Page 58 of Dead Air
Cenn thought they’d be a nice touch. “You don’t need to address it to anyone, let’s keep it informal,” he began. “Just write: I brought this on myself. I have a problem and I can’t stop. This is the only way to make up for all the pain I’ve caused.”
“No!” Andy shook his head. “Please, no!”
“Let me help you!” Cenn said and jumped into Willoughby’s body but didn’t do anything to muffle or subdue his consciousness. He was very much aware as Cenn used his hand to write the words, then tossed the pen across the room.
“Stop!Don’t!” Willoughby begged when Cenn picked up the gun and flicked the safety off. “Stop, stop, stop!”
How many times have you heard that?Cenn asked, laughing inside Willoughby’s head as the pistol’s muzzle was placed between his teeth.
Willoughby shook his head, tears sliding down his cheeks and drool leaking around the end of the pistol and his chin.
You terrorized sweet Niall so badly, he thought it was a fucking miracle when his house blew up.
Andy’s pleading whimpers were music to Cenn’s ears and he savored them, hoping Willoughby remembered every one of his victims and heardtheirwhimpers in his final moments.
It’s your turn to go out with a bang.
“No!” Willoughby cried just before he pulled the trigger, blowing the back of his head and his brain all over the wall and the diplomas behind him.
The pistol landed on the rug next to the chair with a muffled thud as his soul was thrown from his body. Cenn let it go. He liked the idea of keeping it and tormenting Willoughby by making him watch Niall enjoy a lifetime of pampering and goodsex but couldn’t stand the idea of the monster being anywhere near his love again.
This is a new experience.
Cenn raised Willoughby’s hands and wiggled his fingers, a wheezing, whistling giggle gurgled from what was left of his jaw and out of the hole in the back of his head. He almost touched his cheek but didn’t want to leave any reason for anyone to doubt that Willoughby had killed himself. Willoughby’s hands dropped and flopped naturally when Cenn leaped out of his body.
“That’s so much better!” he declared as he floated above the scene, admiring the pattern of the blood splatter and the bits of brain and flesh dripping off the frames and trophies.
Smiling and satisfied, Cenn faded into the shadow behind the door and flew out of the house, leaving all the doors and windows locked behind him. With justice finally served, Cenn returned to Niall’s cabin to watch over him as he napped.
Epilogue
It was hard to believe it was his last weekend at the summit but Niall was looking forward to starting over fresh with Cenn. Instead of escaping a monster and hiding his past, they were moving to a shabby old farm house about an hour away from Georgetown to be near his new friends. Niall had found the house with Nelson’s help and bought it himself, not wanting Cenn to pull any strings or snag the house from another couple who might deserve it more.
Cenn had thought that Niall was joking when he showed it to him, but it was going to be gorgeous once it was renovated. Most of the work would be done by Niall but the twins, Fletcher, and Nelson had offered to help on the weekends. The plan was to do as much of the remodel with salvaged and recycled materials, fixtures, and supplies as possible. Niall had already found vintage lighting and plumbing fixtures from a hotel that had been torn down in D.C. and most of the kitchen was rescued from a nearby bakery before it was demolished.
Niall was fitting the roof with solar panels and there would be a massive rainwater collection system for household chores, the toilets, and his new garden. They weren’t living off-the-gridlike Niall did at the summit, but all the appliances, bulbs, and windows would be energy efficient and he’d already looked into sources for sustainable building materials. He’d miss his job and the cabin but Niall was looking forward to having his hands full with the remodel. And Niall told Cenn that if he had to live in a real house, it would be the eco-friendly farmhouse of his dreams.
Once the house was completed, Niall would have lots of time on his hands since he planned to stay home and be a househusband and care for their four dogs and two cats. The numbers often changed because they had yet to visit any shelters but Niall thought his future fur babies would feel safer and more supported in even numbers. That way everyone had a buddy and no one was the only one of their kind.
Niall had to see his favorite spots once more before they finished packing up the cabin and all of his gear. They had gone down to the creek and caught two fish for dinner and Niall was preparing to make his last climb down to his “secret” salamander spot to say goodbye to his other favorite inhabitants of the park.
“Are you sure I can’t carry you down there?” Cenn asked as Niall clipped his harness and tightened it around his waist. “That line’s looking a little ratty,” he warned but Niall waved dismissively.
“It’s got one more trip left in it and who knows when I’ll get to go climbing again,” he said and held onto the line as he hopped backwards off the edge of the cliff. He dropped and stopped himself with the other end of the line and bounced off the rock face with his feet.
“I’m sure we’ll find other ways for you to exercise and keep you entertained,” Cenn said from above.
“Oh?” Niall asked coyly and intended to release the line so he could drop again but looked up when he heard athwip, thwip,thwip!as the line came apart just above his head. “Sug—!” Niall started to yell but it turned into a shout as he fell.
“Niall!” Cenn reached and flew after him but Niall banged into the side of the cliff once before he came down hard on the ledge below. There was a loud snap when he landed and Niall howled as pain exploded in his right leg.
“Flick!” He tried to check it but Niall’s left arm burned and throbbed and he noticed his sleeve had ripped and his whole side was covered with scrapes and bruises. “Motherflicker!”
“Just be still! I’ll have you back to the cabin in just a moment and you won’t feel a thing,” Cenn promised as he carefully lifted Niall.
Niall focused on his breathing, not wanting to faint. “Do you know any spells to heal a broken bone?”
“No,” Cenn admitted. “But I can stop you from feeling the pain and set it and I can get you to a doctor quickly.”
