In Love with a Jackal

8.

"Oh believe me Heh," the Anubis on the couch clearly couldn't help himself, "your presence is punishment enough."

The dusty man froze.

"What did you say?"

Anubis ignored him as he picked off another item from one of the trays. One look and an odd sensation began crawling up my throat from the bottom of my stomach. The item he had picked was that same statuette I had knocked over last night.

Watching the scene that was unfolding in front of me, I quickly realized that some memories were best forgotten.

The red sand storm that had been tamed just a moment ago, once again took up speed at the feet of its godly master. I didn't know who this Heh guy really was, but it was evident from his reaction that impertinence was not something he encountered often.

"Anpu!" Heh boomed so loudly I felt the separate letters reverberate through my skull, "You are nothing but an inconsiderate buffoon! I changed your diapers eons ago and you dare speak to me so!?"

The red sandstorm burst out in time with Heh's anger, taking me by surprise. I barely managed to stumble backwards as a thick wall of sand smacked the floor infront of me. The sand instantly melted into something I really badly wanted to be red water, but knew was not.

Then like it had a mind of its own, the lets-call-it-red-water that was now spread evenly across the terrace (and it's fellow occupants, rip scantily clad ladies) began gathering itself again. I watched in horror as streams meandered over the sandstone tiles and emptied themselves into a pool that had formed at Heh's feet. I felt a hot burning sensation gather in my chest as I breathed in the air that had became stifling humid to match.

Despite what Anubis had told me, this didn't feel like a memory at all. It felt incredibly real. It felt like I was experiencing this myself right now. And the way that arm of sand had swung in our direction it almost felt like Heh knew we were here too.

I glanced beside me, expecting to find the current Anubis, in a similar state of surprise, standing somewhere on the terrace next to me. However I realized quite quickly, after staring at an unobstructed view of the river below, that he was no longer here. My Anubis was gone.

The blood drained from my face. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

I immediately turned to the only Anubis that I was left with, who gods only knew how, still had the nerve to continue lounging on his settee like before. At first I thought that Anubis must truly have balls of steel like no other.

The blank expression on his face appeared so calm and unfazed. It was just the way his one hand clutched the statuette with white knuckles that made me give that a second thought.

The red water around Heh now ebbed and flowed around him with an impressive volume, slowly building itself in height as his chest heaved.

"You pretend to care for mortals Anpu but we both know you don't." Heh began again, his voice and patience at a knifes edge,

"And today I have learned you don't appear to care for your godly breathen either! You think yourself above us, above mortals, above judgement!" he shouted, a vein in his forehead visibly pulsating so much I thought it might be pathological, "Emotions you consider feeble. Concern for others, you consider a wasted breath. And empathy-"

He paused dramatically but I suspected he was also losing stamina.

"-You don't even know what that is! It is clear you have played judge and jury for far to long and have forgotten the troubles and tribulations of the living! It is time you learn a lesson! It is time you learn the consequences of life!"

After those rather adept accusations the only remaining Anubis had decided to finally start moving but before he even managed to get up, Heh threw his hands in the air and the red water around him shot up.

A burst of energy crackled through the sky like lightning and in that second the air was sucked out of my lungs. There was a flurry of movement and sound that followed Heh's outburst, but I could barely pay attention. My chest was growing tighter and tighter and my lungs had started to burn. A vicious wind whipped around me, stealing the air that I was desperately trying to breathe. Terrified and choking, I clutched my neck before dropping to my knees on the terrace.

All I could hear was the awful rushing of the wind as the burning pain in my chest enveloped my body.

I could tell I was dying.

I could tell I was suffocating to death. It would only take a few more seconds and then it would be over.

I was going to die.

As if mourning my last moments amongst the living, the tears in my eyes made my vision go blurry-

No- wait.

I didn't have tears in my eyes.

I blinked but I didn't know what was suddenly wrong with my eyes. It was like everything in front of me was melting. Heh, Anubis, the wind and red water were going blurry as if they were all morphing and fading around me.

My surroundings were changing right before my eyes!

As if on cue, the pain in my chest released itself and I was overwhelmed by the air that suddenly spilled back into my lungs. My whole body shook as I tipped forward and collapsed onto my hands. Being able to breath again, my body felt relief but I was still no less terrified than before. Completely stunned I stared at the floor beneath me as it changed itself from the beige sandstone of the terrace into a cold-white tile. At the same time the red glow of the sunset disappeared and the light above me shifted into a bright white neon.

Unable to comprehend a single that had just happened, it took a minute for the floor and me to stop moving. Completely overwhelmed, I was barely able to muster the courage to look up again. And the moment I did, I knew I shouldn't have.

Because standing right there in the university lab only a few feet away, I saw myself with Antoine.

Slumped on the floor I watched in silence as the other me laughed, struggling to tie up her long blond hair so that she could take a look at the sample Antoine was trying to show her through the microscope. He let her finish her ponytail with a faint smile on his lips before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear that she had missed. At his touch a soft blush flushed her cheeks. It was clear she liked him a lot.

I recognized this scene instantly.

And after suffocating, reliving this was almost worse.

Even though I had tried to banish it from my memory many times, I still remembered every detail like it had been yesterday.

Unable to watch any further, I averted my eyes to the side, only to be shocked yet again.

There on the other side of the room in the light blue hoodie I had given, stood none other than Anubis.