“Why are you crying?” Alric asked, a little too coldly.
Nieves finally looked him in the eye. “You just told me you hated me.”
“You’re so stupid,” Alric said, the coldness not really present because his voice wavered and his eyes began to sting with salt. “I’m just looking out for your safety. It would be best if you left this place as soon as possible.”
Nieves slapped him briskly across the face. “Idiot,” she spat.
Alric snatched hold of her wrist subconsciously, the same he’d bruised.
She winced with pain, taking a step back.
“I’m sorry,” he screamed, letting her wrist go. “You… slapped me. And I…”
Nieves stepped back too far and her foot slipped on the slick rock of the koi fish pond. Alric did the instinctive thing of trying to prevent her from falling into the water but in the process of grabbing hold of Nieves she pulled him in. The two of them fell into the pond with a scream.
The water hadn’t looked so deep on the surface but come to find out it was at least six feet or more. Nieves clung to Alric as he pulled them both to the surface for a gasp of fresh air. Cold winter latched on to Alric and Nieves as they began to shiver.
It was Alric, surprisingly, who laughed first.
Nieves let her lips slip into a smile. “It’s-s… s-so cold,” she stuttered.
“Y-yes.” Alric nodded his head in agreement.
Nieves looked up at him—she suddenly burst into laughter which caught Alric’s attention. He glowered down unsure what to make of her action. “You… you.” She began to laugh, placing her head against his chest. “I’m sorry. You have a water lily pad on your head.”
Alric pursed his lips. “Thanks so much for laughing about it.”
“You’re welcome,” Nieves replied, sticking out tongue.
Alric sneered just before dunking her beneath the surface.
†
“What are you doing?” asked a curious Rusuto to a spying Aunty.
Aunty looked over her shoulder for a brief moment at Rusuto then returned her attention back around the corner of the house. “I’m watching them.”
Rusuto raised a brow and leaned over Aunty to view around the corner. He looked right at the koi fish pond and noticed two people were swimming in it. “What in good lord,” he exclaimed.
“Shut up, stupid.” Aunty glowered at him and pushed him away from her. They hid behind the house as Aunty began to explain. “Well, rumor has it that Alric summoned the Demons of the forest last night in order to save Nieves from Wilhelm.
“And just this morning I walked in on Alric… on top of Nieves. I’m not sure if they were going to kiss or not but I wish I hadn’t interrupted. Alric might have admitted his love to her. Then again… who knows?
“A wedding?”
Aunty nearly jumped out of her skin with happiness.
Rusuto’s hand smacked over his mouth. “Honestly? Girl, you’ve got to be jesting with me. Alric. In love.”
The two of them peered around the corner to find Alric laughing as Nieves splashed him. He defended himself with a lily pad then chucked it right at Nieves who gave an astonished look of surprise. She grabbed the closest thing she could and chucked it right back at him—a poor defenseless koi fish.
“Oh my lord,” Rusuto whispered his words with stress. “The fish are stuck in a battlefield. Those poor things are being forced to submit to Nieves’s throwing skills.”
Aunty huffed. “Skills? She throws like a girl.”
“I thought Nieves was a girl.” Rusuto began to look puzzled.
“What are you two doing?” asked a concerned and worried Wilhelm—he figured eventually he’d have to send Rusuto and Aunty into an asylum for extreme mental help the way they were behaving these days.
“Well,” Aunty began to explain without pulling her attention from Alric and Nieves. “Rumor has it that Alric summoned the Demons of the forest last night in order to save Nieves from Wilhelm.”
“Yes,” Wilhelm interrupted with irritation. “Thank you very much for making my guilt go away.”
“Shush. Shush.” Rusuto waved his hands at Wilhelm. “Alric’s tickling her.”
Wilhelm was aghast. “He’s… what?”
Rusuto giggled into his hands and stomped his feet. “They are so adorable I just want to hug them until they die.”
Wilhelm leaned over Rusuto—who was leaning over Aunty—to peer at the two in the koi pond. “Why are… they swimming in the fish pond? We have a hot spring just a few hours away.”
Rusuto looked up and glowered at Wilhelm. “Sometimes I wonder why I even love you.”
“What?” Wilhelm was confused. “You’d rather swim in filthy fish water than—”
“Shut up the both of ya,” Aunty grumbled. “I can’t hear what they’re saying because the two of you keep blabbering your mouths.”
Nieves giggled her way to the edge of the pond and tried to climb out before Alric could catch her. She made it halfway onto the rocks when Alric grabbed hold of her legs and held her in place. Drenched with water he crawled onto shore and laughed lying down next to her.
Nieves laughed as well, her breath still rapid and shallow. She hadn’t had so much fun in her entire life—even if it was a fish pond.
“I guess… this means we need new clothes again.” Alric slowly sat up and ruffled his hair rapidly with his hands to get out all of the water. “We should stop by Boris’s house and get your clothes.”
Nieves hadn’t expected him to agree to that—he seemed happier when she wore the kimonos he gave out like presents. “That’d be fantastic.”
