Beastars: A Symphony of Life

Chapter 86: A Truce in Darkness

"I don't think we can," he said, bringing a leg up to his chest and resting the foot on the chair he sat in.

"Trust through uncertainty," Melon said. "An interesting approach."

Jack took out his knife to fiddle with it. Wiru's body language immediately changed to subtly defensive. Melon did nothing.

"Well," he said. "A common similarity is that we've all killed someone."

"In a sense," Wiru added.

Jack flashed a look at the ex-con and the agent. They weren't exactly in a secured, sound proof room. He didn't need the neighbors hearing this.

"I could lie," the cursinu suggested. "Though the last time I did that, I almost ended up on death row."

"A rough outline of events," Melon said. "But yes, you almost did."

This whole scene was getting too awkward for Jack, who hated the fact that he had somehow been dragged into this. He looked at the clock: six-o-four. It made him uncomfortable, all of it. Why had he even started killing in the first place? It had started out for love, or so he told himself, but then it had evolved into something else. He looked at the knife, seeing his reflection in the metal. He didn't like this and suddenly felt very scared, vulnerable and scared. He felt the presence behind him. The goat's corpse started to wrap it's cold, dead hands around him and he felt a panic attack coming on.

"This is what I'm here for," Kina said, taking shape next to him and figuratively holding his hand. He felt a calm rush over him and the embrace from the creature backed off.

"Jack," Melon said, snapping back to reality. "Did you hear us?"

He shook his head. He had been too stuck on the knife and the spectres. He looked back at the clock: Six-fifteen. Where had the time gone?

"We should keep our heads down," he said. "You've killed too many in too short of a time frame that we need to chill with the body count. Let the killing floor cool down and clean up before we go about it again."

"I just want to stop," he said. "I didn't mean for it to get this much out of hand. He said so before, I'm not a killer. I'm not cut out for this."

"But you're too far along now," Melon said. "And you've caused such a stir that to stop now would prove disastrous to your mind. It's like quitting a drug addiction, cold turkey."

"But isn't that what you're asking me to do?" Jack asked.

"Not at all," he said. "Just suggesting you take a break. You have no cooldown period. Most killers do."

"Please stop talking to me like that," he said. "I'm not one of you."

"Yes you are," Wiru said. "Whether you like it or not, you are in the thick of this trio. You brought us all together, in a way."

"That cannot be ignored," Melon added.

Jack's phone rang and he stood to get it. Melon and Wiru looked at each other with eyes that said the same thing: shhh.

Jack let the phone go to voicemail.

"Hey Jack its-"

The canine picked up the phone before the wolf could get out his name.

"Hey," he said, doing his best to not use his friend's name. He looked back at the two animals at his table. They stared back with two different eyes. One was blank. The other said: I recognize that voice, but I'll keep it to myself. It was the latter that scared him the most.

"I was just calling to see how you were doing," Legoshi said. "I stopped by your place a few times and you were never there so I just assumed that you were out. I also tried calling your cell a few times. I was starting to get worried."

"I'm fine," he said, keeping the volume as inconspicuously quiet as possible. "Just, you know, busy. Trying to get a job. Might consider that offer from Shukishi Yamamura if all else fails. He wants those few extra hands to take down whatever criminals he can."

"Well," Legoshi said. "Either way, it's good to hear from you after such a long while. Are you doing well?"

"Yeah," he said. "Better. But I'm still struggling a little."

That was the truth.

"Wanna talk about it?" the wolf asked.

"Now's not a good time," he said, looking back at the two animals. "How about tomorrow?"

"Alright," he said. "You know my number, you can call me."

"Okay," Jack said. "Talk to you then."

"Till then," his friend said.

Jack hung up the phone and stood at the counter for a while, leaning over it.

"Jack," Melon said, catching his attention back. "We really should discuss plans."

"Why can't I just quit?" Jack asked. "Remind me again."

"Because too much has already been done," he said. "Too much has been bought for you, entirely out of my pocket, to help you become what you wanted to be. The way I see it, you owe this to us."

He had to use those words, didn't he? Take advantage of his canine genes?

Jack walked back to his chair and sat down. The creature materialized itself immediately between him and Melon, inching towards him. Kina reappeared, taking his hand and keeping it at bay.

~~~

Wiru sat there. He didn't know what game Melon was playing at, and he didn't like using the retriever as a dual sided pawn but soon he would be freed, hopefully. His own creature appeared. The demonic rendition took form just behind Wiru's shoulder, wrapping its cold arms of death around his neck and leaning towards its prey. Melon just sat there, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over waist. Completely oblivious, yet entirely aware. If a camera were placed a few feet away and facing Melon, the agent imagined this scene would look almost biblical.