Before a Once Upon A Time

A Single Lamp - A Sinister Realization

Story 2 - A Single Lamp

Part 2 - A Sinister Realization

He was wrong. The very day he formed that thought, the thought that he would never know, a young 10 year old boy came to his house, looking for him. When the servants told him so, he was perplexed.

Why was a street urchin here? And not only that, but a 10 year old street urchin? Even when he had associated with them, he had never...oh.

The boy. The boy that was silent, that the girl had protected. He hurried to go see his guest. Why was he here, after so long in silence? What had possessed the child to seek out his help? And, out of everyone’s in the whole world, why his?

This question was answered quickly too, the first words spoken by the boy, almost seeming to read his mind. “My sister. She is sick. The doctors say she will not live much longer. She has been asking for you. Please come."

Gene was torn. Did he really want to get dragged back into a world that had hated him, a world that he had left as quickly as possible when he had finally realized what he was doing? And yet, a nagging thought pulled at him. If it hadn't been for this girl, would he have ever left that life behind? Truly? Would he have ever had the courage to leave what he was familiar with, even if he had finally realized it was bad for him? He doubted it. He knew in that moment that he had really already decided what he was going to do, despite the swirling doubts held at the back of his head.

He followed the boy into the poor district, a place he had not been in years, hating his decision more and more. What was wrong with him? Why had he ever agreed to this? Why was he going to visit pond scum? Even if it was dying, was it worth his time? By the time he had reached the shack the girl was in, he had decided that it wasn't.

"I'm sorry."

The croaky, groggy words leaked from the shack's warped in door. This surprised him. Was this the same voice that had so strongly commanded him not even three years ago? He peeked his head inside the door and was horrified by what he saw. The girl was emaciated, her skin sunken in to reveal her bones. She coughed, a dry racking cough that Gene would bet was especially painful because it seemed like it was supposed to be a wet cough but there wasn't enough moisture left in her to supply this. Her hand came away bloody. She wiped it on the sheets which he realized now where covered in rust colored stains, probably from days worth of this.

"Hours." She croaked.

"What?" He puzzled, confused.

"This is from a few hours worth. I'm dying faster and faster as time goes by. At first it wasn't very much, but now I also only have hours left. I wanted to talk with you and apologize. The reason your life changed - it wasn't due to your choice, but to a spell I placed on you with my words. I didn't know I was doing it, but that is no excuse, not really. I learned later what had happened, but by then I was already too weak to change it. You see, I have the ability to control my life energy and create spells from it. And I used all my energy to create and sustain the one that was been keeping you sane. So, I want to say I'm sorry, not for putting the spell on you, but for being unable to keep it there. When I die, you will lose your sanity again. You will become what you were before, one way or another. I’m sorry I couldn't help you more. I am. But now, it is my time to go. I won't ask you to take care of my brother, because I don't want him with you. Well, not the you you'll be when I die. I like the you you are now. But my brother wouldn't be safe with you after I die, and I would die feeling guilty for another sin. So please, take him away from me, far away, some place he will be safe even after you revert. He doesn't need to see me die. And while I would love to see him as I die, he doesn't need the mental scars of it. He doesn't need to lose me either. But that's the way things are."

"Why don't you just remove the spell?"

"It wouldn't do anything at this point. I would gain maybe a minute of life and you would lose hours of sanity. I trust that you will use those hours well."

"I have one more question. Why did you always come to sit with us? There were many safer places in the world, even on the streets. Why with us?"

She smiled a bit, a sick looking expression on someone as skinny as her."I saw you and became fascinated. I fell in love."

It was only then that Gene realized why her presence had affected him so much. It was because in his sick, perverted, messed up way, he was also in love with her. He realized that her control must be fading though, because he felt his thoughts switching between love and disgust and every time he shifted back to love, he understood she was dying a little more to bring him back, which made him love her even more, infinitely more. How could he ever be disgusted with someone willing to give so much to ensure that he was okay? It was insanity! How could he ever be in love with something so weak, dirty, disgusting? What was wrong with him, thinking it was possible? He was crazy!