In Memory (48 page)

Her reaction was most definitely understandable, and we didn’t even retaliate when she roared at us. I figured it was smarter to just let her rage until she calmed down.

Noah stood absolutely still while Terra yelled. His face was impassive, but his eyes shone and shivered with tears. I held his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, hoping to keep him from crying.

He was strong in the fight, but not so much when he’s being yelled at. I understand why he’s feeling so lousy too. I mean, if I were to stay with someone who was kind enough to take me in, I would feel terrible if I did anything to upset
them
.

After Terra finished yelling, she stood in front of us, with her hands on her hips, breathing out angry breaths through her nose. “Well?”

“I’m sorry.” Noah said, his voice trembling as much as the rest of him. “I’m so sorry.” The tears on his eyelashes shook and fell down his face, but he still didn’t move.

Terra looked guilty at the reaction she elicited, and sat down in the big armchair with her hand over her face. “Boys, just sit down, and tell me what happened.”

Noah was silent, so I started from the beginning, retelling the events to the best of my recollection. I left out the part about seeing the Prophet.

“So, you pounded in that boy’s face because he attacked first?”

“I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice. If I didn’t attack him, he would have just kept on kicking. I’m not going to let that happen anymore!” I stood up, and immediately felt dizzy, and sank to my knees, my head throbbing. Flashes of things whirled through my mind; a bright light, Noah smiling, the Prophet with his eerie yellow eye, Terra grinning at me, leaves flying up into the air, turning into snow, and then a cold shock swallowed me up.

“Aerie!”

“Aerian, are you alright?”

I shook my head, my hand flying up the spot that was angrily pulsating with hot pain. “Just a headache… I got pushed into a locker…” I eased myself back onto the couch beside Noah, suppressing a groan as the headache increased tenfold. I think that was the worst headache I’ve ever had. It felt like nails were being hammered into my head every time I moved. Even my teeth were aching, deep and intense. Every breath drew a new shot of searing pain through the back of my head.

“Aerian, speak to me. Has your headache gotten worse since you got pushed?”

“Y-yeah.”

“We might have to go for another MRI, you know that, right?”

“Yeah.”

The headache was making my stomach turn
now,
I wanted all light and sound to just stop instantly. Everything was just aggravating it. I couldn’t even fathom the idea of an MRI right now.
Whirring and clunking and bright lights.

The thought of it almost made me sick.

Noah touched my hand, which sent a wave of
goosebumps
up and down my back. Gradually, the nausea and pain lessened, which was comforting until I realised what was happening. Noah was taking that pain into himself to save me from it, just like that time when I had a sore throat.

I ripped my hand away, not allowing it. But still, I could tell by my renewed clarity and the pain-induced fog in his eyes that it was already done.

This isn’t what I wanted. It’s tantamount to me being the one who inflicted this pain on him. I feel like a villain in some horrible twisted drama.

Terra seemed to grasp what happened too, and immediately started questioning him about his health.

“I am
fine
… just a little dizzy.” He swallowed, and leaned back into the couch. “May I be excused?”

Terra nodded, and Noah shakily got to his feet and hurried to his bedroom.

I made to get up, halted by a sharp “Sit.” from Terra.

“I should punish you.” She frowned, “But I really have no idea what sort of punishment I could give. I’m going to make you promise me something instead.” She sat down beside me, taking my bandaged hand, “Promise me you won’t go getting into fights like this again. That’s not how I taught you to win battles.”

“But I-!”

“I know exactly why you fought. You needed to keep him safe, but you mustn’t stoop to their level.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, sweetie, I know.” She hugged my gently, stroking my hair. “Did those boys also get suspended?”

“Yeah, and two of them got kicked off their team for the season.”

“Well, good.”

“You could ground me.” I suggested. “We were planning on going to the mall with Ariel, Julia and Zack tomorrow.”

“Oh, whatever. Go to the mall. I wouldn’t be saying that if you had started it, though.”

“I know.”

“Now,” she straightened up, pointing at me sternly, “You go to your room and think about what you’ve done, and what you’re making for supper!”

I grinned at her serious face, and went upstairs.

I decided to make a rather elaborate dinner, since I knew we had the ingredients for a really good roast pork dinner.

Noah was quiet and submissive for the rest of the evening as well. Terra was kind to him, and he seemed to realise this, but was still largely silent. He really doesn’t take being yelled at very well.

I kept him company until he went to bed, and then went back to my room. He must really be feeling guilty.

I can just imagine the thoughts he’s thinking. Something like: “It’s my fault that Terra yelled at us. If I wasn’t such a curse, this wouldn’t have happened, and he’s hurt because of me.”

I can imagine.

6 Days, 21 February, Saturday

So, the mall trip was really fun today.

I have never really gone to the mall, so Ariel and Julia took great pleasure in showing me all the artwork and interesting out-of-the-way curio shops. They ran off with Noah midway through the day to go clothes shopping with him (as if Terra’s purchases weren’t enough already.) Zack and I waved in amusement as they grabbed him by both arms and tore down the thoroughfare to the clothing shops.

Zack and I got a bite to eat, and then meandered down that way. We got incredibly distracted by the bookstore, and eventually met up with them in front of the food court.

“Guys!
Heyyy
!” I heard Julia’s voice from behind us, and we turned around to see their group heading our way.

