Chapter 4:

The call came at five in the morning.

Micah was floating on his back in the middle of the Dead Sea, and yet, contrary
to the high salinity, there was life within the depths of the water. Sea creatures,
unlike any other known species, swam around his head, curious as a newborn is
to its mother.
Griffs frantic, out of breath, voice spoke on the other end of the line in
crushing waves. Lucas He Hes in a coma.
In the distance, Micah could see the Greek refugees living in the caves,
curiously looking out at the lone boy who was floating in the middle of the lake. If
only they could see the monsters that were swimming around him.
They Uh They dont know if hell wake up.
The salt clung to the hair on his skin like a bloodthirsty leech, sluggishly
lingering until it was washed off by fresh water. The monsters wrapped their
tentacles around his skin, squeezing blood from his pores, suffocating him while
he tried to squirm free. Yet he stayed afloat.
You should You need to come as soon as you can This might be our last
chance to say... Well, to say goodbye.
The creatures spewed ink that stained his skin grey. Micah felt betrayed; he
thought they were his friends. Why, he asked, but no one answered. All he could
do was to fill in the pieces by himself.
Micah? Do you understand what Im saying?
The monsters pulled him under, defying his buoyancy, and they peeled open
his skin with their razor-sharp fins. With teeth the size of a baseball bat, they bit
and tore out his innards to hollow him. His efforts to fight them off were in vain,
so he accepted the process without retaliation. They stung him, filling him with
the same energy that the universe was created with. And then they went back
inside of Micahs head.
Micah Say something, are you coming to the hospital?
He was already drowned, but the life had not left him. He could feel his back
pressed against the jagged rock of the lakebed. The Dead Sea is the deepest lake
in the world, he remembered hearing. His eyes were open, but he could not see;
light could not reach him. After a great deal of time, he began to rise from the
aphotic depths to the surface. Sunlight started to find his eyes. He stopped rising,
inches away from the surface He was so close, but he wasnt in control, so he
couldnt swim through the barrier. He could see the sky, distorted through the
ripples of the waves; the sun was orange, but it was slowly becoming black. Two
blue moons sat beside the sun, waiting for it to implode and turn the world
shapeless.
Strange, Micah thought. He wondered why the sun was becoming black; it was
the only thing that was peculiar to him. He realized that he was dreaming. With a
sudden snap of power, he was ferociously pulled back down to the lightless and
lifeless lakebed, and he was left to wait until he could see the sunlight again.
Written by them all, before Christ, the Dead Sea Scroll that documented the
account was thrown into the lake; they believed that it contained the primordial
struggle of humanity, saying that whoever read it would cry at its truth, never to
find happiness again. The Greeks were always too superstitious.
Yes, Micah replied to Griff, Ill be there soon.
Okay, Griff sighed, Im going to call Booker now.
He hung up the phone.
Micah started to cry. At first, he wept because of his dream, but as he was
getting dressed to go to the hospital, the dream was forgotten, and the tears fell
for his childhood best friend. He tried to remember what Griff had told him, but
since he had been so close to sleep, the memory was locked away in the same
trunk as his nightmares; his hands had calluses from burying so many locked
boxes that contained cursed treasures.
Where were his keys?
He needed to go to the hospital. He knew that he had been informed that
Lucas was in a dire coma, but had he asked Griff what had happened? No, it was
too hard to think about it; he needed to get to the hospital.
His throat was dry, so he went to the bathroom and drank some water from
the faucet. He swallowed the water wrong and started to choke. He felt sick. He
vomited out a considerable amount black bile in the sink. He left the water on to
wash down the vomit. He felt like he was dying. He looked at his reflection in the
mirror, and discovered that he had scratched his chest while he was sleeping; the
cut ran from one shoulder to the other; it was still bleeding. He had not shaved
for five days, hair littered his neck and jaw in uneven patches. His eyes were
desolate tombs, depleted of disposition, drained and dead.
He wasnt going to get a break.
