by Piper Hannah
The present
Still in Hell…
Joshua was Luke’s best friend, but Joshua also shared Kyrie’s soul, which meant that a part of her would always be alive. This thought comforted me over the years, and I spent time with Joshua just so we could reminisce about Kyrie together. We both liked talking about her, sharing our memories of a beautiful angel who meant the world to the both of us.
Joshua’s eyes were closed; he was still lost in thought and trapped in his self-imposed silence. I, on the other hand, had enough. I tapped him three times on the shoulder. We must have been sitting here for days, and I couldn’t wait for him any longer. I didn’t want to rot in one spot.
“Are you done moping?” I asked. “I think we wasted enough time here, don’t you think?”
When I didn’t get a response, I punched his arm. “As Kyrie’s best friend, I think I owe it to her to keep you company and save you from your misery. She wouldn’t want you being like this,” I said as I gestured towards him.
Joshua’s eyes finally popped open. “Like what?” he asked.
“Dead. Well, you might as well be if all you’re going to do is sit around and do nothing.”
"I happen to like doing nothing. I seem to be very good at it. I could sit here and be the expert of all that is nothing."
I sighed. I knew that Joshua was really hurting right now. At least his eyes were open; he was looking at me… and he was talking. These were good signs.
“If Kyrie was the one here with me, she would have already explored this place and killed a couple of demon cats by now,” I said. “She wouldn’t sit here and act like a dead person.”
After a couple of minutes of silence, Joshua finally stood up. He still looked miserable, and his lips were turned down into a frown.
“You know what? You're right. I should explore. Come on,” he said, offering me a hand, “be my tour guide.”
I reached for his hand, and he pulled me up until I was standing. “You don’t look too happy about it,” I grumbled.
His lips flat lined. I think it was his attempt at a smile. At least he made the effort.
Joshua hopped three times with his arms in the air. “Woohooo... hoooo…. EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!" he screamed.
I grimaced. Hanging around a miserable Joshua was going to be depressing. With Joshua in this mood, he might just fly directly into a beast's mouth just to test his theory of immortality.
Joshua ran a few steps and jumped off the mountain, away from the valley of the beasts. He flew towards the red mist without hesitation.
"Stay away from the ground! There are large snakes over there!" I yelled. Even in the darkness, I saw his body drop lower towards the ground. I should have known that it was the wrong thing to say to him.
"The snakes will try to eat you," I muttered, but what was the point? He wasn't going to listen to me. For one whole second, I thought of letting him be; he seemed to crave misery and solitude.
Sighing, I jumped off the mountain and followed him. I flew close behind him, making sure I didn’t lose him within the mist. Joshua is a friend, and I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even if he seemed suicidal.
CHAPTER 4