"You...what are you doing ?"

The bothersome awkwardness that I wanted to avoid became unavoidable. I took off the silent headphones and explained a not fully accurate situation.

"This guy was hurt and the weather got bad...so I thought I should move him somewhere"

His pronunciation was good, nevertheless his tone and gaze were off. He could tell that his overall brought uneasiness to the girl. would have been a great third person story-telling.

Lou ran past me to grab her walking brother. "Isaac, let's go home"

The zombie pushed her away, continuing his path towards his ghost lover.

She grabbed him again, yelling with a broken voice "Fucking listen to me!" The grabbing became a hug. "Isaac please"

Finally, he stopped moving. Even more, he became unmovable. A still rock.

A lighting bolt got me involved in the situation, for, to its sound the distressed Lou turned to me for help. If only she had not verbalized it, I would have had an excuse...however she made herself pretty clear.

Together, we drew a route in the mud by sliding the rock until reaching a small car getting bullied by the sky.

Being slapped by the weather, lifting this heavy guy, bending in pieces to seat him in, it all was troublesome - Was probably Lou's thought process leading her to invite me inside out of courtesy.

At this point, might as well accept.

Lou quickly pushed all her mess off the front passenger seat, hence I sat on it, figuring out where to put my muddy shoes without dirtying her stuff.

The engine coughed a few times before purring. Dipped headlights on, no blinkers ; Lou looked into the rearview mirror and accelerated.

"Where do you live ? It's rare to meet a stranger here"

I thought what was rare was to meet someone in this town who didn't know about why I was here.

Anyhow, saying I lived there felt wrong, however explaining would have been a hassle.

"I live here"

Like a package, I was deposited at the doorstep.

"___"

As if he was a strong magnet and my eyeballs iron, I couldn't fight this unknow force.

I wanna take it home

I want that mess, I don't want it taken away from me

I kept contemplating this mess in the backseat while Lou was waiting for me to close the door- or so I thought.

When finally acknowledging her, I understood that she had understood who I was, whose son. Her silence was obvious.

Might as well make something out of it.

"Sorry....I just sympathize with his situation. I think we could help each other out...in some way"

Of course, this burnt-out sister whom, worried to death about her younger brother, was blind enough to grab any opportunity, even with a monster like me.

"Really ?" She retorted with expectations.

A nod I would regret, from the bottom of my hollow. 

-

We met at our usual spot, next to cadavers. I passed by Mom's, focused on what seemed to acquire a part of my soulless core.

Once again, drunk, but less.

"Why is Lou the only one taking care of you ?"

Perhaps he could tell this was not concern but snooping ; he glared at his feet.

"Isaac"

I couldn't help but smirk.

I said I could help him, which was clearly a lie, however I did wish to see an evolution, for, a plot without development was nothing more than a failure. I knew it all too well.

"Isaac"

"___"

"Isa-"

Finally, he glared at me.

I don't remember if I was still smiling or not.

I said "Why do you keep coming here when you don't even say anything ? Don't you have something to tell him ?"

Isaac grabbed his pounding brain. "I don't..." His red fingers dug deeper in his long greasy hay twigs. "I don't know...what I wanna say"

My few rotten leaves shuddered. 

There it was.

"If you tell me what happened, I can help you find the words."

He stayed silent.

"We can start with something simple. You miss him to death"

To this obvious fact that anyone could have easily deducted, I received a gaze of oneness that overflowed.

"I-" Shivering lips attached to a tense jaw. "I miss him....to death. I miss hi-" Isaac curled up on himself. "I miss you...I'm sorry, Yacinthe...I miss you"

Some people blamed the gones, but here was seemingly guilt which made sense considering their dynamic back then. 

The human ball's cries went crescendo, muffled, and jerky due to a difficult breathing.

It had always been awkward to be near someone crying, especially Mom. What could one do ? What could one say ?

Here, I did not do or say anything, yet I did not feel weirded out. It was like watching a sad movie...How satisfying

My bark crackled down my cut spine, resonating in the empty as the roots around my putrid arms tightened, rising my blood pressure. 

He was so easy to torture.

I would have almost...

How far ?

How far could this go ?

"Isaac"

What a pleasing stretch of lips.

"Isaac, don't you want my h-?" No, that wasn't it. "Don't you want to...pay for your sin ?" To his shook complexion, I wen to size up his ankle with my roots, our eyes at equal height. "I'll make it so Yacinthe never leaves you again, for as long as you can breath."

That day marked, the beginning of a new ending, on his cold skin.