Curse the Curse... not me...

The rest of the day went on in silence, apart from when two men came to take the suicidal girl away. The sun began to set. I dared to try the bread. It wasn’t bad. I looked over at Ny. He was sitting in the corner of his cell, chin resting on his arms that lay upon his knees. His eyes were closed. He hadn’t moved since he shouted at Jonathan. He hadn’t eaten, hadn’t even opened his eyes. Two rats were fighting over the food that lay on Ny’s plate. I went back to my own food and took another bite. I heard a rat give a painful squeak. I turned around and saw that Ny had kicked one of them away.
“You should eat.” I said. He didn’t reply, not even move. He could be deadly serious and silent when he wanted, and this was living proof. “Let me put it this way then, you should eat it before the rats do.” No reply once again. I sighed. “Fine, but when you are hungry, I’m not giving you any of my food.” Ny’s fringe flopped out from behind his ear covered half of his face. The rest of his hair was tangled and sticking up. If I wasn’t so worried about him, I would’ve thought his hairstyle funny. But, that wasn’t the case. I crawled up to the bars and put my hands against them. “Just say something. Anything.” He folded him arms.
“Something. Anything.” He muttered.
“Oh ha, ha.” Nyack wasn’t smiling. Nothing. His expression was unreadable. It scared me. “Nyack… you alright?” I asked. No reply. “Speak. Please. You’re scaring me.”
“I’m fine.” That was the biggest lie I had ever heard from Nyack. He was most definitely not fine.
“Than why aren’t you eating? You were the person who told me to eat when you get the chance.”
“Where I’m going, I don’t need food.”
“Where are you going?” He opened his eyes and looked straight into mine. That was all the explanation I needed. “You don’t think you’re seriously going to…”
“Let’s face it, Raven. The war’s over. We loose. You were right. I was foolish to argue with Jonathan. Now we have no chance of getting out of here before I’m executed. The cursed… we’re just not strong enough. The battle is lost.” I had never seen Nyack like this before. He seemed like he had just lost all hope all together. “You haven’t seen the new scar on my arm yet, have you?” I shook my head. He pulled up his sleeve and showed his wrist. I gasped. A cut ran straight through the mark of The Cursed. The sign of banishment. He closed his eyes and yanked his sleeve down again. He folded his arms.
“They couldn’t of banished you… not you…” I said, wishing I could do something to comfort him. He had worked so hard for our legion… and now… and now this.
“Well they did.”
“We’ll escape somehow…”
“You don’t mean that.” He was right… I didn’t know what to say.
“I won’t let you be killed.”
“You don’t mean that either.” He buried his head in his arms.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from you, Ny - I mean, Nyack, it’s that you shouldn’t give up. Especially not at a time of war.” He didn’t look up. There was nothing more I could do. I tore my eyes away from the miserable figure of who used to be a friend who acted like a brother to me, and ate the last of the bread. I dragged myself over to the wall. I curled up and shivered. Not only was it cold, but also the thought that if Ny had lost hope, was there anything to hope for? I soon began to close my eyes and fall into deep, dark sleep.

* * *

I opened my eyes. I was wide-awake. What had awoken me? Well, at first it was day and the sun shone through the barred window bright and almost loud. That must’ve been why I awoke.
“Raven…” Nope… that’s what had awoken me. Someone was calling my name. “Raven!”
“Wha…” I turned around and sat up. On my right was an empty cell, on my left; Nyack was sitting by the bars, circles under his eyes.
“Raven, you’re awake… thank goodness…”
“Wha… what’s going on?” I said, crawling up to him.
“Today’s the day…”
“What? It’s today? But how are we going to…” It had all happened so quickly…
“Listen, I don’t know when I have to go but before I do I want you to know you are the best little sister I could’ve wished for. And yes I am totally aware that what I just said was really cliché.”
“But Nyack…” I looked down.
“Please, call me Ny.” He smiled and held out his hand. I grabbed hold of it.
“But… but… you can’t… go now… not after all of this… I won’t let you…” I said, tears stinging my eyes. Ny wiped my tears off my cheeks.
“Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I can’t stand it. And do me a favour… win this war for me and get the cure for the cursed.”
“I don’t want you to go…”
“And you think I do? Just listen, okay? Chin up. And never, ever give in.”
“I’ll try for you, Ny, I will…” I said, looking up at him and trying to smile.
“That’s the Raven I know.”
“It’s stupid, this is, the humans separated my kind just because we’re different.”
“That’s humans for you, stupid and unreasonable.”
“But you’re a human, aren’t you?”
“I wish I wasn’t.” A creak came from up the stairs. I squeezed Ny’s hand. He couldn’t leave now. Not now. He squeezed my hand back, let go of it and stood up. I did the same. Two men walked to the cells. One of them took out a large key and pushed it into Ny’s cell lock. Ny stood there and let the men grab him by the shoulders. He was pushed forwards. I rushed up to the front of my cage. I reached out my hand. He looked back reached out his. Our fingertips touched, and before I knew it, as if he disappeared into thin air, he was gone.