Across Acheron

Session 5

What a bastard, I thought.

He was in front of me in less than a second, honey brown eyes blazing with anger as if he had heard every word. His body was on edge, containing something I couldn’t quite grasp. I began to back away from him, but with each step I took, Keenan took two more towards me. Soon enough, I had my back pressed against the fridge, trapped. Keenan didn’t even give me an inch to breathe.

“What did you call me?” he seethed, his breath hot against my face.

“I didn’t say anything!”

He wasn’t buying it. His arm shot out from his side and pressed against my chest; right where my lungs were. He added his weight on it, making me gasp for air like a fish out of water.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Keenan told me, his voice even. “You must have been confused; I’m not a nice guy. Just be a good boy and do as you’re told, alright? Learn your place, Jack.”

He started to ease off a bit. I knew I should have pushed him away or something; I had the strength to do so. But truthfully, I wanted to stay pressed against him forever. My cheeks heated like an element on the stove at such lustful thinking. Don’t even look at me like that. I’m here for a reason.

Anyway, Keenan studied my face long and hard. I willed myself to let go of all the thoughts flooding my mind, but they wouldn’t quit. They came one by one, each scene playing out like a goddamn movie. Keenan’s eyes went wide, his anger slowly replaced by utter shock and embarrassment. My cheeks felt like fire; for a moment, it seemed like he could see what was going on in my head.

“Get away from me."

“Are you still mad at me for yesterday, Jack?”

“I am.”

I speak in such a way that honestly deceives. I’m a darn good liar, if you haven’t noticed, but I couldn’t fool Keenan. I knew that I never could, no matter how much I busted my ass to.

Keenan lifted my chin with his finger, anger fading. I knew that I still wasn’t in the clear, but I couldn’t help feeling suddenly relieved. I should've known that moments like those never last, though.

And ours came tumbling down faster than lightning.

It started with the first scream, one that made me jump out of my skin with terror. It was followed by a series of wet coughs and gagging, as if someone was choking. It soon regressed into silence again.

I didn’t even have to ask Keenan what it was. He knew it too. “Don’t listen to it, Jack,” he told me. “Don’t listen to it or else you’ll—”

He was cut off by a shaky pull of breath and another loud scream. She began to cry, begging to be let free.

“Get off me! Get off me!”

I tried to tune her out as much as I could. Keenan looked down at the floor, his hands at his sides.

“No! Let me live! Please, let me live.”

I felt like I was losing consciousness.

“Don’t—” Slap. “Please, what have I done?!”

I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t even going to try. I pushed Keenan away from me and turned to the sink, blowing chunks down the drain. Spit mixed with whatever I had eaten the afternoon before splattered against the stainless steel and dribbled down my chin, specked with blood.

I could have died from all the embarrassment. It was worse when I felt Keenan’s hand on my back, rubbing it in small circles. I wanted to stop, I really did. But the more she screamed, the more I spat out whatever I had in my stomach. The acidic taste turned into the bittersweet flavour of pure blood, the smell of rusted pennies filling my nose.