27 12.1: Psychics and Psychos (2/2)

”I'm not sure about what you're trying to do-” Tobias says and I click my tongue, eyeing the phone in my hand.

”Revenge, my friend.”

Sierra exists the scene after her 'all-threats' chat with Joshua who's staring despondently at her back. Once she's out of sight, Joshua drops his shoulders, clutches at his hair and yells out in frustration.

He then kicks a tree bark and groans loudly, before he defeatedly brings his forehead to it and cries in anguish. And it's in this moment that I see flashes of the sensitive Joshua I know. It's at this moment that I figure that there might be hope for him after all.

I clutch the phone in my hand and walk determinedly toward him, despite Tobias' protests to wait.

And very, very slowly, I peel every atom of love I had for Sierra out of my heart and soul, I peel everything about me that was about her, I peel any impression she had left behind in my mind and drop the phone at Joshua's feet.

The phone falls with a soft thud that catches his attention because he immediately looks in my direction and down at his feet.

”What are you doing? No!” Tobias pulls me away from behind, but I shake his hand off me.

”What should be done-” I say with a final sniff. ”I let her go-” I whisper as I watch Joshua kneel over and pick the phone in his messy hand. He blinks several times at it like he can't believe it, before turning it over and over, assessing it for any damage.

He then closes his eyes and exhales in heavy relief before closing his fingers over the phone protectively and hiding it in his pockets.

He then stands up, looks around carefully, drags a finger across his nose, before pulling up his hood and quickly stalking off.

I turn to Tobias.

”What the hell was that?” Tobias asks, hands caught in his hair.

”It was the right thing to do-” I say. ”You saw how horrible Sierra was being-”

”Well, Joshua doesn't sound any better to me-” Tobias states.

”He doesn't-” I say bitterly. ”But he is regretful. And it's genuine. And I know it is because out of every creature alive or dead, we know how regret looks like very well-”

Tobias doesn't say anything for a while as his brows remain knotted in deep thought. ”This is just insane-” He points toward where they were standing. ”I mean- he could potentially kill her if what I understand is right-”

”Well, I don't understand their stupid fucking game-” I say, finally allowing myself to get angry at everything that happened because of them. ”I lost my life because of that game. So forgive me if I have a hard time figuring out how I should 'correctly' deal with this whole thing-” I clench my jaws.

Tobias drops his arms to his sides and exhales loudly. ”But I mean, it's really risky. He could break that rule and get her killed with her phone in his hands.”

”Well, she would've killed him if she got her phone-” I say, defending my actions.

Tobias shakes his head slowly, then faster as if he's coming up with more ideas to make me question my action.

”You know what?” Tobias says. ”I seriously don't think so. I mean, if it's a rule that'll get you killed, this rule should probably be broken when you're so very aware of breaking it and doing it anyway. A rule that can only be broken through the player's own phone. She couldn't have possibly killed him.”

”You wouldn't know-”

”I don't, but it makes sense-” Tobias points out. ”This BlackBerry is Sierra's one-way ticket to hell.”

I tip my head and try shaking my head. ”I certainly won't want to kill Sierra-”

”She deserves-”

”Even if she deserves it-” I cut him off. ”I wouldn't mean to kill her. I was just trying to help Joshua out. He seems much more desperate.”

”You just assumed that-” Tobias says and I puff out a breath, wrapping my arms across my chest.

”I mean. Certainly. Joshua wouldn't have it in him to kill Sierra-” I say, trying to be hopeful.

”Well, let's hope so-” He says, narrowing his eyes as if in deep thought. ”I mean, this would tell us for sure if this Judas is really the hero you really think he is-”

I blink at the ground and bite in my lower lip. ”I honestly don't know-”

”You don't know and I need to feed Benji-” Tobias says out of nowhere, completely changing the topic.

”Benji-” I whisper his name for no reason as my eyes try searching for him amongst the trees.

Tobias puts a combination of fingers in his mouth and whistles shrilly. I turn to him as he studies the bushes that seem to immediately come to life with Benji leaping out from between them.

Benji barks and wags his tail and I sigh. Boys and dogs.

”Here Benji, here-” Tobias says with a wide smile as he kneels by him and pats him.

”Why does he even need to feed?” I ask Tobias who's consumed with giving love to Benji.

”Because he's alive?”

”He's alive?” I snort. ”Does that mean I can drag anything alive with me to my dimension?” I ask with a smirk. ”Because I'd drag this bitch, Sierra, by the hair-”

Tobias looks up at me and doesn't hide his amusement as he chuckles lightly.

”I mean we could certainly try, but I don't think that's how it works-” Tobias says, looking back at Benji who's licking his ghost hands.

I tsk. ”Tragic.”

”I mean, I think it only works with beings that can see and feel us-” He says. ”I think a majority of animals can do that. And maybe even psychics.”

”Psychics, not psychos?”

”Well, the way I think of it-” Tobias says with a smile, like he's enjoying this ridiculous conversation. ”If psychos were abducted by spirits who held grudges against them, the world would've been a much better place than it is.”

”Tell me about it.”

”Yeah, let's just fetch him something to eat before God decides it's nighttime for us-” He turns to me and winks.

And I smile weakly despite myself.