Nox Inferno

Chapter 48: The Dead

I walked through the rows of bodies. We piled them in row in case someone could recognize one of the bodies. I didn’t know many people, but I feel like I should do my part. That’s when I saw them. Holding each other, as if their life depended.

Dean Charles and Miss Adonia. Tears filled my eyes. I looked away. I couldn’t see them so lifeless. I tried to remember if they ever mentioned any children.

I crouched down, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t save you.” They are what I imagine the perfect couple to be. They were jubilant and youthful, but they had a sense of maturity. I didn’t know them that well, but I could have. I should have. I took out a red tape and wrote their names down and taped it to their chest. I let out a small whistle and two men came and carried them away.

Lamina’s last words echoed in my mind, “So this is what death feels like.” I use to think, I was so emotionally detached from the world, I wouldn’t care who died. But thinking about something and actually experiencing it, is two different things.

“Are you okay?” A voice whispered. I turned to see Kai, his eyes where red. He has been crying.

“Your mom?” I asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, “She’s fine. But seeing death is never easy for me.”

I stood up and pulled him into a hug. This hug was not filled with sparks or hidden feelings. This hug was between two people in need of comfort. His arms wrapped around my back and buried his face into my neck. I held onto him for dear life. I knew the moment I broke this hug; the rest of the world will come crashing back in.

“Come on.” Kai whispered and broke the hug. He held onto my hand and lead me through the bodies.

Occasionally Kai would stop and scribble a name down on the red tape. Soon the faces began to blur together. I could no longer see them. I only saw death.

Kai began to mumble, “No, no, no.” I looked at the body of someone we both knew.

He pulled on the tape, but I took it from him. I wrote the name, Peter, on the tape. His eyes where still open but like Lamina’s they where empty. A scream rippled through the air.

I turned to Mama Fra, but she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking at her dead mate, “Peter!” She screamed and collapsed onto the body.

Mama Fra began to chant, and pink sparks erupted through the body. Was it possible? For a second, I allowed myself to hope. Hope Peter would open his eyes.

But it was squashed when Kai touched her shoulder, “He’s dead.” His voice was tired and calloused.

“No he’s alive.” She pleaded to Kai and began to chant again.

Kai let go of my hand and pulled Mama Fra up from the ground, “He’s dead. There is nothing you can do.”

She broke down in hysterics. She began to weep, looking at the man she loved for so long. I couldn’t handle anymore tears. Slowly, I began to walk away. I headed over to the tent of the injured.

“Do you need help?” I asked Clementine. Her skin had a grey hue to it, she was barely standing up. But that didn’t stop her from running around trying to heal as many people as possible.

“Go to the blue section. See if they need anything before-“ Her voice cracked but she shook her head. The Blue Section, those who are beyond help. Those who where going to die.

“Don’t tell her.” Nyra’s soft voice vibrated through my head, “She can’t know about her father yet.”

“I know.” I whispered and headed to the blue section. My arm was killing me, but I would live. They would not. I took a white cloth and dipped it into a bowl of water. I walked over to the closet body and began to clean their face.

His breath was ragged and uneven. His time was coming, soon. Suddenly his eyes popped open.

He opened his mouth, but I shushed him, “Don’t speak.”

“I need to.” His ragged voice rang through the tent, “Twyla, you need to know.”

How does he know me? Curiosity got the better of me, “Know what?”

“This was all planned.” He began to cough, “Between an Angel and a “ He was interrupted by his coughing. Blood spluttered out of his lips.

He closed his eyes. His time was about to expire, “Can you tell me your name?” I asked.

“Badell Burnes.” He coughed out. Realization struck me, this man was Principal Burnes, “I need to tell you-“ his voice faded out.

“You don’t need to tell me anything.” I whispered and wiped away some of his sweat.

“This happened because of your-“ He stopped midsentence. He let out his final breathe. Principal Burnes, was dead. I wrote his name on red tape and moved onto the next person.

Not many of the others spoke. But those who did, told me about their children or their homes. I tried to help them ease into death but they all already had their foot in the door.

I wanted to cry. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the pain of my arm or the amount of death I have seen today. I thought I was ready for the world. I forgot that the world held death in it too.

“You need to get it checked out.” Nyra whispered. Though, I was the only one who heard her. It would be wrong to speak in a normal tone because none of this was normal.

I was on the brink of collapsing. The world was going blurry from the blood loss, but I stumbled over to the regular part of the tent.

A man in white noticed me as I tripped. He picked me up and placed me onto a table. I could no longer feel my left arm. This world was slipping away from me. I closed my eyes. I began to see people, they where blurry at first. But the pictures began to refine itself. It was a picture of Adrian and Jasmine. I tried to smile but I was to tired to. I remembered leaving them. I was so naïve to think leaving them was the hardest part of moving. Then I saw a picture of Kai and I. We where fighting. Just like at the beginning. I saw a picture of Zephyr and Alvina both looking at each other from the corner of their eyes. I wish they would admit they liked each other. Then a picture of Clementine standing next to her parents. They were all laughing at something.

A burst of energy filled my body. I felt fizzy and warm and the same time. It ran up and down my entire body. Slowly I began to feel my arm, but only a little bit. A sharp object dug into my arm. I began to writhe in pain.

“I know this hurts you.” A voice said, “You have the blade of a sword lodged into your arm. I’m pretty sure it’s stuck on your bone.“

I tried to still myself to the best of my ability. But the pain was unbearable. I felt someone was stroking my head. Sparks ran down my temple distracting me from the pain.

“Kai?” I whispered.

“I’m here.” His voice was comforting. I let out a sharp scream as I felt the sword dislodged from arm. I began to whimper, the pain consumed me.

“Good news, I can heal her.” The woman’s voice said to Kai.

“Bad news?” Kai asked hesitantly as he held onto my hand.

“She will need a cast for a least a month of two. But it will still be weak after that.” The woman said quietly.

“Shit!” Kai banged his fist against a metal tray.

“Calm down, Kai.” Alvina said rubbing his arm. He huffed and sat down.

“Why would it take so long?” Alvina asked.

“She’s only half demon. Though I’m not sure how strong her lineage is, her mortal side prolongs the healing process.” The woman added quietly. I think she was sacred of Kai. I couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh. But it came out as a wheeze instead.

“Thank you.” Zephyr spoke up. They where all here? They should get a checkup.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Kai whispered.

“I would live.” I whispered.

Kai nodded. The fizzy and warm sense began to fill my arm. I tightened my grip on Kai’s hand. I began to feel my fingers. I touched them together. I will never take something as simple as touch for granted ever again.

“That’s all I can do for her.” The woman said and walked away.

“Thank you.” I called to her retreating figure. I inched myself up.

“Woah be careful, we still need to wrap it.” The man in white said.

He wrapped my arm until he thought it was good enough. He snipped the end of the bandage and pressed it into my arm.

I suck in air as pain rushed up my arm. At least I can feel my arm again.

“Be careful.” Kai growled.

“I’m fine now. You guys should get a checkup.” I thumbed a cut that was still bleeding on Kai’s forehead.

“I hope you know you are sideline for a long time.” Kai whispered with a smirk. He kissed me on my head and walked away

I squinted my eyes in anger, but I couldn’t hold back my smile. “Jerk.” I shouted after him.

“You two.” I looked between Zephyr and Alvina who where hesitant to leave.

“But-“ They even protested in unison.

“Go!” I shouted.

When I was alone, that’s when my thought began to creep in. I was broken but being broken wasn’t the end of the world. The end of the world was death. Which I will bring down on those Angels.

“They will die.” Nyra agreed.