Chapter 22: Sleep No More

A lone teardrop falls in the pouring rain, it's sound indiscernible from the rest. That is, to everyone but me. Danta's tear echoed inside my head. Creating a single ripple in an endless storm. I couldn't sympathize with him; we had no one to bury.
Still, we helped him dig the holes.
Seventy-two, that was the total number accountable.
Three, was the number of holes we dug.
He never questioned us. We were but shadows to him.

As Danta had tallied up the deaths, He told Clair and I about Sol and his brother Phoenix.

The two off them had lived a different life. Their mother had been a drunk, and their father had left them when they were young. Aside from Danta, the boy's neighbor, they had only had each other.

Until that point I had not realized how old Danta must be, he sounded no older than thirty, but he must be a good deal older than Phoenix or Sol. Though I would have liked to know, I did not interrupt.

The night had been a restless one for even for a rugged man like Danta. It started with the shouting, he had all but gotten used to it, so he rolled over and tried to drown it out. He could do nothing for those poor boys next door.
Then came the gun shots.
It was all he could do to get out with his shoes on before he raced over. He put all his weight into the door. He kept at it until he was black and blue, but he couldn't make it before the screaming started. With a last ditch effort he knocked the door in and raced to the rescue.
There were two more gunshots and then silence.

"Fifty-three, fifty-four..."
I could hear his voice starting to waver, but he kept going. Every count bleeding more out of him.

When he finally reached the open door way, he heard only muffled sobs. The light had been shot out and the room had been left in disarray.
With shock he took into account the three forms in the middle of the room, two lying dead and one boy sobbing over the smaller form. Rather though, it was only one dead, the smaller figure was still breathing, though faintly. Quickly he had scooped up both boys and took them from that horrible mess.

"Sixty- seven, s-sixty-eight..."
The man was struggling now, between the story and the deaths, with each word he became quieter.

The older son, he had learned had been blinded by alcohol. According to the doctors he would never see again. Still that was not their worry. What worried them was the fact that he had in turn shot his own mother. He, a boy of seven, would be tried for murder. But Danta wouldn't allow it.
The doctors said he had no right to say no, but he said no anyway and walked out hand in hand with young Sol and Phoenix.
Danta took up several jobs to make ends meet, always watching out for the cops, always watching out for the boys. Still, the past never remains buried for long.
As the boys grew older, Sol became violent. Neither Danta nor Phoenix had seen it coming.
Then one day Sol didn't come home. The man and the boy searched of weeks, looking for any sign of him, and when they did finally catch him, they were at a loss.

"S-s-seventy... one..."
The old man couldn't take it anymore, he collapsed beside the last body, Solomon. The boy he had tried to protect. The one who he watched rise to greatness by sinking himself ever deeper into the shadows. The boy he could do nothing for.


I stand at the edge, gazing down into the endless darkness at my teacher. I feel the moist earth squelch between my toes and take a ragged breath.
"Come away from there." Clair whispers to me gently. She still doesn't know that less than two hours ago she was lying dead upon the church roof. I haven't the heart to tell her. Wishing my teacher a final farewell I turn towards her and am caught by her unexpected embrace. I feel her body shuddering as she sobs, likely remembering Jay and her friends. I was the only one without tears. For her sake I couldn't allow myself even that simple pleasure. No one could see what I saw, the souls of all those people fading into a starless night sky. An eternal abyss. There was no better place for them. There was nothing. One day maybe, time will have lessened the pain of these two people, but I will never again sleep in peace.

"Come now," I say, "Let's go check on Danta."

Reviews

[A. H. Pinley]

always watching out for the cops, always watching out for (after) the boys. I can see the scene in my head. I felt Like I was at a cemetery or something to that effect. Will read more...

[Dream°]

Very good. I had a great time reading both of your requests

[Eryn ♪]

Thanks! I hope you enjoy the later chapters too.

[Dream°]

I'm sure I will ;)

[Silent Wolf]

I love it. It's so sad, and I just... so many feels...

[Eryn ♪]

Thanks for reading it!

[Hypnos]

Well....... The Feels are strong in this one.... great chapter. Glad to see the story is still going.

[Eryn ♪]

Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it.

[yuki]

a lot of unknown emotions but very intriguing very well done

[Eryn ♪]

Thank you very much!

[Lucy Morningstar &heart..]

WHAT THE EMOTIONS IS THIS?! WHY ARE THERE TINY DROPS OF WATER COMING OUT MY EYES?! Holy jeegus the feels here are just very intense...that last bit...that whole thing...it's soooooo well written and beautifully worded and nothing feels out of place. Im going to be 100% honest here, as always am, but this is pretty much the best chapter you've written. For cereals, the best.

I can has next chapter? Okay? Okay. 100/100