Beyond The Lost

7

I woke up to a heavy weight on my stomach, stretching my arms before I opened my eyes. Victor's arm was draped across my abdomen, his breath against my collarbone.

Carefully, I slinked out of bed and onto the floor, peering over the mattress to look at him. "Victor." I wanted to wake him, worried his problems would catch up to him, but he didn't even move.

"Victor, get up. We need to leave." I gently nudged his shoulder, standing up. "...Victor?"

The room is still dark, the only light shining on his face is coming from the sunrise. I can see it through the window, but it's dimmed by heavy clouds. His normally pale skin is tinted orange in this light, his breath struggling slightly.

My eyes traveled down to his neck, watching the marks on his skin grow deeper. His skin was slowly being burned, bubbling with a quiet sizzle in his sleep. I could even see the light on his face slowly turning his skin red. Hey!" I quickly shook him awake and ran to grab a wet rag. By the time I'd returned to the room, he was on his feet and breathing just fine. "Are you alright?"

I held the rag against his neck, earning a small twitch from his left arm. "That's cold."

"It was burning."

"Bad dream, I guess. Thank you." He took the rag from me and held it against the side of his face.

I stared at him, both concerned for him and myself. "Didn't seem like just a bad dream."

"I'm fine, really. The sun just makes it worse, my skin is sensitive. That's all."

"That's all?"

He glanced up at my eyes, tearing his own from the floor. "That's all."

I decided not to say anything else about it. He seemed easily irritated, so I really didn't want to push it. "Okay. So...where are we going?"

"We?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to help you."

He looked me up and down, suddenly confused. "I'm a wanted man." His brows drew close. "You've done your part, there's no need to go further. I'll be just fine and anyway, this isn't your problem."

I shook my head. "You're still not safe. The king may not be my problem, but I said I would help you."

He bent down slightly and leaned close to my face. In the mirror across the room, I could see his body hunched over with black smoke and embers floating from the burn on his neck. "Are you sure?" He grinned from ear to ear, smoke falling from his lips and nose. Soot lined his eyes, his expression proving hard to maintain eye contact with. "We won't be returning anytime soon."

I stare at the smoke in worry. Due to the color, it's impossible that it's a good sign. "Victor, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go anywhere. Whatever this is has latched itself to you."

"I'm not concerned with that at the moment." He glanced to the window, watching shadows pass by in silence. "We need to leave."

"Who is that?" I looked over his shoulder, earning a hand over my mouth.

"Now. We need to go right now." He grabbed my arm and quietly drug me through the house and into the kitchen. "Where's your mother?"

"Go."

I flinched when I heard her voice clear as day, turning to see her standing at the door with smoke at her feet. Her head is split in half, eyes sinking into her face as dark black goo creeps down her chest and neck. The sight of her like this is familiar, but I don't want to look.

"Mom?" My hands start to shake but I'm yanked out the back door as soon as I speak. I trip over my feet, being led by Victor as he listens to my front door being kicked in from afar. "I have to go back!" I tried to pull my hand away but he only pulled me through the tall grass. "Let go!"

He's not listening to me. He's scared.

"Mom!" I turned and tried to run the other way, screaming louder than I possibly could as I broke my voice.

"Shut up!" Victor slapped a hand over my mouth again, pulling me against his chest and holding both of my arms down with one of his own. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"I saw her." I shoved his arms away and faced him. "I saw her body. We have to go back."

"You're an accessory now. We can't go back."

"How would they know I was here? Please, it's my mom."

"You already escaped them once. They'll know." He looked back to the house, shadows rampaging through the windows. "She'll be safe there."

I didn't know why at the time, but looking back at my home made me feel lost. Like I was never going to see it again.

Victor stared at me, but only for a moment before he grabbed my hand again and continued forward. "Come on, Eve."