As the Crow Flies

Hell Bound Boys

Jack looked out the hotel window at the L'Manburg memorial. It was the last time he planned on seeing it for a while. With Dream missing from the prison and Tommy back from the dead, he didn't feel safe here anymore. In all honesty, he should've left a long time ago.

"Hey Jack." Jack turned to see Tommy standing at the door to the hotel room.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked. Tommy came over to the window and looked down at the L'Manburg memorial with Jack. He was quiet for a while before speaking.

"This is all my fault." Jack fixed the grip he had on the strap of his backpack. He really didn't want to be speaking to Tommy, especially since he was just about to leave this place behind.

"Yeah, it is." He said. Tommy was quiet. The two stood at the window in silence for a bit longer. Jack wanted to leave, but he was also curious to hear Tommy's response, so he waited.

"Do you remember what it was like?" Tommy asked after a while. Jack glanced at Tommy who was still looking out the window.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Tommy's face darkened and his hands turned into fists.

"I mean. You know. That place." He must've been referring to hell.

Jack looked down at the floor. He took a moment to think about his response.

"Some of it. But I think I've managed to block most of it out." He answered.

"Were you like; did you feel stretched out? Dismembered?" Tommy asked and Jack nodded. "For how long?"

"A few days. But it felt like months."

More silence fell over them before Tommy spoke again.

"How'd you come back?" Jack locked his jaw. Why would Tommy ask him something like that? It's not like he could tell Tommy the truth. The only reason he was even standing in the hotel with Tommy at the moment was because of his desperate desire to kill Tommy. And that desire had been stripped away from him by Dream and his stupid revival book.

"I'm not sure actually. I must've just gotten lucky." He looked back to Tommy to try and gage his expression, but the kid just looked pale.

"How-" Tommy took a shaky breath before continuing. "How did you get back to living? How, when you know what's waiting for you on the other side?" Jack was taken aback by the question. He'd honestly never thought about it. His one objective after coming back from hell had been to kill Tommy. It was only after that goal was taken from him that he realized he needed to move on.

"You've just got to take it one day at a time I guess." Jack responded. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine. You always are." Tommy looked like he wanted to say more, but he just glanced at Jack and changed the subject.

"You going somewhere?"

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "I can't be here anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm leaving. For good I think." Jack responded.

"Oh." Tommy looked more upset than Jack expected him to be. "Well, good luck I guess."

"Yeah. You too." Jack said. Tommy looked back out the window, and Jack made his way to the door.

"Hey Jack." Tommy called. "Don't miss me too much."

"I'll try not to." Jack said before closing the door.