Fall Away
Explain.
I unlocked the door to my apartment, suddenly self-conscious as I heard Soren enter behind me. “It’s not much,” I said awkwardly as he looked around the room, “especially compared to your house. But it’s all I have.”
He nodded, a carefully blank expression on his face. I could imagine what he was thinking, but I was grateful he didn’t say it aloud.
“Do you want something to drink? Or eat? We never got to the pizza…”
He shook his head, sitting down on the couch. “I think I should just start talking.”
“Okay,” I sat down across from him, anxious to hear the story. But, now that it was actually happening, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the truth. “Hit me.”
He fidgeted slightly, not meeting my eyes. “I’m not good at this,” he admitted.
I laughed awkwardly. “I’d think you’d be good at talking. I mean, you talk to girls enough.”
“Yeah, but not about anything serious.” He shook his head. “I don’t do serious.”
“So why me?” I asked. “I mean, asking me to come over to your house seems serious.”
He shrugged. “I’ve dated before. That’s not serious. But that doesn’t matter, because you weren’t my call.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked at me pointedly. “Kirian.”
“But… you were the one who always asked me.”
“Because he’s an idiot,” Soren replied. “And… well, Kirian’s even worse at talking than I am.”
“So… it didn’t have to do with Danny?”
“No.”
I paused, looking at my hands for a moment, before I asked the question that had been on my mind since we left. “So… why is his name on the list?”
Soren stood up and paced across the room quickly, muttering under his breath. Finally, he stopped and faced me. “You’re not going to believe me,” he warned. “Hell, some days I don’t even believe it myself.”
“Hit me,” I repeated.
“He’s on the list because he’s going to die,” Soren held up a hand as my mouth opened. “And before you freak out on me, let me finish. That’s not Kir-our fault. We’re just… the bearer of bad news, I guess.”
“Well, everyone’s going to die,” I argued. “That’s nothing new. So why are specific people on the list?”
Soren looked at me with serious eyes. “Let me put it this way. Your brother is now one spot higher on the list. And four minutes ago, Peter Yikan died of a heart attack.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. “You mean… he’s dying soon? As soon as everyone before him on the list is gone?”
Soren nodded.
“You can’t know that,” I protested. “No one can know who’s going to die next.” I felt the sudden urge to laugh. He must be joking – which meant Danny was safe.
Soren just stood there, watching me. Slowly, my amusement began to die. “You’re not kidding. You – you really believe you know.”
“I know we know,” he said gently.
I sank back in my seat. I couldn’t decide whether I should cry or laugh. Although caling him crazy and kicking him out of my house was sounding better and better.
“So what was the other list?” I finally asked. “The one on the left. People who miraculously survive near-death experiences?”
The sarcasm was evident in my voice, but Soren ignored it. “Not exactly.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Then?”
“They’re the life,” he said, as if that explained everything. He must have realized it didn’t, because he continued. “They’re the babies, the future. The people born to replace the ones who died.”
My mind whirled. There might be a way to figure out approximately how many kids would be born, and maybe when they would appear. But there was absolutely no way he could know the names before the parents even did.
“Ellie?” Soren asked tentatively. “Pleas say something.”
I was quite for another minute. “I need some time to think.” Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll become convinced you’re crazy – and that I am, too, for even thinking about believing you.
Soren nodded quickly. “Yeah, of course. I’ll come back… tomorrow?”
“Sure.” I stood up and walked him to the door, ready to shut it behind him.
“Ellie?”
I stopped, hand still on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Just remember… we’re not the bad guys.”
Whatever that meant, I thought. But I just nodded. “Bye, Soren.”
“Good bye, Ellie.”
His eyes were serious, and as the door shut behind him, I suddenly had the over-whelming urge to cry.
He nodded, a carefully blank expression on his face. I could imagine what he was thinking, but I was grateful he didn’t say it aloud.
“Do you want something to drink? Or eat? We never got to the pizza…”
He shook his head, sitting down on the couch. “I think I should just start talking.”
