Two: Perception

Narcissus

So a real daddas boy, oh how pathetic.

He's thrashing about now, his arms and legs failing – the little boat rocks and water spews over the sides. He's going to drown us.

I grab him, try to hold him down but it only makes him more violent – I'm looking into his eyes, and I could swear that I can see an animal there.

'Stop it will you?'

The words escape in a hiss,

'I don't want to drown here, so if you do go ahead,' and I motion to the swelling sea. He stops then, mid shout, fear clouds his eyes as he looks at me.

I turn away, it's not like I care. I start baling then, throwing the salt water out of the craft and back where it belongs. I'm still waiting, wondering if he'll leap back in – it's his choice and no way would I try, would I want, to stop him.

I don't care.

I don't care.

I don't –

Icarus

I stop screaming. Not because I want to, but because I can't yell anymore. My throat's given up. That poison faced imp shook all the breath out of my lungs.

I realise now I panicked. It's just when he threatened me with that dark heavy nothing again I –

Dad said never to panic when things don't go right. I have to be calm now, think like him, the great architect, inventor, genius. Cos I'm alone now. Dad's gone and I need to find him. But first I have to deal with this guy –

– and I forgot I can't move. If I could I would have shoved him off the boat by now back where he belongs, stupid sea imp, and been away as fast as –

Can't move.

Can barely speak. I'm helpless...

I might as well be dead.

'Why?'

The word scrapes out of my throat at the shape crazy throwing water from the boat, a slippy shadow in the brightness.

He turns. I think he's surprised that I'm still alive.

'Why what?' he snaps back.

His voice is more scornful than ever, but there's something else there as well. Not that I can figure out what it is, I'm squinting too much.

'Why did you save me?'

My voice comes out as less croaky, more whiny. I think I preferred the croaky. At least you couldn't hear the fear in my voice. I need to be strong, or at least look like it, in front of the enemy. I try and clear my throat with my small breath. It hurts, but I can't show that. I mustn't, Dad wouldn't. Dad didn't.

'You're gonna take me back to King Minos, aren't you?'

I finally manage in a clearer voice.

Narcissus

I've opened my mouth but his simple question stole all words and I just stare.

Why? Why?

I can't answer; I'm strong and answering a question like that would just open me up. Emotions kill you and heartbreak especially so.

'King Minos?' I stammer back, trying desperately to take a grasp back on reality.

'Minos,' I repeat and he just looks at me as if I were some stupid fisherman – if only he knew.

'Uh, no we're not even close to where he lives. You can take a boat back to him later if you want though,'

I think there's fear in his eyes again,

'I'll pay for your passage,' I smirk. If he's going to ruin my happiness then I'll ruin his.

'Pay...', an echo comes from across the waters and I curse silently. We all pay enough for living these lives.

'…No, no… I won't take you back.'

I don't know why I changed my mind. Perhaps it was the echo of all I'd lost, I don't know. But he's just looking at me as if I'm some lunatic that can't make up his mind. Which is rich coming from a boy who fell from the sky. I saved his life gods dammit.

Icarus

Great. Not only did I just give away my biggest weakness, but I'm stuck on a boat with a crazy sadistic sea imp. I thought I was in a bad place but he's here talking to himself or to the sea or something and changing his mind more than a phoenix rebirths...

'You look… confused?' I state. If I wasn't trying to block out so much pain I might have even made a smirk of my own.

His jaw goes hard along with his eyes, glassy cool against the hot sky.

'I saved your life. If you can talk, you should be thanking me.'

'For what?'

I'm suddenly bitter through gritted teeth, any gratefulness being blacked out by the stabbing pain all over the place.

'Dragging out my pain longer, taunting me, taking me away from my dad and my wings and –'

Something shuts me up.

I can't finish the sentence, I know how stupid I'll sound. My eyes molve all by themselves to brightest spot in the sky. Beautiful. Untouchable. Unreachable.

Fresh hot saltwater runs from my eyes. Dammit, I can't even wipe that away. Hopefully he'll just think it's the pain of broken bones. But the brokenness is somewhere else completely.

'Stupid sea imp. You wouldn't understand,' I finally spit at him, fed up of his stuck-up attitude. He's no better than me. Sure, he can walk and speak and breathe without gagging with pain but...

Huh. I really am screwed aren't I?

Narcissus

I smile at him, it's a twisted kind of smile and the fact that I can tell that myself isn't great. How must I look to him? Fearless I hope.

'Your wings and your darling papa?' Contempt spreads to the surface without even trying.

