Sinners | ✔

Chapter 33 : Stoakly's Collector

Bo

Seven chairs stretch across the room in one long line directly in front of me. A supposed question and answer session, or so I was told. Ha, the green haired guy was right, this is basically an interrogation.

Squirming in my seat, I resist the urge to claw at my throat, willing the sharp ache there to go away. Seriously, I just fed, the sensation of nails down my esophagus shouldn't be this strong, except it is.

I'm decaying, and I've known this, it's the only reason by I'm here.

"No it's not..."

The little voice inside my head piques up. Little voice, more like little pest.

"We both know I'm right..."  it seems to say.

It's nothing, nothing at all. I expect a response from the shreds of my concious, but no response comes.

Its activity has been far and few inbetween lately. I've enjoyed it, but the silence makes me nervous.

"Bo!" Snaps Dekka

Oh, we must have started. Nice going, guy, way to plead your case.

Dekka sits with a clipboard balanced on her crossed legs. While one hand steadies the clip board, the other clutches Ace's hand that dangles between both chair legs. Its obvious, yet hidden.

She's one with them and it's off putting. She's even with one of them.

I can feel the sharp reprimands that came from Desmond.

"You think you really have a chance to go back to normal, yeah right!" He would shout at us.

Those speeches would start not long after the cream colored envelopes had appeared. It didn't matter where he was a man named Stoakly would send them to Desmond no matter the circumstance. An envelope once appeared as he went to scold one of the others. I remember the feeling of the paper between my fingers as I almost got it open before he got back. The mission was a failure and his fury was turned on me.

"Bo?" Dekka said again, more gently this time. I spaced again, suprise. Looking around Dekka began to converse with her cohorts. Im ruining my chances here.

I keep a close eye on each pair of joined hands. While I watch the asain guy with the buz cut and the girl with pink veined bangs, Dekka appears in front of me.

Gone is her oversized t-shirt, rumpled skirt and Desmonds hideous renaissance jacket.
I want to burn that jacket. Instead her day old frock is replaced with the biggest black hoodie over ever seen embroidered with dozens of tiny blue flowers. Under her hoodie is a pair of fishnets, disappearing under the tops of her boots.

Moving eyes to meet hers, her gaze narrows in on me.

Oh, it looked like...

"I wasn't checking you out, I promise! I was just looking at your boots."

The end of my sentence comes out raspy and warbled. I really wish the sting would go away.