DEAD EYES

CHAPTER 4: ADVANCED DECAY

LAST CHRISTMAS

Like wilting flowers in its majestic vase, Adrien's state had considerably worsened in the night; his internal organs slipped out of him, leaving an empty shell of a human for others to see. I tried my best to keep my mouth shut, not wanting my voice to strain in sorrow and grief at the sight of him. Despite the agonising pain, butterflies still flew amongst my stomach and chest at the sight of the romantic Frenchman.

"You ready?" he said.

"Not really..."

"Come on. Let's go get these Christmas gifts and get back home." His voice was low, weakly escaping his mouth in heavy huffs and sighs. I looked over at him, gently holding his hand for the first time. Was it going to break under my pressure?

"We can just stay here if you're unwell."

"You heard Doctor Miller. It only gets worse. I don't want to be confined to these four walls the whole time. Please..."

"Alright. But tell me when you're not ok."

That morning, we didn't eat at all, our bodies barely standing up on their own as we covered ourselves with layers of clothes to conceal our horrific silhouette. I led the path, bringing him to my favourite spots in Evergreen Park. The crowds were hectic, pushing and pulling into us occasionally as we fought against the torrents of populous. Eventually, our pungent smell was enough to keep people away, sinking my heart in shame at this situation while I shone a reassuring smile at Adrien.

"Let's get you that Queen album you've been wanting." The two of us stumbled like drunks along the path, our steps shuffling into the frosty ground as I struggled with my crutches. I took the opportunity to admire Adrian's sunken face; I was both mesmerized and horrified by the pale bone of his skull managing to peer its way out of his fugitive skin.

"Can we take a break?" Adrien almost collapsed, holding his mouth in disgust as blood-curdling cough disrupted the passers-by.

"Don't cough too hard, your lungs might fall out," I said with an ounce of concern hinted in my tone of voice.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"You're a nasty piece of work. But god damn, am I gonna miss you."

"..." dread filled my lungs like the city's industrial smoke, tainting the soft tissue of my numb body.

"It was real fun not giving a flying shit about others for a while. I mean, look at us; dumpsters smell fresher than us, my organs are slipping out of my torso and we just went to the shopping center."

"I wouldn't be out here if it weren't for you. Thank you I guess, Napoleon."

We sat on the bench, waiting for the nausea to wash away with time. Although the morning drizzle had frozen on the blades of grass, several students were laid out in the park, loudly cackling about their daily lives. I blankly stared into space, wondering if any of them were from my promotion. Did it matter anymore? It's not like I cared about the subjects that much in the first place. A small pat on the shoulder startled me out of my daydreaming, Adrien saying;

"Can you sing for me? I love your voice."

"Oh, come on, that's embarrassing!" I looked over at the trembling man's begging eyes, eventually caving into his demands.

"Right. What song then, Napoleon?"

"Hm... Let me think..." A Machiavellian smile shone on his sunken face for the first time in a while, encouraging me to do my best performance as he finally said;