Chapter 40

Four

The car was filled with unending tension and awkward silence. David had forgone sitting in the passenger seat and instead sat in the back, head down , hands tight and white against his knees. Joshua had taken the car Lisa was driving without asking and the two had set off. David's mind was filled with all sorts of confusing memories. Evidently some of his recent memories were manufactured somehow. He knew he had saw Joshua killing Dorothy, no kind of CGI in effect. There was no way you could fake the glint in Joshua's eyes,his voice, the cocky laugh.

It confused and scared him even more that Dorothy felt so real. He knew Dorothy more than probably anyone. It was so real, so vivid... he couldn't believe that it was fake, but the fact of the matter was that it had to be. He had seen Dorothy's body in the morgue, she was unharmed...

David groaned, putting a hand against his forehead.

"Started to figure it out yet?" Joshua asked, glancing in the rear view mirror.

"No clue." David replied, his voice quivering. "All I know is that I saw something real... but it wasn't real."

"Well the answer to what happened is whatever was put into your mind." Joshua continued. "That's the key that will likely lead us to the culprit."

"Do you know what it is?" David asked.

Joshua shook his head. "All I know is that it is probably something to do with Dorothy and Joshua's initial visions. The same type of thing, I mean. What that is... I can only guess. Even then I have no guesses."

The car went quiet quiet again, David deep in thought. He was remembering back to his first meeting with Dorothy, way back in his past.

"You play wonderfully. I can't say I've heard someone play like that. And without sheet music? Christ."

"Even sheet music would not help me, considering I am blind."

David clenched his hand, flashes of Dorothy's lifeless eyes invading his memories of the ones filled with happiness.

"I never knew you had a child."

"It's not something I like to talk about it. Even to my friends."

"I'm a great listener, you know."

David remember the conversation that followed, the first time he had ever spoken in length about his situation. From the marriage to the divorce to caring for his son on weekends. Slowly losing contact with his son, becoming the father he never wanted to be. He had spoken about his wishes, what he wanted to be and where he wanted to go. Still, he had never told her the names. It was too troublesome, too hurtful. Now he'd never get the chance.

"If it's fine, Dorothy, I wouldn't like to talk about this right now. Perhaps... perhaps later."

"That is fine. Tell me at your own pace."

Later... Later never happened. A sudden flare of anger lit up in David's stomach and he slammed one hand against the window, sending it rattling in it's frame. "I want them, Joshua. I want these bastards."

"We'll get them." Joshua nodded. "This time it's not a promise, it's a damn guarantee. Anyone who imitates Death, who screws up the lives of others deserved to be punished to the full extent that they can possibly be punished."

David opened his mouth to reply, before staying quiet. It wasn't until five minutes later he aired the question. "I've been kind of ignoring this, but... what the hell happened back there?" David straightened up and looked at Joshua's neck. "I mean, I'm glad I didn't, but I would've killed you. I should have killed you. By all intents and purposes you should be laying on one of those slabs. Instead you get up and I see your wounds... what? Healing?

"Healing would be the correct word." Joshua nodded.

"Care to explain."

"Not really." Joshua replied simply before glancing in the mirror again and seeing David's expression. He sighed. "Look... I guess I can tell you. After all, I'll be working with you for a long while." Joshua glanced to the floor, muttering almost incomprehensible, "Working with you until I die..." Joshua shook his head and looked back up again. "You listened back in the station, didn't you? You remember what I said?"

"Practically."

"I talked about how if you are selected and you managed to survive for a year, you'd get chosen by death."

David nodded. "You also said that no-one has succeeded." David shut his eyes and allowed himself the faintest of smiles. "Let me guess... You're one of them."

Joshua nodded. "You are perceptive. Ten years ago, four survivors lasted a year and got chosen by Death. Each of them would've got personally contacted by Death. We were all given the general mission to find more 'chosen'. We cannot die. Shoot us, stab us, beat us, stab us with a fuckin' chainsaw..." Joshua chuckled. "We are not gonna die any time soon.

"Four...?" David rubbed his head. "You... Lisa? Your mother?"

"Uh-huh. Me, Lisa, Miles..."

"And?" David pressed.

Joshua sighed. "Somebody who decided to ignore Death. Somebody with the courage of a lion and the guts of a serial killer. Somebody who I hate... but somebody who we're going to visit now."

A/N: UGH! VIRUSES, VIRUSES frickin' viruses! Guess what causes this chapter to be late *eye roll*

Thanks to Cenobia100, Gabe's-Girl-Forever and Bookreader2010 for the reviews! Short chapter deliberately, since I didn't want anything to take away from the dynamic between Joshua and David.

'Till next time!