Across Acheron

Session 8

I did eventually find out what Keenan really was.

I’m not going to tell you if he actually had enough balls to say it to my face since I still value his pride, but I will tell you about the time I finally made my decision on whether he was human or not.

It all started a few minutes after my pre-blackout in the kitchen. Neither of us mentioned anything about what we had said to each other as I opened the fridge door and grabbed Cillian’s beer. Keenan was obviously carrying some baggage of his own, probably things I’d never understand. So I didn’t bother asking, because I knew he’d hate me if I ever lied and told him, I get it.

That was the exact reason why he never asked me anything either. We had a mutual understanding; a silent agreement to never say what shouldn’t be said. I broke that rule a few times, I will admit, but Keenan never hit me for it like Cillian did.

It’s not like I did it on purpose, though. I’m just a curious bastard. Most may think that I liked getting into trouble; as if I lived for the thrill of getting my face smashed every second of the day. But those people don’t know shit. I don't like trouble. I'm just good at finding it.

Keenan followed me all the way to Cillian’s room before grabbing the bottle from my hands. “I’ll give it to him,” he said. “You still look like crap; it’ll raise questions that you don’t want to answer.”

I opened my mouth to argue but thought better of it. I stood in the hall ineptly as Keenan opened the door and slipped through, shutting it as soon as he was in. I never actually went into Cillian’s room, you see. I wasn’t allowed. If Cillian needed something from me, he’d rather go to the door than have me walking into his room.

I wasn’t at all curious by what was in there, though. Hell, I was too scared to know.

It took Keenan a few minutes to come out again. After shutting the door, he gestured to my room.

“You need some rest,” was all he told me.

The awkwardness around us was sickening. It was laced with the oxygen, stinging my nostrils and tightening my lungs with each breath I took. I started feeling extremely uncomfortable around him and even in my own body, but I made sure not to let it show.

I followed Keenan’s instructions and lay down on the bed. He did exactly what I didn’t want him to do; he parked himself right beside me. My heart started beating as fast as a jackhammer and if you were there, you would have smelt the sweat that rolled off of me. But Keenan made no show of disgust or repugnance. Instead, he leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes, holding a smile so faint that I thought I imagined it.

“Relax, Jack. You’re making me tense.”

He didn’t look tense at all, but I dropped my shoulders anyway. I couldn’t get my hands to stop gripping the sheets, though. I was too afraid of what would happen if I did.

“D-do you want a drink?” I tried asking him. The scent of his skin was driving me crazy all of a sudden. Damn, what a rush.

“I don’t need one.”

I shot straight up from the pillow. “Well I’m kind of thirsty, so I’ll just—”

“I’m confused, Jack,” Keenan spoke up, making me freeze. “I’ve never been confused before. I’ve always known how things would go about and where I would be months from now. But lately, I find myself getting surprised every day. It’s pissing me off.”

I sighed and scratched the back of my neck; a nervous habit. “I don’t understand a word you’re saying, to tell you the truth.”

“I never planned for things to turn out this way,” Keenan continued as if I hadn’t said anything. “I never planned for you to show up.”