by Z. M. Wilmot
***
I woke up next to Ezekiel. I wasn’t wearing anything. I slowly slid out of bed, careful not to wake him, and walked out of the room and onto the balcony. Stretching, I stared out at the beautiful sunrise. I leaned on the railing and closed my eyes. I could spend an eternity here, perfectly happy and always content.
“Yes, you could,” said Ezekiel, coming up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. I turned around and pushed him away.
“You… you’re not real. You wouldn’t be able to read my mind if you were.”
Ezekiel shrugged. “Reality is what we perceive, Jak. This is just as real as that other world from which you left – but infinitely more pleasurable.”
I snarled. “I don’t want to live a lie! Get me out of here.”
Ezekiel sighed. “I am disappointed in you, Jak – we are most displeased. If I cannot entice you, we will force you.”
Suddenly, my brain felt like it was expanding, pushing against the insides of my skull. I screamed in pain as I felt my brain tissue begin to bruise. I fell to my knees, grasping my head, screaming for all that I was worth. Come with me, and it will stop – give in, and come to us – it will be much easier, for me and for you. I tried to resist, but the pain was too great. Stop it! I shouted in my mind. I will join you!
Immediately, the pain vanished, and there were no lingering aches. When I looked up, I found myself still floating above the planet, ascending very slowly. I looked up, and above me, I could barely make out through the green sky the vague outline of the slug-thing that was Psy. Yes… come to us! I realized at this point that there was no hope of resisting him, and I gave in. You don’t want to resist, Jakken. You know it is true; look deep inside yourself.
“Don’t.” I was suddenly shoved aside by the black silhouette from before as he shot up again towards Psy, sword outstretched before him.
No! I felt Psy scream in my mind. I will kill him before I let you take him back! Good friends don’t kill one another, I thought. Before Psy could respond, a shriek of pain reverberated in my mind, and I felt Psy’s presence vanish. I saw the silhouette stab the body of Psy, and black flame spread across his body. The slug-thing shuddered, then shot off into the distance, heading away from the planet.
Then I began to fall.
33
“Andrew Buckland Gale? He vanished long ago, when his parents died. Maybe he murdered them – both of his parents did appear to have been tortured to death. Honestly, though, we can’t really blame the kid – he did us a great service in offing his parents. Just for that, I think, we can leave him be.”
