A Touching Of Lips (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 41. Klaew.

Pond leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head. We had all gone back to his villa, not ours, to talk.

"I was shocked at first when I saw Kla this morning as I thought he was the boy that I saw in Karn's head. I knew he was a boy's soul. I was even told by my team that they were sure it was the boy they couldn't save. They told me that they tried to breathe air into him but then humans came."

Karn's face went white as a sheet. "Your people saw Klaew die?" 

"Two of my team, Good and Best, told me again tonight that they are positive that Kla was the boy that they both touched lips with. They knew that the boy's heart had stopped before they got to him. He was sinking down fast. They could only push him towards one of the humans that suddenly appeared looking for him. When I learnt that Kla also had a weak heart I thought that maybe the air that Good and Best gave him was enough to start his heart again. It didn't explain why I saw the boy in Karn's mind that time. Now it all makes sense."

"Karn's always had bad dreams about him since the accident and even more so since Earth nearly drowned," Korn said as he touched Karn's arm, squeezing it gently. "I could never see or hear him but Karn was adamant it was him. I'm wondering if Kla knows he's in there as he won't leave Karn's side for long now. But how can you know it is Klaew in Karn's head?"

"You have to tell me what happened. Try not to miss anything out. Every last detail is important," Pond replied.

Korn urged a reluctant Karn to talk. He just sat there as a sadness seemed to wash over and engulf him. He then quietly began to recall the events of that fateful day.

"We were all out on a boat with our parents and some family friends. Kla and Klaew were bored and were playing tag. They were both up by the bow and I saw Kla touch Klaew and then run off. Klaew just stood there with no expression on his face. Then he just moved sideways and entered the water as if he had dived. I thought nothing of it and no one else seemed to have noticed either. Then Kla started screaming and calling out Klaew's name."

"We both dived in," Korn interrupted, "but we could not find him. We both came up for air and dived down again."

Karn took up the story again "I saw him down below me. He was quite a long way down but I managed to get to him but I knew he was gone. His eyes were wide open and staring at me without focussing on me. Then Korn was beside me and we got him up to the surface. They tried everything to resuscitate him but it was no good and they told us he was gone. The autopsy report had said they were almost certain he was dead when he hit the water."

"When they tried to revive him, did anyone touch lips with him?" Pond inquired.

"Yes......! Me." Karn answered firmly. "I tried mouth to mouth resuscitation as I pressed against his chest."

"That's not all you did." Korn interrupted once again. "When you grabbed hold of him in the water, I saw you kiss him."

"I just kissed him goodbye, that's all....., because I thought he was dead."

I saw the look between Chiang and Pond and I knew that small act from Karn must have had some importance and relevance.

"Were you and Klaew close?" Pond then asked.

Karn nodded but added. "Kla was the closest one to him. They were closer than Korn and me."

"Korn has said you had bad dreams about him," Pond leant forward and touched Karn on the arm sympathetically. "I know you could never understand them, Why is this?"

"He never spoke to me. I knew it was Klaew though, as certain things pointed towards it being him. At first I thought it was me feeling guilty about not finding him quicker, but I felt it was much more than that. Whenever I had dreams they were just visions about water, boats and drowning. In every single one of them Kla was with me. I thought I was being warned to keep him away from boats and the ocean. Then when Earth nearly drowned the visions came every night. They were so intense and very graphic and I was not sure at first who they were about. Then I had the vision of Earth naked and what I thought was Ming abusing him. When I was told it was you.... just touching him, that's when I knew for certain it had something to do with the both of you."

"Why did you fight me away when I tried to read your mind? You knew I was trying to do so, didn't you?" Pond challenged with a wry smile on his face.

"Yes. I thought you were trying to take Klaew away from me. He was excited but he didn't want to go with you."

"How do you know this?" Chiang butted in.

"Because he made me have a vision of all of you sitting there with your tails displayed. I felt him behind me holding me tightly and shaking me up and down. It was as if this was what he wanted me to know about."

Korn made everyone jump as he banged his fist on the bedside table. "Why didn't you tell me more about these visions and Klaew?"

"Because you get angry with me and tell me to stop feeling guilty. You always tell me to let Klaew go and not to keep on talking about him. I don't want you to not love me because I have bad dreams."

Korn stood up and pulled Karn to his feet and hugged him tightly. "I will always love you no matter what. You must know this, surely? I hold you at night when you need me to, don't I? You have to tell me everything, otherwise how can I be there to comfort you? Without you I would be like Kla. Lonely and half the person I should be."

We all watched, our own emotions going into orbit as Karn broke down and cried.

They hugged and Korn kissed Karn on the cheek. "I'm sorry to have been angry with you. I know that you get sad easily. Don't ever not tell me anything, please?"

"Would you be able to bring Kla out tomorrow?" Pond suggested as the twins sat back down.

"On the boat?" Karn queried.

"Yes!" Pond answered firmly. "He needs to be there.... and also to go swimming."

"No chance!" Korn said immediately. "Mum would have a seizure and Karn would be a nervous wreck."

"He will be safe. All of you will be safe. The bad dreams can end tomorrow and Kla will no longer be lonely and half the person he is meant to be. Do you have to tell your parents? Can you not just leave home first and be here by 9am? Tell Kla to meet you here at 9:30 am. Tell him nothing more. Tomorrow you will be free."

"I don't know," replied Korn. "What you are asking is a big deal. I will talk with Karn tonight. He is the one with the dreams and with Klaew in his mind. I will leave it to him to make the decision."

"I hope you will say yes," Pond answered. "I will tell you the same as I told Earth. Whatever I tell you to do you must do it, no matter how odd or embarrassing it gets. Do not fight me Karn. Allow me to read your heart and your mind. Korn wanted us to help you and Khun Chiang said we couldn't. Now that I know what happened I know I can. You have to trust me."

"Honestly Karn," I said as he looked pleadingly at me. "I trusted him and it was a lot hairier than being on a boat with him. You saw that vision and it frightened you. I trust him and I really want you to do so too."

Pond touched Karn's arm again. "Tomorrow you will meet the Mermen that tried to save Klaew. Maybe meeting them will help you to decide whether to trust me or not."