The Magician

Chapter 11

The night was quiet and still. The graveyard was in peace, as if all the people laying underneath the ground were actually sleeping.

There was the noise of the crickets, and the short creak of the metal gate that opened and closed as Alejandro walked in. He moved carefully among the gravestones, careful to not step on them, and made his way to the other side. Once he got to a specific grave, he stopped. There were flowers planted near it and small bouquets placed on it from other visitors. Alejandro moved them a bit to make sure he was at the right place.

Alden Elio Bouras

7th August 1989

18th September 2014

Seeing those words hurt his heart for the thousandth time. He sighed, sitting down in front of the grave. "Hey buddy it's... been a while..." His gaze was towards the ground, his voice soft and sorrowful. After a moment, he looked up at the starry night sky.

- Hey.

The voice from the back startled Alejandro. He looked around to see who it was.

A few steps away, there was a young man standing. His skin was pale and he seemed to have a white aura around him. He stepped closer and sat down. "Nice of you to visit."

- Nice of you to come out...

There was a moment of silence between the two, until the new boy spoke again, his gaze towards his grave. "So, how's life been going?" Alejandro sighed. "I dunno Alden. It's pretty much been the same since you left."

- And how has it been since I left?

Alejandro shrugged. "Nothing happens really."

- Any new friends?

Alejandro slowly shook his head. "Well," he said after a moment of hesitation. "I've met someone, but, I don't know if we're considered friends or not."

There was a vague smile on Alden's face; vague and proud. "It still counts!" He said with a cheery voice. "Yeah I guess, but..." Alejandro's voice faded out. "But what?" Alden asked.

- I don't know if it's a good idea or not! Befriending her I mean. She visited me the other day!

Alden laughed. "Well that's great! What's the problem with that?? You've been lonely for too long, my guy! You really need to socialize at least a bit."

"Well..." Before Alejandro could say anything, Alden gasped. "Wait! You said she.... so it's a girl, right? Do you know if she's single?"

- Uh... I think? I mean she never really mentioned anything abou...

- Well if she is, then maybe you could, you know! Ask her out or something?

"What??? No!!" Alejandro stuttered . "I mean, I don't... I I'm not saying I don't like her... not that I do! I mean, I just..." He stopped , took a deep breath in and let it out, frustrated, then started speaking with a calmer voice. "What I'm saying is, she is a good friend and I've nothing against her, I just don't want to go out with anyone yet. That's all really. Also, for what you said earlier, it's not a matter of liking or not liking. It's a matter of, um, safety, I guess." After that, they didn't say anything.

A wind blew and moved the leaves on the tree. They two boys were sitting quietly, enjoying the peaceful ambiance. That was, until, something happened. Alejandro felt a deep and burning pain in his chest, as if a fist with claws had gripped his heart strongly and wouldn't let go. His vision went blurry and it seemed like everything around him was moving. His ears started ringing.

The last thing he saw was Alden's worried face. He didn't seem pale anymore, he looked as real as ever. And then he blacked out.

When he opened his eyes, he was facing the stars and his back was on the ground, breathing heavily. He looked to his right; Alden was gone.