The Phantoms of Marvis Pass

Six - Across His Skin

        Al's eyelids slowly separate like clams opening their shells, and his gray-blue irises peek around.  The ceiling pressing down from above is familiar, and Al cocks his head as he gazes curiously up at the rafters.  A warm scent, like roasted sugar, zips up his nose, and he immediatly pushes himself off the floor.

        The bakery.

        That's where he is.

        Al jumps as he hears the light creak of a wooden chair, and he turns around to see Daryl sitting alone at one of the tables, a plain muffin sitting before him.  He is staring at it longingly as if it is trapped in a glass box, preventing him from snatching it up and gobbling it down.  The sunset casts a beautiful glow across his skin.  Al quickly jumps to his feet and rushes towards Daryl, wrapping his muscular arms around his torso.

        "Oh, Day!" Al feels blood and excitement flood his mouth as he plasters countless kisses on Daryl's face, not leaving an inch untouched.  Al pulls away, and his giant grins festers as Daryl is unphased by the great surge of affection.  "A-Are you still angry?"

        Daryl continues to stare at the pastry, his eyes hooded and gloomy.  He slowly shakes his head.  Al pulls out the chair across from his love and sits, and he pushes the muffin aside.  It is fresh and warm.  Daryl's strained eyes still don't bother to move, and Al snaps his fingers a couple times.  Not a single response.

        "Day...are you alright?"

        Nod, nod.

        "Do you wanna talk?"

        "I...I'm not allowed to."

        "Not allowed to talk at all?"

        "No.  Not allowed to talk about what Ferique told me.  That's the Sorrow's name.  Ferique."

        "Fir-eek?"

        Daryl nods.  He gingerly takes the muffin into his hands, his fingers daintly settled around it, and takes a small nibble.  He chews for an awfully long time.

        "Can you tell me what happened in the mine?"

        Daryl brings the muffin to his chest as if he was a squirrel hording a nut.  "When I slammed the door, I felt the Ferique's chill immediately.  Everything kinda went dark, but I regained consciousness in the mine."

        Al remembers why he didn't know the Sorrow had arrived.  Only Daryl can feel her ghostly chill.

        "I was dressed, and Ferique was standing over me.  She said something about how she is 'not here to embarrass but just to fight'.  I think she was talking about how she wouldn't attack me naked.  Anyways, she forced me under her ribs like she was putting just my head in a prison, and that's when I learned the things I can't tell you.  I don't know how long I was trapped, but then this golden light pulled me back to reality.  This woman - her name is Wes, by the way - came into the mine, and the light was shooting from her hands.  She slammed Ferique against the wall with her...magic, I guess?  She then told me to not say a word to you about what I know now, and then she put me to sleep.  And now here we are."

        "Do you know why you can't tell me?"

        "It's really, really hard to understand.  We aren't ready, but Ferique forced me to know.  Wes was trying to stop it, but she was too busy in another dimen..." Daryl's words flowed away, and he blinked a couple times before getting back to work consuming his food.

        Al put his hands, now clasped, on the table and eyes Daryl down, his pupil dialating to three times their normal size.  "I want to know."

        Daryl shakes his head and gets up from the table.  He speedwalks out the door but immediately returns, his cheeks drained.  "Chill, chill!" he gasps.