Synthetic Lover

“J-Josh! I—!”
“What the fuck is going on, Devin?! Why is Ricky here?! Why is…Why is he alive?!”

I watched as Devin cringed at the loudness of the guy’s voice.

“What the fuck did you do?!”
“Please! Just let me explain!”

Devin was shaking, tears rolling down his cheek.

“Just let me explain…!”
The guy calmed down slightly and ran a hand through his hair.

“No need…You obviously used some kind of ‘voodoo’ magic to bring him back...!”
The guy sat back down on the couch, glancing towards me.

The hurt and fear was apparent on his features.

“Do…Do you remember me, Ricky?”
I shook my head.

Devin walked over to me and held my hand in his.

“He’s not exactly alive, Josh…”

He squeezed my hand gently.

“He lost some of his memory. He can’t speak. He doesn’t have a heartbeat…”

He forgot to mention that I’m a blood-drinking monster.

“Devin…! That’s his actual body…! Don’t you realize how fucking sick and wrong this is?!”

“I couldn’t let him go, Josh! I couldn’t fucking let him go…!”

‘Josh’ shook his head in disbelief.

“Who else knows about this?”
“…Only you.”

Devin tensed up.

“Josh, please! Please promise me that you won’t tell anyone!”
“Devin…! You’re sick! You need help—!”

“Just promise me!”

Josh shook his head again.
“Fine…I promise…This is completely wrong on so many levels, but I’ll promise. Just for you.”

Devin relaxed again, letting go of my hand.

“Thank you, Josh…It means so much.”

Josh bit down on his lip and looked away.

“I’m going home.”
He stood up from the couch and walked to the door.

He left without saying another word.

x x x

I was sitting on the windowsill, staring outside.

Why did I die? How did I die?

Why can’t Devin let me go?

Ba-bump.

I clasped my hand over my heart.

Nothing.

Please…Please do it again.

I grit my teeth together and gripped at my shirt.

Why won’t you do it again?!

I heard the door open and close, but I didn’t bother to look.
Devin sat next to me on the windowsill.

“Ricky…I…”

<Why do you keep me around? I’m obviously not the same Ricky that you wanted. I’m a monster…I’m not human.>

He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips against mine.

So warm.

“You’re still you, Ricky. I still love you and nothing is going to change that. I already lost you once. I’m not gonna let it happen again.”

Ba-bump.

I rested my head against his shoulder, allowing a couple of tears to fall.

I still don’t understand that complicated emotion.

Devin pulled away quickly and held his head in his hands, closing his eyes tight shut and cried out.

<What’s wrong?>

“My headache…it’s worse…!”

I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.
There was a small pain running through my head as well.

I feel his pain…?

He cried out again, gripping at his hair.
I pulled him into my arms, rubbing calming circles on his back.

He slowly dropped his hands to the side as the pain in my head grew worse.
It was bearable, though.

<Are you feeling better?>

He nodded slightly.

I stood and picked him up, carrying him to his bedroom.
I placed him on the bed and pulled the covers over his body, kissing his forehead as he quickly fell asleep.
I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.

<Nahimana. Can you hear me?>

A moment of silence.

“What do you need, Ricky?”

<I’m coming over. I need to hear the rest of your story.>

x x x

I entered the store, not hesitating to walk into the back room.

Nahimana was sitting in her chair, hands folded in her lap.

“Good to see you again, Ricky.”
I nodded and sat in the chair across from her.

“Let’s continue, shall we?”
I nodded again.

“The ritual worked. Tika was indeed alive, but she wasn’t the same little girl that Macawi and I raised. She couldn’t speak. She didn’t really remember us at first. She didn’t have a heartbeat.
I didn’t know how to feel about the situation, but Macawi had her mind set.

Tika was back with us, and that’s all that mattered to her.

Macawi could communicate with Tika like you could with Devin and me.

To this day, I still don’t understand how I obtained that ‘gift’.

The terrifying thing about that ritual…is that the person who performed it and the resurrected corpse are linked.

The corpse must feed solely off of the blood of the person it’s linked to.”

I bit down on my lip.

“I assume by the look on your face, you have already done so. Your irises are still red, too.”
I nodded.

“You were old enough to understand and maintain some of your humanity. Tika was only seven. She drank more than she needed to survive, and Macawi was all too willing to comply.

There’s more to the link, though.

Tika and Macawi’s bodies were connected physically as well.

When Macawi cuts her wrist to give blood, the scar of the same injury would appear on Tika. This can happen the other way as well.”

I glanced at the scars on my wrist and frowned.

“Sadly, things took a turn for the worst. Macawi grew sicker and weaker and no doctor could figure out what was wrong.

However, Tika wasn’t affected.

I tried to figure out what was going on, why this was happening, but Macawi hid away the black book.

Then, I thought about the link theory.

I could either watch Macawi slowly perish and waste away, or…

I could kill Tika, hoping on the slim chance that her death will break the link and that Macawi will return to herself.

I should have continued to look for the book. I should have found the right way to end all of it.

When I took the knife to the mark on Tika’s chest, she perished.
But sadly, Macawi perished along with her.

They were still linked.

I buried both of their bodies, gathered all of my belongings, and set fire to our home.
I moved far away from my homeland, never speaking a word about what happened.”

She leant forward in her chair, looking me straight in the eye.

“How much do you value Devin’s life?”

<I…I value it more than my own. I died about six months ago. Whoever knew me, they have moved on. I should no longer exist. Devin was alive from the start. He has people who still care about him and know that he still exists.>

Nahimana smiled.

“Then you know what to do.”

She took off a bracelet from her wrist and rolled it onto mine.

“To take it with you into the Afterlife. It was nice speaking with you, Ricky.”
<Likewise.>

I gave her a sad smile as I stood up from the chair.

“Oh, if you’re going to be worried about Devin, don’t. He’ll be in good hands.”

I didn’t know who she was talking about, but I trusted her advice and nodded.

I left the store and ran until I reached the house.
I opened the door and stepped in, closing it back behind me.

However, when I turned around…

Devin was lying on the floor, motionless.