Wait For You in 5 Stages

Pt.8 : Provoked

I decided to take a walk today. Earlier this morning I had woken up from a nightmare. Lumine and my mother were in it. Me and Lumine were running away from her until I looked back to see him being dragged away and before I could reach him, she held her hand to his head and a bright green glow blinded me.

It's been a month. I woke up with so much anger today. My teeth were clenched so hard that my temples started throbbing in pain and my nails were digging into my palms. It was hard to speak to Camille and I kept wondering what she knew.

Could there possibly be something Camille knows about Lumine that I don't? That angers me.

I noticed that whenever I thought about Lumine lately that my palms would fire up and sparks of magic would be fueled by my anger. So thats why I decided to take a walk today.

I ended up on one of the routes we often took, because it was his way to 'work', so he called it. I stood outside the weredog arena, gazing at the poster of two weredogs fighting with large red text slapped on it. I couldn't read it anyway.

I pushed the door open and was greeted by a nostalgic smell. The air was warm in here and it smelled of sweat and blood. Gross.

Instead of going forward to get caught by that old hag at the ticket booth, I turned and walked through the 'Fighters Only' door. It was the same musty room that Lumine would get ready in before his fights. The room was deathly hot and there was no proper changing rooms so the whole room was covered in people's gross clothes. How could they let a kid like him in here?

I find it ridiculous that they really let a 13 year old in here. He could have been killed.

I walked to the locker he would use and opened it (he never put a lock on it). By my surprise, there was still stuff in there. My heart dropped and my eyes immediately felt tingly.

I reached in and took out a towel, a white T-Shirt, and a green hoodie. So that's where my hoodie went...

I held the clothes close to my heart. They still smelled like him. It had been months since we'd been here snd they still smell like him. It couldn't be my brain playing tricks again right? I sat down and buried my face in the hoodie when I felt my eyes burning.

This stupid place. Who had taught him to fight like that? For him to win so many rounds against huge weredogs... I really want to know about him more. I want to know about his past and the things he liked to do. I want to know about his family and his favorite memories. I really wish I could ask.

How could a 13 year old boy feel so compelled to risk his life for money. How could that boy be my best friend. How could he be gone so quickly? It felt as if he disappeared as fast as he came. I thank him for the life he gave me because he taught me so many things. He taught me how to let out my emotions and how to laugh again. He taught me how to love and feel loved. I miss him, I really do.

"Hey! Kid it's you! It's been a while!"

Someone slapped me on the back and I almost fell forward. It was one of the weredogs who convinced Lumine to join. This was a guy I rarely saw because he spoke Solean too and so he'd do a lot of translating around the arena. His eyes were the first pair I truly stared at after Lumine died.

You convinced him to do this. You wanted him for the money and you got it. You were one of the reasons why he had that giant scar on his stomach that he was so hesitant to show me. You ruin peoples bodies and lives for money. You are sickening.

I gathered Lumine's things and walked out without saying a word. I didn't feel like talking.

"Hey where you going? Are you and that little guy coming back soon? Bring him back! He was great!"

I paused. .....'Bring him back'

I kept walking, clenching the items I took back trying to suppress myself from saying anything. Though, if I fought in this state of mind, I would win a lot of money.