'Hate to sound repetitive and boring but how old are you? Grow up child; nobody saves you in this world so you can thank Zeus, and Athena, and the lot of them that you're still alive. I wasn't tearing you away from some malfunctioning wings or your precious pa. When you fell, you fell alone. Dadda didn't even try to save you.'

I turn away; I'm tired of his tears. The ocean stretches out before us and I move to set sail for the island I now call home – but, as I do something glimmers in the water. My heart catches and stutters for a moment. I turn- and he's there; my love, he's back; he without a voice who looks at me with such adoration, he who promises happiness that I've never been allowed to experience. Don't ask me why I'm in love, ask me how I had survived all those years before I clasped my eyes upon him. It's one of those mysteries of life that I simply don't know the answer to.

Not that I care either way.

Icarus

He's right. Dad didn't save me. I called for him, he never came. He left me with this –

His grin is like a dagger. Flawless, and each of his teeth like sharp knives. Hungry. This guy really is a monster. Thank the gods he turned away from me, or I could've shuddered and made everything hurt even more.

I close my eyes, I'm fed up of watching and not doing. Might as well be dead. Spirits in the underworld have more freedom than this.

There's too much stuff buzzing around in my brain to keep my eyes closed for long. It's frustrating. Stuck between sleep and awake...

What in hades is he doing?

Reaching over the side of the boat, he's murmuring something... is he talking with the sea? No, his face – there's light in his eyes, amazement, he stares over the side like he's seen Elysium or something. Like he's in a trance, eyes glazed over and underneath them the bluey green swirls with... hope? Fascination?

Whatever it is, it seems familiar, that look in his eyes.

I stretch my neck, the one thing that's not broken on my stupid weak body, and just manage to catch sight of the water. What's so amazing down there?

Nothing. Nothing but his own stupid reflection. The way he's gazing into his own eyes you'd think -

...

Oh.

OH.

...

This guy's no imp.

Just a massive idiot.

'Aha...aha...'

I can't help myself. It's just too much. The laughter shakes my shattered skeleton and ripped muscles and bruised skin and makes it even harder to breathe but this is too good to be true...

The first person I meet in years and he's completely nu –

Narcissus

I turn sharply, eyes blazing – behind me my love edges me on, and his support is all that I need.

With a crash my hand collides with his face, the strength in my bicep sends him flying.

The laughter stops then and there. First a scream. Now he's whimpering. Good.

I saved him, I didn't need to do that, and he had to audacity to laugh in my face. At least he knows the pain, knows it's all too real; and as his face starts to redden and bruise from my punch he can't even reach his pathetically mangled arm to see if he's okay.

I pat him on the head,

'There, there,' I mumble; let him think I'm mad! Although, coming to think of it, this kid has just fallen from the sky, broken his body and very probably his head as well. His uncontrollable squawks of laughter may just have been the reality of his head.

I have a madman in my boat.

Shit.

Although, at least his bones are very much broken so he can't hurt me. Even so though, never trust a madman – tying him up is perhaps just a sensible safety precaution.

Icarus

'Ugnh...'

Well looky the world is spinning again... argh... no

Painful slowly motion... gods... why me...

I think the deck's stuck to my face.

Something warm and wet smells and tastes like metal wow that's sticky...

Well at least things don't hurt anymore.

It's all kinda just a numb burning feeling… and scratchy.

Hands and legs feel ropey now…

Ropey? They didn't before.

…no wait that's actual rope.

What. The. Hades.

As if falling from the sky and breaking all your limbs wasn't enough, the guy feels the need to whack me in the face and tie me up just cos I laughed? He doesn't even know what I was laughing at!

Crazy bastard.

I spit blood on the deck. The deck feels vertical. Are we sinking? I feel like I'm I swimming again. Sinking, not swimming again.

Oh gods I'm gonna –

The blood turns into acidy badness, and I'm lying in a pool of my own sick.

There is no way to redeem this.

No way I can possibl-

My head finally stops spinning. Gluey eyes wrench themselves open yet again.

Wait, what?

I'm not on the deck of the fish boat anymore. Something softer. More caring than the gaze of that monster anyway. And his fist.

The air is colder here. I'm dry. I guess I passed out.

How long has it been?

Outside and inside, my throat and lips and lungs still feel dead. Whatever. At least he's go-

Oh look. Spoke too soon. He stalks into the room – at least I think it's a room, it's too dark to tell. Eyes sparkle like gems. Sharp ones. The same eyes that gazed so lovingly at himself glare hatefully at me.