It was 5:13 A.M. when he stepped out the door. He was shivering and his
breaths were short. He was hungover, but he wished he were still drunk; it would
be less cold that way. His car started on the first try, and he quickly scraped the
frost from the windows. He didnt let his car warm up; he took it out of park, put
it in drive, and started to head to the hospital. The condensation inside of the car
began to freeze as he was driving, causing the windows to frost over again, but he
refused to pull over. His whole body was savagely trembling, and his hands were
so cold that they were painfully numb. All that was on his mind was getting to the
hospital. He didnt care if he risked his life in the process; part of him hoped to
die in a car crash, just so the nightmare would end.
Nothing was clear. Micah was looking through an obscure window, shrouded
in frozen mist, trying to see through to the other side. The mist was his
desperation, thick and abundant, its potent smell stuck to his skin and clogged
his airways. He was desperate for answers. He was desperate for Lily. He was
desperate for Lucas to survive. He was desperate to find away to keep the
important people in his life alive. He was desperate to return to the steady ground
of reality. And most importantly, he desperately awaited to see what would be on
the other side of the glass when the mist dissipated.
He arrived at the hospital without crashing his car. The drive was forgotten
like a dream; he didnt remember how he got there, what roads he took, or how
long it took him, all he knew is that he made it. He parked his car and ran inside.
The receptionist told him that Lucas was in room 206, so he went down the
main corridor and up the staircase. He hated the fabricated smell of cleanliness,
as it did nothing to cover up the death and disease that clung to the air like moths
to a flame; it was a lie, and it only made the stench worse.
206. The door was shut.
He looked through the rectangular window on the door. Lucas parents were
crying, kneeling by his side. Griff was sitting on a chair beside Lucas bed with his
face buried in his hands. Lucas face was bruised purple, his nose broken, and he
wore a neck brace; Micah was certain that he would see much more damage when
he got closer to his friend. Griff looked up and noticed Micah at the door. He
wiped the tears from his eyes and came out to meet Micah.
What happened? Micah asked Griff as he opened the door.
He got attacked; I dont know, man. Griff gave Micah a quick hug. He got
beat up really bad and stabbed in the stomach. Some football coach found him,
unconscious, in the middle of a football field. The coach had a habit for going for
runs at three in the morning. Lucas got so lucky; they said if the coach decided to
go for a run thirty minutes later, he wouldve found a dead body instead of an
unconscious one.
Micah swore at the gravity of the situation. He felt dizzy; he stumbled towards
the wall and leaned on it for support.
Griff looked at him with concern and asked, Are you going to be okay; youre
not going to faint on me? I can get you some water.
No water, Micah shook his head. He gave up on standing and slumped to the
ground. He asked Griff, Is he going to be okay?
Griff sat down next to Micah and told him, I dont know; they dont know. He
lost a lot of blood. They said that the stab wound didnt damage any organs, but
like I said, he lost a lot of blood, man. They stabilized him for now, but hes going
to need reconstructive surgery. The surgery is in four fucking hours Those
bastards. Anyway, His tissue is extensively bruised everywhere, his knees are
fractured, his nose is broken, his orbital bones are fractured, his jaw is fractured,
and his neck tissue is torn. They dont know about neurological damage until they
see the test results, but they said its a likely possibility. Fuck, they dont even
know if hell wake up from the coma. They keep saying that they have to wait for
the tests to come back, but they must have some answers that they can give us
now; theyre not saying anything, its bullshit!
Micah ran his hand through his brown hair, trying to comprehend the
information that he had just heard. He asked Griff, How are his parents holding
up?
About as well as youd expect. They are looking for answers just like us. The
police havent talked to us yet; theyre waiting to see if Lucas will wake up, and
they are gathering up evidence at the crime scene right now.
Micah wondered, Who would do this, to Lucas of all people? It doesnt make
sense.
