Convoke

Chapter 26

Tom slumped to the ground and sobbed quietly into the palm of his hands. Sometimes he angrily ripped up the grass and threw it to watch the wind carry it away. He sat, lonely and sad for almost thirty minutes until the tears dried up and his sadness turned to dread. Going home meant facing his fears. His parents were good people, and Tom knew that they loved him, but there was always the faint whisper of what if they don't agree with who you are?

He watched a bug venture through the grass until a sheep made a bleating cry a few metres away. Tom jumped, staring startlingly at the ram chewing lazily, watching him with half closed eyes. "Barry, go away," Tom mumbled.

The sheep baaed loudly and another one approached him. Tom looked around and most of the sheep were standing watching him, and he would like to think that they were worried about him, but that might've been a desperate plea to feel less alone.

"Come here," he said to the ram, holding a fist full of grass fresh from the ground. The sheep's soulless eyes bore into him as he stepped closer, snuffing the air and bleating weakly. Tom sat up onto his knees, stretching his arm out further. The sheep's nose was almost touching his fingers, until something spooked him, and they all ran back down the field, leaving Tom to mope, once again, alone. He sighed and watched the grass blow away towards them, leaving him too.

"Hello," a deep voice said, scaring Tom so violently, he yelped and leapt to his feet.

"Ezra!" Tom gasped, slapping a hand to his heart.

"Sorry," Ezra said quickly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Tom filled his panicked lungs with fresh air and smiled on the exhale. "It's okay."

"Sorry for scaring away your audience."

"They were using me for food."

"Ah," Ezra said lightly. "They're shameless. Sheep are basically soulless."

Tom eyed him glaring at the animals who were still running. "Sounds like you have experience," he said, already feeling less miserable.

"Unfortunately." Ezra turned away. He shuffled on his feet for a moment, while his mouth twitched as he decided on what to say. "Are you- um, would you like my company? Or do you need to be alone?"

"Stay." Tom sat back on the grass. Ezra joined him, sitting close but carefully, so they would only touch if it was intentional. "How long have you known I was in the field?"

"I was lingering outside the pub when you and your sister left."

Tom nodded to himself, embarrassed. "You saw us arguing?"

"I heard it."

Tom sighed. "Does the whole . . . coming out thing exist in the demon community?"

"Coming out of where?"

Tom smiled. "Do you have to tell people that you're gay, or a lesbian or bisexual or anything else they label as not normal?" Those last words were accompanied with an eye roll.

"Oh, no. We don't care enough about each other to care about that."

"I see." Tom laid back on the grass, staring up at the blue sky littered with white dotted clouds. "Well, a lot of humans have to come out to their loved ones. I've just been forced to come out to mine." Ezra moved round on the grass to watch him as he spoke. "When I was dating Kimberley, I thought I would be with her for the rest of my life, so I didn't see the point in telling people I'm bisexual. Now that I like you, it's not just you being a demon that would be a problem to people."

"Who forced you to come out?"

"I was arguing with Gerry and he hinted that me and you were more than friends, in front of my parents. I called him a homophobic prick and then the penny dropped. My sister told him when I shared that secret with her thinking that she would keep it to herself."