Hugh. George. Matthew. Johnny. Ryan. Bradley. Channing. Pierce. Ben. Brad. He kept these names always at the forefront of his mind, naming each one at the pace of his breath and his feet. For as long as he could remember, he had been running.
"It won't be like that for me," he had always insisted when it had come up in the past. "I'll be fine." That was usually enough to satisfy anyone asking the question. But not enough for her. "I don't even know that I qualify," he told her. "Aren't you being a little premature? Maybe I'm just the third, or the fourth Sexiest Man Alive." She fixed Chris with a look. "Well, I could be," he said.
It was still dark out when he got the news. He was alone in his room, and then suddenly, he was not. A slender red-haired woman who had appeared at his side whispered the words, "It's you, Adam. People has chosen you," then quickly and gracefully flung herself out the window. He could hear screams drifting up from the street. He wiped his eyes. "It's me." A grin broke out across his face, and…
