Ashes Remain

by Alethea Stauron

  ◆◆◆

  Drake wipes his eyes. “I feel sick.” His body immediately shakes.

  Artie notices and activates his vitals evaluator, “His heart rates up. He’s having tremors and —

  “Dammit… why she always up so early,” Drake said.

  — he’s withdrawing,” Artie finished saying.

  “Again?” Lucius stuffs remaining bun into puffed cheeks. “I thought you said…” swallowing some of it, “he got more of that crap yesterday.” Completely speaking in the open.

  “He did. He’s trying to make it last by talking himself into quitting.”

  “How did he even get more?”

  “He took her diamond earrings for this last bit. I don’t know how to answer all your questions. I’m not reading his mind anymore. It’s bad in there.”

  “He did what!?” Lucius stops chewing. A crumb balances on his partially opened jaw. “Her earrings?”

  “I told you.”

  “No, you didn’t,” Lucius argued.

  “I said he’s a thief.”

  Lucius swivels upward, “Artie…” shaking his head, “that’s not the same thing.” He finishes swallowing, “Her father gave her those the day he left.”

  “I couldn’t stop him, Lucius. I only report what I see. Those were my orders from you and… I’m already getting your misdirected anger from it.”

  Lucius exhales, “When were you gonna tell me?”

  “Five seconds before I leave.”

  Lucius holds in a chuckle with a slight nod, “I’m not that scary.”

  “Yes, sir,” Artie holds a percolating smile to a minimum, “Whatever you say, sir.”

  “Ha ha,” Lucius said.

  Drake jumps from the bed and trips into the dresser. He’s grabbing his muscles with a moan. Josephine glances up while mixing her coffee. “You alright up there,” she asked. Drake can’t hear her and rumples through his belongings. He quickly grabs his crackpipe and concentrates on stuffing a damp towel under the bedroom door.

  Artie rolls his eyes, “This guy.”

  “What’s he doing now,” Lucius opens his vision, surveying through walls, “Is he doing what I think he’s doing? In the room?”

  “Yep.”

  Drake misses his footing and lands on his knees.

  Thump

  Josephine looks up again, dipping up breakfast on two separate plates. “Maybe he’s moving furniture?”

  Drake pants over the flooring with a clenched fist. “She’s done this to me. I hate her.”

  “Um… Lucius —

  “I heard him quite clearly,” biting his bottom lip. “Artie, I’m about two seconds —

  — it’s fine, he’s in the room still. He’ll have his dose before long. She should be safe when he calms down.”

  Josephine slowly rises from the table and Lucius’s mouth drops. He asks, “What’s she doing?”

  “What,” Artie asked.

  “She’s going up the stairs, Artie. Artie. Artie! She’s going to check on him.”

  Josephine walks across the loft and looks down at soft material from a towel stuffed under the door. That’s odd, she thinks. Her knuckles rapped forward and is knocking on the door. “Drake?”

  Lucius speaks psychically, “Artie,” walking through walls of the house.

  “Already on it.” Artie activates his material expander, sticking it to the door. “Got it. The door is locked.”

  “Don’t let him touch her,” Lucius orders.

  “I won’t. As long as he doesn’t try and break it down.”

  “Not good enough. I have to keep my distance this morning.”

  “Why,” Artie asked.

  “She can see me today.” He takes a deep breath, “And… I will protect her from being beat by him.”

  Artie stares through the wall. His jaw loosens, “Great,” his voice cracked.

  “Drake?” She knocked again. “Is everything okay?”

  “What,” Drake snapped.

  “I’m serious, Artie. Not one finger or I’ll break them off his dead body.”

  Artie sweats. He looks down at Drake with his lips moving with his thought, Why? Do you have to piss him off?

  Josephine leans against the door with her brows sewn together, “I heard a noise and wanted to know if you’re okay, Drake. I made —

  Drake balls a tremored fist in the air and grabs the knob but… it’s jammed. Josephine backs away watching the handle.

  Thump-Crack

  On the roof. Both Artie and Lucius look toward the bang. Artie’s eyes enlarge, “Not right now.”

