, no cut, nor even a scar: he was completely whole. He took several calming breaths as he held his chest, and he laid back down against his pillow.

  "That's it. No more gelato. Lactose-free or otherwise."

  As though on cue, his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything but that ice cream and what he had eaten at the diner which hadn't been much. He didn't even get to eat that apple pie he had won. In short, he was starving, and he needed food. He threw himself out from beneath the blankets and made his way downstairs. To his surprise, Lance was already up and appeared to be working on breakfast courtesy of many hotplates, an electric skillet, and a very noisy generator that made the already musty kitchen smell like a sweatshop. Along with the decent-looking food in the making, Jacob spied a pile of various doodads and appliances ranging from television sets to toasters, and even car parts with dings and cracks that had been freshly repaired. Lance was even filthier than before, which didn't seem possible, and his tools were still dangling from his hips. Jacob looked from him to his projects, and he let out a whistle.

  "You've been a busy bee this morning," he said.

  "Keeps my mind fresh," Lance replied as he flipped a pancake. "Not to mention pays for my room and board. My commissions are robust but reasonable, and I've yet to receive any sort of complaint for my work."

  Jacob picked up a robot toy, noting that several of its screws were new and its wiring had been redone.

  "People pay you to fix their stuff?"

  "The title on my shirt isn't just for show, you know. I provide a service: I fix stuff, and the neighbors don't report me to DHS. Honestly, I didn't even ask for money until Doc suggested my premium."

  "Doc?"

  "Local doctor that checks up on me now and again. Nice guy, really smart."

  "Lemme guess. He's got a fifty-digit IQ."

  Lance pointed his spoon at Jacob menacingly.

  "Never question my IQ. I've been surviving on my own for four years, and you had a nervous breakdown within an hour."

  Jacob flinched at that. Harsh, but accurate.

  Lance then fetched a plate, and he slapped it high with flapjacks, a side of golden hash browns, and a cheese omelet complete with a garnish of parsley. Jacob's empty stomach roared in glee at the mountain of delight, and he gladly dove into it. The tang of cheese-infused eggs was gratefully complimented by the satisfying crunch of the hash browns, creating a delightful symphony of flavor Jacob's tastebuds had yet to experience. Though lacking syrup, there was an inherent sweetness to the flapjack with a hint of cinnamon and honey warmly woven inside. It warmed his throat and settled his nerves, as well as granted him the fullness he had lacked for some time.

  "This is amazing!" he gasped between bites. "Maybe you do have a four-digit IQ if you can make something like this in a place like this!"

  "Told ya." Lance chirped cheekily. "Course, when the kitchen is better once I get it fixed up and open the center again. A lot of regionally famous chefs made their homes here, you know. Imparting their techniques to any hungry for knowledge, pun intended."

  Jacob swallowed hard at a large lump, and he chased it down with a glass of orange juice.

  "Is that what this place is? Some sort of vocational college?" he asked curiously.

  Lance shook his head.

  "Think of it as a cross between a homeless shelter and a youth center. Abuela set it all up as a safe place for people to gather and be happy when they were on hard times, were missing something, or just having a bad day. Nobody went home without a full belly and a smile on their face. That was Abuela's dream."

  Jacob put down his plate, and he adopted a softer expression.

  "So, I take it..."

  "Breast cancer, four years ago," Lance said, hiding his face behind a boiling pot. "Never took a day off for chemo because that would be a day she couldn't be here. Possibly would have lived a few more years if she had of."

  "Then why didn't she?"

  "Porque ella podia."

  Jacob recognized the first word of that funny phrase Lance had brought up a time or two already, and he got the hint whatever he just said was in the same ballpark. Whatever it actually meant, the result was the same; Jacob didn't care.

  "How come no one else is working on this place?" he asked, deciding the change the subject. "Four years is a long time to leave it derelict."

  "Equal parts respect and loss of interest from the city council," Lance said. "The building hasn't been bought or bulldozed out of respect for Abuela, but due to the rise of gang violence in Lowtown the last few years, this place was viewed as a staging ground for them to expand into Midtown."

  He gave his head an angry shake.

  "It's stupid. That's the whole point Paradiso was built for in the first place. It's a safe place where people can just be themselves and not have to act tough. People can connect and find better alternatives to their troubles."

  Just then there came a crash, and the two boys were on their feet. They raced to the kitchen door, cracking it open to peek outside. There was Blazer and his group, running wild and smashing everything in sight. One of them had even managed to get a motorcycle into the gymnasium, doing donuts while hooting and hollering like a pack of hyenas on an alcohol binge betwixt a sugar rush. At the center of it, all was Blazer, sitting on a bench that had been reshaped into a twisted throne as a pair of girls hung on his arms like he was some sort of king. Jacob couldn't help but scowl at him, though he ducked back the minute he looked his way.

  "What is this, Mad Max on Broadway?" he exasperated.

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  "You get used to it," Lance said with a shrug. "They'll do this till they get hungry and then go off to get some lunch."

  Jacob fixed the boy with an incredulous look.

