I reluctantly sat down at the table, acting calm. Deep down inside, I was scared. I think we both were. He got the bread and placed it in the middle. He also got a giant knife and placed it next to his plate. He saw me looking at the knife though.
"Ah sorry, I don't have anymore knives." He lied. I'm not sure it can even be classified a lie though. I clearly saw at least 3 other knives behind him, on the counter.
"Nah, no problem," I said calmly as I placed my own hunting knife on the table. "I got my own."
"Ha ha! Indeed you do!" He said trying not to make eye contact with me, as he was scratching his neck.
I got another chill. I started to sweat just like him. We sat there in awkward silence, neither of us wanting to make the first move.
"Go ahead." Augustine said. "Have some bread."
"No, you're the host of this party, you go ahead." I quipped back at him.
"Well you're the guest, it's basic respect to have you go first. Go ahead, I insist."
I crossed my arms and sat back, staring. Augustine pulled at his collar, as if it was hot in here. I then leaned forward.
"You want to kill me?" I said in a whisper.
"What?" He asked.
"You want to kill me!"
"Huh? Of course not, I would never!"
I slammed the table. "You damned bastard, don't lie to me!" I screamed at him.
Augustine raised his hands in front of him. "I'm telling you I don't, brother."
"You do!"
"I don't!"
He reached for his knife, and so did I. We stood at the same time and positioned ourselves. He stood in an awkward stance, his knife behind him and pointed towards me, ready to lunge forward at me. But this stance wasn't very good. We were on opposite ends of the table, having you're knife all the way behind you wouldn't help in this circumstance. I had my knife in front of me, and pointed towards the ceiling.
I grabbed my plate and threw it at him. He dodged and the plate hit the wall and broke into shards. I flipped the table towards him, everything on it being flung at him as well. The table was big and heavy though, so it didn't exactly flip, but it was perched up.
Augustine was behind the table, so I ran towards it. I rammed into the table, pushing it, and my brother into the counter. Suddenly though, my brother pushed his knife through the wooden table, almost stabbing me. I stumbled back in surprise. I didn't actually expect my brother to make a move like that.
August pushed the table to the side, and got ready to pounce on me. I quickly got up, but he was quicker. He ran at me, so I spun around him to dodge, losing my balance and falling again. I got up fast, but August was yet again running at me. I moved to the side and put my knife out, causing him to run into the hard wooden handle of my knife.
He fell, holding his now bleeding nose. I raised my knife above him, and swung down to his face. He tilted his head and dodged. Fortunately for him, my knife got stuck, so he was able to get back up.
I finally got my knife out of the floor, but as soon as I looked up, I got a boot to the face. I stumbled backwards and almost fell, but I didn't. August quickly ran towards me, but instead of trying to stab me, he kicked my leg.
"AHCK!" I yelled out, and I held my knee.
August then punched me, which made me collapse. He jumped on top of me, and tried to stab me. I caught his arm and pushed him off of me. He rolled across the floor, hitting his head on furniture.
We both got up at the same time. We were both tired, but it was kill or be killed right now. There was no stopping. I looked my brother in the eyes, but something made me rethink what we were doing for a moment. Tears. My brother was crying.
Y'know, for what was only a moment, that was all the time my brother needed, to stab me. I looked at him, holding the knife that was now in my stomach. For a moment, I didn't even feel it. For a moment, all I saw was the pain in my brother's eyes, realizing what he had done. That's when the pain began.
"AAAAAAGHH!" I screamed in pain. I pressed my eyes closed. Maybe if I didn't look at it, I wouldn't feel as much pain. Of course it didn't work.
Suddenly, the voices, the whispers came back, but now I could hear them. "You are going to die." They said that on repeat. Whispers from all around the room told me I was dying, and that I was going to die.
Amidst the chaos in my head, I remembered what me and the Phoenix talked about just hours earlier. Death. What happens? Non-existence? Eternal darkness? No. No no no. I can't die. Not now.
I forced my eyes open and saw my brother sitting against the counter, covering his mouth, watching me. I slowly got up, and limped to the door, the knife still in me.
I went up to my carriage, and slowly pulled myself onto it. And I left. I left the city, with the knife still in me. The pain was indescribable. As I was being checked to leave by guards at the gate, the guard saw my condition. "You ought to go see the doctor, friend. The hospital is just to left back in there." He said pointing back inside the city. I waved him off, saying I was fine. He sighed and let me go.
One village after the other, I passed them. My wound got bad. I left the knife in me so I wouldn't bleed out fast, but it's not gonna stop it completely. I finally got to the last village, the one closest to my house. I got to a house on the outskirts of the village. I knocked on the door. After a couple seconds someone answered. They were in shock at the sight of my situation.
"Hey mom, I'm gonna need your help." I said.