Araceli

15- Sirenized (edited)

-Joshua (third person)-

Standing in front of his mirror, Joshua's eyes were finding their way back to the spot that had reddened on his complexion. It looked like a stamp. How could he see the raw emotions put into a slap that had landed on his face?

What did she feel? Was it disgust or disappointment? Sadness maybe?

He didn't know how the lowly emotions worked; all he had ever felt was anger.

He grinned at the thought. There was something extraordinary put into the simplicity of that grin. It was amusing. His thoughts roamed back to her crazy eyes when she held the tip of that sharp pen against his neck. When he wanted her to drive it through and draw enough blood. He saw freedom in death for a brief second.

If he had died, every time he had made sure to keep himself safe before meeting Meredith would be of no use. All the people that have died trying to kill him wouldn't have died in vain.

Why did I want to die in her hands? Why did I let myself be carried away with the delusion of attaining freedom if I no longer existed? Illusions are fragile, easily broken and Meredith is an illusion too. She needs to die, not me. Joshua pondered as the words of Arthur Koestler filled the space in his thoughts.

'Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion'

He ran his hand through the silky strands falling over his forehead, nearly hiding away his sharp eyes. No matter how much he waited for his skin to go back to normal, it all ended to no avail. Having a pale complexion was the cherry on top. It always takes a while to heal and a slap with that strength was not a joke. That woman put all her frustration into it.

I could take this as an excuse to stop this coverage right here. He mulled over, slightly tilting his head when he heard a knock.

"What is it," he responded. Kier gave him a confused look when his eyes landed on his overly red cheek.

"What happened to your face?" Kier inquired.

Joshua wasn't in the mood to answer. It's not like he could go ahead and tell him he got hit by a mad woman. "Nevermind that. What are you here for?" he asked, trying to soften his tone laced with enmity. Kier broke his posture. Now he was going to have a rendezvous with Joshua not as a guard or a secretary but as a friend.

"I don't think what you're doing is right." He exhaled facing Joshua.

Joshua knew what he meant so he decided to stay quiet. "You know how hard this is. There are so many obstacles. You can never reveal too much so just end it without being the bad person like always,"

"You think being a bad person bothers me?" He could almost bury Kier with the look he had on. Joshua had a lot to deal with and a lecture from Kier was just an addition. He knew well that Kier would step in when he was going overboard with something. Because he could do it. He could feel what Joshua couldn't. Compassion and whatnot. It had started to bother Joshua. He's awfully concerned about that woman.

Who the hell was she to him anyway? Just a nagging and annoying journalist. She's putting so much into a 'coverage' that's a joke to Joshua. "Well, I don't know what happened but she's not a bad person," Kier put a hand on Joshua's shoulder and looked Into his eyes. He had said too little. But it's as they say.

Sometimes saying too little is saying a lot.

The problem was that Joshua knew too well at this point. He knew too well what she was. That woman had made Joshua turn his decisions around. Made him talk and acknowledge her existence. And to top it off, she even threatened and laid her hands on his body.