“Amazing,” Wilhelm whispered to Rusuto and Aunty. “He’s so different.”
Rusuto sighed. “It is so romantic.”
Both Wilhelm and Aunty rolled their eyes.
“Why can’t you be romantic like that, Wilhelm?” Rusuto turned around and folded his arms. “Alric is getting more attention than I’ve ever had.”
Wilhelm slowly began to walk away. “Rusuto, we’re not dating. End the fantasies, please.”
“Wilhelm,” Rusuto called out. “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you.” His voice suddenly became soft and gentle. “You’ll break my poor little heart into itty bitty pieces.” He sniffled wiping away some invisible tear.
“You’re such a nerd,” Aunty said in an ashamed voice while shaking her head.
CHAPTER 22
Nieves stepped out onto the porch in fresh new clothes. She dropped her small baggage onto the ground and sighed. “I think that’s the last of my stuff,” she told Alric who was sitting on the edge of the porch, staring into tall grasses beyond the rock garden. She felt comfortable in the faded light blue jeans instead of the dress styled kimono. She was never one for dresses that was for sure.
“Oh,” Nieves exclaimed remembering something.
Alric looked at her for a second, watching her dig around in her luggage. He turned back to the garden rocking his feet back and forth through the air. Alric didn’t like the idea of her preferring her own clothes rather than those he’d given her.
“Here you go.” Nieves sat down next to him with two wrapped candy bars. She handed it out and watched Alric take it slowly.
He stared at it for a moment with slight confusion. “What is this?”
“Candy bar.” Nieves ripped the top of the wrapping, pulling it down to expose the delicious desert. “I brought it with me when Boris made me move here. I’ve had it since… Halloween.”
Alric looked at it with widened eyes. “Is it still edible?”
“What?” Nieves laughed. “Of course it’s still edible. Halloween was only three months ago, silly.” She bit into it and smiled at the taste of chocolate and peanut butter.
Alric held it in his hands unsure what to do with it. He looked out into the field, thinking deeply about something. “What is… Hallow…Ian?”
Nieves leaned forward and looked at Alric’s expression. “You’re serious?
”
His eyes moved to look at her from the corners in a solemn glare.
“Oh.” Nieves pulled her legs onto the porch, folding them Indian style. “It’s a holiday that dates way back in history. All Hallows Eve. All Saints Day. They all have different names and stuff but I know they are a holiday to honor the dead and the spirits of those who’ve past on.
“Now and days, Halloween is usually just fun and games. People dress up in costumes and go out trick-or-treating. There are parties and celebrations with tons of food and—” Nieves stopped at the remembering that Alric would never get to see a Halloween Party or participate in any of the events. He only had a short while to live—and it wouldn’t be to see the next October.
Nieves finally said, “It’s not really that great. It’s kind of boring.”
Alric knew Nieves was just trying to comfort him. “What is this anyway?” Alric asked, waving the candy bar around just a little.
“A candy bar,” she said. “It’s chocolate and peanut butter.”
Alric nose wrinkled a slight bit at the thought. “You jest.”
“Nope.” Nieves smiled. “It sounds disgusting… well, actually it sounds really good. Maybe it sounds gross to you but once you have a bite you’ll like it.”
Alric huffed, turning his head away to roll his eyes. Peanut butter and chocolate sounded like the worst idea in history. What idiot would come up with that? Or even think of considering it?
“Just try it,” Nieves nudged him on.
“Alric.”
Both Alric and Nieves turned around to Sailles rounding the corner of the house along the porch—the porch led to every bedroom and to every room. It was only natural to see Sailles on the porch but to actually confront Alric seemed something different all on its own.
Nieves turned around to Alric with a smile. “I’m going to go get us some drinks,” she said, knowing in fact she wasn’t going to return until Sailles and Alric had had their talk. She got to her feet just as Alric was snatching hold of her wrist. He gave her that look of “don’t leave me alone” but Nieves simply gave him a smile of “you’re not alone”.
“Please,” his eyes seemed to say.
Nieves bit back her laughter. “Just say you forgive her,” Nieves mouthed.
Alric dropped her wrist and watched as she walked away. He subconsciously bit down on the candy bar simply out of nervous anxiety. The taste of chocolate and peanut butter swam through his senses.
“It’s good,” he said, spinning around to Nieves.
“Really? That’s great!” She smiled before sliding the shoji door shut.
†
Nieves left the shoji door at a crack and looked out at Alric. Sailles slowly took the seat Nieves had been sitting in and looked out into the fields with her little brother. Alric silently ate away at the candy bar, grumpy as usual.
“I know what I did was wrong,” Sailles began to say.
Alric blurted, “I forgive you.”
Nieves could see Sailles flinch with surprise. “You what?”
“I forgive you,” Alric repeated.
Sailles fiddled with her hands in her lap, eyes watching intently to what they were doing. She could have been a scientist analyzing cancer the way she was watching her hands. “I should have written to you. I should have called to see how you were doing.”
“You should have never left,” Alric interrupted.
Sailles looked at him with a hurt expression. “I know.”
