"Last night I saw upon the stair,
A little man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
Oh, how I wish he'd go away…" –William Mearns
The Epilogue: Quick, Like a Bunny
It was not calm in the darkness of his mind. Not at all.
"Rowwll," said a guttural, low voice. It was a whine, betraying a youngness and an attitude most lost after reaching their 20's.
This voice had never seen a number past seventeen. He had lost a lot, though, that much could be said. He hadn't seen a number past seventeen either. That didn't make it fair, or right, but it meant he wasn't Alone.
Alone would have been so much worse. At least like this, right now, he had someone with him. That was…nice maybe wasn't the word, but it was close. A comfort? Yes. A security blanket? Surely.
And right now that other voice sounded just as fearful and worried as he felt. Their connected Souls echoed together, terrible and true. Artificial but enough to pass. They were One.
It wasn't how they were supposed to be. But that's how it was.
"I know, man. I know." The second voice, an equally young man's voice, soothed.
He heard a grumble from outside his mind.
"We can do this. C'mon. Let's try again."
Instead of balking, his other self settled and they both concentrated. Move. Move!
When he finally lifted their eyelid plates, the optics took a long while to focus.
Long ears flopped, unsteadily but soon rose in assured flicks of interest. Oh, so many noises…a lot of them.
His friend was good at hearing. His friend was even better at listening. Maybe that's why they had passed Father's little test? Maybe...
"That's it. That's it. Let's go." This excitement was palpable. This was progress.
The tall, yellowed figure lurched forward. The sticky, crackling sounds of dead cartilage and ichor went off like so many little snapping sticks. The noises died down, the creaks fading off to casual creaks and eeks that was natural with their movement. They were used to it, by now. Had to be.
This was hard work, walking together like this. But it had to be done. He had to do it. They had to do it.
"Dad…Something is wrong with me. I should be dead. But I'm not."
A mechanical rumble of agreement sounded.
"I've been living in shadows. There is only one thing left for me…for us…to do now. We're going to come find you.
And I'm going to make you pay."
The Knight Guard Part 5
Mike's Last Shift Starts December