Royal's Way

Chapter 12

Ruth and I were silent in my room for most of the night, until my mom went to bed, then we climbed on to the roof outside.

But we were still silent for a while.

The stars glimmered above us, stormy clouds taking over the horizon. I really didn't need another storm. Ian didn't, either.

Ruth had her gaze on the ground below her.
After a while, she finally broke the silence. "You and your mother seem to care for each other a lot."

I glanced at her, my tired eyes quickly dropping back to the grass. "Yeah. She's gotten really concerned for me after the whole therapy. Every time there's a minor inconvenience, she thinks she has to ask me about the doctor again."

She smirked a bit. But it quickly disappeared. "She has given up?" I blinked, looking to her. "I..." I frowned. "I guess so. There's this sort of trope like thing on Earth, like a rule of thumb; if someone is missing for longer than three days, they're most likely dead, and the search is demoted to finding the body rather than the person."

Ruth frowned at that. "I never understood humans."
I scowled, looking to her as she explained. "You folks never treat your people as equals. You never seem to treat them with respect when death is imminent. Their family mourns, and the rest of the city might not even know, until something truly horrible happens." I hated admitting that she was right. "No one likes to get involved, until what happened might concern them, or what killed them might come after them. That's why the two murders and Ian's disappearance is all over the news."

Another silence.
I jumped when Ruth patted my shoulder. "Bed time."

==

I was in Contrituum again. I was getting irritated.

"Clone."

I jumped. That wasn't the fake Ian.

I slowly climbed to my feet, turning in circles with my hand outstretched, trying to find anything to reveal my location as I called out, "What? Who said that?"

My hand grazed something. I thought it was my nightstand.

But when the color spread, I noticed it was on the wrong side, and the sheets and quilts on the bed were... different.

"You lost the clone."

The clone...?

It took me a moment to realize the stranger was talking about Ian. I had forgotten Ruth's people didn't understand the concept of twins.

But if that was the case, who was I talking to?

My shaking hand hovered over to the bed. I didn't know if I wanted to see this.

"You're the only one who..."

The voice seemed to be struggling. I scowled, hesitating before slowly beginning to turn as I asked, "Only one who can do what?"

I suddenly felt a cold hand tighten around my neck, the fingernails stabbing into my skin.

That red eyed monster stood over me, pulling me close as if to scam me over and examine every inch of my face.

I could already feel myself shutting down.
With it's other hand, it slowly reached up and grazed the scar on my forehead, the one inflicted by Ian's vision.

It's nail cut through that scar again, the white glowing blood trickling down my temple.

It's red eyes bore into me as it said one last thing: "Noah."