Set Me Free

13. Dark Days

     "Dude, have you eaten anything for the past week?" I slumped down beside Apollos, who was weirding me out by reading "In Cold Blood". Who knew a supernatural reindeer would end up reading?

     "I ate grass," he tiredly muttered at me. "Go away."

     Jeez...I bit my lip and backed away to give somewhat of private space. Even without snapping at me, I could tell that Apollos was in a strange mood today, much different than his usual tired and chilled out attitude. I'm pretty sure it wasn't that normal for a reindeer to be reading such a morbid novel, but then again...Apollos, he was unique. Not just in a supernatural way.

     "Hey..." I made a nervous smile and grabbed my jacket from the spot beside him on the couch. "I-I think I'm going to go and shop for some-"

     "Whatever." He mumbled.

     "Okay," I bore my teeth in a nervous manner as I walked over to the door and slipped on my Converse sneakers. "I guess I'll be out for a bit then..."

     "That's fine." He said sharply with his eyes still glued to the book.

     I shut the door and locked it before heading down to the basement level to get into my car. I drove off to a little grocery place down the street. I did actually need to buy some food for the sake of me not going hungry, but I was hoping for Apollos to come along so I could find out why he was acting like this. I mean, sure I've had bad days too, but it wasn't like I gave evils to everyone I saw.

     The cashier must have noticed me in a bizarre mood, so she began to ask me questions- questions that I had no idea how to answer without revealing the secret about Apollos and talking about supernatural things that would sound like bullshit or nonsense to some people. So I tried my very best to try and not say anything revealing about my little reindeer friend.

     "You alright today?" She had wide brown eyes that were filled with worry. She knew I was part of Bastille but never made a big deal out of it for the sake of fans not attacking me.

     "Huh? O-oh yeah," I sheepishly smiled and nervously nodded.

     "You don't seem okay," she pursed her lips as she bagged up boxes of pasta. 

     "I am," I nodded once more. "Just tired," I shrugged a quiet laugh.

     She looked unsure of whether to believe my story.

     "Mmm, 'kay then," she smiled and shook it off. "Have a great day, then."

     "You too," I shyly smiled before putting my hood over my head.

     I strolled out to the parking out to find my car, with my bags gripped in the grasp of my right hand as my left tried to dig out the keys. I accidentally shoved my hands into the pocket where my phone was, and nearly taking my hand out, the phone buzzed once. I froze right beside my located car and set down the bags.

     Apollos: Help

     "Shit." I muttered and rushed into the car, not caring about placing my bags into the back. I kicked the car into gear and sped off to the flat.

     When I arrived, the first thing I did was grab the damn bags and run off to the flat's main elevator without locking my car, since I didn't give a shit about that. I felt my body heat up with tension as the elevator finally reached the floor I wanted- mine. My keys jangled crazily as I ran down the hall to get to the door, hastily unlocking it before slamming it open.

     My entire mind and body froze with fear. Three black reindeer stood at the centre of my living room, making a barrier around Apollos that stopped him from moving around freely. I recognized the largest one, all black and red like an actual demon, as Apollos' murderer- his father. The other two? I had no fucking clue who these reindeer were.

     "D-Dan..." Apollos' face was filled with fear.

     "Who are the fuck are these guys?" I tossed my keys to the counter and used that hand to carefully shut the door behind me.

     "Don't you remember your past life?" His father made a taunting smile. "Exactly one hundred years ago? 1917? Or are humans like you too foolish to realize that reincarnation is possible?"

     "Answer the fucking question." I snapped, squeezing the bags tightly in my hand.

     "Daniel, isn't it?" His father came face to face with me, towering over me with his menacing red eyes and black reindeer coat. All I did was nod with an angry glimmer in my eyes. "This is Mikhail."

     "What about him?" I spat ferociously. "Why the fuck is he here?"

     "To take back what belonged to him."

     "What's-"

     "Half of my soul was reincarnated into him."

     I stopped and looked at Apollos, still laying on the floor. He looked so guilty.

     "Mikhail was born on the seventeenth of December, and I had almost fully reincarnated myself, but he," Apollos shot an evil at his father, "he stopped me from finishing the ritual. I wouldn't be trapped in this life as a reindeer if he had just let me live another, better life."

     "Get out." I hissed at the three black reindeer.

     "Whatever," Apollos' father scoffed and whistled to his boys. "I shall greet you two in eight days." He began to devilishly laugh before he and the other two turned into dark matter and sank into the floor boards.

     Eight days for me to figure out what his motive is.