Raising Hell

Sacrificing Blood

AUTHORS NOTE: This chapter is dedicated to my mother. Thanks for reading my work with such enthusiasm and support.

"What ever happened to Ben?" I ask Jake as we walk down the hall. He lets out a loud sigh and rubbed his temples.

"He blames himself for what happened. He attempted suicide and I caught him in time and sent him to the hospital. He's been there ever since." He tells me solemnly.

"It's not his fault."

"Try telling him that. I've been trying for a week and a half." He says.

"Come with me?" I ask, pointing to the direction of the hospital.

"Sure."

We walk through the halls and eventually get to his room. The door is closed but classical music blares through the cracks. I give Jake a confused look and he shrugs. He knocks on the door. The music stops immediately and a soft voice makes it through the door.

"Come in." A crackled voice speaks. Jake opens the door and goes through with me going behind him. The room is sterile white with a bed in the middle. In the bed Ben lays looking blankly at a picture on the wall. His lips were flat and his eyes were empty. His body looked frail under the light blankets. His hair was greasy and glued to his pale forehead.

"Ben?" Jake tries. Ben looks up from the painting and smiles at us.

"Visitors?" He asks.

"Hey Ben." I say as I sit down on the edge of his bed. He looks at me and squints his eyes, as if he didn't recognize me.

"Alex?" He asks confusedly. I furrow my eyebrows at Jake and he shakes his head at me. I turn back to Ben and smile at him.

"How are you, Ben?" I ask.

"I've been better."

"Haven't we all?" I say and he chuckles.

"Why are you here, Ben?" I ask. He looks at me and then back at the painting.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He asks not breaking his stare. The painting was a lake in the morning. The mist hung low over the water and the sun peaked through the pine trees. The weeds in the water waved in the wind and the grass was a brilliant green. The water sparkled in the sunshine as if there were diamonds floating. "I wish the world was still beautiful like that." He breathes sadly.

"Ben." I say and he looks at me. I kneel by him on the floor and hold his clammy hand. "Why are you here Ben?" I ask and he looks at Jake then back at me.

"I think you're asking a question you already know the answer to."

"It wasn't your fault." I insist.

"People tell me that everyday, Alex."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Don't lie to me!" He raises his voice as he sits straighter in his bed. Jake grabs me forearm and pulls me up.

"I think we should go." Jake whispers in my ear. I nod and turn to Ben.

"Feel better." I say and walk out the door with my hand clenching onto Jake's.

******

I wake up in the early morning. Jake left to his own room late last night and the bed felt cold and lonely without him in it. I took a shower and quickly got ready. I took my water bottle and headed out the door.

The training room felt different to me. Now that I've been in a real battle it no longer felt exciting or tempting. It looked synthetic and simple to me, an easy puzzle that takes only seconds to put together. I put my water bottle in the corner and drag out a punching bag from the storage room. I hang it up on the chain and stretch my arms. I start throwing out punches, softly at first to avoid muscle tearing. Then I begin to go harder and faster causing my knuckles to bleed. I ignore the pain and practically welcome it. It's nothing compared to the pain I've felt and it seems juvenile to me. A paper cut or a scrape on my knee.