Book I: Burnt Bliss [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 2: The Darkest Light Before the Dawn

It was two o'clock in the morning when Will awoke from a dreamless sleep. He came to after hearing sowmething he could not identify. At first, feeling someone else on his bed was strange, but he soon recalled Augustus was staying here now. He heard a sniffle and turned over.

Augustus was huddled on the edge of the bed with tear-stained cheeks and faded eyes.

"Are you all right?" Will asked, sitting up and pushing his covers back, so he could sit closer to Augustus.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." he quivered, tears seeping into his voice. "It's my sister. For the past few weeks, I haven't eaten or slept well at all. Any time I ever do sleep, I keep having dreams about her coming back or waking up, and...I know it's not true." he avoided Will's gaze.

"I'm so sorry, I should have asked. I was going to, but then I wasn't sure if I should mention..." he trailed off.

"Shall I get your parents again? Maybe you'd like some water?" Will scanned his room for a fresh pitcher.

"No, no that's all right. I don't want to burden them further." he replied, shaking his head slowly.

"Well, if you're sure..." Will edged closer to him and thought. "Isn't there anything I can do?"

"Having you here makes it easier, being alone is always worse." Augustus whispered.

"Here," Will said, handing him a glass of water he'd just spotted on his nightstand.

"Maybe we could talk for a while until you get tired." he suggested, sitting up straight as Augustus sipped. "You don't have to talk about it, but it won't...burden me if you do."

"Thanks." he whispered, turning to face Will. He looked down at the glass for a moment.

Will thought quickly. He needed to refocus Augustus. "We haven't seen each other for three years. I'm sure all kinds of interesting things have happened. Go on, tell me."

"Well, my parents have been working a lot lately. My father's done labor work, they were trying to save up a little money. I..." Augustus trailed off, and looked up to stare out the window.

It seemed even darker and colder at 2 AM. The world outside looked...lonely.

He turned back and looked right at Will. "I have to talk about it!" he pleaded, in a sweeping breath. "We never thought she'd get it, she was only four! I think she ate something, or..." he shook his head and handed the glass back.

He took a deep, shuddering breath. He didn't really want to relive this again. His nightmares had gotten worse lately.

But Augustus realized he had two choices. He could tell Will nothing and suffer, or talk and possibly get it off his mind.

He sighed and went on: "So, in a week's time, she went from being a normal, happy little girl to someone who was just wasting away. It started so oddly. She was coughing at dinner, and then we noticed she was coughing up blood."

He re-pictured it: the small girl with brown hair and round cheeks sat coughing at the dinner table beside her mother. Once the rufescent drops had stained her tiny hands, her black eyes went wide with alarm and confusion. Her outstretched fingers splayed for her mother to examine, and Caroline gasped in disbelief.

"It started slowly the first day and then it moved so fast. She had fevers, she'd hardly eat, and after only three days she had to stay in bed all the time because she was too weak!" he sniffled again. He stared down at the floor. There was no escaping his memories now.

"I really wanted to play games with her, and make her feel better; forget being sick for a while. I did that before, when she was ill. She had a bad spell last year, but I got to cheer her up. I couldn't do it this time, though. I begged my mother, but she wouldn't let me."