“Okay,” I sat down across from him, anxious to hear the story. But, now that it was actually happening, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the truth. “Hit me.”
He fidgeted slightly, not meeting my eyes. “I’m not good at this,” he admitted.
I laughed awkwardly. “I’d think you’d be good at talking. I mean, you talk to girls enough.”
“Yeah, but not about anything serious.” He shook his head. “I don’t do serious.”
“So why me?” I asked. “I mean, asking me to come over to your house seems serious.”
He shrugged. “I’ve dated before. That’s not serious. But that doesn’t matter, because you weren’t my call.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked at me pointedly. “Kirian.”
“But… you were the one who always asked me.”
“Because he’s an idiot,” Soren replied. “And… well, Kirian’s even worse at talking than I am.”
“So… it didn’t have to do with Danny?”
“No.”
I paused, looking at my hands for a moment, before I asked the question that had been on my mind since we left. “So… why is his name on the list?”
Soren stood up and paced across the room quickly, muttering under his breath. Finally, he stopped and faced me. “You’re not going to believe me,” he warned. “Hell, some days I don’t even believe it myself.”
“Hit me,” I repeated.
“He’s on the list because he’s going to die,” Soren held up a hand as my mouth opened. “And before you freak out on me, let me finish. That’s not Kir-our fault. We’re just… the bearer of bad news, I guess.”
“Well, everyone’s going to die,” I argued. “That’s nothing new. So why are specific people on the list?”
Soren looked at me with serious eyes. “Let me put it this way. Your brother is now one spot higher on the list. And four minutes ago, Peter Yikan died of a heart attack.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. “You mean… he’s dying soon? As soon as everyone before him on the list is gone?”
Soren nodded.
“You can’t know that,” I protested. “No one can know who’s going to die next.” I felt the sudden urge to laugh. He must be joking – which meant Danny was safe.
Soren just stood there, watching me. Slowly, my amusement began to die. “You’re not kidding. You – you really believe you know.”
“I know we know,” he said gently.
I sank back in my seat. I couldn’t decide whether I should cry or laugh. Although caling him crazy and kicking him out of my house was sounding better and better.
“So what was the other list?” I finally asked. “The one on the left. People who miraculously survive near-death experiences?”
The sarcasm was evident in my voice, but Soren ignored it. “Not exactly.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Then?”
“They’re the life,” he said, as if that explained everything. He must have realized it didn’t, because he continued. “They’re the babies, the future. The people born to replace the ones who died.”
My mind whirled. There might be a way to figure out approximately how many kids would be born, and maybe when they would appear. But there was absolutely no way he could know the names before the parents even did.
“Ellie?” Soren asked tentatively. “Pleas say something.”
I was quite for another minute. “I need some time to think.” Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll become convinced you’re crazy – and that I am, too, for even thinking about believing you.
Soren nodded quickly. “Yeah, of course. I’ll come back… tomorrow?”
“Sure.” I stood up and walked him to the door, ready to shut it behind him.
“Ellie?”
I stopped, hand still on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Just remember… we’re not the bad guys.”
Whatever that meant, I thought. But I just nodded. “Bye, Soren.”
“Good bye, Ellie.”
His eyes were serious, and as the door shut behind him, I suddenly had the over-whelming urge to cry.
♠ ♠ ♠
So. There you have the basics, if you choose to believe them :)If you still have questions, please ask them, because while some stuff will be revealed later on, I almost forgot a vital piece of information. So I do make mistakes xD
Anyways, I'm sorry I didn't get this up yesterday, but I got a shot in each arm and then had swim practice and it really hurt to type.
Then today, when I came to update, the whole story had been deleted from my flash drive. Thank God I had a hard copy of this chapter. Otherwise, I think I would've cried.
All I ended up losing was the next chapter and a half, which is disappointing, but hopefully won't take that long to rewrite. *crosses fingers*
I'll try to get it written for tomorrow, but if it doesn't happen, you know why.