Shadows of Death

Chapter 3(Christopher section 10)

Christopher perked up his ears. He listened to every word that come out from Jack's mouth.

"For example, she always told me not to wear short-sleeved shirts. She always said: 'Why do you wear short-sleeved shirts? Why do you wear T-shirt? Don't you know you can't wear short-sleeved shirts?' I didn't understand my mother's meaning and when I asked why, she answered: 'This sign needs to be hidden. They might be curious.' However, sometimes I doubted my mother's mental health. She talked about Daevas and Peris sometimes.

"Of course, taking about this issue was once in a while and just between us, but in her last days of life she talked every day about Daevas and Peris. I think she was just delirious because of her overworking and her illness. I mean, where are Daevas and Peris?! Of course Daevas and Peris are real. Even Genghis Khan knows they are real, but just in the novels."

He laughed crazily, as though his mother talked about Daevas and Peris with him just now! After hearing this Christopher thought deeply about what Jack said, but his desire to hear the rest of his words had not diminished.

Jack wiped the smile off his lips and with a serious tone said: "In the last month of her life she asked me for a strange and ridiculous promise. She took me to her side and swore to me if I saw someone who had the same sign on his or her wrist, I had to be a brother to him or her! Can you believe it? Be a brother?! And when she realized that I didn't understand anything she said, she just said if I saw someone who had this sign I needed to behave like a real brother to him or her. Because probably my life was related to whoever had a sign like this. God bless my mother. She had a bad disease. I think these words were born from her imagination, although I still promised to her. I promised if one day I saw anyone who had this sign I would even sacrifice my life for him or her! I had to give her such a promise. I just wanted to do something for her in her last days."

He shrugged and continued: "Oh, my dear mother! God bless you. What a nonsense promise you asked me."

Then as he laughed he said to Christopher: "Well, give me the rest of my money. Cough up the money you owe me! I told you everything I know, buddy!"

But Christopher's mind was elsewhere. In appearance he was in the room but within he was thousands of miles away. The day when he realized Charlie had such a sign on his wrist, he knew that he had to go and find him. He thought their fate was tied together. He even he swore an oath of brotherhood with him to watch and care about him whenever and wherever, just like a real brother. Just like what Jack's mother asked him.

Why? Because their lives were related to each other? It was just conjecture that he had about Charlie, and now he had to have something like this for Jack, too! Then he remembered what the queen of the Peris said him about that sign: "The importance of this sign is more related to me than you."

Gradually he began to realize that this sign was related to Daeva and Peris more than to himself. But why them? And why was this sign imprinted on his wrist?

He returned to the room by the warning voice of Jack: "Hey. Why are you staring like a sucker? I want my money. Can you hear me?"

He threatened Christopher with a loud voice but didn't have enough daring to snatch the bills out of Christopher's hand. Maybe he was afraid of another mighty kick in his abdomen.

Christopher stared into Jack's eyes. He still saw the greed in his eyes. But before he put the bills in his hand, he rolled up his coat sleeve slightly. Christopher raised his left hand and showed his wrist to him.

Jack was aghast. His mouth hung open in wonder. His eyes stared at the crescent sign. With difficultly, tripping over his words, he said: "You...you...No...That...That is impossible."

Christopher with an astonished smile said: "Are you still loyal to your promise to your mother?"