Midale

Chapter Twenty-One: Every Man's Family (Part 3)

As I fell to my impending death, my brain shut most of its parts. I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing.

And then when I gained that ability back, I was standing safely on solid ground. I looked around myself, confusion and fear finally striking me. There was a sound coming from somewhere above me and then it got louder and I finally recognized what it was. Screaming.

Before I had anytime to think or react, Joe landed infront of me with a loud thump, his skull cracking open. A cry escaped my throat and I quickly looked away, tears running down my face freely.

"Oh my god." I tried to sniff back my sob.

My knees failed under me and I collapsed beside Joe's lifeless body.

"I am so sorry." I cried, wrapping my hands around my head. I could smell the metallic tinge in the scarlet liquid flowing out from under Joe. My body threw up some of the water I had had before, while in the river, but nothing else came out from my empty stomach.

My head whipped to the side when I heard a sound in the direction. I couldn't see anything beyond the little space that was lit by the world above through the crack. It was like a small, horizontal spotlight.

My first instinct was to try to teleport out of there, just like I had teleported inside. Then, I heard a voice. Low at first, but then it got louder and I recognized it being male, judging from its deep pitch.

"W-who's there?"

No reply came but then a shadow appeared on the stone wall in front of me. The man walked out into the light, his eyes analyzing Joe's corpse.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He said, his eyes turning to me. They were dark brown, just like his skin. His shirt was dirty and torn in places while his pants were covered in blotches of mud. He looked older than me, about the same age as Emma.

"Who are you?"

"Do you need help getting up?" He asked instead.

I gulped down my sorrow and never-ending guilt as I painfully pulled myself up.

"Who are you?" I repeated, this time adding more force to my voice.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"It's a been a while since I last spoke to someone living."

"What do you mean?" I inquired, taking a cautionary step back. The fact that he decided to dodge my question every time did not make me feel any safer.

He noticed my retreat and held up both hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said it like even the thought of it was ridiculous.

"Then why won't you answer me? Who are you and what are you doing here, a hundred feet underground."

There was something in his eyes, it could have been sorrow or even regret but it was hard to tell in the dimness.

"I made bad choices and now I'm facing the consequences." His features had gone hard and now there was a darker look on his face.

"That doesn't tell me anything." I said. I was tired of his twisted answers, never to the point.

He looked up, his face void of any emotion. I waited for a reply but it never came as he retreated back into the darkness.

"Hey!" I shouted after him in desperation.

Sudden brightness spread through the place like a wave and I had to shield my eyes with my arm to keep them from going blind. When I opened then again, they went wide.