The Atrophy of Clementine Darlington

LI | If Only We Had More Time

          Sebastien sighed deeply as a look of hesitation claimed his irritated glare. He seemed to ponder for a few moments, and when he looked over at Clementine, he adorned something of an anxious frown. "I don't wanna tell you here," he mumbled, glancing over at Mathew and Mavis. "Can we go in one of the rooms?"

          "Yeah."

          Then, as Sebastien got up, Clementine followed him past Mathew and Mavis, whom they told they were just going to bed. The pair headed into their room, shut the door, and sat on the edge of Clementine's bed.

          A stiff silence ensnared them both for a few moments. Clementine waited for Sebastien to start, but as the silence ticked on, he looked over at him and frowned expectantly.

          "So...what is it?"

          Slowly, Sebastien turned his head to face him. "I just..." he paused and sighed, shaking his head as he looked down at his lap. "I don't know."

          "Tell me," Clementine implored quietly.

           "I just..." he uttered, lifting his head to look at him. "It's just what I said the other day. I kinda really care about you—I don't know how or why it happened, but I started feeling sort of...protective. I wanna be around you all the time and not just because of our arrangement." He looked down at his lap as a dismayed scowl started making its way onto his face. "I don't...want you to go," he uttered through gritted teeth.

          Clementine frowned sullenly as pain shot through his chest. He felt something similar—he wanted Sebastien around, he cared—of course he did, and he didn't want to leave just yet. But nothing was going to change that. Nothing would grant him more time to spend with Sebastien. All they could do was make the most of however long Clementine had left.

          "I feel that way too," he admitted, looking down at his hands as he rested them in his lap. "But we both know how this is gonna end. There's nothing we can do."

          "It doesn't make sense," he exclaimed, staring at him.

          "What doesn't make sense?"

          "Everything. It's supposed to be forever."

          Clementine frowned in confusion. "What's supposed to be forever?"

          He shook his head and hung it, hiding the anguished look that had taken hold of it.

          "What's supposed to be forever, Sebastien?"

          Sebastien started breathing a little faster, clearly trying to hold back tears. What could have him so upset that he was almost crying? Clementine's confusion grew, but seeing Sebastien so tormented made him sad, too. He moved his hand over his and stared at what he could see of the side of his face.

          "I...did something," Sebastien uttered.

          Clementine wasn't sure whether to feel curious or worried. So, he waited for him to continue.

          "I didn't mean to do it—no one ever means to do it. It sorta just...happens on its own."

          "What does?"

          Sebastien stared at him. "I...imprinted...on you."

          "You what?"

          "Imprinted," he repeated quietly, a slight stutter in his voice. "On you."

          At first, Clementine had no idea what he was talking about. But just as he was about to ask for an explanation, he remembered Elliot had mentioned that word when he'd been telling them how to identify demons. Elliot had told him demons imprinted on the person they wanted to be with...forever. And the moment he remembered that, everything started to make more sense. Sebastien pretty much ticked most of the boxes Elliot had listed for identifying a demon. He smelt a little like sulphur beneath his cinnamon-scented cologne; the boy growled and snarled a lot, he was rude, sometimes grouchy, and that might explain why he could do the things he did, such as taking three opponents on at once and disappearing without a trace. The only thing that didn't add up was the fact Sebastien didn't hang out with a group—he didn't seem to have a pack of demons. Was he rogue?