Again, I gagged every now and then, and I got a bunch of salvias all over myself. And my stomach started cramping painfully every few seconds.
I didn't hear Henry react. Think you are cool? Injuring a human instead of a monster only shows on which team you play. No wonder you don't find this shit appalling.
I slid down again and saw the cave exit. I waited for Henry to come to my side before gripping his hand and flipping the coin.
Palm, black, correct future of Henry. Eyes and ears uncovered.
Coming back, I sighed in relief. Didn't see anything stopping us. Letting go of him, I tried to stand up, falling. Damn, I felt dizzy.
However, Henry silently crouched in front of me, and I smacked his head before practically crashing on it.
He didn't react, and I hoped he had meanwhile understood that he had been mistaken all along, because of this, agreeing silently with me punishing my dog.
He carried me, and I constantly flipped the coin while touching his cheek from behind. When I pinched him, he stopped. When I pointed in a direction, he walked there.
If this was how he started to be a loyal dog, then he did well.
Finally, we came to what looked like a city, just way smaller and strange. It looked as if a part of the city had been ripped out and planted here amidst a forest and grassy landscape.
I pinched him, and he stopped. Flipping the coin, I was interrupted.
"Kenny?" I heard a voice behind me and froze. Henry had turned around with me, seemingly ready to fight.
"Steve?" I asked, really freaking confused.
No, this was Steve2, who hadn't dyed his hair.
"Kenny, I thought you would take care of…wait, is that Devin?" He looked alarmed.
"Wait, Steve?" I smacked Henry's head until he let me down.
"Where is Henrietta?" I asked him and felt Henry's eyes on me.
"What do you mean?" He looked at me just as confused.
"Henrietta Devin, where is she?" I repeated.
"She had disappeared; what's wrong? Everybody thinks you killed her…don't you know?" He again looked guarded at Henry.
"Bring us to Henry's house." I commanded, and Steve came closer to me, cupping my face.
"Kenny, what's wrong with you? You know they are dangerous."
"Steve, go and bring us to them, right now." It was a start.
"Why don't we go home? Mum cooked your favorite dish?"
I stood there frozen for a minute. Ah. Fuck. That got me.
"Mum is alive?" I asked, trying to control the trembling in my voice.
"Naturally? Are you really okay." Steve asked, and I was scooped up the next second by Henry.
"Bring us to your home."
Steve looked at me hesitantly, and I nodded. He led the way, amidst the darkness, in this strange piece of city. This was no parallel world; I had no idea what this was.
I was carried there princess style, but I didn't give a fuck, not even considering flipping the coin. Just thinking of meeting my Mum.
We came to an apartment complex I had never seen before.
"Not like the villa." Steve sighed.
"What do you mean? When did we move?" I asked as I was carried up the stairs.
"Why are you having memory loss?"
"What is this here? This whole place." Henry asked.
"… Everything was normal until Henrietta went missing around three months ago. The Devin guy accused you." He looked away from Henry and spoke to me.
"Because you two were together, and it became a big deal. Then, from one day to another, we woke up here. This small city, with around us this forest—nothing more. Everyone chose an apparent, and we hunt to make ends meet. There were over two hundred of us people, but now....not many are left after more and more disappeared." He shrugged. In his hand was a plastic bag with what looked like bloody meet in it.
We arrived at the highest floor, and I motioned for Henry to put me down. Opening the door, I stumbled in a narrow corridor.
"Mum?"
"Here, finally, you are home." The brunette woman came—older than I remember her. There was displeasure in her eyes as she looked at me—no love. I saw, and I didn't care. It was good to see her alive.
I pressed my palms against my eyes to stop myself from crying, but still, my body shook. I turned away from her.
"Steve, bring us to Henry's house."
"Where are you going?" I could hear relief in my mother's voice because of my departure. Mum2 probably knew that Kenny2 was no good.
"I'm coming back soon." I choked out before limping out of the door again. Not my mother. Not the mother who looked at me with love and promised to prove to me that she would not drown.
Steve followed us, and Henry lifted me up again. I again pressed my palms against my eyes, as the tears just started flowing. Wimpy. If grandma saw me, I would get it with her walking stick.
Nobody spoke as we walked the stairs down again. Although I really hate Henry, his body warmth soothed me a bit.
When we left the apartment, I wiped my eyes with my sleeves.
"What is wrong with your eyes?" Steve asked with worry. Never seen a man crying?
"No..." As if he read my thoughts, he corrected himself.
"I mean, your eye color. Its bright red."
"Who knows." I got him to shut up, and he brought us along the only street to another apartment complex, on the other side of the little city.
He hammered on the door and took a few steps back. A blue-eyed man opened the door, stunned to see us.
"Henry?" He asked, stunned.
"You are alive?" There was shock, relieve, and sentimentality; he smiled brightly, coming closer.
I wanted to free myself, but Henry gripped me firmly.
"Dad, where is Henrietta?" He asked monotonously.
Henry's dad looked at me and my brother in alarm, before looking back into his apartment, where a door was heard as it fell shut.
"She is here, isn't she?" I asked sharply.