SleepWalker

Chapter 8

Darcy gaped at him. She hoped he would laugh, tell her he was joking. But he didn't. He stared back, a grim look in his eyes.
"I can't do that!" She exclaimed.
"Why is that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're immortal."
"Immortals can be killed with the right instruments."
"You're my friend."
"I thought we were just doing business?" He looked almost amused.
"You're... ," Darcy searched for the right words. "... all I have."
Morpheus smiled sadly. He reached out and touched her cheek. She felt the coldness of his skin, an icy chill she had learnt to associate with him.
"Let's go," he said quietly.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"The initiation of the Harvest will happen at the highest point in the city."
A large steel and glass facade came across her mind. If the Devil wanted to send a message all over the city, it was definitely the best place.
"The Empire State Building," She said. "How will we get there? Are you gonna summon a ghost airplane? Or a helicopter?"
Morpheus grinned. "Remember that disappearing thingy I do?"
"Yeah," she replied cautiously. "But you said I might lose a limb doing that."
"Well, let's find out shall we."

The portal dropped Darcy and Morpheus on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Darcy stood up dizzily. The teleportation felt like a cross between a hurricane and an earthquake. Her ears were still ringing as she looked around.
The observation deck was deserted except for a couple at the other end from her. She took a few steps towards them and they turned at the sound of her footsteps. She froze in her tracks, a chill passing down her spine.
"Mom?" She said. "Dad? What are you doing here?"
"Oh honey," her mom said. They ran towards Darcy and engulfed her in a massive embrace. Darcy was shocked at this display of affection. She didn't even remember having heard so much as a comforting word from her parents before.
"Mom are you okay?" She asked, pulling out of the hug.
Her parents looked at each other.
"It's time she knew," her father said. Her mother sighed and squeezed his hand.
"The day before you were born," she said. "The Devil came to us. He said... He said that you were special. And one day he would come for you."
"He also told us," said her dad. "That our souls were bound to his. That we were anchors holding him to the Earth. When we die, he would be able to enter the world. Even otherwise, he would be able to influence our actions. Do you understand?" They looked at her with pleading eyes.
"No, I don't." She said. "Why are you only telling this to me now? Why..." She choked back a sob.
"We couldn't," her mom said. "He told us that if we were to get close to you, that he would have a little fun. We had to keep our distance so that you'd be safe."
Darcy was shocked. She couldn't believe that after all those years hating her parents, wondering what she had done to hurt them so much, why they didn't love her, now she had the answers. They had loved her. They had loved her so much, they were willing to suppress it to protect her.
They hugged each other in silence for a few minutes, all three of them crying and holding on to each other for dear life. Morpheus hid in the shadows, feeling uncomfortable intruding in their privacy.
He felt it first. A drop in the temperature, a strange chill that had nothing to do with the cold of the December night. Darcy continued to hug her parents, their tears wetting her face. A single tear seeped into her mouth and she was surprised by the coppery taste. She pulled out of the hug in shock.
Her parents were holding hands, their tears mixed with blood. Wounds were starting to appear on their arms, the sides of their necks, their foreheads. Random cuts started opening all over their bodies, the blood pooling at their feet.
"I'm sorry, love." Her dad said. He looked at Morpheus.
"Take care of her," he said. "Please."
"We love you Darcy," her mom said, weeping blood.
"We always have," said her dad.
"Goodbye," they said in unison. With a final cry, they blew open in an explosion of blood.

Darcy felt shell-shocked. She felt like she had been standing on a thin sheet of ice all this time and now the ice had cracked sending her plummeting to her doom. All her life she had believed that she was an unwanted child. But now... Now she no longer knew what to think.
She fell to her knees. Morpheus held her in his arms. She tried to cry, but no tears came. He rocked her in his arms as she sat, silently sobbing, covered in her parents' blood.

Author's Note: Okay I'll admit it, that was pretty gory. And kinda sad...
Quick note, if you've formed a favourite ship yet, do let me know. If I really like it I might make a few changes in the script to give your ship more "quality time". I might. No promises XD
Fasten your seat belts, things are about to get ugly 😉