THE DEAF BOY HEARD IT ALL (BOYXBOY)

WELL FEARED (14)

The idea of time didn't exist in this place. It was so hard to tell if we had been walking for minutes or hours. The ghosts who existed in this place all watched us. They whispered as we passed. Some daring to come close while others kept a safe distance.

I was tired, not the kind of tired where you stay up all night and need a nap. My soul was tired. My eyes grew more heavy by the moments. My limbs felt as if they were been weighed down. As if the longer I walked the more weight someone placed on my shoulders.

Tripping over my own feet I fell to my knees. It seemed impossible to go on anymore. Where was Harlow? Would we ever find her? Was she really in this place? My body was so numb to the world around me. I was so cold my breath was visible.

Just a moment, I only need one moment.

Laying down on the floor I only wanted to rest. I would stay here for a moment then I would get up. I would catch up to the others. Others? Were there others? How many had come here with me? Where were they now? Were they lost? Am I lost? How will we get out of this place?

I had to get up. I was so tired, though . . . so . . . so tired. I could see them. The ghosts of this place gathering around me. They stood above me looking down at my figure. Leiker, I couldn't hear them but I could see their lips moving. All of them whispering my name. Did they know me? Did my family do something awful to them?

"Poor boy," a voice speaks loud and clean. The other ghost heads snapped up. They look at this newcomer and back away quickly retreating to where they'd come. There was a man cloaked in shadows. I could hardly make anything out about him. Somehow though, I knew this wasn't the same shadow that took hold of Soren. It felt different, it was different.

This shadow figure didn't belong in this place. The bad place wasn't where he should have been. "Poor Leiker boy," he spoke again and I pushed myself upright. Licking my lips I tried to get my voice to work. Tried to clean my mind so I could fight if need be.

"Who are you?" I asked and the shadow drew closer to me. It laid its finger against my cheek. His hands were wet and cold. It made my soul ache and my teeth chatter as he touched me.

"I'm the question and the solution." It was a lie, I couldn't tell how I knew I just knew he was lying to me. "Look at me, Gunner," his fingers moved to my chin tilting my head back. I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut as tightly as I could. Everything inside of me warned to not look at this man, this . . . monster.

"You can stay here with me Gunner. I can claim you as my own. Stay with me. There is no pain here. No guilt, no fear, this is after all where you belong." I swallowed shaking my head quickly. Stay with him? Why would I? Why should I? How could he claim me? I wasn't some prize.

"No," I whispered. I didn't want to stay here. I didn't want to lose myself. Who was this shadow? I could feel it getting closer to me. Could feel its cold breath blow against my face. It stank of rot. Like the time our freezer broke and all the meat went bad. I wanted to gag but managed to stop myself. Something warned me about this ghost. I shouldn't make it mad.

"Why do you deny me? Say yes, Gunner. Join me." I only shook my head harder. The last thing I wanted was to join this thing. I tried to pull away but the shadow wrapped its fingers around my throat.

"Stop," I tried to get out. My own fingers wrapped around its wrist. Its arm was thin, too thin to be human. It was flesh and bone as the saying goes. There was a rubbery, slimy texture to its flesh, the same as its fingers were wet and cold making it unpleasant to touch. "Please . . ." I whispered feeling tears gather in the corner of my eyes.

"Gunner . . . Gunner . . . Gunner . . ." His voice chanted but it didn't hold the same power and pain as the voice from the well. His fingers squeezed tighter and pain gripped me. It felt like a fire had ignited inside of my chest. That my lungs were going to burn down into nothing but ash. "Gunner . . . Gunner . . . Gunner . . ."