Chapter
4
Kevin’s point of view
Blood.
The sticky crimson liquid clung to my white shirt. I stumbled
backwards, trying to struggle out of my shirt. When I had accomplished this I
threw it to the floor in terror, fearing the memory of my death. But that
didn’t help, as it revealed something else.
My lower chest area. Scarred by the ugly gash. Bleeding. Deathly.
The knife wound was still there!
I screwed my eyes shut in panic as I covered the injury with my
hands. I grabbed my shirt again, and pressed it against the gash, wanting to
stop the bleeding, falling to my knees.
I sat there oblivious to anything else but the desire to stop the
flow of blood from the gash. It consumed me. I felt like this was the only task
I had to accomplish.
Until I felt Anbuis’ paw grab my shoulder firmly.
“Peace, Kevin.”
“Peace!” I cried. “I’m bleeding to death, man!”
“Death?” his tone was pointing out the obvious.
I blinked. “Why doesn’t it hurt?” In my panic, I hadn’t stopped to
notice I didn’t feel any pain.
“You ARE dead, yet only physically. Your soul exists. This is an
illusion of your mind!”
“But, if I’m dead…. Why this?”
Anubis paused at my lack of knowledge and sense. “Kevin, this is
how your remember yourself the last moment you were alive. You can change your
form, remember. You can make it go.”
“But how?” I dismayed. “I don’t have any idea how to do that!”
“You are young, Kevin. You must be taught how to do this. For now
I will deal with it.” Anubis explained.
He waved his paw over the gash and it faded slowly, like an
illusion.
Anubis helped me back up. “Now you must begin your training.”
Brian’s point of view
Silence. That was what we had to get used to now. We rarely spoke
to each other in sorrow and grief for Kevin. It was all we could do. We were
trying to spend as much time in each other’s company as we could, to support
each other, but it was clear it was becoming increasingly a bad idea,
especially after Howie and AJ’s argument. It was beginning to irritate us.
The four of us sat around a table, playing cards. Usually we would
talk and joke on, and now it seemed alien and out of place to be so silent.
“Do you guys want anything to drink?” Howie asked solemnly.
Tears came to my eyes. Kevin was always the first to ask us that.
Unable to face the others, I wordlessly got up and hastily left the room.
Howie’s point of view
“Bri, wait! Where are you-?” AJ began, but stopped abruptly as
Brian took no notice and disappeared.
“AJ, just leave him. He has to cope in his own way.” Nick stated.
He was very quiet lately. He seemed to last his pain out best in silence. And I
knew whatever I’d said made Brian leave. Since they were related and knew each
other longest, he was more of a wreck than the rest of us. I was just glad he
had Leighanne there for him. We didn’t know what he’d do without her company
and comfort.
“He took Kevin’s death pretty hard, AJ,” I added.
“Oh yeah?” he replied. He slammed his cards on the table and stood
up. “Well, he wasn’t the only one!!” AJ snapped at me.
He turned and took the same route Brian did for the exit.
Nick’s soft crying came to my ears, so I sat
next to him and gave him a hug of comfort. I realised he alone saw how the
group was being torn apart….from within.
***