Griff shook his head, I dont know. Ive been here since 4:30, and its hard to
think right now, but Ive been thinking of the possibilities and so far, I only have
two answers. Number one: It couldve been a random attack. Number two: It had
something to do with Cathy, like an ex-boyfriend or an over-protective family
member, like her brother or her dad. I just dont know Cathy well enough to
accurately say, but what I do know, is that everyone loved Lucas Even though
he was shy, everyone knew that Lucas was a good person, pure in every sense of
the word. No one would have any reason to do this to Lucas except someone
affiliated with Cathy.
What Griff was saying made sense. Micah wanted revenge more than
anything. He pulled out his phone and called Lily until she answered.
Hello? She answered in a faint whisper.
Lily, I need you to do something very important for me.
Uh, She yawned, Um, whats up?
Under different circumstances, Micah would have smiled at how adorable she
sounded when she had just woken up, but he was consumed by cold vengeance,
unable to feel the warmth that she radiated. He asked her slowly, Listen, I need
Cathys number. I need you to text her number to me right now.
She softly asked, Why?
He replied, Ill tell you when you wake up, I promise. Text me the number
and go back to sleep.
Micah, whats going on? Are you okay?
Im fine, just text me the number. He hung up the phone. Seconds later, Lily
texted him Cathys number.
Before he pressed call, Griff put his hand on his shoulder and asked Micah,
What are you doing, man?
Micah looked at him in disgust, he spoke with wrath rolling from his tongue,
What do you mean what am I doing? Im going to get Cathy to tell me who did
it.
Griffs blue eyes were as still as a lake in the early hours of morning; he tried
to steady Micah with an emphatic glare. Calm down. I know that she, personally,
had nothing to do with it, so you cant take it out on her. I can tell that she truly
likes Lucas, so this news will be extremely hard on her, just like it is for us. The
best thing that you can do is to tell her what happened. Shell come down to the
hospital, we can all sit by Lucas side for a while, and then when its appropriate,
we can ask her about whom she thinks is responsible. I want revenge too, but lets
do this right.
Yea, youre right. Its not fair to treat Cathy insensitively. Micah wished he
was able to disengage from a situation and look at it from a different perspective
like Griff did. Micah often became caught up in the moment and only thought
about his own feelings, while Griff could place himself in the eyes of another and
emphasize with their thoughts, effortlessly.
Micah took a deep breath and called Cathy. She picked up on the last ring and
asked who was calling in a disorientated voice.
Cathy, its Micah. Lucas is in the hospital; he got beat up last night. Its
pretty bad to say the least
Now, she sounded fully awake. What? What happened? Is he going to be
okay?
She sounded devastated. Micah looked at Griff, silently thanking him for
persuading him to present the news to Cathy sympathetically. Micah sighed, We
dont know if hes going to pull through yet.
Cathy was crying now; she didnt say anything for a long while.
He tried to console, Im so sorry, Cathy
Oh god, she sobbed, What hospital is he in?
Letourneau Cross Hospital, you know how to get here?
She said she did.
Micah warned, You shouldnt drive when youre distracted with this tragic
news, its dangerous.
She replied through her tears, I just I just cant believe it.
He tried to console her. I cant either. Ill tell you the details in person.
Cathy just please get here safe.
Okay, She breathlessly replied, and she hung up the phone.
Seeing how she reacted to the news, brought back the devastating feelings that
he felt when he got the call. Micah was starting to feel familiar with the essence of
loss, so deplorable and poisonous, that he wouldnt wish it upon his worst enemy;
in the back of his mind, he wondered if that made him a hypocrite.
That didnt sound good, Griff observed.
Thanks for talking some sense into me before I called her. Micah stood up
and prepared to head in the room.
Dont mention it. Seeing this happen to Lucas is so overwhelming, Griff said
as he stood up. He told Micah, Im going to get some food for Lucas parents. I
take it you dont want anything?
Micah smiled and replied, You know me too well.
Griff returned the smile and attempted to lighten up the situation, Know you?
