Beneath Blood and Water

When I think to the day it all started I am always shocked by how mundane it was, a car ride with home with whom I considered a brother, the wind in our hair, the growl of the engine, a body in the trunk, and caked blood on your shoes, I made sure to be cleaner in the hit this time compared to others.I watched the places around me fade into a blur of greens and blues, a mush mosh of blurred colors, the wind calmed my nerves, the impatience I held that this car wouldn’t go faster.“Alex are you listening?” I shook my head still looking out the window.“What did you say?” I asked quietly, my voice above a whisper, as if speaking any louder would break the peace that I currently had.“I was asking if you're really quitting?” I turned to look at the manDyed red hair in a buzz cut a permanent smile on his face as if it were cut and sewn there on his face, he was always so darn happy.I respected that and it also annoyed me who as the Director always said had facial expressions that were

I plunged into the memory like flopping into the deep end of a the ocean, an invisible hand dragged me down deeper and deeper until I was settled, at first everything was blurry and too bright, I had to center myself before I could open my eyes again.It was bright, I sat on a gravel ground, stones drilling into the skin of my buttocks the pain bordering on discomfort, my knees were drawn into my body, making my already small body smaller.Or wait this wasn’t my body was it, no this was a memory.“Alex” a voice said, I raised my head to look at the owner of the voice, it was a girl not older than 12, Liora, a voice whispered in my head in relief.“What are you doing here?”Hiding the voice whispered but the mouth did not move.The girl sighed, “You can’t hide forever you know” she answered as if she could read minds, as if she always knew what I always left unsaid, the warmth in my chest grew.“Come on let’s go and play I’ll make sure no one picks on you again ok?”I shook my head No

The cave felt warm and peaceful that morning, the kind of warmth that settled into my bones and made you want to stay right there forever.Alex, (as I later learned was his name), sat on a flat stone near the water’s edge, sharpening one of his knives with slow, practiced strokes, he said he wanted to fish, I wondered why he needed a knife to do it, he could always just grab them and throw them somewhere dry, but considering he was sick maybe he didn’t trust his reflexes.His face, as always, was a mask of calm but I could see the stiffness in his shoulders, the way his left leg stretched a little too rigidly, as if trying to avoid pain.I tilted my head sighing into a stretch, “come on lets go exercise my brave warrior”“i don’t need you to exercise”, was his reply“i know, but you don’t have the strength to balance on your own two feet for too long right now..” I swam closer to him and rested my head close to his legs, I took one of his feet making small slow circles,”You just woke

The walk to the next town was not stressful as it was dull; the pure absence of noise drilled into my soul.I had worried about a lot of things: the possibility of the director still searching for my corpse, the cops stopping me and asking for ID or just possibly dying from a stray car hitting me.But I did not expect what could do me in was the lack of noise.The splash of water…The dragging of his tail on the stone floor…His singing, although it had no magic power- or so he says- put me in a trance.Or just him talking to me.I missed it all.As I trudged the asphalt road one step at a time, I had no way of accurately telling the time.I scanned for any cars or signs of help.Calculating the time I used to drive to the marsh from the next town, walking would significantly waste a chunk of the day.A pair of mismatched eyes flashed in my head.No, I would either run there or find a car willing to pick me up.I thought about the possibility of running; I could probably make it there

After sorting things out with Caius and getting his word that he won't use his explosion on me, I decided to remove the chains on his feet and leave the ones on his hands. I was still wary, but he said something about it weakening him, so I felt like it was safer having him weaker than at full power, even though he could still make things explode.We well-I decided to head into town. Caius joined me like unwanted cargo, whining and fussing at every little inconvenience.The first one is the meat puddle’s car.“Absolutely not.” Caius stood with his arms crossed over his chest glaring at the car like it had personally offended him.I sighed and looked at the sun, it had become warmer, and it should be afternoon now. “We don’t have time for this. get in or I’m leaving you”Caius didn’t budge. he turned around, and his back was facing the car. “Then enjoy driving alone”I grumbled then got in the car and slammed the door starting the engine, I looked at Caius he still didn’t budge, I used