Dalliance

Twenty-one

I was back in the library. Sheer anger washed over me rooting itself deep within me. I turned flustered at Judge who stood putting books away a few feet from me.

"Why would you do that?" I hissed.

"You're welcome." He grumbled putting book after book in its proper order.

"Why take me from the battle field?" I spat.

Judge looked at me like I was crazy, "He was going to kill you."

"Or maybe I would have killed him!"

Judge snorted, "Oh yeah, absolutely." He held up his hand making an 'okay' symbol and closing one of his eyes nodding his head at me while puckering out his lips.

"I had him!" I threw my sword to a pile of books, "Now he's out there still killing innocent people!"

"Like the people you sent to their death?" Judge asked standing on his tip toes to put a large book away. He was so casual talking to me.

"They were fighting for a good cause!"

"Were being the operative word here." Judge said climbing up the book case to better shove the book into its spot.

"Hey they wanted to go fight! I didn't ask them to! I didn't force them to!" I snapped.

"Well that makes it better." Judge said tilting his head to the side as he climbed back down.

I stared at him taking a deep breath and letting it out quickly, "If you have something to say to me then just say it."

Judge looked at me smiling, "Okay. You're an idiot."

I rolled my eyes at him crossing my arms in front of my chest, "Anything else you want to add to that?"

"Yeah" Judge put the book he was holding back down and turned to me walking in my direction. He stood in front of me poking my chest with his bony finger, "You're so caught up in your head you don't think about others. You're so busy trying to fight by yourself you don't see the people all around you trying to help. You want to go in sword swinging but you don't want to do the work. You want everything to just magically be fixed because you want it that way. You think you're the only person that's lost someone. You think you're the only person that's hurting. You think you're the only person going through a trial. Well guess what? You're not. A lot of people have died today. A lot of people that went to war because they wanted to help you out. And now they are all dead because you wouldn't help them when they needed you back." There were tears at the edges of Judges eyes. He pushed them away quickly but they were there for the briefest of seconds, "This isn't all about you. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this has nothing to do with you. You just happen to be caught in it."

I stared at him with challenging eyes. I clenched my jaw tightly breathing harshly. Then I relaxed looking down at the ground breaking our eye contact first. I let my arms fall to my sides shaking my head as tears spilled down my cheeks.

"I just want everything back to where it use to be. I just want everyone to be okay. I would do anything for my family to be alive and well and at peace." I sniffled.

"There is a way to do this." Judge said placing his hand on my shoulder.

I felt broken. Suddenly the adrenaline that kept me going wore off and I felt so drained and tired. My eyes were exhausted. My side aches from where my rib was broken. My mouth hurt from clenching so tightly. All I wanted to do was lie down and rest. I had forgotten what a good nights sleep felt like. My head pounded and the ringing in my ears never went away. I looked at Judge with my blood shot eyes so weary. I nodded my head at him, "What do I have to do?" I asked, "Just tell me and I'll do it." I was too tired to fight anymore. It was time to submit.

"There is a way to bring everyone back." Judge began, "But in order to do this they have to be reset. They can't know what happened or they'll be consumed by it and die. They must change themselves on the inside first. They must resolve themselves before they can know about the evil." I nodded my head in confusion, "They can be brought back. But you can never see them again."

I shook my head, "What?"

"You already know what's going on. I can't return you back to the reset stage. You could do more damage than good."

"Then what? I just stay here forever?" I asked.

"Did I say that?" Judge replied.

"What's going to happen to me?" I asked again.

"Here we go again, me me me its always me me me." Judge said in a high pitched voice.

"Just tell me." I exasperated.

"You will be there with them. You just can't talk to them per say." Judge said smiling.

"What does that mean?" I peered at Judge cautiously.

"Do you remember that book your friend had?"

I thought about the giant book you held in your lap. You placed it in front of the graves at the memorial service. I looked at Judge who sat there smiling frantically. "Yes what about it?"

"You remember the book you read here?"

I thought about when you came and pointed out The Book to me and how when I went to read it I blacked out. I nodded my head again "Yes what about it?"

Judge clapped wildly laughing, "Don't you see?"

Annoyed I let out a huff, "No! I don't see!" I said angrily.

Judge rolled his eyes at me, "You imbecile! Think!"

I pondered about what he could possibly be getting at. I looked at him baffled, "The Book?" I asked.

Judge nodded his head manically throwing his head back in laughter. "It's you! It's always been you!" He began to clap and stomp his feet in excitement.

"Me?" I pointed to myself.

"You are the Book! All they have to do is read you and want to change! If they change they can change the world! Be the catalyst! Strengthen them! Encourage them! Show them to give their love to others and not to keep it for themselves!" Judge began to dance around me. "See? See now?" He chanted.

I looked at him and smiled thinking about all the times you were reading. I knew I could stay with you permanently if only I could get you to read the right book.

I frowned and began to tear up though. If I had always been in that Book then that meant you always knew this was going to happen. It means you knew and maybe you fought for a bit but in the end it didn't work.

"It doesn't work in the end." I whispered.

Judge stopped clapping and looked at me putting his hand on my shoulder again. "Then edit the ending." He said.

Author's note:
Hello my loves! How are we doing? Are we liking the story? Let me know in your comments and love up on me with some votes!!! Love you all :)