All I know is that hospital food is not to be trusted, but neither am I, because I
intend to bring you something to eat whether you like it or not. Griff turned
away and started to walk towards the cafeteria.
Micah grinned and quietly called out to him, Chocolate pudding will suffice,
my friend.
Micah turned to the door and braced himself before he entered. He knew that
he would break down into tears once he talked to Lucas parents and witnessed
their dismay. He almost changed his mind about going in the room, but he knew
that he had to.
Lucas mother, Jacinthe, looked up at him as he opened the door. She wanted
to show that she was glad to see him, but her smile collapsed before it was risen,
and she broke down into tears. Lucas father, Zach, didnt even realize that Micah
had come into the room; he was silently waiting in dreadful anticipation for God
to send him a message. Micah pitied him, as he knew that God would only answer
with death, if he even bothered to talk at all.
Jacinthe Kirui ran to Micah and hugged him, crying on his shoulder. He tried
to search for words of comfort, but he realized that there werent any. All he could
say to her was something that he didnt believe to be true himself.
Hes going to be okay.
Saying the words didnt make them any more believable. She looked at him and
shook her head in disbelief at the situation. Utterly distraught, she told him
through her sobs, Thank you for your kindness, Micah Lucas spoke the world
of you.
Micah thanked her and gave her another hug.
He could have sworn that her black hair had more grey strands, today, than
ever before. Her lips were cracked and dry, bleeding ever so slightly. Her eyes
burned red, and the fluorescent hospital lighting seemed to suck the colour from
her skin. She looked awful, and Micah didnt expect himself to look much better;
he couldnt imagine how they would look at Lucas funeral. If Lucas doesnt make
it, they might as well throw the both of us in the ground with him, Micah thought,
unsure if he intended the idea to be literal or figurative.
Lucas mother moved back to her sons side. Micah walked towards the bed
and looked at the doctors notes. Griff didnt miss any details when he told Micah
of Lucas wounds; the doctors notes provided no information that he didnt
already know. Micah avoided looking directly at Lucas for the time being. He
looked at the heart monitor, beeping monotonously, the sound of life never
sounded so dull. There was another bed in the room, perfectly made. Micah was
glad that the room was exclusive to their suffering; their sobs, their stories, and
their quiet reflections, would be the only music to fill the room, and they wouldnt
have to battle with sounds of the outsiders, an incomprehensible racket. Micah
wondered how many people have died on the two hospital beds in the room; he
wondered if they kept statistics of the individual beds for fun, indulging in
superstition, seeing if one bed was more susceptible to death than the other.
Finally, he mustered up the courage to look at Lucas; he was so afraid that he was
going to end up as just another statistic.
Micah was horrified by Lucas face; it looked like it would burst if it were any
more swollen. His eye socket was nearly caved in, and his jaw was slanted to one
side at an obscure angle. He didnt look peaceful in his coma; he looked terrified,
like his mind knew that the injuries might be too much bear. Micah couldnt look
at him any longer.
He placed his hand on Lucas and tried to get through to him. Lucas, he said
in his head, I will find whoever did this to you, and they will suffer like you are
right now. Please, pull through.
Lucas didnt respond.
Micah anxiously awaited Cathys arrival. He stared out the window and
watched the ambulances come and go. He needed to get out of this place, waiting
wasnt going to accomplish anything.
When he heard the door open, he snapped his head around to see who it was.
Griff had a silver platter, stacked with two plates of scrambled eggs, three
chocolate puddings, four juice boxes, cups, and a large canister of coffee. Zach
broke his silence and thanked him for his thoughtfulness when he saw what he
had brought. Once Griff put the tray on the table, Jacinthe ran up and embraced
Griff, kissing him on the cheek, eccentrically, and telling him how much they
appreciated his efforts.
Griff winked at Micah. He had more good news for the grief-stricken family.
My dad had to go into work for a meeting, so he wont be coming back until
later, unfortunately.
Jacinthe frowned, Thats fine, I understand. It was nice of him to come when
he heard the news.
