The Medium Kid

Chapter 43

"Hold my hand," Alfie said softly, exposing his palm, waiting for the warm touch of Koda's skin.

Koda could barely move his mouth to speak let alone his body. His back rested uncomfortably against a tree and the sound of leaves in the wind reminded the boys that the weather was due to make a turn for the worst soon. Alfie had guided him to a park near his home when Koda started to close in on himself. Alfie thought the open space would help Koda breathe, and the autumn colours were nice on the eyes; red, orange, yellow. He even enjoyed the heavy scent of pine.

Koda's bones felt like they were grinding together when he held Alfie's hand. The longer the soul remained within him, the more he convinced himself that it didn't belong and it was rotting his insides.

"Alright, I'm going to take the soul for you. All you need to do is close your eyes and stay calm, okay?"

Koda nodded to Alfie's words and waited until Alfie closed his own, then stared at him. The medium was so peaceful and patient. Koda didn't want to think about his mental state if Alfie wasn't around to help him. "I need to pull myself together," he mumbled, watching Alfie frown.

"No, you need to concentrate. You're coping with this like anyone else would." Alfie intertwined their fingers, hoping to squeeze some confidence into him.

Koda then shut his eyes, letting Alfie take care of him and the dove he had cherished for so many years.

After silence stilled between them, Alfie finally detected the soul. Animal souls usually felt rather scatty and fluttered around him with bounds of energy. He smiled when something sharp dug into his shoulder. If Alfie opened his eyes, he would see the dove sitting on him.

"Do you feel it?" Alfie asked, slowly moving his hand and finding Koda's chest. His heart beat faster than Alfie expected. "Do you feel it here?"

"Yes." Koda wanted to be sick. The feeling was too strange like there was another personality within him. If he really focused, he was sure the softness of feathers brushed his lungs.

"I'm taking it now." Alfie imagined his hand reaching into Koda's chest, gripping a ball of jelly and dragging it through his ribs, causing no pain, and only discomfort. When Koda jolted his breath and tensed, Alfie pushed harder against him when the soul transferred from the sidekick to the medium. Alfie loved the feeling of holding animal souls. They were innocent, sweet, but confused. Somehow he made them relax despite not being able to speak to them. Sometimes they guided him to their families if they lived near Alfie. "I have the soul. I guess you completed your first assignment."

The wind stopped blowing and for a brief moment, Koda felt weightless as if his body hovered or fell through a bottomless pit. Alfie's touch grounded him, but the weight of carrying only his own soul lightened to make his sunken mood float.

"Thank you," Koda said with a rasp of breathlessness. He filled his nostrils, throat and lungs with sweet autumn air. Damp leaves and conkers reminded him that Halloween was only a week away.

"We're a team now. This will be the first of many soul transfers."

"Weird."

"Yeah." Alfie smiled at him, feeling the warmth pushing through his muscles and leaking from his eyes. Koda was a beautiful teenager. His strong body, big sparkling eyes, a smile that could suck all the badness out of anyone who saw it, a kindness that restored his faith in humanity, a soul that Alfie wanted to be around for the rest of his life. Koda's hazel eyes were complimented by the autumn colours, making them develop into rich golden circles. "I'll take good care of the dove. All you have to do is get used to this because as much as you're struggling, I don't think the Grim Reaper is one to give up on sidekicks."