Ourselves : A BL Horror Novel

Ch 13 : A Surprise for Dinner

Ch 13 - The Surprising Dinner Guest

Zhao had stood there staring at the empty space where the man known as Death had stood for many seconds. The room he stood in felt foreign to him, as he looked around his tears fell. The walls, the photos, the bed all were the same but felt different now. As if the disappearance of the Grim Reaper had taken any sense of normalcy from it. He closed his eyes tight. His brows were furrowed as he tried to make sense of it.

He remembers the storm cloud gray eyes. Their intensity as they locked with his. He remembered the shaggy light brown hair, the honey gold chubby cheeks. He wiped at his eyes defiant to the emptiness he felt all over again. He had felt this when Keaton had drove away on his motorcycle. Before he had a moment more to feel the lack, the door opened and his father stepped into the room.

His breath caught in his throat. This was the first time he had been in his father's presence since Shin's fingers had torn open his stomach. His right hand went to the spot where they had been unconsciously. His father stared at him a long moment, maybe sharing the same trepidation to make a move. They both shared the same tense silence til Zhao took a step back. Shin saw the tears catch the light from the doorway and he held his head in shame believing he had been the cause.

"Son, I understand if you hate me for what I did to you....but my Child understand. I lost your Mother, I can't lose you as well." Shin said softly. The mention of Zhao's mother reminded him of the dream. Of the voiceless head on the bone and glass table. Zhao clasped his arms around his chest remembering the spiritual strings piercing his skin. None of it felt real to him, all of it felt like a dream. Even Death, had the tall man with the magical scythe really been in his ordinary room.

"Pa..." Zhao exclaimed as he closed the distance between the two of them and hugged his father. The storm of emotions and confusion coming out his being through his eyes against his father's chest. Warm, wet tears soaked the cotton shirt. Zhao felt the strong embrace of his father encircling him in his arms. He felt safe, his face pressed against the cotton shirt, the beating of a demonic heart strong beneath sinew and bone and muscle. Above his head, Shin opened his closed eyes as they glowed with emerald green rings around his pupils. He breathed deep as the smell of Lilac filled his nostrils. He used his enhanced demonic senses to see a mystical and translucent impression of Death in the room. He stroked Zhao's back gently as he saw the past events replaying silently before him. As he listened to his son's slowing pulse through the skin of his hand on Zhao's back, he made sure Zhao couldn't see his spying tactics. Blinking twice the glow left his irises as he pulled back from his son.

'Hungry, my child," Shin asked keeping his thoughts off his face with a well crafted smile.

"Yes, can I go eat?" Zhao asked timidly as his father walked towards the door.

"Ofcourse, there are two Hearts and Pancreas cooked rare. Just remember take things slowly for a while. You almost died." Shin said and with that he was gone. Walking towards the third floor staircase as opposed to down toward the dining area.

"We aren't eating together Pa?" Zhao asked fearing how being alone would feel

"I have a curious problem to solve, a Cat got in somehow and before anyone could catch him he vanished. I'm perplexed as to how he got in and how he left. So go on, before it gets too cold," Shin said smiling and with a wave he ascended the polished wood stairs without looking back. Zhao watched til the shadow of his father was out of view before running back to his room and closing the door.

He looked around the room searching for any indication of Death's return. His father's metaphor prickles his curiosity so he walks a slow circle around his room but comes back to the door. Disappointed at finding nothing he let out a long sigh.