James left the reception running. His breath was torn form his mouth and made up the slip stream his agile frame left behind. The smell of disinfectant and disease burnt the lining of his nose and compressed his lungs. The thudding of his heart brought back lost thoughts.
He remembered the looks on his parents face when they told him what happened; the fear their words brought and the pain his mother’s expression gave him. His father was impassive. He remembered the looks on his parents face after they spoke to the doctors; the sorrow peering between his mother’s hands and the twitch of his father’s facial features. On both occasions James felt completely useless and he wasn’t so sure how that expression conveyed on his face.
His running feet gave beat to the rythm coursing through his body. He reached a familiar hallway and slowed down, though his heart didn’t. He turned into the room and almost fell over. Standing over his sister was a dark figure reading what seemed to be a list. His sister looked so pale.
“What are you doing to her?” James asked while eyeing the heart beats of his sister. The dark figure lifted its head and probably would have had a surprised look on its face; if it had one. He looked at James’ sister with hollow eyes and then back at his list. He lifted a bony hand and scratched his head with rusty sound reverting through his skull.
“But she’s on My List?” The figure said while still scratching his freakishly pale scalp.
James was at a complete loss for words, he felt the blood leave his cheeks and his eyes settles on his sister’s restful face, only to be distracted by the dark figure pulling out one of those old brick phones with the longest antenna James had ever laid eyes on. The dark figure pressed a few buttons and put the phone to the side of his hard head.
“Yes…hello…how…Lacy…was on My List…yes I know but-…brother…caught me…What? Hmmm…okay….sharp bro….see you later…billiards.” The figure slid the phone down one of his flowing black sleeves and turned to James.
“Your timing is commendable, even if I do say so myself.”James was about to speak until he heard the bickering of his parents just a few corners away so his reply came out as a strangled yelp.
“Your sister is as safe as my phone; she won’t be on My List for a very long time.” The figure continued.
“How do you know that?” James asked while staring at his sisters closed eye lids, he wondered if his sister could hear their parents fight or if she could hear the figure. He hoped not.
“I mean what on Earth are you? It’s not fair to say she’ll be okay if you don’t know for sure.” James rambled on while the feeling of hope flittered through his veins.
The figure left no reply and walked slowly out the door into nothing, leaving James with the shadow of a wink and his sister with rosy cheeks.