  Lucius’s shoulders fall. “Enemy troops… two of them.”

  “I can’t join you at the moment.”

  “I got them.” Lucius runs outside via the walls with his mind yelling, “Don’t let him touch her, Artie!” He pulls two daggers out on the roof, staring a boar enemy in the eyes. “Great timing because I wanna kill something.” As it snorts, Lucius says, “I like my porkchops thinly sliced.” He commands his blades and the metal stretches. “Where’s your friend?” The other enemy slithers from behind. A two-headed viper stretches a shadow over Lucius’s arm. Lucius says, “Stupid bore-head,” and kicks the Razorback across the shingles.

  Thud

  Josephine yanks her eyes toward the ceiling, “Wow. That’s was loud.”

  “She can hear you up there,” Artie said.

  “I know she can,” Lucius answered.

  Drake yanks on the door. “The dang thing’s stuck.”

  “Try wiggling it,” Josephine said.

  ◆◆◆

  Lucius twists sideways, avoiding a rearward coil from strangling him into a hold. He slices forward, dissecting the two-headed viper, “But… can she hear them? That’s what I’m worried about,” watching an ash-forming tail wiggling off the roof. “These guys are loud.”

  Thump, thump, boom

  “Goodness,” Josephine gestures up, “Do you hear that?”

  Drake yanks the handle several times, “I’m gonna break this door down.”

  “What? I can’t hear you, maybe, try wiggling the—

  “I am,” Drake shouts.

  She turns away, “Do you hear that noise?”

  “It’s the door. Your whole house is squirrelly and falling apart.”

  Boom, boom

  “Ohhh. That’s what it is,” believing she knows, “Nevermind, Drake.” She steps toward her stairs. “I have squirrels on the roof. Gotta be it.” Midway downstairs, she calls up, “When you’re ready, there’s breakfast down here. No rush though.”

  ◆◆◆

  Lucius throws the bore-head off of the roof and jumps off after him. He says, “You’re making quite a fuss about this.” The Razorback charges him and Lucius spins with a slice. A tusk slaps the ground. “I’m only gonna kill you quickly. I could make it linger if I wanted… agonizingly longer if you wanted.”

  “We’ve made plans to kill you, little soldier.” The bore-head shrills a misty reddish-orange cloud of acidic poison through its nostrils.

  “Poison… great,” Lucius said.

  The bore grabs his sword, “My tusk will grow back, security guard. You won’t.”

  “Do we know each other?” Lucius’s eyes briefly close, “Wait…” holding a finger up, “Did you just call me —

  “Mall cop.”

  “Linger it is then, porky,” and enters an ultra-speed. He removes one arm from its body and exits into a normal timeframe. “Notice anything different?”

  The bore-head glances down. His amputated arm is still gripping a bloody blade. Shocked eyes amplify its discovery and gazes at Lucius, “You’re a —

  Slice

  Its head rolls while turning to ash. Snout first. “Boar head? They should call you something else. Taking your head wasn’t boring at all.”

  ◆◆◆

  Drake has fallen back asleep and Artie breathes out a sigh of relief, “Whew. As soon as he sat down, I put him into a napping sleep. About 15 minutes. S
hould lighten his mood for the day.”

  “Thanks, Artie,” Lucius said. “He’ll think he passed out.”

  Artie lingers with deep breathing. Hunched over, wiping his brow and nodding, “No problem.”

  ◆◆◆

  Josephine sits, finishing coffee and staring at an empty chair in front of her. Drake’s absence and unprepared silence sends her into brushing fingers through her hair, “Hmmm. I should curl it on the ends today.” Dishes are stacked neatly in the sink and heads up toward her room.

  Drake rolls over in bed with a wipe of his eyes. Artie hopes for attitude change, but, “I can’t do a damn thing in this house without her checking in on me,” Drake said. He rubs his forehead, listening to shower water running from across the loft. “I gotta get rid of that stupid trick.”

  Lucius’s body tenses immediately and glances over at Josephine behind her shower door, and then over toward Artie through the walls. “Didn’t sound like a better mood, Artie.”

  Artie wears the same expression, shaking his head, “I don’t know what he means. I can’t enter his mind. Lucius, it’s really bad in that head of his.”

