Page 16 of Should the Sky Fall

“I don’t know.”

The door creaks, opening wide. The air seems to be sucked out of the room when Dawson walks in, wide-eyed and scared and ethereally beautiful. His soul feels small but shines bright, like a beacon in a dark night.

A man close to his age follows behind him, shutting the door once they’re inside.

Dawson approaches the bed with slow, careful steps, his eyes never steering away from Caledon. He looks like a feral animal expecting to be attacked at any moment, always alert, always scared. The other man stays by his side, his expression gloomy when he looks at Caledon.

Stopping by the bed, Dawson breathes heavily as he takes in Caledon’s state, the multiple tubes inserted into his body and the scratches and bruises on his face.

Dawson doesn't move, doesn’t speak. He stands over Caledon, watching him, his hands balled into fists.

“I don’t know what to say,” he says, voice barely above a whisper.

The man places a hand on Dawson’s back, rubbing it. “You don’t have to say anything. But if you want to call him names, I’ll join in. Can I take a video?”

Dawson lets out a shaky laugh, pressing himself closer to his friend. “Thanks for being here.”

“Of course.” He slings an arm around Dawson, joining him in the silence. It feels like it drags on forever.

They both start when the door opens, the doctor who was there before with the nurses appearing in the doorway.

“Sorry, gentlemen. Time’s up.”

Dawson gives a clipped nod and with one last look at Caledon, he follows the doctor outside, his friend by his side.

It’s quiet again, the sound of the machines filling the room.

He feels Sienna’s searing gaze on him. There’s a silent question in her eyes when he looks at her. This time, he knows the answer like he knows the sun will always come up in the morning.

The consequences don’t signify.

He will go through with his plan, and he might get what he wants or he might crash and burn, vanish out of existence.

Whatever happens, it will happen after Caledon has disappeared from Dawson’s life. Whatever happens doesn’t matter, because Dawson will finally be free. He’d love to be there, to stand guard to Dawson’s heart and soul for the rest of his days. But if he can’t, that’s okay too. It’s okay as long as Dawson is safe. As long as he’s happy.

“How much longer?” he asks. It’s a redundant question; he’ll know when it’s time, as always. Impatience has never been an issue, not until now. His fingers twitch with the desire to reach out and rip Caledon’s soul out.

Sienna’s eyes darken. She smiles, slow and sinister.

“Soon.”

Chapter 4

He’sfalling.Atleasthe thinks he is. There’s nothing but darkness around him, weightless and cold. There’s no sound but for his racing heart as it hammers against his chest.

He’s falling. He must be. Sinking deeper into the darkness that seems to grow thicker, suffocating him. When he tries to scream, the words halt in his throat, making him choke.

He wonders how long he’ll be falling for and if there’s an end to it at all. Maybe he’ll spend eternity like this, suspended in the void with no way out.

Even as that thought forms, something changes. The darkness seems to shrink. There’s no light, but it’s not as heavy anymore, not as oppressing. And the voice…

He can’t decipher it, but it’s there. Calling out to him.

The sensation of falling stops. Now it feels like he’s floating, suspended in the air by an invisible force. Only it’s not. Something’s holding him. Someone. There are arms around him, strong but gentle. Their touch is just as cold as the surrounding darkness, but it sends warmth through his body all the same. His heart slows down, his lungs expand with a breath. God, it feels like he hasn’t taken a breath in years.

“Soon,” the person holding him says. It sounds strange, distorted, like listening to one of those really old stereos filled with static.

“What?” he asks. He has no idea what’s going on and doesn’t care. If only he could stay like this, held and protected.