Page 114 of Pure Silence

“Yes,” Day replied, blinking as if that was an odd question. “Father always spoke to me. He guides me. He helps me. With the mission.” He glared down at the corpse. “Always about the fucking mission! Always aboutthat!”

“See?” Lin elbowed Jack. “Total whacko.”

“Never had time to wish me a happy birthday or ask me how I was doing, to see if I was fucking happy! See if I needed anything!No!” Day gritted his teeth, growling angrily and on the verge of tears. “All you ever fucking cared about was the mission! The stupid mission! Fuck! You were always blabbing in my damn ear, telling me what to do, and you never once asked me aboutme! You were a terrible fucking father! There! I fucking said it!”

Goldie recoiled as Day got more upset, and he was more than a bit concerned that Day was now apparently screaming at the corpse.

“Yes, I know it was important!” Day sobbed. “I know!” He paused as if he was hearing a response. “But you could have tried harder too! I didn’t want you to be a fucking agent of the Lord’s wrath! I just wanted you to be my dad!” He scoffed. “Forgive me? For what?” He rolled his eyes. “Oh, sure! Now you’re gonnabitchat me about breaking my vow!”

“This is some fuckin’Exorcistshit,” Jack mumbled to himself.

“Isn’t it great?” Lin cackled. “I ain’t never seen anybody actually lose their mind before. It’s pretty fuckin’ nuts, yeah?”

Nuts was right.

Goldie was helpless as he watched Day completely crack right in front of his eyes, and he had no idea what to do. They were running out of time, and they were going to die here unless he did something.

Too bad Day’s father couldn’t get up and help them out.

Ha.

Wait…

What did Day say a minute ago, something about his father being in his ear? Telling him what to do?

If Day needed his father’s voice to carry out the mission and be a murder muffin, then he needed to make up with his father’s corpse.

Immediately.

“Day!” Goldie snapped. “Hey! Baby, listen to me. Listen to me right now.”

“What?” Day groaned.

“Why did your father stop talking to you?”

“Huh?” Day blinked, a few tears sliding down his cheek.

“Why did your father stop telling you what to do?” Goldie urged. “About the mission?”

“I broke my vow of silence.” Day frowned. “He was angry with me. I…” He shook his head. “Why does it matter now?”

“It fuckin’ don’t,” Jack barked. He was clearly no longer amused by any of this. “Both of you shut the fuck up right now before I put holes in you.”

“Ah, come on,” Lin grumbled. “It was like an episode of Dr. Phil with a dead guy and everything. You never let me have any fuckin’ fun.”

“This ain’t fun! It’s work! Work ain’t supposed to be fuckin’ fun!”

Day sighed, and he hung his head. “Father used to say things like that.” He sniffed. “I miss him… I… I miss him so much.”

“Enough crazy talk, fucker!” Jack narrowed his eyes. “Both of you.” He glared at Goldie. “Not another fuckin’ word.”

“Day!” Goldie ignored Jack, and he leaned as close as he could to Day. “Hey, baby! Listen to me! Don’t listen to them! Goddammit! Goddamn you, listen to me right now!”

Day flinched at the cursing.

“Ask your father for forgiveness,” Goldie all but shouted. “Ask him to forgive you! Ask and you shall receive, right? Ask him! Right fucking now!”

Day frowned, and he looked worriedly toward the corpse of his father. His lips moved, but no words came out.