*Magic Always Has A Cost

Tick,  

I eyed the clock, fear building up in my chest. It was only a matter of time before it would happen. Before it would be too late. It was already too late, but I refused to believe it. 

I shouldn’t even be in this situation! I should be home, with my family.

Home,

Too late for that. Then again, it was too late for many things.

  There was a knock on my door. It was quick and rough, like someone who was here for me. They were here for me, I was the only one here…

They’re too late. I thought, clutching my side. I’m already in too deep.

  Whoever was at the door knocked again, this time more frantically. I closed my eyes, trying not to cry. But it didn’t work. The warm tears rushed across my face and I couldn’t hold it back. They knocked again, this time I heard them yell.

“Open the door, Dawson! Please!” The voice was desperate, maybe even on the brink of tears. I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak. They yelled again, “I will break down this door if you don't open it right now.” Tears stung my eyes. I wanted to tell them, but I couldn’t use my voice, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t do anything. So, I just laid there, helpless.

I heard them pound on the door once more, now harder than ever. They were trying to break my door down. I knew it. The pounding went on for five whole minutes before I heard the door break and someone rush in. 

“Dawson, where are you? I know you’re here.” They called.

I wanted to call, “I’m in here. Please, help me!” But all I could do was stare at the ceiling helplessly, unable to call out. The person ran around my house, turning on all of the lights. I could see them randomly flicking on. The last room they try is the room I laid in. A girl stood in the doorway, staring at me with her blue eyes wide, filled with horror. 

She looked like she had just come from somewhere fancy. Her white-blonde hair was neatly pulled back. She wore a sky blue dress that hung down past her knees and she wore a snowflake necklace. 

The dance! I remembered. It was still going on, and she had told me I should come along. I remembered agreeing to come. But that was before this, before what happened. I felt bad for abandoning her, but there was no way I could’ve told her I couldn’t come. Not like this.

“Dawson?” She whispered, fear in her voice. “Wh-what happened to you?” Tears glistened in her eyes. 

I didn’t respond, I was unsure if I could explain. The truth was hard, if not impossible, to explain. But I couldn’t bring myself to lie to her either. So, being silent was the only option I had.

She took a step closer to me, then stopped, her eyes drifting over to my side, which my hand was holding, blood was leaking through my fingers. I couldn’t stop the flow, no matter how hard I tried. 

She moved closer to me, still hesitant. Like I was going to jump up and attack her. But we both knew I was in no condition to do anything, even if I wanted to. After a moment of just staring she seemed to decide I was safe enough and continued to approach me. Soon she was next to me on her knees, tears freely flowing from her eyes. 

“Please answer me! What happened? Who did this to you?” She was shaking rapidly. That’s when I realized why she was hesitant. She wasn’t afraid of me, she was afraid of who did this to me and if they were still here. Then for the first time that day, maybe even the first time that week, I spoke. 

“Jayda, please let me explain.” I choked, hot tears streaming down my own face.

She looked at me solemnly, “I’m listening.”

I looked at the clock. It was 2:35. At the rate I was going I only had two hours left.

If I was lucky. 

But I knew she had the right to know what had happened, even if I didn’t want to say.

“It all started not too long ago,” I began, after I got my bearings. My voice was dry and raspy, due to the lack of water. “When I was visiting an old friend, in a different town.”

“Who?” She cut in. I glared at her, I didn’t have much time left. So though the question wasn’t big it still wasted some of that valuable time.

“Derek, and please try not to interrupt me. I’m already running low on time.”

She lowered her gaze and whispered, “Sorry.” I accepted her apology and continued.

“I left to go visit him. We were planning to meet up in Urver. So, I left through the east side of the city. I know that there is a lot of crime, so I watched my back. I left with no issues and went on my way to Urver. My way was uneventful for the most part, when I was randomly confronted by a man. 

“He was heavily wounded, and was shaking rapidly. I asked him what happened and he started to babble, he spoke random nonsense- Claiming that the town of Urver was up in flames. I asked him what happened. Because there was no way that small town was up in flames and there was no news about it here. What he told me left me shocked and numb.

“‘A man, Arin, went mad. He got a hold of a lighter and threatened to burn the place to the ground. But I knew Arin, or I thought I did, and that didn’t sound like him. I know someone is behind it, but I have no way to prove it. So, I ran. I ran hoping not to get caught. By who? I didn’t know. But what I did know was Arin wasn't doing this on his own free will, someone was forcing him to do it and I fear it was by the cruelest way possible, magic.’ I was scared out of my mind when I heard that word. Magic is dangerous and if someone was being controlled by it, that was bad and someone needed to stop it.”

I heard Jayda sniff. She must’ve realized where this was heading, because she grew pale. She reached out and held my hand, gripping it tightly. 

“Dawson, please don’t say you got yourself involved with magic!” 

I looked at her, and whispered, “I had too.”

