The Never by Kristina Circelli

Author:Kristina Circelli [Circelli, Kristina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

Making Deals, Making Enemies

Malachi’s words proved true when, just three days later, there came a change in the air.

Arianna sat watching the boys play, grinning over their youthful antics. It had been so long since she simply enjoyed kids being kids. She’d forgotten how much fun it was to watch them race around, trying to catch one another, screaming obscenities and insults that made the others laugh. She wasn’t entirely sure what their game was, but that was part of the fun.

Fellow and Caps were on a team together, chasing Solemn Sam and Chuckles around the field. All four boys were shouting and giggling, having a great time beneath a bright blue sky.

Until one of them pulled a knife.

Arianna saw the movement just as she noted a cold wind that blew in from the sea. It took her a moment too long to process what was happening, a moment in which she watched the scene through a foggy lens. Caps drew his blade on an unsuspecting Chuckles, and when the smaller boy’s back was turned, slid the knife deep into the child’s left side.

“Chuckles!” Arianna leapt to her feet as Chuckles fell to the ground, groaning and clutching his side. Blood seeped through his fingers. Caps and the other boys only laughed and pointed, brandishing the knife like a celebrated war weapon. “Caps, what have you done?”

“I have won!” the boy responded, red-stained fingers fisted around the blade. “I have defeated the enemy!”

“It was just a game, Caps! You might have killed him!” Arianna dropped to her knees, fighting back tears and not understanding how the child could be so indifferent. Caps merely shrugged and turned away, racing away with the others.

“Chuckles, hold on, buddy. I’ll get some help.” She pressed her hands against the wound, distressed by the warm liquid that refused to lessen. Arianna was just about to yell for help when Malachi appeared, worry written across his face. “Malachi! We have to help him. We have to bring him somewhere. Anywhere. I don’t know what to do,” she rambled, but Malachi only picked the boy up, not appearing to notice that Chuckles had gone limp.

“Follow me to the natives,” he ordered.

She did just that, fighting back tears the entire way. When they landed in the natives’ camp, it seemed word had already spread, as the chief was waiting for them. An old woman stood at his side, stepping forward when Malachi landed.

“Let me see boy,” she demanded in her foreign accent, kneeling slowly after Malachi had set Chuckles on a narrow bed made of intertwined palms. “You step back. I work now.”

Malachi did as directed, gently taking Arianna by the arm when she made no move to do the same. She stood clutching her blood-stained hands together, eyes wide.

“Just like Little One,” she whispered. “They were just playing, and then…I don’t understand what happened.”

“They have returned,” Malachi replied in her ear, drawing her away from the scene. “Did you not feel the change?”

She did, Arianna realized. She felt the cold wind, smelled the foul breeze, saw the shift in the boys’ faces.

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