Griff took off his grey hoodie and placed it on a chair that no one was sitting
on. Well, he said as he flattened out his black shirt, I have some good news,
and I dont want to hear any arguments! My dad is going to pay for all of Lucas
surgery. Hes already talked to the hospital, and hes getting the best surgeons to
work on Lucas.
Zach Kirui stood up and looked Griff in shock. No! he shouted, I can not
accept this!
His wife objected with him, Absolutely not, we can pay for it ourselves.
Griff calmly responded, Its already done. Please, my Dad has the money
available, so let him spend it on someone he cares deeply for. You shouldnt have
to worry about anything at a time like this, so just let my Dad help; it is the least
he can do.
Lucas parents were speechless. Griff gave them each a very compassionate
and warm hug. After he told them, Well get through this together. Now, please
have some coffee and some breakfast.
Lucas parents didnt respond; they felt like they didnt deserve a break.
He lured them to the table by pouring them hot cups of coffee, telling them
that the coffee and their food was going to get cold if they didnt come quick. Griff
sat down with them and told Micah to join. Despite his feelings of apprehension,
Micah sat down on the chair beside Griff; he felt like his insatiable anger would
infect them. Luckily, that wasnt the case.
Griff tried to tell a story about Lucas, but his mother started to cry as soon as
he began the story. Zach comforted his wife, but he looked vacant, like his mind
was on autopilot. Griff waited for the tears to pass, and then he continued his
story. It was a story of the first time he met Lucas; how he had bumped into him
in the school hallway, and how Griff was scared that he would be angry, but Lucas
just smiled at him and asked if he had heard the new Jack White album. When
Griff shook his head, Lucas asked him if he wanted to hear it, so they went
outside, skipping their next class, and they listened to the album in its entirety.
Griff remembered how beautiful that summer day was; the first day that he had
met a lifelong best friend.
Lucas parents hearts were warmed by Griffs story. Zach was fully invested in
the tables conversation, and Jacinthe was able to mention her sons name
without breaking down into hysterics. Other stories came after the first story, and
they even managed to laugh at a couple. Instead of promoting his anger to the
others, Micah felt calmer after having breakfast with them.
Cathy arrived as Griff was pouring everyone a second cup of coffee. Her
reaction to seeing Lucas in the hospital bed eradicated any progress they had
made during breakfast to lighten the situation. The hopeful positivity created
from the exchange of lively stories was forgotten once Cathy ran to Lucas bed
and collapsed to the ground, screaming out, No, over and over again in denial.
Griff moved to her side and tried to comfort her; he told her, I know, Cathy, I
know. And thats all he said to her; he let her cry and shout, letting the storm
pass by without fighting against it, because he knew that was what she needed to
do, and who had the right to tell her that she was wrong. Her outburst was how
everyone felt on the inside before breakfast, and now everyone felt guilty for
feeling competent instead of crushed, as Cathy was. Micah joined Cathy and Griff,
and he told Cathy, or perhaps Lucas and everyone else in the room, that he was
sorry; he was sorry for allowing peace when Lucas was fighting for his life, he was
sorry for Lucas parents and his friends, knowing that they were enduring the
same emotions as he was, and he was sorry that life wasnt fair, bringing good
people to their deathbeds while the corrupt remained immortal.
Out of respect, Lucas parents decided that they should leave the three of them
alone with Lucas; they thought that the friends deserved to express their feelings,
freely, without having two broken parents listen to their every word. Lucas father
told them that they would be back in ten minutes. Before Jacinthe Kirui left the
room, she approached Cathy and introduced herself, saying that she wished they
could have met under different circumstances.
Jacinthe sorrowfully smiled, Lucas was very excited for us to meet you.
Cathy couldnt look at Lucas mother. She opened her mouth to respond, but
she could not find the words; the pages of her and Lucas book were blank, and
there was a likely chance that they would remain that way. She was
unaccustomed to the shock, flooding her mind with incomprehensible thoughts,
overflowing with pain; it was so real, yet unfathomable, she was in a place of
absolute remoteness. Jacinthe shook her head, disappointed that God would
allow someone so young to feel so much sorrow. She told Cathy that she
understood what she was going through, and then she joined her husband at the
door.
