Indigo Shadow - Hemlock

Chapter 21

Hemlock awoke to intense sunshine, filling his vision with peach light from his closed eyelids. Stirring, he reached over and felt cold sheets. His eyes flashed open and he saw a steady stream of sunlight pouring in from the open balcony door. Nox was gone. Hemlock assumed that it was near noon, because of the angle of the sun. It was a clear day, blue skies, and puffy clouds floated by; blue jays were calling down the mountainside and crows cawed in the distance.

Slowly getting up, he stretched and stared at the hand that had held Nox's. His heart clenched once more, but he shook his head and went to the kitchen to make some coffee. There was a note left on top of the coffee pot, the beautiful calligraphy was clearly Nox's.

Hemlock, please don't do anything reckless. I have a feeling we will get this thing resolved very soon, and I will be there along the way to help. Wait for me. Please.

Hemlock smiled to himself and stuck the note on the fridge. He needed to reconcile with Jacoby and Ange. He also felt a longing in his gut to see Loretta again. He had a responsibility to help her move on, and it needed to happen soon. He went to look for the note he had left for Nox and found that it was gone from its hidden spot in the back of Hemlock's hallway closet; he also found the charred bits of his letter to Ange and Jacoby in the wastebin. Hemlock grimaced at the thought of what he had almost done last night, but relaxed he thought of Nox's stern yet somehow comforting face. When Nox was around, he felt secure and stable for once.

And for some reason, being with Nox had somehow made his hunger and his thirst return. He happily drank his steaming cup of coffee while nibbling a bagel with cream-cheese. Yet, when he returned to the fridge, he knew that many of these things needed to be disposed of. He wouldn't need them soon; leave only what Jacoby needed. Everything he owned could fit in a box or two; and the rest he would leave for his best friend. And the idea of that used to scare him... but not anymore.

<*>

It was the last week of October, and the town was almost perpetually in a shroud of fog. Winter's grip was tightening day by day; an impending snowstorm, scheduled for the day after Halloween, would wipe away any trace that autumn had come. Ange was home, still resting from the horrific debacle in Howling, and much to Hemlock's surprise, nothing had come from the event which happened at the Lodge. Ange had not told anyone what really transpired, but that could easily change. The hospital wanted him to wear a neck brace, but being Ange, he refused to wear it because he wanted to appear as if nothing had happened.

Hemlock gulped, wanting to give him space, but the impatience of their reunion ached in his mind. He had to set things right. If his brother wanted to press charges, he would agree and let him call the police. If Ange wanted Hemlock to move, he would have no objections. Hemlock would do anything, as long as it made Ange feel safe.

He was just about to leave to go see Ange when Jacoby stepped out of his room, with a look of determination on his face. From the looks of it, he had been up all night, either because of his work, or because of everything Hemlock put him through. Hemlock felt himself well up, but knew he needed to have a real talk with Jacoby; the two hadn't spoken since the hospital very much. Jacoby went to sit on the couch, and invited Hemlock to join him with an extended hand. It was now or never... and Jacoby meant too much to him to block him out of his life because of his own actions.

"Jack..." Hemlock started, but he choked. He placed a hand momentarily upon his best friend's shoulder, swallowing the lump in his throat.

But then Jacoby held up a hand, his eyes scanned nothingness, and Hemlock knew this meant he was trying to place his words correctly before speaking. Hemlock didn't realize he had been holding his breath, for when Jacoby finally spoke, he exhaled loudly, and couldn't help himself as he felt a smirk cross his lips. Jacoby smiled comfortingly and rubbed his scratchy chin. "I know you think I'm mad at you. I was, but not anymore, Hem. Ange told me some things... and I want to know if what he says is true." Jacoby started, he rubbed his neck in anticipation. "He said it wasn't you that strangled him... that it was something else? A spirit?" His eyes flashed bright green in the afternoon sunlight.