The Summoning

XII - Fields Of Elation

"We all went to Uni together." II started, waving his hand as he spoke. "Well, you call it college where you're from." 

IV whispered something to Vessel and when Vessel nodded, IV got up and left the room.

"With finals coming up and the stress of our lives, we sort of all drifted apart." II continued, his voice seeming to be lost in his reverie. "Vessel started having these dreams, these visions. He was becoming more and more isolated and it all seemed to go downhill all at once. He started hearing voices, seeing things. So, his parents took him to therapy and to get tests and it sort of only made it worse." 

Vessel shifted uncomfortably as if remembering what II described. II crawled out from under III and pulled Vessel close, letting III fall into his lap as Vessel's muscles untensed little by little.

"He said that there was some... entity coming to him in his dreams. After a while, he stopped coming to class, he stopped seeing anyone." II ran his fingers through Vessel's hair in contemplation. "The little he did tell us sounded crazy at the time."

Just as III began pulling Vessel's fingers out of a fist one by one, IV returned with a tray, setting it on III's nightstand. There was an old, steaming teapot and five mismatched tea or coffee cups with a little jar - presumably for sugar - and a carton of cream.  

"Then, Vessel was in an accident and he... wasn't going to make it. We were the ones that found him and the ambulance wasn't going to get there in time. That's when sleep made us an offer. Everything we were, everything we had done, we gave it up. Our names, our lives. All of us. And Sleep... Sleep brought him back to us. The God kept his voice, only giving it back for worship."

Silence ensued with II's words that stretched on between all of us. IV paused pouring tea into the cups to glance back at II just as II peered up at him.

"You're telling me that he was..." I started, swallowing before continuing as I processed what they were telling me. Vessel seemed to be glaring at me before IV walked over and tipped Vessel's chin up to get his attention, gently passing him a cup of steaming tea. "How long?"

They all seemed to realize what I was asking at once. The confused furrow on III's brow smoothing out before he looked down to his cup of tea handed to him by IV. For a moment, it was silent as IV bent to get another cup from the tray.

"Sixty six minutes." IV's voice was gruff as he stepped over to hand me a cup of tea and in lieu of a thanks, all I was able to give him were my wide, questioning eyes.

I wanted to ask how it happened, but couldn't make myself push the words past my lips. Did I want to know? He was gone for sixty six minutes before being brought back?

"So, you sold your souls to a God." I wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, more murmured to myself as I worked it all out.

"It was the best decision we've ever made." II stated firmly and I caught Vessel shooting his gaze over to II as if hearing it for the first time. The other two nodded in agreement.

I took a moment to take a sip of tea after trying to cool it off. It tasted of sweet licorice root and cream, warming me immediately.

"What happened after that?" I glanced back up to II, seeing as how he was the most willing to speak on it. "You said you gave up who you were..."

After a beat of silence, all of them seeming to think about the same thing, III sat up abruptly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." 

Standing up, he cupped his hands on either side of Vessel's head and placed a kiss on his forehead before picking up his tea and leaving the room.