Dance of the Damned

Fragments

Was I too hard on the boy? Micah thought, laying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling.

Micah had given them the directions to his house and dropped him all the way inside, saying that the King became too busy to drop him off.

Elise thanked them profusely while Briar checked Micah up and down in case of any injuries.

Thankfully, he changed his shirt in the carriage with a spare on that Carvill kept for him.

Micah only always wore one colour so it was quite easy to forget exactly the make of the sort.

Just keep a white shirt nearby and no one will notice if it is switched out.

As Micah waved them off, he noticed the timid line of Heris's turquoise. The boy did not even raise his head to him. Shame.

Elise and Briar fussed over him, but he ignored them and jumped into bed, pretending to be asleep.

The present is now a couple of hours later.

Micah never fell asleep as he laid on the bed, Briar asleep next to him.

Sleeping ... what even is the point of sleeping anymore? He thought, sighing deeply. I am tired whether I sleep or not.

Annoying. Micah reached out like he was trying to touch something but only darkness and the occasional Aqua colour from Briar's breathing to keep him company.

I wanted to do so much. He thought, grasping nothing. So, so, so much. But ... look at where I ended up in the end.

He suddenly remembered Heris's line and decided to focus on that instead.

I don't think I was too harsh on him. But ... I didn't mean to cut him off like that.

I hope he is not feeling bad because of that. I will have to talk to him when I meet him again I supposed.

Micah closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep but his body refused to allow him the luxury so he had to sit up.

There is this book he always placed on his bedside. Most think it is a storybook and Micah tells them that it is, indeed, a storybook when it isn't.

Is your entire life going to be based on lies, Micah?

As long as it is not a lie that will hurt them, I don't see why anyone should be involved more than they should be.

Grabbing the book, he opened it and began to feel along the bumps on the pages.

"My lovely Micah!

So, you have finally turned thirteen. How do you intend to celebrate it?

I know! Your favourite cake, we should make a mountain of it, just like I promised you when you were twelve.

We can invite all your friends. I can't wait! Hopefully, you will have fun at this party.

But then, you always were a bright child so I can expect you to thrive there. Even your father is taking a break from work. Imagine.

Wonders do happen.

See you soon, love."

He flipped several pages and began to read the contents in that one.

"Micah my darling boy,

You have finally turned thirteen. Is there anything you would like?

Ah, I know what you will say, 'I am fine with anything, mother, as long as you are happy.'

What did I do to deserve a child like you? Kind and understanding. If I could bestow all the good things of the world on you, I would have.

My heart, I want to see YOU happy.

Allow me and your father to make you happy today, alright? Watch and see.

This will blow your mind."

One more.

Micah flipped a couple more pages, stopping at almost the end and read that page.

"My dearest Micah,

It is your thirteenth birthday today. Do you like the gifts we got you? Your father stood in front of the store, contemplating on what he should and should not buy.

It was cute. He could not care less of the stares he was getting, what did not sit right with him is getting a bad gift.

I hope you like the gifts we picked in the end.

You never were the type to like lots of gifts, only the ones that were useful were the ones you kept. Otherwise, you gave them away without a care in the world.

No parties either. Such a strange kid. Your father and I are a little upset that we are not able to spoil you.

Won't you indulge us today, Micah? My darling boy. Light of my life.

I can't wait for you to see the gifts.

Love,

Mother."

Micah closed the book, holding it close to his chest as tightly as he could while his body trembled, the darkness around him growing even deeper.

“No more. Please. No more.” He begged into the darkness, though, no one answered him as he curled back into a ball.

__________________

“What exactly are you?” Micah had been used to this question by then.

If not for his accurate future predictions, people still wonder what he might be.

The texture of his skin is not entirely like a human. It feels like leather and pudding at the same time. So easy to break and yet firm to the touch.

He knew, that from the moment he was born, he was not to lead a happy life. But it turned to a life that he could never predict. Well, now he can but not before.

Everywhere he went, death and destruction seemed to like following him though he could not understand why. The people in his life, they never did complain about him.

In fact, many preferred him this way.

“He is too smart a child. It is only fair that he has all these problems. So that everything will be balanced out.”

He could never understand those words. What they meant and he had no intention of understanding them.

His father did try to explain it to him when he asked once, “I believe they are trying to say that the more blessed someone is, the more tragedies will follow the person. But that is just a baseless thought. Don’t pay attention to useless words, Micah.”

Tragedy and hurt should come about because of the consequences of your actions not ‘to put balance in the world’. Just as a child should be innocent of their parents' sin, so should children that are born with gifts they never even asked for.

Why is life like this? No, what are people like this? He thought once, standing over the body of his first victim as their soul’s essence entered his body.

For the first time, he felt exhilarated like he could do anything in the world and all will be well. Living every day hurt but not in that moment. Not as he stood on top of the woman whose neck he broke by placing her out the window and closing it on her neck repeatedly until her neck snapped.

Standing on top of her body, he basked in it. Even as a bullet shot rang out and the room grew hazy. He never forgot that feeling. That had to be the day everything began and ended.

___________________

As Micah sat in the darkness, staring hazily at nothing a hand reached out in the darkness to him.

Tangerine.

Micah felt the movement but didn’t do anything as the hand reached his head, brushing the hair out of his eyes and trying to tuck it back as it just falls over his eyes again.

“I wish you would either grow your bangs or cut them.”

Micah smiled, reaching for the person’s hands and held them to his face, “I am going to grow my hair. Don’t worry.”

“Will you even be able to take care of it?” the person asked, standing beside his bed as Micah continued to rest his head in his hands.

“I have never tried that.” Micah chuckled. “What do you think, Carvill? Will I look good with long hair?”

“Does that matter?”

“Of course it does,” Micah said, pretending to be indignant. “It is very important that I look decent in it. I am planning to grow it with Bradie.”

“That boy there?”

“Yes,” Micah said happily. “Oh, let me guess. You have done as I asked? About Old Mister Brook?”

“I have,” Carvill said, running his hands through his hair. “His family are safe.”

“Wonderful,” Micah said clapping his hands together. “I really don’t know what I would do without you, Carvill.”

“I believe you give me too much credit.” He said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I am the one that would not know what to do without you.”

“I feel honoured that you would say that,” Micah said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Did you visit him?”

“I was about to. But I decided to talk to you first.” Carvill said, “Why is he sent to the prison no one can enter into, if we are able to save his family without any problem? You said that you would help him with his family, did you not?”

“I did.” Micah chuckled. “And I have kept my promise, did I not? Well, part of it. They are not entirely safe … yet.”

“Still you do not want me to tell him about this, why not?”

“He is in isolation, wondering if his family is well or not.” Micah turned to Carvill, a slightly sadistic smile on his face. “What do you think will happen to someone like that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Desperation, Carvill. I need him to sink lower in desperation. Then we will make our move.”