Chapter 17: Confessions

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The doors to the cell ground against the floor as Riley pushed them open. All the lights were out but her cat like vision kicked in and she could make out the lump on the bed in the corner quite clearly.


"Xander," she whispered walking closer to him.


He laid facing the wall and did not make any move to turn to her.


"What?" He mumbled.


"Turn around when I'm talking to you," she commanded. Against his will he rolled over and sat up. In the process he rolled his eyes.


"What?"


Riley took a breath. "Thank you."


Xander raised and eyebrow and frowned. "For what?"


"For not killing Kris today." She said.


Xander laughed softly. "Well don't think that it was out of the goodness of my heart, because there isn't any."


"Then why'd you do it?" She sat in the chair across from his bed.


He eyed her. "He wasn't worth killing."


"I don't believe you."


"What? Why not?"


Riley leaned forward. "I don't know." She paused and thought for a moment, her eyes on the ground. Then she looked at him. "So what happened in Ireland all those years ago?"


Xander leaned forward. "Sigmund Freud, analyze someone else."


"Boy," Riley said as her eyes narrowed. "You're going to tell me your story, willingly or unwillingly."


Xander thought for a moment. He knew she could force him to tell, so he might as well do so. No use lying either, he thought. "Fine. I don't know why you want to know but fine."


"Oh, and while you're at it, tell me how you got your power."


"Whatever." Xander shook his head and pushed the air out of his mouth.


"One night I had gone for a walk in the woods. I went past all the boundaries, I don't know why, it was like someone was pulling me by a chain...or.. I don't know. Anyway, who do I run into? The one and only Karma. She immediately grabbed me by the shoulders and told me to kiss her. Needless to say this shocked me a bit and when she tried to kiss me I pushed her away." He paused.


"Go on." Riley said.


"What, you believe me?"


"Why? Shouldn't I?"


Xander stared for a moment. "I figured you'd think I jumped at the opportunity."


"No, I think you were different back then."


"Well...anyway...uh after I pushed her away she said, "What's wrong, don't you like me?" In her little baby voice. And I said, "I don't even know you." "Why should that make a difference?" She returned. So I tried to walk away because she was giving me the creeps, but the next thing I knew she had jumped me from behind. I guess she was a bit upset that I rejected her or she wanted me to obtain a power because she went nuts. I experienced American Psycho first hand. When I woke up I guess a day later, I was in shock because I was still alive. Realizing I could walk I ran home. My...sister ran to meet me when I came back. When she saw me she grabbed my hand..."


Riley looked closely at him. His green eyes shone in the moonlight that poured in through the window. He's crying, she thought. I don't believe...oh yes I do. He is human no matter how much he denies it. Xander cleared his throat but it still cracked as he spoke. "Well you can guess what happened. She died instantaneously and my family went ballistic. My mother couldn't look at me, my brother, whose rep. by the way wasn't the best, went after me with an axe, and my father ran me out of town. So that's it, story time's over little girl, so do your psychoanalysis."


Riley took his hand. "I'm sorry that happened, but you do know your sister's death wasn't your fault, you had no idea."


Xander scoffed. "Save you sympathy bull for someone who needs it."


Riley shook her head and stood. You're hopeless Xander, she thought. Then, as she shut the doors, "I'll pray for you."


Xander watched her dissolve into the night.