Bellon
The place was full of kids like us, all hiding from the cruel outside world. A girl named Kimberly arrived and helped Ronnie out.
"Ronnie! And Elliot!? What happened!?" cried Kimberly.
"He lost control of his powers. There was a gun fight outside." said Ronnie.
"Gun fight?!" cried Jason, Kimberly's little brother.
"Quick, let's take him to Nicholas." said Kimberly.
We went over to Nichola's workshop where he had other kids with injuries. He was putting band aids and some rubbing alcohol on their arms. He didn't look happy either. He looked as if he just got out of some drug like state. At least, that's what I thought. But I did reconize him. He was the boy who attacked us that day with the evil ghost lady in the book.
"You!" I cried.
We all stood our ground, except for poor Elliot of course. He looked as if he was still out of it.
"Please, I'm not under a spell right now." said Nicholas.
"Spira is gone. No Heart smashed her book." said Kimberly.
"Well... can you help our friend? He's fallen." I said. Elliot was then placed on a chair, and Nicholas used a small light and heard his heartbeat.
"Everything is normal now, but it looks like your friend went through some trauma." said Nicholas.
"What can he do to recover?" asked Abraham.
"He'll have to have therapy like me. But... I'm afraid we have to do this on our own. No adult outside would help us." said Nicholas.
"Your evil book sure had answers." said Ronnie. She didn't like Nicholas one bit, and neither did I honestly. Nicholas ignored Ronnie's accusation and went to work on some herbal tea.
"Drink this. It might relax you." said Nicholas. Elliot sipped the tea, but he looked really troubled and very traumatized.
"Let's give him space everyone. He'll be better in the morning." said Kimberly.
"Can I stay with him?" I asked.
"I don't see why not." replied Nicholas. Ronnie and Abraham glanced at eachother and nodded. "We'll stay too. He's our friend." said Ronnie.
Inside the tent, Elliot didn't say a word. He looked like a doll made of glass just sitting there. His face was pale, almost like he was a zombie, and his hair was messy. Ronnie was rubbing his arms and hoping to get an answer from him.
"Please say something." she pleaded.
"Ronnie, stay away. I can hurt you and everyone else here." said Elliot in a raspy voice.
"You saved us and defended us back there in some way." said Abraham.
"I killed. I killed." said Elliot shaking his head.
I patted his back, feeling sad for him and seeing him reminded me of Eddie when he was down on the dumps.
"Well... you didn't mean to kill them. That was self defense and your powers are beyond your control." I said.
"How can I be a hero if I have killed three people? I killed them!" repeated Elliot.
"You have no control of your power. This was an accident! Not your fault. You had no intention of killing these people." said Ronnie.
"Tender Heart thought he killed Ronnie, but look! Ronnie is alive! And well!" cried Abraham.
"How is that relevant? I'm here yes, but those three gangsters aren't going to come back from beyond the grave now would they?" said Ronnie.
"Oh. Good point." replied Abraham.
Elliot chuckled. "You guys... really?" he said.
"Elliot, can I tell you a story?" I asked him.
Elliot nodded and I told him a story that happened to me and Eddie about an year ago.
"Last year, Eddie and I were looking for food in the slums. We didn't go deep into Techno City or anything like that. We always stayed close to the edges. This one time, this man spat on me and he laughed at me. Eddie looked at him with anger in his eyes. I will never forget that day. Next thing I knew, Eddie poured some black ooze he found from one of the cars into a bottle and he gave it to the man as a peace offering. The man choked and he fell on the ground. Two days later, we found out he died. And Eddie... he had no regrets."
Everyone in the room stood silent. This was actually one of my older brother's darkest chapters in his life. He actually killed someone by poison. I don't know if that was the reason No Heart had his eyes on him, but this actually happened.
"At first, Eddie had no regrets." I continued. "But two days later, after the man was buried, Eddie fell into a depression that lasted for months. And then to make matters worse, it was about the same time No Heart started to appear before Eddie."
"Then... your brother... what type of kid is he?" asked Abraham.
"He's the sweetest big brother I can ask for, but... I think there was a lot of dark impulse in his heart or something. The point is Elliot... there are worse things. You did this by self defense and it was an accident. Eddie however... he did it with a plan and he actually smiled after the man fell. Believe me, I saw him." I said.
"Then why do you insist on finding him? He sounds like a lunatic." said Elliot.
"He suffered just as much as all of us. I don't need him. He needs me." I said.
"I'm not sure if this is supposed to make me feel any better." said Elliot.
"Hey, it's going to take time. It won't happen overnight." said Ronnie.
"You think your a sinner Elliot? I've also done bad things I'm not proud of. I used a gun to shoot at a man who tried to take me at the back of his trunk. Yes, I have a pistol, but it's for emergencies only." said Abraham.
"You could have used it to save my ass dude." said Elliot.
"I could have. But I would have made things worse." said Abraham.
"I survived the fall, but I never found my saviour. When I meet Tender Heart face to face, I'll tell him I lived." said Ronnie.
"And listen guys... if we don't find my brother or anything like that... why not just stick together as we are now?" I said.
"I like this small family." said Abraham.
"We are all different, but we all come from the same pain." said Ronnie.
"And we all are sinners." said Elliot.
"We are brothers and sisters guys. Let's stick together." I said as we all made a small group hug.