  "In what sick way are you not freaked out by this? Do you seriously let them do this on the average? Why?"

  Lance cocked his head to one side, and he shot Jacob a side-eye.

  "Oh, sure. Hello, police, I'm the lonely orphan boy living in the run-down homeless shelter, and I would like you to come and arrest the burly thugs making a mess of the place while not taking me away to DHS. Yeah, real smart."

  A hard logic to refute, Jacob thought, though he flinched as he heard something else break.

  "And you're seriously not worried that he's going to hurt you?" he asked as he tossed another peak. "They're animals in there!"

  "And like animals, it's all about learning their patterns and behaviors," Lance said matter-of-factly. "Blazer, and by the way that's not his actual name, is the ringleader of the group, and frankly he's not that smart. He'd have you think that he's this big tough gang leader who leads through charisma alone, but in actuality, he's some entitled rich boy from Uptown. He bought most of these losers off to be his friends and to stir up trouble, but any time they tried to do something big they'd get run off in a hail of bullets. I'm really the only victim they can safely assault without comeuppance, messed up as I know that sounds. But there is a logic to it. So long as they're attacking me, they're not attacking someone else. You've seen the state of Paradiso, so you know there's little more they can do that I just won't be fixing later anyway. In short, I have nothing to lose."

  He looked out again, and then his eyes went wide.

  "Except that!"

  He rocketed through the door, making it suddenly snap back and slam into Jacob's nose. While massaging his injury, Jacob peaked back out. One of the thugs had broken into what Jacob assumed was a small office, and from within he had plucked a framed photo of an elderly-looking woman; this abuela he had been hearing about, Jacob assumed. The thug had brought it to Blazer, who looked at it with the most fiendish sneer. Lance was jumping at him and trying to get at the photo, but Blazer effortlessly kept him back with his foot.

  "Blaze, please!" Lance pleaded. "That's the only thing of her I have left! Please give it back."

  With a gentle kick, Blazer knocked Lance down, and he held up the photograph.

  "Ah, good ol' abuela. I remember when my dad used to drop me off here for daycare. She was always so sickeningly sweet and always kissed me on the cheek before I left. Well, I think it's time to go, so how's about she gives me a big wet one on both cheeks."

  Jacob balked. No, he didn't mean...but he did. He watched as he set the photograph down on his makeshift throne, pulled down the back of his pants, and then sat down on the photo. For good measure, he even wiggled from one side to the other. It was the most revolting thing Jacob had ever seen in his entire life, but his own moral outrage didn't hold a candle to the unbridled fury that erupted from the normally stoic Lance. All at once he had become a four-foot-tall badger and he tackled Blazer. Still, Blazer was nearly twice his size and double the body mass, so he effortlessly held Lance at bay while rising and hefting his pants back up. With a wave of his wrist, he tossed Lance like a ragdoll, letting him roll across the floor before landing in a heap.

  "Ah, what's wrong, little man?" the bully jeered. "Did I hurt your feelings? Here, let me hurt something else!"

  He got a running start, and just as Lance rose to a kneeling position Blazer kicked him in the breadbasket, literally punting him like a football. Lance once more crashed to the floor, clutching his midsection and sniffling as Blazer stepped over to him.

  "You shoulda just stayed in bed, brat," he said menacingly. "Now you have to deal with the consequences."

  He hefted up his right leg, readying himself to step on Lance's head, when someone suddenly grabbed him from behind. Unable to stand it anymore, Jacob rushed in and grabbed the large brute from behind. While a fighter he was not, Jacob had watched more than enough wrestling on late-night television to at least mimic a full Nelson. Using surprise and a slight height difference, he managed to bend Blazer backward and yank him away from Lance.

  "Hey!" Blazer roared, trying to reach back and grab Jacob. "Let go of me, dead meat!"

  "I let go and I am dead meat," Jacob grunted as he firmly held the hold. "What kind of sicko are you, anyway? Getting your kicks beating up on little kids!"

  Blazer sneered.

  "Oh, I don't get my kicks from beating up little kids. I get my kicks like this!"

  He raised a leg and brought it down in a sharp arc, clipping down into Jacob's shin. The boy shrieked and his hold listened, allowing Blazer to elbow him in the nose. Jacob was bowled over, literally going head over tail before landing flat on his back. He was seeing stars and sparkles and his vision was splotched, but that didn't stop him from seeing Blazer's crashing heel. He rolled away in time to avoid his skull getting caved in, but Blazer was relentless as he grabbed him by the caller, yanked him close, and delivered several repeated blows into the teen's gut. As Jacob doubled over, Blazer caught him in an uppercut, spinning him around before grabbing him in a chokehold, using his own size advantage to hoist Jacob up in the air. By now his burly band of thugs and creeps had formed a ring around them, all cheering on Jacob's pain and egging their boss to finish it. It was a veritable feeding frenzy, and here was Jacob playing the part of chum. He kicked and he struggled as his Adam's apple kissed the back of his esophagus, but no amount of clawing was going to break Blazer's grip.

