The Gray Area

Chapter Five

"I don't want to go home," the boy murmured as the final bell rang out.

Vita gazed at him. He looked stressed out, his eyes puffed and somewhat red.

"Hey, Kiko," Vita called out before the boy stepped out of the room. As usual, Morte was inside her classroom, acting like one of her students.

"Yes?" the boy answered, turning to her.

Vita pointed the pile of books on her table. "Do you mind helping me carry those back to the faculty room?"

The boy shook his head and quickly grabbed the books to his arms. "No, I don't mind."

"Oh come on," Morte wailed and followed behind. "You're taking orders from a girl? Really?"

Vita decided to ignore Morte. Ignore him as in ignore his existence or presence. Talking to a devil wasn't a good act. But she sometimes felt the itch to look at him once again, and see through him.

"Thanks, Kiko," Vita said as they walked down the hallway.

The school was now half deserted, students hurried off to exit the premise, busy with their own life.

"I like your essay about yesterday's homework, by the way. The one about Alfred Tennyson's poem."

"In Memoriam?" the boy asked.

"Yes, that's the one."

Kiko smiled at that. Morte scowled. He could feel Kiko's spirit lifted, the fear slowly vanishing. And it wasn't good for the devil.

"At the end of the day, he'll still think about his dreadful parents. His father would hurt him again and rape his mother at night. He will hear his mother's pained moans and will feel useless for unable to stop it," Morte discussed calmly at Vita.

He waited for her violent reaction but none came.

"I like what it says, Miss Sargosa," Kiko began, "T'is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

"I love that line, too," Vita said with a warm smile. She always loved that line.

"Sounds a complete shit," Morte commented bitterly.

Again, Vita ignored him.

As they reached the faculty room, Kiko placed the pile of books on her table and both of them exited the school. As they walked toward the side street, Vita saw bruises on the boy's arm, peeking beneath his sleeve.

"What happened to you?" she asked softly.

Morte was behind them, stalking like the devil he was.

"I don't have a place to stay tonight," the boy mumbled, cheek reddening.

"Because you help me with the books, I'll help you now." She continued to walk and motioned for the boy to follow her. "I know a place."

****

"So, are you ignoring me now?" Morte asked after a while.

Vita walked passed him, not even meeting his eyes. He was absolutely used being ignored by many people, his Father sometimes did the same. But now that he knew what it felt being seen, being able to talk to someone, he craved that foreign feeling.

And now he was fucking pissed as hell for being ignored by this beautiful soul. It made him want to break free, to cross the line and flick some magic. It angered him, his chest tightening. It was unnerving and ugly.

"Talk to me!" he commanded, authority burst out as he threw those words. His chest heaved, eyes glowing red.

Vita shuddered but pushed the feeling away. He sounded like a wounded ordinary soul to her ears and she ached to soothe the wild anger erupting from him.

The mission. Her mission, to be précised. She couldn't mute the tiny voice inside her head asking why she was the chosen one to fulfill the mission. She didn't know and she couldn't ask.

We do not question God, the angel said.

"Fine," Morte uttered and turned his back at her, his broad shoulder had dark inks embroidered onto it like a tattoo. Vita had never seen those before. "I'm used being fucking ignored."

Then he was gone.

Hearing those pained lines from him pinched her heart. Maybe because Morte looked more like a lost soul than a wicked devil - and that made Vita felt some sort of soft spot for him. She couldn't exactly pinpoint why she felt that way toward him but she had to fulfill the mission given to her. And maybe, in the process of stopping the heir of Lucifer, she could make a change for everyone.

Vita shook her head as she tried to stop herself from stressing too much about the whole thing.

Kiko was now under the care of Principal Kevin Topias and the man promised he'd talk to the boy's parents and relatives. He now had a chance to be saved from his own hell and he would escape the early call of death.