Lord Liverchester

Chapter 15

The next chapter started before the last one even ended. That's the thing about stories. Sometimes things start before other things have a chance to end. They go on long before the beginning and long after the end. Whether or not I wanted that last chapter to be over, things had to progress. I couldn't stay in that warm limbo forever, as my family had to be freed from their hellish limbo. It was worth it to end my comfort to help bring them back to theirs. Early in the morning, before the sun even had a chance to rise, I was awoken to a commotion. There was banging, and I was pulled from my sleep. I knew what was coming, but I never expected it to be so soon. Dorian didn't either, sitting up and holding me weakly as he rubbed his tired eyes. The room was full of the bright eyes of our animal friends, wolves and foxes staring at us. I wanted to go back to sleep, wrapping around Dorian and telling myself a lie; I could go back to sleep and it would all go away. It wasn't true, and in my heart I knew that. But I still wanted to believe. Dorian was gentle, not one to move quickly on such a morning. The animals were patient, dropping off clothes and weapons for us. When they were sure we were getting up, they filed out through the open door. Neither of us made a move quite yet, laying there in the soft bed. I saw the whites of Dorian's eyes, staring up at the ceiling and searching for answers he'd never find. There was hardly any light to speak of, but the sky was turning blue where the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. I shivered, dreading the world outside the warmth I had come to know. Dorian patted my head lovingly, understanding exactly how I felt. It took us a long time to shake ourselves out of it, to come to terms with what had to be done. Until then, he lied on his side, never once letting go of me. The intense smell of the soap we used was all around us, in my hair, all over Dorian's body. My hair was splayed out over the bed behind me, and Dorian's hand was combing through the curls. I held onto that moment, refusing to believe it had to end. I was wrapped around Dorian's body, hugging around his thickness with my hands nestled up by his chest. Surely I would be able to do that again the next night, maybe sooner. That's all I could tell myself. So far, every night had been like that. What were the odds it would change? It could have turned out differently, but that thought got me out of bed. Dorian must have been thinking the same thing, a soft sigh escaping from deep in his lungs before he sat up again. We both looked out into the darkness, finally greeting the new day. I got out on my side of the bed, the cold air hitting me in an instant. I didn't bother fixing the blankets. Dorian made it to the light switch and counted down, allowing me to prepare my eyes for the incoming brightness. The lights were on, my eyes adjusted. Our animals were kind enough to lay out our new clothes according to each of us, folded up neatly with knives and guns laid out in a line. We got dressed in silence except for Dorian's tired grunting. I was warmer with the layers of velvet and fur, a scarf wrapped around my neck. I sat on the bed and waited as Dorian took his time. Both of us were dressed so lavishly in real fur. I never owned any real fur, so I assumed Dorian's closets had been raided. He had on a nice hat made of somebody's gray fur pelt. Both our coats had collars made of long black and red fur. I felt good being so bundled up, like some soft furry animal was giving me a hug. I hugged back, no longer shivering.

After Dorian smoked a cigarette, he distributed his knives between the two of us. He had many guns, fancy ones with engraved details and his name on the side. They were gold and silver, and a big one was shiny black metal. He slipped all of them into various pockets hidden in his coat and layers underneath. He even stuck one down his boot. With that, we were ready to go. I felt like we were heading out into that unsteady night again, not knowing what to expect. After our previous experiences with these demons, I could almost be sure one of us would get hurt. At the same time, I felt so much more prepared. My brain was all over the place though, terrified of what we would see and do. Killing the innocent person trapped in a demonic haze wouldn't solve the problem. I prayed that wasn't the only way. Surely we'd be freeing them from the grasp of these creatures. Stepping out into the dark blue light of morning, I fought off my fears and let Dorian's bravery rub off on me. He was so sure of himself, his head up high again. He wasn't limping anymore, able to strut and saunter like the gentleman he was. The world was so quiet, not a peep coming from the town. Nobody was even awake yet. We were the only ones walking around the town square, waiting for our chance to strike. I followed Dorian's lead to a lamp post, the flame inside still flickering and lighting the immediate area. Each of us took watch over our side, but I didn't see anything. Dorian didn't see anything either. Besides, he had something to tell me.