Across Acheron

Session 29

Ever wonder why you seem to view people in a different light once you’ve seen them cry? I could never wrap my head around why I felt so goddamn angry at that moment. I didn’t even think about going over to comfort Keenan as he smudged the tears on his cheeks, trying to get rid of it before anyone else saw.

All that was running through my head was vengeance. I wanted to take whatever had put him in that state by its neck. I wanted to smash it into the bricks of the home until it was nothing but a mere puddle that could wash off in the coming rain. I wanted it gone, so that hope had room to sit in its place.

But I never did any of that. All I did was sit motionless and as useful as the dirt under our feet. Even Lorna was doing something, for Christ’s sake. She was already on her phone by the time Keenan’s cheeks were dry and reserved two seats on a train heading two towns over. Keenan seemed to gain his spark back little by little as they discussed the plan, trying to forget about what we were up against.

It’s a little hard to remember what exactly happened after that. All I know is that we spent days out on the road, running away from something that wasn’t even chasing us. At least, we didn’t know for sure. We left Rosebay on a train that departed at midnight, the dark sky helping us cover our tracks. Lorna told us not to worry about Rosebay or the people in it; she would take care of those. Till this day, I’m still not sure how she did it.

We didn’t bring any of our bags with us, so everything we needed relied on the cash Lorna gave us. Keenan wasn’t sure about how long it would last. I’ve got a way to make more, he told me as he tried to get me not to worry, but that only got my mind wondering about how he would make more.

Once we reached the second city, we camped out at a motel for about three nights. It was a small room only made for one person with a bathroom, a bed, and a little television in front of it.

The third night is what I remember the most. Keenan came back into the motel room after buying more clothes from a thrift store and threw the bag on the floor beside the bed. I had already bled all over the ones I left with.

“Change into those after you take a shower,” he told me. “I think we’ll have to leave this place at dawn, so get as much sleep as you can.”

“Are they even coming after you, Keenan? What if what happened back at the home was a mistake—”

“I’m supposed to be home by now, answering why I hadn’t done my job right,” he snapped. “Since I’m not there, they’ll want to come and get me. So if you don’t understand it, don’t talk about it.”

I let his words hang in the small room, allowing my eyes travel to my feet instead of his face. His tone had gotten harsher since leaving Rosebay. He was always so goddamn nervous, too. The blinds never opened, I was never allowed to step outside, and he never wore his glamour much anymore. I bet you would expect me to understand him, but to be honest, it got on my nerves.

I guess Keenan sensed it, since I felt the decline of the bed as he filled the space beside me. “I didn’t mean to get mad at you. I’ve never been this scared before and I just don’t know how to deal with it.” He sighed. “Don’t get pissed off with me, okay? You may not know it because I don’t show it to you often, but one thing I hate the most is pushing you away with my goddamn attitude. I don’t know why but it just—”

He paused then to take a breath, a slight inhale through the space between his lips. If I hadn’t looked at him in that moment, I wouldn’t have noticed the way he was staring at me. Looking at him made me feel like I was staring into hell, and I hated it. But I knew that no matter what I said to him, no matter how many times I tried to coax him that everything would be okay, nothing would change his mind from what had been planted there.