  By this time, Lance had recovered, and the tiny tween squeaked at the sight of Jacob's plight. He quickly rushed in, diving for Blazer's ankles where he grabbed hold and took a big bite. He latched on so tightly that he chipped a tooth on Blazer's ankle bone, and it was just the ticket to make the taller boy forget his current victim. Jacob was dropped in favor of Blazer trying to shake Lance off, screaming at him and flailing his leg, but Lance held on like a Pitbull, even growling for good measure. Jacob groaned as he massaged his throat, his vision clearing as he looked towards Lance and Blazer. The larger boy had grabbed Lance by the seat of his overalls and with a terrible yank managed to wrench him from his foot. Eyes ablaze, Blazer curled his free fist, and delivered a crushing blow to the boy's head, knocking Lance to the floor and letting his body bounce harshly against the hardwood. Jacob sat there staring at Lance, his heart slowing to a stop. The boy was just lying there, blood trickling down his nose and his glasses broken. He wasn't moving; Jacob couldn't even see if he was breathing. All around him, he heard some of the thugs whispering, but others were cheering. Cheering this...this horrid...this miserable...and Blazer was eating it up, throwing up his arms like he had just been in a boxing match and was ready to take his belt. Jacob's heart started to beat again, but it came in hard bursts rather than a straight rhythm. He felt as though his chest were on fire, and his breath came out in short puffs steaming the air. His muscles twitched, and he ground his teeth until he tasted powder. In short, this was the angriest Jacob had ever felt in his entire life, and he had had enough.

  All at once, he was back on his feet, and he rushed up behind Blazer, grabbing him by the shoulder, spinning him around, and then slugging him as hard as he could in the stomach. The sudden movement followed by a paralyzing blow knocked the wind out of Blazer's lungs, forcing him to curl up and back away. The crowd suddenly went silent as everyone turned their eyes on Jacob, his own burning gold as he clenched his fists. Without so much as a word, he rushed Blazer again, throwing his fists with wild abandon. Blazer immediately went on the defensive, putting distance between himself and Jacob before ducking low and sweeping his legs. Jacob fell, allowing Blazer to straddle him. Jacob brought up his arms to guard his face, waiting for the blows and preparing his counterattack. However, as Blazer threw his first punch, Jacob noticed something odd. The speed of his punch had decreased. It was moving at all but a snail's pace. Jacob effortlessly blocked it, followed by the next, and the next, and the next, and the next. From the outside, the thugs watched as Jacob's movements suddenly became faster, almost seeming to anticipate Blazer's movements. Jacob finally managed to grab Blazer's arm, pulling him forward and allowing Jacob to flip him off of himself. Blazer quickly regained his footing, but it was becoming clear that he was getting winded. He continued to throw blow after blow at Jacob, trying desperately to hit him, but Jacob continued to duck in and out of his reach. As for Jacob himself, he continued to see Blazer from a much slower frame. If he were in his right mind, he definitely would have questioned this. It was as though time itself was slowing down, allowing him to see Blazer's every move and prepare accordingly.

  As he ducked another punch, he charged at full steam and tackled Blazer. The two boys went rolling through the thick of the crowd and into some weight equipment. This caused one of the thugs to get pinned under the two of them, and thus the free-for-all began. Now everyone had jumped in, but it quickly devolved into them hitting each other rather than attacking Jacob singularly. It was utter chaos in the space of a few moments; a veritable mosh pit with the sounds of bloody knuckles and busted chins as their soundtrack. Jacob's sights were still set on Blazer, and vice versa. Both had become punch drunk with no desire other than to beat one another to death. Blazer, however, managed to maintain his faculties enough to see that this was going too far off the rails, and he had to end it quickly. As Jacob rushed him again, gold eyes flashing, Blazer met him head-on, grabbing Jacob's shoulders before rearing back his head and bringing it down hard against Jacob's skull. There was a definite crack, but it was unclear if it was Jacob's or Blazer's skull that cracked. However, it had the desired effect on Blazer as Jacob suddenly went cross-eyed and staggered back. The gold left his eyes, and his eyes became green and blue as his silver hair turned brown. Jacob took a few more steps back before finally collapsing to the floor not far from Lance.

  Blazer took a moment to catch his breath, wiping the blood from his nose. All around, his idiot friends were beating each other senselessly, and part of him told him to smack some sense into the lot of them. Instead, he marched over to Jacob, the boy's eyes fluttering in a vain attempt to stay conscious. Blazer sneered down at him, raising a foot and resting it atop his face.

  "Miserable little freak. I don't know what that was all about, but this will be the last time you ever get in my way."He started to raise his foot for one final stomp when suddenly the doors to the gym flew open. A moment later, several gunshots rang through the air, causing a stir in the group, and all of a sudden there was a stampede out the backdoor. From his spot on the floor, Jacob could only see Blazer as he ducked another shot before taking off himself. Then, Jacob's vision started to turn black as he faded from consciousness. Before he faded from the world, he felt gentle hands carefully gather him up. A man's hands.

  "Uncle...Laramie?" he groaned before the darkness finally took him.