The Ballad of a Buried Beast

Chapter 24.

When I finally came to, I did so atop the fur-riddled aged mattress of Mal's room. How I got here was a mystery to me, but if the searing headache I had garnered anything it was probably because I passed out. Or, at least that's what made the most sense; the rims around my eyes were still moist. Taking a heavy breath, I pushed myself into a sitting-up position and groaned. My throat ached as I rubbed my dull-burning forehead. Quietly, I wondered if-

"-Would you just give it a rest already?!"

The shout beyond the paper divider made my head throb, but at least I had my answer.

"No, now tell Malo about Chloe!"

"Ask ya boyfriend!"

"No, Jack is asleep!"

A loud groan bellowed from outside the room. It seemed that in my absence the tension had only grown. As I got onto my feet, two more voices added themselves to the conflict.

"Why don't we just tell her?"

"-Tell what? The tech-demon? Are you fucking stupid?"

"Why not? Ain't she already part'a the crew?"

It was Samuel followed by Jason, the two butting heads over whether or not Mal would be allowed to know the truth of Chloe. For a moment, when I heard Jason's voice I felt my heart spark in anger. But, no, I quickly quelled it. In truth, holding onto what I just finished shouting over didn't seem nearly as worthwhile anymore. If anything, I even felt some shame; I couldn't remember the last time I'd spoken Chloe's name, and the fact that it was out of anger and to make a muck of things didn't help. My tongue felt cold because of it.

"-Who the fuck decided that?! Hell no it ain't part of the crew, it isn't even-"

"She," the static voice corrected.

"Oh, fuck off with that already!"

I pulled aside the paper divider and made my way into the small hallway, clutching my head as I neared the rising argument. Mal wasn't letting up, but equally Jason wasn't backing down. It was like the two only grew louder as the topic prevailed. A part of me almost found it funny. Maybe if Mal was human or Jason was different the two combatants would've made good friends. Or, if given time, maybe they still could.

"Tell Malo who Chloe is!" she demanded, lights flickering as the familiar droning hum grew behind her voice. "Jack is upset because of Chloe, yes? Colored men make Malo upset--a-and sad! If Chloe is like colored men then Malo will-"

"Will what?" Jason crossed his arms as he confronted her, "Huh? What will 'Malo' do?" he half-mocked.

I stood by the counter as Mal fell silent, my presence going unnoticed as the two sides stared daggers into one-another. The commonspace stood in a creaking standstill as Mal blocked the door, the two ferociously keeping eye contact as Gabriel and Samuel sat aside in contemplative silence. Their eyes were to the ground, and while Samuel's hands were clasped in thought Gabriel's left leg was bouncing.

"She-..." conflict patterned out in Mal's eyes as she stared at Jason. Eventually, she shook her head, "Mal does not know! But, Chloe has made Jack upset, and Malo--she-, she does not like it. Honey cannot be saddened--Jack cannot-... Malo will figure something out. For-, for Jack!" she exclaimed, her eyes darting around the three as if for approval. Her voice buzzed out of the phone in her hand like an out-of-frequency radio, "If 'Chloe' is like colored men, then Malo will just-... Malo can just handle Chloe like colored men, yes? Malo can k-"