Part Eighteen

Ding Dong



I opened the door to see Trist. I smiled and invited him in, but he insisted we go to the park. On our way there, I told him about my poor sleep and annoying headache. He sympathized.

“Kay,” he started once we were at the park, “so, today I’m going to tell you another huge secret about me. You gotta listen to all of it, kay?”

“Sure thing,” I told him.

Before he could go on, Rosa shouted out my name. I spun around and saw her stalking towards us from the park’s entrance. Too late I realized my wings were out. Busted.

“James! How… what are…” she looked baffled as she searched for the right words. I was surprised she didn’t faint, but that’s Rosa. She glared at me. “You’re not supposed to know yet! That was John’s job!”

Huh? Oh yeah. He was the leader of the Dae group. It was the leader’s job to teach other leaders, and I was to be a leader. I hung my head in shame.

“And…” she seemed to notice Trist for the first time. I heard her gasp in shock, and the next thing I know, she’s in a total fighting stance.

“What do you want?” she barked at Trist. I was totally shocked, but then I heard Trist snort out a laugh. When I looked at him, his face had a twisted, almost evil look to it. He smirked at Rosa and crossed his arms.

“Looks like my fun has been cut short early,” he said. I think my mouth had dropped in confusion by this point. “I want him—” he jerked his thumb in my direction, “—to help me. I was just going to explain to him why it is important he join me.”

Rosa growled, “No way!” and went in for a powered-up punch. Quick as lightning, Trist pushed me in line, and Rosa’s fist met my stomach with a sickening crunch. I was sent to the ground, where my vision blacked out for a moment, and a rushing noise filled my ears. I’m not sure what happened next. I may have lost consciousness. More than once. The pain came at me in little intervals, like my brain couldn’t comprehend what happened to my body. Heck, I couldn’t comprehend it either.

In my dilerium, I saw flashes of things I didn’t understand; giant creatures rushed in and out of my mind; demons sang at my funeral; angels destroyed my home; my mom and dad started fighting and their bodies mutated; John hovered over me, his face burning (literally), while he squeezed the life out of me.

Em and Rosa’s voices drifted through the dreams, calling out my name, shouting indiscernible things, whispering prayers. I didn’t know they were religious. What was happening?

Then it all faded into black and I couldn’t tell you more if I wanted.


 
In Darkness To Rest.

A g a i n .