Soul Ringer BoyxBoy

Soul Ringer 6

-6- Death

As I sat there watching the star rotate ever so slowly I got the sense that I was no longer alone. I got to my feet cursing my stiff body. As scanned the walls and shadow ridden alleys around me I saw no one. Bu the feeling was there; I knew somewhere just beyond my sight someone was slinking around in the dark.

Then I realized I didn’t bring a weapon. I cursed out loud this time. I couldn’t believe I’d been that stupid!

“You do have a weapon,” the voice came from somewhere very, very close; maybe a mere foot away. I nearly jumped out of my skin at its impossible nearness. It giggled. “How do expect to kill another man with thoughts like that running through your head?”

I glanced around frantically, backing away from the spot I’d stood in. “Who’s there?” I yelled out. “Show yourself.”  It scared me that it seemed to know what I was thinking. How was that possible?

“When someone is so close to me it’s always possible,” the female voice answered the question I’d only thought in my mind. “Running won’t help, Raymm, silly child. Running will never help.”

I froze. Those few words struck me like a punch to the gut. Whoever she was, she had a point. What would running do? If I ran all these people would die, Simon would die.

“Then what should I do?” I asked, interest piquing.

“What do you think you should do? You should decide what it is you’re prepared to do; prepared to sacrifice. Those aren’t decisions others should be allowed to make for you,” she answered, making my mind spin with the overload of thoughts that entered my head. “What do you want Raymm?”

“I-I don’t know…” True as the answer was, it wasn’t an acceptable one. What did I want to do with my life? Should I fight?

“Decide carefully. Even if you’re not truly the leader, those people will still believe you are.” Then it was as if she just vanished, I could feel the space in my mind and the air around me become vacant; or was I just insane?

I tucked the experience to the back of my mind for now. At the moment I had to get back to see Simon off… and to get ready to kill someone. I needed to focus.

By the time I entered the tent the sun had risen to peek over the horizon but hadn’t yet broken free of it. My head felt like a block of lead sitting on my shoulders. It thrummed with a nasty headache and no matter how much I tried; I couldn’t rein in my thoughts. Too much was going on right now for me to think clearly.

Jay was outside talking to some people and didn’t pay me any attention as I walked into the tent and straight to Simon and I’s makeshift room.

He was sitting up with his back to me, although he knew when I entered the room. Lifting his head and turning it slowly, he fixed me with his uninjured eye. I held my breath, waiting for him to say something, anything.

“What have you gotten yourself into?” he said after a tense moment with a sigh. Grimacing he got to his feet and limped over to me.

I could see the cost of it in his eyes, but I didn’t stop him from coming to me. Gently, he cupped my cheek with his hand. Then he pinched it painfully. I glared at him before letting the smile cross my face.

“You really should’ve just forgotten about me,” he whispered to himself.

I wrapped my arms around him and rested my forehead on his shoulder. His warm scent filled my nose, making me inhale deeply, wanting to get as much of it as I could before they ripped him away from me. He used his left hand to stroke my hair comfortingly.