Death Becomes Us

Chapter Ten (Pt. 2)

I lean against a massive pillar on the side of the Lincoln Memorial, balancing an apple on my knuckles as I watch dusk rise like a bruise in the sky. From my isolated alcove it is easy to observe, without notice, the evening crowds milling about the deepening shadows of the Grecian-influenced building. There is a security in seeing them go about their lives, their chatter drifting through the air like undulating waves.

For the moment, I am left to my own devices, Marcus having departed for an appointment barely a minute ago. He was reluctant to leave; he is still certain that I will seek out Donovan and confront him over my missing memories. I suppose he isn't altogether wrong about that.

The sun melts beyond the horizon and there is a uniformed, electrical clack from somewhere in the building; bright lights spring to life within the Memorial and around its pillars. Out to the right, lamp posts pop into existence along the Reflection pool and I see the Washington Monument blaze up in a pillar of light. It is in the same moment that the marble wall beside me opens up with a sound like shattered glass and Marcus staggers out, bracing himself on the column opposite from me. He tries to crack a grin, but it falters.

"Missed me?" he gasps.

"Terribly," I say, biting into my apple.

"Still moping around here I see," he says, looking out towards the reflection pool. "Are you going to spend forever thinking about that girl?"

I frown at him, once again studying his appearance as I had with every fractured return to my side he has made. The shadows beneath his eyes are heavier, his shin greyer, and his clothes no longer fit tightly against him.

"I've only been here five minutes, Marcus." I say.

"Oh right, right," he nods, rubbing his head. "Sorry...It just feels like it's been longer."

"I wonder what could be causing that..."

He catches me scrutinizing him and I swallow hard when I see how sunken his face had become. The angel I had first met is slowly fading away into a servant of Death. Marcus looks away and lifts the sagging collar of his shirt over his bony shoulder, absently fiddling with my pocket watch and setting it.

"Don't waste that apple," he says.

A fracture opens below him and he jumps without another word only to reappear seconds later, stepping out of the wall.

"You're really taking your time eating that, aren't you?" he comments.

I survey my bitten apple; it was already turning brown. Before I can reply I hear the splintering sound of the fracture and he is gone again. Marcus returns as I am taking my second bite and leaves when I am still chewing. I begin to count his jumps within a minute and silently watch as his appearance gradually deteriorates. It's like watching a stop motion picture; sometimes he smiles, sometimes he says something like we're having a conversation, and sometimes he can't even look at me.

Sixty three jumps to one minute. He is breaking.

I drop my apple and stand as the fracture opens once more in front of the opposite column. He pitches out from the howling vortex and I lunge forward, catching him as he raises the pocket watch to activate another gateway. I grit my teeth against a surge of electricity passing between us and grab his wrists, holding them immobile.

"Enough," I say when he tries to resist. "You can't do this anymore. You can't keep trying to be with me and with the whole world at once."

"But you can't be left alone," Marcus argues, his voice crackling like old parchment. "Donovan might find you or you might find him. Just let me go, James. I can do this. I can be here and there..."