Solangelo 4

Part 43

WILL

Death feels weird. Funny. It's like I've knocked my funny bone and the tingles cover my entire body. I open my eyes. It's dark.
'Hello?' I call out. It echoes around me, the walls saying hello back, 'Nico?'
I take a step forward but my body feels weighted. Like running in a dream. I can't quite.
'I see it worked.' A new voice. It carries through the cavern. I turn towards it, unsure where it came from.
'Hello?' I ask again.
'I can't say I had a plan beyond this.' He says again. I turn around, trying to place the voice.
'Hades?' I ask, hesitant.
'Bingo.' He says, 'That's the saying, isn't it? Bingo?'
'What did you do?' I ask, trying to remember what happened. For a brief moment I feel the dull pain in my chest. Bloods soaks my shirt for a moment before everything returns to normal.
'You're dead.' He says.
'You made him...you made him kill me.' I say, remembering.
'My bad.' He says. His voice seems passive, distant. He doesn't care.
'Why do you do this to him?' I ask, 'why do you want to hurt him so much?'
He's quiet for a moment. And then he steps forward. I see him, finally. He stares at me.
'My boy really has taken a liking to you, hasn't he?' He asks. I look him up and down, unsure how to answer.
'I love him.' I say, 'I don't understand how you can't.'
He turns to me, his face cringes a little.
'Your father doesn't love his children. Doesn't love you. He's chaotic, he's a mess. My brothers care about their children, but they don't love. They don't love.' He insists, 'we were never taught it, never knew it. But I am the closest any of us have gotten. I adore my wife, and I care more about Nico than you can understand.'
'Then why are you doing this to him?!' I yell, 'why don't you leave him alone? Let me live.'
'Love is selfless. I am not.' He says, 'Persephone is dealt with for now. I've learnt. Nico took your place once, he'll do it again.'
'You're doing this to get him back?' I ask, bewildered, 'you think this is anything close to love?'
'It's the closest I know.' He says, 'and I will Get Nico back.'
'No. No.' I say, 'he might take my place, and he might stay here forever but you'll never get him back. He loves me. He's not anyone's, but if he was he'd be mine. So you can kill me and have him sacrifice himself, but he's not doing that for you. He's doing that for me. And I will live the rest of my life figuring out how to set him free.'
'Bold words.' He says, simply. He watches me, squints a little. And then he turns, and leaves. I'm alone again. In the dark, with nothing.