Her little brother refused to look at her—refused to see her existence.
“I just couldn’t stay here, Alric. This place… it’s so horrid.”
Alric tightened his fists. “Do you not think I know that? I have lived here my entire life. I know better than you what pain and agony and suffering are.”
“Well, you’re not the only one.” Sailles leaned forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everyone in the world suffers.”
Alric held back his urge to throw her hand away. “Our parents abused me.”
“They abused me, too. Why do you think I left so quickly?”
He spun around finally daring to look at her. Was he really not so alone? Had their mother and father hated her as well? “I do not believe you,” Alric stated. “I do not believe that.”
Sailles felt her eyes sting. “I have scars, too.”
Alric had had enough. He refused to listen to anything else she might have wanted to say. He was about to get to his feet when she leapt to hug him. Her arms were warm around his icy body. He hadn’t noticed how cold the winter air was until she had showed him what warmth felt like.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “I am so sorry.”
Her tears felt like acid against his neck.
Sailles said, “I tried to come see you. Every time I saw those gates I couldn’t breathe. I ran as fast as I could in the other direction. My psychologist explained to me that those were panic attacks.”
Psychologist, Alric thought. Why would she need that?
“I have night terrors, too.” She slid her eyes closed, her wet lashes brushing his skin. “Every time I try to sleep I feel the fear of them coming back to get me.”
Hug her back, Nieves thought but Alric was too frozen to do anything.
Sailles slid off of her brother and wiped away her eyes. “Please don’t hate me.”
“I do not,” replied Alric in monotone. “I cannot hate my sister. I forgive you.”
She wiped clean her left eye again. “I had to come see you. Even if this place brings back painful memories. Only grandma’s house feels tranquil.”
Alric shook his head. “Only because you do not know.”
“Know? Know what?” Sailles’s voice shook in her throat.
Alric shook his head and got to his feet—thankful his sister didn’t try and stop him. “It is better left forgotten. Dinner will be ready in a short time—I’ll see you then.” He turned to the shoji doors but Sailles called out his name.
“Who is she?”
Alric stared into the wood for a moment. “She is my friend.” He opened the doors and slid them closed not wanting to think of his sister any longer. He wanted to forget about what happened to his grandmother but the memory wouldn’t fade. Nor would the features of his parent’s face.
“Well?” asked Nieves who stood there naively and vulnerable.
Alric wondered how weak she was. He wondered how his parents would have treated her if she had lived in the house with him. He considered what his own actions would have been if Nieves had been there to support him. What kind of person would he have been if Nieves were there in his childhood?
“Nieves,” Alric said lifelessly. The immense pain and agony was coiling around his heart like a snake. “Might I hold you?”
She silently nodded her head in consent, taking the step to end the space between them. He slid his arms around her absorbing the touch of warmth again. Alric held as tightly as he could, fingers clinching around her clothes for dear life. He buried his head into her neck while fighting back the tears that traitorously threatened to escape. Alric bit down on the sob, tightening his arms around her until there were only clothes to separate the two of them.
Nieves hadn’t felt a hug like that since her mother was alive. Had it really been that long, she questioned. Her eyes slid closed. In a strange way Alric made her feel safe again even if he was falling into depression just as quickly as she was.
“I feel so much pain,” he whispered into her ear. “It hurts so much.”
CHAPTER 23
“He what?” asked Bartolemé who was chocking on cigarette smoke.
Zeit sneered wonderfully from the doorway. He kept his back pressed against the frame liking the feel of something against his back. Bartolemé’s house was much smaller than Alric’s since he lived on the outskirts of the Macter housing area. The main house was the place people only went to for some form of approval to do something. Alric would sometimes say yes but most of the time—times when he wa
s sick—he’d say no.
“I don’t like repeating myself,” Zeit said with his usual low demonic voice.
Bartolemé shook his head, smoking down the last of his cig. “It sounds like your bull shitting me. Alric would never summon the Demon’s of the forest in order to save some… GIRL.” He spat ‘girl’ as if it tasted bad on his tongue.
Zeit narrowed his eyes. “Are you calling me a liar, Bartolemé?”
He looked over at the man and decided to think wisely about his words. “Nah. Of course not.” If Alric had a messenger then the messenger had to be strong willed and just as heartless.
“Alric,” Bartolemé spat. “He ain’t the type to care about no one but himself.”
Zeit watched the old man drink down another breath of nicotine. “You know why they call those coffin nails?”
Bartolemé laughed with his voice dry as dust.
“I’ll be delighted to take your soul one day,” Zeit said softly almost intimately.
The older man looked over to Zeit not sure what to think. Zeit’s eyes held too much death in them to belong to any normal human. Now that Bartolemé recalled, Zeit hadn’t arrived in a car. He must have walked but that would have been a very long walk from the main house.
Zeit only showed up on certain occasions. Alric didn’t feel like moving around so he’d send Zeit to do the work. Bartolemé wasn’t sure who Zeit was or anything along those lines. He’d tried doing a background check on the fellow but nothing ever showed up. Zeit was a mystery to him.
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