Noah was wearing a completely different outfit than he came in, and looked a little uncomfortable. I became uncomfortable myself when I observed how tight his new pants were. Absolutely
nothing
left to the imagination. The girls had also dressed him in a new t-shirt, which was blue, with designs in white across the front.

“I have a new shirt.” Noah said simplistically. “Ariel purchased it for my birthday.”

“And I bought the pants!” Julia grinned, a bright light shining from her glasses as she smacked him playfully on the behind.

I couldn’t help but think that that was my
territory.

When we were getting home, Noah smiled gently, and took my hand. “Today was fun. I am really happy.”

I grinned back at him, and everyone else did too.

Something started itching in the back of my skull as we went inside. We separated to our own rooms, and a migraine lanced through my mind, blurring my vision. It was worse than yesterday somehow. Flickers and darts of pictures ran through my mind, overwhelming me again.

Flowers, drops of red paint, writing on a wall, a heart monitor, cords, a graveyard, a pile of bloodstained bandages, and then Noah.

I saw him walking through the snow, smiling happily with a white scarf around his neck. There wasn’t the usual cloud of depression or pain around him. Just happiness. Then he looked up and waved to me. I waved back-

I woke to him shaking me awake, calling my name in a terrified voice. Slowly, I sat up, realizing that I
had
collapsed on the floor. The headache still snapped and growled in the back of my head, but it wasn’t so fierce now.

“Are you all right?”

I blinked a few times, focusing on his scared face. “Y-yeah. I just… got a little dizzy is all.
”
I could see his hands reaching for me, and immediately knew what he was doing. “Don’t. Don’t touch me. I’m not going to let you take it today.”

“But… you’re in pain!”

“And you think I would wish this on you? No. Don’t touch me.”

“Aerie…”

“No.” I repeated in a stronger voice. I stood up, and faltered, falling to my knees and using my bed as a support. “I don’t want you to feel this ever again.”

I must have passed out again, because this time I woke up to Terra shaking me awake, while Noah was explaining what happened. Which was followed by another trip to the hospital for another nerve-wracking MRI.

All of that business, I don’t really remember at all. I have the vague impression it happened, but details are completely lost on me.

I was sent home with an ice pack and a strong warning to stop hitting my head on things. Which is sort of a given, but it was on the note all the same.

The guilt coming from Noah is almost insurmountable now. I’m stretched out on the couch, and he’s sitting at my feet, staring at the wall. The ice pack on the back of my head is mixing with the hot swelling of my
rebruised
skull, creating a weird lukewarm temperature.

One of Terra’s friends brought a casserole over, which was immensely convenient and delicious. We entrusted the task of reheating it to Noah, since I was decidedly out of commission, and Terra’s just not good at that sort of thing.

I fell asleep on the couch. Noah stayed with me too.

5 Days, 22 February, Sunday

I went to sleep under strict supervision, and Terra kept waking me up every hour to see how I was feeling.

Needless to say, I didn’t get a very good sleep last night.
Neither did Terra, I reckon.

Luckily for me, it’s Sunday. I also had to resist the urge to take Noah in my arms, and just hold him as tight as I could. I was afraid he’d try to absorb my pain, and that was the last thing I wanted him to do.

I can’t believe I only have five days. It’s a scary thought.
Only one more hand, not even another round.

What a terrible game of cards, to be dealt a hand such as this.

4 Days, 23 February, Monday

This is the very last Monday of my life.

I spent it with friends, family, and the one I love.

I suppose I can’t ask for more than that.

3 Days, 24 February, Tuesday

Last night was full of dreams.
Full of clocks.
I guess the pressure of the time I have left is influencing my already crazy dreams.

Tobias grabbed my hand, and we started running. I didn’t know where I was at all. As far as I could tell, we were running down a school hallway, but it wasn’t one I recognized.

Blood was underneath our
feet,
splashing with every step we took. It occurred to me then that maybe he finally got out of that classroom, and the blood was pouring down the halls.

Tobias pulled me into a room, and slammed the door, pressing his back against it and motioning for me to do the same. Blood oozed under the door, and something started pounding on the door, thundering behind us.

“Tobias! What’s happening?”

“They are trying to catch you. I am going to protect you. You need more time.”

“What do you mean? Who’s trying to-?”

“The angels, they a
re trying to kill you while you sleep. This is the way they do it.” A particularly fierce push on the door behind us forced it open, but we hastily shoved it back, putting all our effort into it. “But I will not let them in here. I will protect you from them for as long as I can.”

“Angels?” I was reminded of that brief vision of that other guy; he called me an angel. Casmaran.

“Yes. They are the ones who have come to fetch your soul. You would have died peacefully in your sleep had I not intervened.”

“And now what?”

“Now I fear I have angered them. I apologise. Usually they can operate without intervention in these situations, but you are a special case. They had such a plot for you. Your death was meant to be explained away as an unforeseeable trauma from your recent injuries, causing a comatose state and eventually death tonight.” He winced under the creaking strain of the door, pushing against it with all his might.

As he spoke, he was drawing some kind of sigil on the door, using the blood that was pooling around our feet and making it difficult to keep a firm footing. “Are you ready? Please step back.”

Right away, I stepped away from the door. He slammed his hand on the sigil as a few glowing hands reached through the opening in the door.

A blinding flash of light knocked me back, and I fell to the ground. I sat up and looked to see what happened. The door stood ajar, with no one near it.