The Shadow

Chapter 5 (To Clear This Out)

Paul was attending the literature class. Now, the word 'attending' did not exactly suit in here for he was barely awake while the teacher was talking about his love for 'Wuthering Heights'. He kept his mind awake though as he focused his attention on the cover of his copy and thought about how they would be able to find out about his mother. He wanted answers to the questions that tortured him all these years and now, with John's help he could maybe find them out.

John seemed like the perfect friend he could have asked for. Willing to help and get in trouble with him. He wished he could meet John alive, so he could touch, smack and hug him instead of just talking to him, knowing that if he tried to do anything as close as touching he would only feel a cold, senseless body. He could not help but think though of John as lively as any boy he knew.

The voices started the talking in his head, and he could not help but huff in annoyance. Right then, it felt even more difficult to concentrate in class. He stared at the empty notebook in front of him, took his pen in his left hand and ghosted a smile.

***

"I meant to tell you, I wrote down some things in my notebook. I told you they don't really make sense but I tried." Paul spoke slowly and sat up to take the notebook from his bag. John looked at him still laid down on the grass of the cemetery.

"Take a look." Paul handed the notebook to the older man.

"What the heck is this?" John shook his head in confusion and read again, this time, out loud. The words were written all over the page, messy and not in a particular order.

"Know the deadly colorless fault place forever in guilty Liverpool." he went on with the next messy sentence.

"Stop the ignoring haunted something house important from the our very tales is beginning the dead place people to never find forget what because you are long shameless for." he looked at Paul who only shrugged.

"You meet are in mad the to late the afternoon very full core moon dear mom." he looked up feeling dizzy, "What's going on in this head of yours man?" John dryly laughed.

"I told you they do not make sense. But there are always these words of guilt in the sentences. They blame me for what, I do not bloody know."

"Can I take it with me? Maybe I can figure something out. I'll tell you if I understand how this works. Maybe it's something like a coding system. I'll give it a try."

"Thank you John."

"What for?" John asked as he folded the paper and placed it in his pocket.

"For helping me. I trust you, like I've never trusted a friend."

"I am honored Paulie."

"You should be." Paul grinned and John smiled back in hesitance. After all this shit, he couldn't help the guilt in his throat trying to choke him for dear life.

***

John walked in the apartment to see his friend lying on the couch in the living room sketching down lazily on a paper sheet. The boy waved at him and focused again back on his work. John decided to sit down himself as well, realizing that he was just too tired mentally mostly.

The boy on the couch looked up at his friend and motioned him to start talking. He knew well enough when John Lennon had something to say. He could explain it like his aura was different. Either that or they had been friends for too long, so he knew him better than that.

John went on without talking, only taking out a folded paper from his pocket and passing it to the other boy. They looked at each other for a moment. John's eyes had something in them that the other boy could not really understand. Was it hope, excitement, a new, wild idea maybe? He knew for sure that it was something terrible though. He looked down and read the notes on the paper. As soon as he met John's gaze again he just shook his head and gave him back the paper.

John took it back and stood up to walk to the desk near him. He took out a notebook and a pen and started writing down the words on the paper once more.

The other walked to his place and sighed heavily.

"John, this makes no sense lad." The dark blonde boy whispered as he sat down beside his friend who was deep in thought, writing down the same things over and over again.

"Stuart, this is genius though. There's a hidden message in this. I'm sure." John spoke excitedly.

"No John. This is bullshit." No one said a thing for a moment. John looked down on his paper and tried out something new by erasing some words in the lines.

"You'll have to tell him eventually. He has to know the truth."

"Tell me about it Stu. It's not that easy you know."

"I see. But, listen to me for once in your bloody life my friend. This is going way too far."