Flashfire

Ch10

Liam looked directly ahead with a thousand-yard stare for the entire car ride home. Caleb asked him multiple times if he was okay.

"I want to go home," he said distantly.

Liam didn't even glance in his direction, continuing to stare in a zonked-out state.

"I know. How did you manage the first trip today?" Caleb asked.

"I didn't see anyone we know today," Liam said.

Caleb pushed his brows together, screwing up his face with worry. That was not a real answer to his question, even though he didn't expect much of one. Liam wasn't making any sense. He felt slightly guilty now that he spent all day learning from the book instead of helping Liam, but if he hadn't they wouldn't have the nartron or even any idea that's what they needed.

Right?

Liam blinked. "I'm alright," he said. To Caleb's surprise, he had looked him in the face briefly before going back to stare at the light turning green as they zoomed past. Caleb had subconsciously pressed his foot just a little harder on the gas. A long moment passed in silence. "I want to go home."

Caleb's heart ached as it dropped in his chest. "We'll be home soon, Liam."

He was suddenly angry at himself. He should have gone with him! Liam was too fragile to go very far on his own, he needed him and instead, he paid more attention to that book. How could he be so stupid?

Liam looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror, glassy-eyed, as if he were addressing himself. "I want to go home."

Instinctively Caleb reached out, and took Liam's hand within his own.

I can't Liam thought absent-mindedly, as though his thoughts weren't even his own. It was a disturbing sensation, almost like someone was whispering in his own voice in his head.

Caleb heard it as well. He glanced at Liam when he slowly moved his hand out of his grasp, his gaze still fixated and unblinking. Barely making it through a yellow, Caleb pressed down harder on the gas. Swallowing thickly, voice unsteady, Caleb spoke.

"You can't what, Liam?"

Liam didn't know what was going on or what to do. He turned his head, his muscles lagging behind. There was a time delay, for sure, and on some level Liam felt a little bit scared. But at the same time, he found himself too relaxed and disconnected to care, really. Blinking seemed arduous.

As Caleb drove up to the bar, Liam seemed to perk up a bit. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the headrest. Caleb slid the keys out and watched Liam. There was a serene smile on his face. Even so, his lips formed the same words.

"I want to go home."

"Hey," Caleb said, a mild form of panic settling under his skin, "are you okay?"

It was a minute for Liam to reply. "Doesn't matter."

Caleb threw open the door, came around, and all but dragged Liam out. Liam's footsteps were leadened.

"C'mon," Caleb grunted, "you're too heavy for me to carry."

That seemed to rouse Liam further, and he chirped out a laugh. "No carrying me over the threshold?"

Caleb grinned. "Sorry." With those words, however, a thought occurred to him. "Thresholds..." The pair entered, and Caleb turned. "Liam! Everyone knows about ghosts and spirits and demons not being able to pass thresholds. I wonder if my book says something. Do you think that was part of—"

But Liam was talking at the same time, seeming to be fully awake and aware now. "Is your nose alright? You were bleeding in the store, that was odd, and honestly a bit gross—"

They both stopped talking. After a moment, Caleb laughed and looked shy. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be thinking about the book right now. Are you alright?"

Liam smiled, even though his muscles still seemed to be made of a thick syrup. "I asked you first!"

Caleb was contemplative. After thinking a little while, he shook his head, face screwed up in consternation. "I think I've made a grave mistake."

Liam's eyebrows shot up playfully. "Grave?"

But Caleb wasn't laughing. "I think, whatever this is, goes deeper than I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I might—"

Caleb couldn't get the words out he meant to say.

Liam shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"You keep saying that!"

"You're right, I do."

"What doesn't matter?"

Liam replied honestly. "I don't know."

"How can you not know the things you're saying and the words behind them?"

Liam looked at the ground, rubbing his forehead. "My head hurts."

More silence.

"I think I have to let you go now," Caleb said carefully.

Liam looked at him.

Caleb rubbed at his face. "Something doesn't seem right suddenly. You seem off, and you're in pain."

I am, Liam thought, and Caleb heard him.

"I'll resummon you," Caleb spoke through the tight knot in his throat.

"But," Liam said, feeling dizzy and like the ground was going to disappear again. Or maybe it wasn't the floor, maybe it was him. "But this means so much to you—"

"You mean more," Caleb said, before he uttered the words that broke the summon.

Liam faded like he did. Caleb felt something physical be pulled out of his chest. At first he thought it was an emotional response, knowing that Liam was gone again. But he noticed it happened when he let go of the bugs and beetles, the mice, the rats, and the birds. The bigger the animal, the stronger it felt like something physical was pulled out of his chest—a zip-tie snapping.

Caleb stood by himself, frowning deeply, rubbing at the center of his chest absent-mindedly. Finally he sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"Fuck."