Micah knew that Lucas parents had nowhere to go, none of them did; the
hospital walls were all the same, offering nothing different. Every room in the
world would become the same if Lucas died. He wondered what would be left for
him, a corridor of different doors leading to the same place, with the same path?
He bet that it would smell like a hospital as well.
Cathy began to return to her comprehensive senses after another five minutes
of letting her senses overpower her. She asked, What happened to him?
Griff told her everything that he had told Micah, from where he was found to
the extent of his damages. She listened intently with her hands covering her
mouth; her whole body was shaking.
Micah gave her time to digest the information once Griff had finished talking.
When he thought she was ready, he softly asked, trying to sound as unthreatening
as possible, Cathy, do you have any idea who did this?
I dont know, she frantically answered, There may be one person, but no
no, no, no, he wouldnt; he wouldnt do something as extreme as this. I know that
he isnt capable of doing something as awful as this; at least, I think I know-,
Cathy, Griff interrupted, Who did you have in mind?
She looked at Micah and Griff in concern. She looked awful; her blonde hair
was ragged from sleep, her eyes were shaking along with her body, and she was
deathly pale. She took a deep breath, hoping that they would understand and
wouldnt blame her at what she was about to say; she was already starting to
blame herself.
Derek Klass, she replied, My ex-boyfriend. He had a short-temper, but he
meant to be kind. He was a good guy, and I dont think he is capable of doing
something like this. She pointed toward Lucas. But if he did then I dont
know what to say. He really liked me, but I dont think I dont know if hed go
this far, nearly killing my new boyfriend.
Love, Micah told her, Or what someone believes to be love, can make a
person do things they wouldnt normally do.
Griff added, Love can even make someone kill another human-being.
Shit, Cathy cried, backing away from Lucas bed, This is all too much.
Vengeance was back in Micahs mind, evicting all of his other emotions with
its arrival. Micah walked to her and grabbed her hand. He said to her, Listen
Cathy, Derek almost killed Lucas. He cant go unpunished for his actions. The
cops will be here, they will ask you about the attack, and I want you to tell them
about Derek, but not right away. Give me his address, and give me an hour with
the kid before they arrest him. He deserves more than a prison sentence. All I
need is one hour.
Cathy looked at the fury in Micahs eyes; she was about to say no, but then she
looked at Lucas, unresponsive, nearly gone, and then the fury burned within her
own eyes. Okay, she said, Just dont get arrested and dont become a
murderer. She retrieved a pen from her purse and wrote down Dereks address
on an unused napkin that she found on the hospital table.
She handed Micah the napkin and told him, He drives a white SUV; I think
its a Volkswagen. He usually parks in the alley so you can check if hes home
before you go to the door.
You want me to come with you? Griff asked Micah as he looked at the
napkin.
No, Micah replied, You should be here with him.
Griff shook his head, My presence isnt going to change anything. You
shouldnt go alone; Bookers phone was dead when I tried calling, so Im the only
one you got because hes not coming here anytime soon.
Im doing this, Micah said goodbye to Griff and Cathy, Try getting a hold of
Booker again; he should be here too. You guys stay with Lucas; Ill be back as
soon as I can.
Micah stormed out of the room. He realized that it was the perfect
opportunity to verify if he had a power, or if some God was answering his
prayers, but he was worried that his suspicions were correct. This Derek Klass
would disappear, yet Micah wouldnt know if his disappearance would be
agonizing or painless; it wasnt good enough. Derek deserved to suffer. Micah
wanted to feel Dereks bones break under the weight of his punches, strengthened
by vengeful contempt; he would feel every extent of the anger that Lucas loved
ones felt. Lucas deserved justice, and Micah was going to be the judge, jury and
executioner.