  “How long you on call for?”

  “Lucius,” he pauses with a deep stare, “You know it doesn’t work like that. I’m loyal to the general first.”

  “I need your help. Do you have any idea what she could mean to you later on, if she and I are together?”

  “I’m here… for the time being I’m here. I’ll do whatever you need while I’m here. But she’s not that person now, and I have to act accordingly. I’m still on call.” Artie stiffens up, watching Lucius reach for his blade with his left hand. “Lucius, he’s probably just saying it. These people go from hot tempered to mild in an instant.”

  “So can I,” glaring through walls.

  “The irritation will pass. As long as he can reduce his doses over time it’ll get better. It’s an addiction. And… very painful.” Artie lowers his voice, “It’s not like how you are. You have no addiction to anything, but this guy…”

  Lucius nods briefly, staring a hole through curtains dancing with the breeze. “A liar lies… even to himself. You don’t know him and what he could do.”

  “You don’t either. No one’s reading his mind.”

  “I know enough.”

  Lucius continues to honor Josephine’s modesty and dignity. He walks across the loft as Josephine gets ready for the housewarming. He waves at Artie as he passes by, “I’m doing surveillance while she’s dressing in there.” And he walks through dimensional properties of double doors. His nostrils open wide, allowing fresh air into his lungs and slowly calming nerves of an already daunting day. He listens to her humming as she dresses, and a smile lifts his face, “She calms me faster than anything.”

  “I can tell,” Artie said. “An anecdote to life for you. I see why you like her.”

  “Love. I absolutely love and adore her.”

  ◆◆◆

  Josephine poses with a snug ensemble in front of the mirror. Blue jeans fitting just right with a tucked in t-shirt and a button up long-sleeved blouse. She drapes her curled ends over her shoulder. The tips cover below her bustline in length. Lucius’s head falls to the side, observing through walls. An expression of pain stretches over his face. He grabs his chest and sighs. Absolutely beautiful.

  She angles her foot back, making her figure stretch in the mirror and thinking of her earlier dream date. “If Lucius was here…” He’s almost drooling as she continues, “I’d make him wanna marry me right now.” She poses with her hands above her head, “I’d make you melt, Lucius.”

  “Uh huh.” Chills stretch across his back. Whatever you want.

  “Fifty-one,” Artie said.

  “Fifty-one what?”

  “I’m just counting each time she does it.”

  Lucius asks, “Does what?”

  “Well, if you’re not counting, I have to ask. Does she always speak like you’re right next to her? Or is that something she’s picked up recently since I’ve been here?”

  “She always does.” Lucius massages the ache over his chest. “She senses me. I gotta get that permission, Artie.”

  “That’s probably not going to happen without finishing your mission. I can already tell she doesn’t know who he is. She doesn’t know anything and needs to read that journal.”

  “I’m trying.” Lucius tells him, “I’ve pushed her as far as I can in her dreams to find out. She’s becoming deaf to it. I can’t keep bringing it up. I don’t wanna turn her the other way. I can’t mention the journal again for a while.”

  “Hopefully you haven’t done that already.”

  Lucius squashes his lids together, “I hope not. We’d all lose her.”

  ◆◆◆

  She spritzes herself with gardenia perfume and pulls a few strands from her back shoulder, giving her a delicate look. Josephine opens her door, wafting the smell of flowers downstairs. She remembers her shoes and swivels back, grabbing them from the corner of the closet. Drake takes in the scent from the living area. He glances through a cracked door and hollers up, “Hey, what’re ya getting all sexed up for?”

  She swings wide the door, “We have a housewarming event to go to,” peeking over the railing. “It’s Saturday.”

  “What?”

  She says, “A party. Remember?”

  “I forgot what time it was.”

  “It’s not right now,” shaking her head, “I’ve gotta leave in the next couple hours to get a gift. It’s for Carissa and Neil’s new house, and the party starts at six-thirty. You have plenty of time.”

  “Wait,” thinking a moment, “Did you say… housewarming event?”

  “Yes, but not really an event. More of a party. They don’t want gifts. I’m going early to sneak one over.”

