The Edge

"He.. he what?" Brian's voice faltered, eyes wide in confusion. The television was on, the news report filming live outside of the asylum. A woman was interviewing one of Zacky's doctors, asking him how the two boys had manages to break out of the asylum silently with no sign of any struggle.

"We figured he must have had help from within the staff-- there's no other way they could have escaped," The doctor said, shaking his head, "When we find out who did it, they'll be fired, that's for sure. We need to find those boys again, neither of them are mentally stable."

Brian was already up out of his seat, not sure what he was planning to do, but he had to do something, right?

Just as the thought was processed, the power died in his house, sending an eerie feeling up his spine. Don't be stupid, power outages happen all the time out here, right?

Trembling lightly, Brian told himself to man up a little as he struck a match and lit up one of his mom's scented candles. With the flickering light it gave off, he lit another and another until a gentle glow warmed the living room. Brian's mother wasn't home-- she was spending the day with one of her friends. Good thing, too, this would terrify the poor woman.

Moments later, there was a resounding knock on the door, making Brian's head snap up. Figuring it was the neighbors wanting some matches or something, he went over to the door, opening it unceremoniously. He could only see a flash of purple before black slammed down on his vision and he was falling back into a pit of nothing.

* * * *

When Brian came to, he was in his room. He scrambled to sit up, looking frantically around in his confusion. Had this all been a dream? Yeah, a dream, that must be it, right?

"Not quite, love."

Brian's head jerked up, eyes wide with surprise and fear as the velvety voice obscured his senses. He recognized it, knew it, but it still frightened him beyond belief.

"Hey now." The voice was much closer, and to Brian's dismay, he couldn't see again. This time, though, there was something-- a blindfold or something-- covering his eyes, "No need to be scared, I wouldn't hurt you."

There was suddenly a soft hand covering his mouth, the low voice purring, "Don't scream."

A cold, hard, sharp something pressed into his neck. Brian stiffened, panting, but promising himself as much as the voice that he wouldn't make a sound. Whatever was covering his eyes disappeared. He opened them slowly.

Crouched in front of him was Zacky. No surprises there. Pressed into his neck was the curved metallic purple blade of what appeared to be a scythe. Brian gave a little wave, the hand over his mouth preventing any real greeting from escaping his lips.

Zacky smiled, the blade easing away from Brian's neck and the hand away from his mouth. He relaxed, or rather, slumped into the bed, shaking gently.

"How.. how did you..." He trailed off, shaking his head. There were so many questions swimming hazily in his mind that he didn't know what to ask first. In the end, they all rushed out together. "How'd you get out..? What are you doing? What the fuck is that?" He paused to point at the scythe, "What are you?"

The younger boy smiled again, wider. "All in good time, Brian, all in good time. There's something else you have to know first. You see this?"

Zacky brandished the scythe, making Brian recoil and nod. "This is my weapon. I am not like you, Brian... Are you ready? Because this is the Edge, Brian. The Edge of all reality, the Edge of everything and the beginning of nothing. Everything you have come to know as true is a lie. There is a world beyond this one. A world beyond the Edge."

Okay. This kid really is psycho.

"That's not nice... Don't worry, you just don't understand yet. You will soon." Zacky crawled off of Brian's bed, leaving the scythe for him to stare at. The younger man fished around in his bag, withdrawing a little jar with two silvery fish-things in it.

Brian stayed silent as Zacky explained exactly what they were and where he'd gotten them. His stomach plummeted at the mere thought of this kid bringing the scythe down on a human being.

"I am a reaper." Zacky stated softly. "And I'll prove it. Here." He took a tiny dagger from his back pocket, flipping it open and pressing it into his skin.

"Fuck, hey, no!" Brian cried, leaping forward with his arms outstretched, cussing again under his breathe. It was too late, though, and Zacky stepped back, staring incredulously. He shook his head at Brian. "Calm down, watch."

Brian watched. Zacky waved his hand over the seeping wound. There was a moment of silence before the wound knitted itself together. The younger man wiped the blood away on his trousers, showing Brian his unmarked arm.

"How.."

The boy smiled. "I told you, I'm a reaper. "

"Okay." Brian nodded, swallowing thickly. "So what exactly is a reaper? Like, the Grim Reaper?"

Zacky nodded. "Yes. I take the souls of mortals, and I've got the power to control and contort myself and whatever is around me. I can hurt or heal, as you saw earlier. There are hardly any limits to the abilities I process. I'm leaving California-- my journey will take me far away. You're coming with me."

The older man stared, dumbfounded. This little kid was telling him he was coming with him on some magical journey to murder numerous people and collect their souls and use his reaper powers? He hardly knew the kid, even if he did feel emotionally connected to him. This was a little too far-- he wasn't even done with high school yet.

"Um. No, I'm not coming with you. I'm staying home and getting out of high school and..." Brian trailed off.

Zacky smirked. "And...?"

As badly as Brian wanted to cuff the kid around the head, he didn't, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I have friends here, a life, a mom, I have shit to do. I can't run away with a crazy thirteen year old."

"Won't be thirteen for long, babe, I told you I can contort myself, didn't I? I can make myself age." Zacky's head tilted to the side, as though he was daring Brian to find a flaw in his plan.

Brian inhaled slowly, shaking his head again. "You can't make me come with you."

"Wanna bet?"

Then everything was black again.

* * * *

Brian was getting a little tired of being knocked out.

When he woke up, his first realization was that he was lacking in clothing. Very lacking. In fact, the only clothing Zacky hadn't removed from his were his boxers. His second realization was that he was being carried. His third was that it was extremely hot outside and the sun was beating down on him.

"What.. the fuck?" He mumbled, squirming until whoever was carrying him let him stand on his own two feet. It was Zacky alright... but... he looked different. Really different.

For one, he was taller, still a little shorter than Brian, but a lot taller. His dark hair was a lot longer, shoved to the side of his face and sticking to his skin due to sweat. His face was less chubby and his jawline and facial structure more prominent. He was more muscled, shaped less like a boy and more like a man. Brian bit his lip, surprised at how very different he looked. The green eyes retained the all-knowingness and inquisitivity, though, and that was really the only reason Brian recognized him at all.

Zacky smiled. That was another familiar thing, the smirk. "Like what you see?"

"Oh yeah, I'm about to cream myself." Brian snapped, glaring. "Where the fuck are we? Why am I almost naked? Why is it so hot?"

"We're in Arizona, that's why it's so hot. You're almost naked because it's hot, like you just mentioned." Zacky shrugged. "We're on our way to Globe."

Brian stared at him, mouth opened into a comically perfect 'o'. This kid-- no, well, this 'guy', since Zacky was apparently the same age as him at this point, had carried him all the way to Arizona?

"How.. How long was I out? And how old are you now, then?" Brian asked as Zacky started walking again. It took Brian a moment to realize it, but Zacky was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a pair of Brian's own boxers. Awesome. A murderer who steals underwear.

Zacky looked back, giving Brian an odd look. "You've been out about a day, gave me time to pack up your shit, obtain some money and carry you out here. My body is sixteen now."

"Oh. Cool."

"Yeah, we'll be walking for a while, if you want me to carry you again." Zacky taunted lightly, laughing. He had a rather charming laugh, if Brian thought about it.

Not that he was thinking about it.

Zacky only laughed again, barking, "Thanks, Bri. May as well say everything you're thinking out loud, your mind isn't a safe place with me around."

Brian mentally pictures his grandmother in a bikini, making both boys cringe.

"Okay, I get it, I'll leave you be."

"Damn right you will." Brian swatted at the younger man's arm as he strode past him.

Stupid little ghost boy.