[blackglass in hand, screen a bright glow in the forest's light. patterns on the ground, patterns over the body. groves, gouges, gashes: like Parker's, only worse, still as stone and so much worse. probably cold to the touch (the neraki hadn't been, charred forms under ash and persecution). probably in rigor mortis. how did you tell a sleeping animal from a dead one? didn't need to look for breath. you looked, and you knew. that one's dead. this one's dead. Nic Brown is dead.]
[didn't matter that it wasn't right. it simply was.]
[hands over his head, fingers lacing awkward at his crown. felt like something should've jumped out but it didn't. felt apprehension, the restlessness begin, no outlet but another kid as distraught as him. they'd learned sign language together. they'd trick or treated, American style. that stupid monkey outfit. one foot fell in front of the other, mouth shut. paced a tight, one-two-three-four-turn, one-two-three-four-turn, to the side of the body, gaze catching red on the fifth count but otherwise looking ahead. didn't feel like much. felt like waiting. didn't know what for - Tess couldn't fix this. what was the next step? was there a next step? that meant Nic was dead.]
[Nic is dead.]
[where was Hibari?]
What's that? In your hand?
[too late to be natural, the silence having extended for solid minutes. at least it came at all. he didn't stop pacing.]
no subject
[didn't matter that it wasn't right. it simply was.]
[hands over his head, fingers lacing awkward at his crown. felt like something should've jumped out but it didn't. felt apprehension, the restlessness begin, no outlet but another kid as distraught as him. they'd learned sign language together. they'd trick or treated, American style. that stupid monkey outfit. one foot fell in front of the other, mouth shut. paced a tight, one-two-three-four-turn, one-two-three-four-turn, to the side of the body, gaze catching red on the fifth count but otherwise looking ahead. didn't feel like much. felt like waiting. didn't know what for - Tess couldn't fix this. what was the next step? was there a next step? that meant Nic was dead.]
[Nic is dead.]
[where was Hibari?]
What's that? In your hand?
[too late to be natural, the silence having extended for solid minutes. at least it came at all. he didn't stop pacing.]