  Drake gains a step back, appearing disinterested with a shrug. “Is everyone gonna be there? All your friends?”

  She follows with a shrug of her own, “I didn’t write the list. We usually show up for each other. I hope so.”

  “Is that big guy and the redhead gonna be there?

  Her brows tightly weave together, “You mean, David and Amber? Maybe they —

  “Nevermind,” palming up at her, “I can’t.”

  “What? You don’t need a gift. Why not? They told me they want you there. Neil asked for you. He’s the doctor I was telling you about. Probably gonna see how you’re doing.”

  Drake raises his gaze from hanging. A sad face sinks over his cheeks. “Yeah but… everyone has a date. And a good history. Y’all all know each other. I’m the poor sap who’d be homeless, or resting in a grave if it wasn’t for the prettiest girl there. I’m not one to allow others to rub it in. An outcast in the midst of all their good fortune. I’m sure they all know why I’m here and I can’t get a happy ending.” He strolls back, “Sorry…”

  “He said sorry.” Artie speaks through telepathy and locks Lucius’s vision, “That’s good.”

  “A trick of the mind, Artie. Listen,” slanting over, “He’s got tracks to cover.”

  Artie asks, “What tracks?”

  “You’ll see,” curling a tight lip, “He mentioned David.”

  Drake is halfway upstairs, dragging his feet deliberately. “I’m sorry to renege on our date, but I gotta have some pride.” He sniffs. Wipes his nose and dabs a sleeve to dry lashes.

  Lucius smirks, “Oh, poor baby.”

  Josephine brushes a hand over her heart, “Oh, no. Drake,” pacing across the loft.

  Lucius takes one step. Then, tries locking his feet in place, “Every time… I just —

  “Calm down, sir,” Artie stretches his arm, “What could happen that’s so bad? He won’t go?”

  “Artie,” Lucius mocks what a chuckle would look like, “You have no idea.”

  Drake covers his eyes with his steps subsiding. Hardly able to move at this point. Josephine touches his shoulder, and says, “Drake, I’m sure they don’t care. I know my friends.�
�

  His scratchy voice cracks on command, “I can’t be that guy anymore, Jojo. I’ll always be the lonely man in the group. Like I said, I’ll have to renege on our date,” and huffs a choking gasp like he has asthma all of the sudden. “I’ll just sit here. Sit here thinking of her. Thinking of her and wishing I was dead.”

  “Please don’t. Surely there’s a way to get through this? You can’t lock yourself up like a prison. I’ve done that. It’s not good and damages relationships. You need to be secure again…” hoping he’ll get the idea, growing in his mind, “… so you can be on your own. On your feet again. To look for a place to live as an independent adult. Be the man, you wanna be. How can we get you through this?”

  “Wait, what I just said. That might help but…” sniffing, “We could…” And shakes it off, “Nevermind.”

  Lucius bites his lip, making teeth marks over his skin. “Here he goes.”

  “I couldn’t ask that of you… so…” Drakes moans, rubbing dry eyes, “forget I asked.”

  She hugs him, “Go ahead. Ask me anything. I promise I’ll help you. I want you better, so you can move on.”

  She thinks, And move the heck out of my house.

  Lucius’s eyes inflate, “She promised,” his jaw drops. “I can’t believe she promised before knowing what he’s gonna say.”

  Drake nods, “Okay,” he said with a slight twinkle in his eye. “I’m just so lonely. You know? Everyone else knows just by looking at me. I smile. I try to laugh. No matter how hard I try, they know I’m faking. It’s only when…” and makes eye contact, “… when I’m pretending with you. When… I’m treating you like I used to treat Teresa.”

  “What are you saying,” her smile deflates.

  “You see? I can’t depend on anyone.” His alligator eyes glaze off, “You won’t help me. Not after talking about it. No one could help me. I’m hopeless. A hopeless man that needs to end it all.”

  “That’s for sure,” Lucius’s nose curls.

  Josephine says, “I think…” tilting her chin, “I think I understand what you’re saying.” She takes a moment. “You trick your mind, thinking she’s here, so you won’t miss her.”