Part Eight

Burdens

I continued on my way, the stairs going down to the station that I need to go to seemed to reflect a rather dull sense and I couldn't help but quickly fix my hair in response to the lonely stairs' plea. When I got down to the station, I gazed in horror to see something I wish I could just make it disappear. The dogs from that nightmare world were up ahead and my radio was begining to play static. I looked down and pulled my handgun out, prepared to fight them. When I got close to them, I took aim and fired. After a few shots, I saw the dog give a yelp and it collasped on the floor. It squirmed and I took a breathe in as I went over to it and stomped its life to nothing.

"I can't believe it, why would they be here?" I said to myself and I looked at the corpse of the dog I saw sprawled out before me.

I looked back to see that I was now all by myself. Loki's presence could not be felt and I wondered about what or where he could be. I decided that it was going to be best to just wait for the train and Loki would come and find me again. Thats when I thought of what would happen if he appeare before my father? I'm sure that he'd probably freak out since Loki did have a supernatural aura around him and his voice would make me smile and my father reel back and cover his ears.

Looking out to see if the train was coming or not, I could not feel a thing around me. I was too busy thinking about Loki and wondering what my father would think before I fell forward and onto the tracks. I was pushed but why?! Thats when I heard the train coming. Loki's warning about the trains not exactly stopping for people on the tracks, I scrambled to my feet and started to climb unto the platform as the train's horn honking got louder and louder. As I meekly got up and felt a force pull me away from the tracks.

I looked back to see a train rushing past and in it's shadow, I could of sworn I saw Loki in its reflection. I couldn't see anything behind him or anything of that nature but him himself was something to look at. His face was warped and his back had sprouted great fiery wings that expanded atleast ten feet. I could not tell if he was mad or sad but as I watched the train eventually end and the image of Loki turned more horrific and then in a violent fire, he was gone and only a feeling of a really bad hang-over headache and a feeling of somehow remembering something familiar to it remained.

"Loki?" I called out and he touched my shoulder but I couldn't hear him if he said anything.

I looked over where Loki touched me and smiled, hoping that Loki could see it. I could imagine how rare something as a smile probably meant quite alot to him. Thats when I felt that if I were going to get home, I'd probably have to find another station to wake for the train at. Going back up the stairs, I made my way back to the concourse and continued towards where I felt I should go to get back home and find (hopefully) answers from my dad.

After I roamed around, solving a riddle and finding that parts of the subway was immersed in the dark world, I finally found myself in the dark world version of the subways and there was a train near me. Walking in, I saw Loki holding a shotgun to himself, his face showing a somber solution and my mind automatically went to the thought that he was going to do himself in with the gun he held. I yelled to him to put it down and he jumped and he dropped the gun to the floor. It didn't go off so it must have been empty. He looked at me with a startled look and he shook his head and then put his hand to his face. Thats when he began actually explaining to me what the hell he was doing with an unloading shotgun pointing to him.

Heather, Its not what you think! I swear... Loki replied and he looked me in the eye and went on, I didn't remember seeing a birthday wrapped shotgun in here...

"Well...I swear, if I catch you doing anything like that again, I'll make sure I stick around you to prevent yourself from doing that! You never can do that! You got it?!" I almost screamed at him and he seemed alittle appalled but he listened, his head hung low.

I promise. I wouldn't kill myself. I wouldn't do that, it'd be usless really. Loki reassured me and he picked up a card from the birthday box that was opened(by Loki presumably) and handed it to me.

"Its not my 24th birthday...Who sent this?" I asked him and he shrugged, "Loki! I just remembered, do you know a Claudia?"

Claudia...Heather, don't ever mention her again. She is a disgusting excuse of a human... Loki almost seemed to go from content to infuriated within a breathe's moment.

"But, she said she knew you and-" I was cut off with Loki stepping towards me and muffling my mouth rather angrily.

STOP. I hate that woman. I don't want to talk about her, not right now. Loki removed his hand and turned his back to me, showing his hurt feelings, I'm sorry Heather, I didn't mean to do that. I'm sure you'd like to know when your train is coming right? It should be coming very soon. So you should hurry.

"Oh...its okay, just don't do that again...okay? I'll have to kick your ass." I said cutely and he got my message, "How do you know that?"

I sense it thats how and I will make sure to not upset you again. Loki replied and I started out and he had the shotgun and grabbed ammo for it and followed me.

"So, you're keeping it?" I asked as we walked up the stairs.

He then was not visible when we walked up the stairs and into reality. I trusted Loki enough that he wouldn't shot me or hopefully not himself. Anyway, we walked to where my station was and as I arrived, it came and when I half-patiently waited for it to stop, I found that the door opened all the way at the end of the door. Walking there since I unlocked some gates that saved me the trouble of going the long way, I took the short cut and made it there in about three gates. Entering through the open doors, Loki's presence behind relocated itself by me and the doors closed. I turned and looked out the window, Loki's hand yet again on my hand.

I smiled again, looking into the looming darkness to only feel safe from one single being from that very same thing.