“Why? You knew how dangerous magic is, why did you get involved?” I stared at her. I didn’t know why I had gotten involved. I knew I shouldn’t have, but I did anyway. 

“I had a feeling I needed to. Now please, let me finish. After that man told me about the suspicion of magic I knew I had to stop it. But I didn’t know how to. 

“That was until I realized that Derek was, in fact, working for Arin. Before you even ask, yes, this was the same Arin who burned down Urver. It turns out he has been trying to stop a man, Rafael Laurier, was his name. Who was also a powerful sorcerer. He somehow broke into Arin’s mind and began to manipulate him. Which was what caused him to go mad and burn down the town. 

“A few days later Derek told me that they had found Arin, but the catch was that he was dead. He had been shot in the heart, in the town square of, no other than what was left of Urver. Derek was heartbroken by the loss of his friend and I asked how to help. This is when I truly opened the doors to working with magic. 

“I know I should’ve opened those doors. But I wanted to help avenge Arin’s death. But I messed up, I got caught. But Rafael is a cruel man. He wanted me out of the way, dead if possible. So, I was surprised when he released me. But not unscathed, he cursed me with this… This wound has been bleeding for almost a week straight, each day the bleeding became worse. But today I think I’ll finally be free from the pain. If I’m lucky that is…” 

Jayda wiped tears from her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve tried to help.” 

“I knew you couldn’t.” I whispered.

“If you told me I could’ve at least…” She trailed off. But I knew what she was trying to say. I looked at her, unsure if I should say it. 

“Jayda, I know this is hard to ask but, could you? Here and now?” She stared at me blankly. She scanned my face, looking for any signs of joking. But I wasn’t messing around, this was legitimate.  

Is it too much to ask for? I wondered looking at her face. I couldn’t read her expression. So I had to lie there and wait for her to answer. After a moment she slowly nodded, I could see she was still hesitant. I understood why, this was a lot to ask for.

“Thank you,” I whispered, “There is a 45 hidden in my room. It should be under my dresser. Use that.” 

She stood up and walked out of the room, casting one more look at me before walking into my room. I heard her dig around for a while before coming back into the room. My 45 held tightly in one of her hands. She was shaking, as she stared at me.

“I-I don’t know if I can. Not after everything we’ve been through together.” 

I looked at her soberly, “I understand. I knew it was too much to ask for. You shouldn’t have to. I’m sorry I asked.”  

Her eyes drifted to my side. “How long?” She whispered.

“I told you how long I’ve had the wound.” I replied, confused.

“No Dawson, not that. How long do you think you have left?”

I glanced at the clock.

“If I’m lucky, about an hour and a half, but it could be longer. Knowing magic, I could still be alive a week from now, it matters how this was designed.” 

She looked at me. “I-I can’t do that to you,”

“You shouldn’t have to be the one that ends it though.” I whispered.

“Who else is around to do it? You’ve already been like this for almost a week and no one has done it. It looks to me that rather I do it or no one does.”

“Jayda, that choice is yours, I won’t push you to do it if you don’t want to.”

She looked at the 45 in her hands. “There is no other way.” She whimpered, “I have to. For your sake. No matter what I’ll be living with the guilt. So, I might as well do you some good.” 

Shaking rapidly, she lifted the gun to my chest. 

“Goodbye, Dawson.” She whispered, before pulling the trigger.

… 

Dawson collapsed almost immediately after I had pulled the trigger. But I stood there, staring at his lifeless body unsure if I did the right thing. 

Yes he was in pain, but now I had killed him. I could be wanted for murder, and there was no true way to explain what had really happened. No way to explain the wound created by magic. 

Why hadn’t I thought about that before deciding? I yelled to myself, I was still shaking uncontrollably.

Dawson’s clothes were torn up and his blood had formed a circle around him, dying his brown hair. I walked over to his body and brushed my fingers across his face. He was still sort of warm, but he was slowly growing colder. 

“I’m sorry about how this had to end.” I whispered, clasping his hand. Unlike his face, it was ice cold. I still couldn’t grasp that he was dead. Not just that, but that I had killed him. After all the scuffles we had and the threats we had hissed to each other I had never thought I would in fact shoot my brother.

I closed his eyes and walked out of the room. 

Who’s going to tell his family he’s dead? Can I even live with the guilt? So many questions ran through my head, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I looked over at my brother's body, tears stung my eyes as I hid the 45 and turned out the lights. I thought about just walking away, but I knew I couldn’t just do that. I pulled out my phone and called 911.

The phone rang for the moment before the operator answered, “9.1.1. What’s your emergency?”

I gulped before whispering, “My brother was shot and killed. I have just discovered his body. He has a bullet wound in his heart and a gash in his side.”

“Where are you at?” I told them the address, “Okay police are on their way. Please stay there and wait for their arrival.” I hung up and walked away. Not caring that it was illegal to leave a crime scene.