Isolated Souls

Chapter 8

He led us around the property to the back of the house. We kept low and in the bushes so we wouldn’t be seen. Luckily the sun was setting so it would put us at an advantage.

“Kun, why are you taking me—”

He put a silent finger to his lips and pointed to the backyard in front of us. A boy that looked to be about Kun’s age was carrying a square, white box. He slid open the back door and stepped inside. The curtains were open, so we had a clear view of the inside of the house. A man and a woman that looked to be in their late fifties suddenly stepped into view. 

“Who are those people?” I whispered.

The box was set on the table and the boy opened it. I watched as he reached into it, pulled out a blue frosted cake, and gently set it on the table. 

He released a shaky breath. “My family.”

The woman and the man disappeared and returned with plates and silverware. I watched as they set the table and sat down. My brow furrowed when I noticed something was off.

There were five plates at the table. The younger boy and older boy sat with their parents.

Kun gently squeezed my hand again and this time I gently squeezed his hand back.

The family all glanced at the empty seat and the woman let out a choked sob. The boys took her hand and she gave him a weak smile. The man grabbed a cake cutter and carefully cut a slice with such care, it felt like he was afraid of ruining it. He lifted the slice and set it on the plate with the empty seat. 

Kun’s eyes still looked dim, but there was a longing in them that made my heart stutter.

“This is where I go, Ivy.”

I drew my hand away from his and wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened for a moment, but then he pulled me closer. His head buried into the crook of my neck and his arms tightened around me. His touch was firm but gentle.

He pulled away for a while and we sat in silence. Like us, his family quietly ate. But there was an air between them that felt almost suffocating. The sorrow that hung over their head seemed to drift over the table like dark storm clouds. My heart hurt for them and I desperately wanted to comfort them. More than anything I wanted to show them their son was still alive, but it would be a selfish act for me to do. They were already in pain from him being taken away from them, but bringing him back after them learning how to be okay again, would be indescribable.

I looked at Kun again. There were a million things I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to know that it would be okay, that things would be better. But ‘okay’ didn’t begin to heal the gaping hole in his heart. The truth was, some pains weren’t meant to be healed. We were forced to live with them and eventually accept them as reality.

“That day I was…” he trailed off, as if the word was too painful. “It was dark. Very dark and cold. I remember hearing sirens, a lot of them. I remember hearing machines and people talking and laughing. I could never figure out why they were laughing when I only felt like crying.”

He looked at me and there was a small spark of brightness in his eyes. I was faintly aware of his fingers still intertwined with mine.

“And then I heard you.”

The boy, who I now know was his brother, stood and started picking up the dirty plates. He paused on the plate with the untouched piece of cake. Something flickered in his eyes before he turned and disappeared from view. The woman and man soon followed, leaving the plate of cake on the table.

“To them, I’m just a memory.” He laughed lightly at the thought.

I was at a loss for words as I stared at the empty seat with the plate of cake sitting in front of it. The seat Kun should have been sitting in. I felt a sob build in my throat. He didn’t deserve to be like this. 

He didn’t deserve any of it.

A memory suddenly surfaced in my mind. I remembered sitting in the kitchen when I was six and my parent’s ta;led about the missing kids that had been happening for years. My parents never liked me watching the news, but I somehow got lucky that day. 

“That was you.” I said. He met my eyes with sudden interest. “You were the little boy that disappeared. My parents told me one little boy fought and got free, but he didn’t….”

“Yeah. I finally got my ‘five minutes of fame’ moment,” He sighed. “Just not in the way I expected.”

The moon had risen and the soft sound of crickets filled the air. After some time, the woman returned into view carrying a plastic cover. A knowing smile spread across her face as she put the cover over the cake. 

Suddenly, her brow furrowed and she looked straight at us. My eyes widened and I yanked Kun deeper into the brush. There was a silent plea in her eyes when she stepped closer to the backdoor. I kept a firm grip on Kun’s hand in case he decided to do anything rash, but he only stared back at her. The woman sighed and turned away. She flickered off the light, completely disappearing as she melted into the darkness.

“We should go. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” His voice was so quiet, I hardly heard it. I nodded before remembering he probably could see me.

“Okay.” I smiled. “Also, happy birthday.”

He led me out of the backyard and together Kun and I made our way home.