Endgame (Book 3)

Chapter 34

I tossed a pebble at Jeremiah, finding some amusement as it bounced harmlessly off of my force field but sent him into a rage. His eyes completely black, I could tell he was screaming his head off from the other side, but I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I formed his prison so tightly that even sound couldn't get through. The implications of me letting him through would have consequences too severe. I wouldn't let him out if the world depended on it.

But all the focus I was putting into keeping him trapped was keeping me bored. I hadn't noticed it before, but being completely still while not sleeping was unsettling. I was so used to constantly acting and reacting to things that not moving seemed like a problem with danger this close to me.

I tilted my head to the side. Jeremiah was doing something odd now.

He was mimicking me. He was sitting down on the ground in the same position as me, looking at me with his chin on his knuckles. His eyes remained the same nasty black, but everything else about him seemed calm.

He pointed to my force field and made two fists. Then, he split them apart.

I continued to stare at him, ignoring his actions. I was interested in seeing what he would do next.

He got really close to the side closest to me and slowly mouthed a few words.

I leaned in closer, entertaining him.

My amused expression turned dark. He repeated his words, this time with a grin.

"You're in there," I said, pointing at him. I knew he couldn't hear me, but he could read my lips as I had his. "You can't hurt anyone."

He talked again but I couldn't hear his words. I allowed the force field to loosen to let sound through.

"...Can be in multiple places at once," he finished with a grin. "How do you know I didn't split myself up and attack her with my other half?"

I had missed the rest of what he said, but I couldn't ask him to repeat it. Letting him see that I cared would give him leverage. I would have to go off of what I heard.

I could only assume the "her" was Cassie. Had he done something to her?

"Let's play a game," I suggested. "We each get to take turns asking each other questions. We both have to answer them truthfully."

"I already know everything about you," he said disinterestedly. "Things that even you don't know."

It seemed ironic those words were coming from Jeremiah's mouth.

"But you only know everything up until the point when we split," I said on a whim. "And then, from the outside, when you were stalking me before attacking me the first time."

"As usual, you understand so little," he said.

"Then help me understand!" I exclaimed in frustration. How many times had I been told that I didn't understand? That I just didn't know? Everyone seemed to tell me that, but they never tried to rectify it. I always had to find my own answers.

He rubbed his beard- a mannerism I would have thought Jeremiah acquired, not an energy monster. Was Jeremiah sill able to maintain control subconsciously? Could I use that to my advantage?

"You won't be alive much longer," he said, more thinking out loud than talking to me. "So I guess there's no harm in telling you what I'm going to do."

"Don't forget who's trapped right now," I reminded him. "And you're on your deathbed."

He smirked. "Is that what you think?"

The way he said it made me uneasy. "You mean...you're not going to die?"

"Well, I will kill this old sack of bones for what he did, and I'll get rid of you, too, but me? Nah, I'm fine," he said with a light laugh. He wiggled his arms around jokingly. "I'm as spry as a spring chicken."

"What did Jeremiah ever do to you?"

"That's for him to tell."

The same response I got from Jay. Okay.

"But if you're going to kill both of us, he'll never get the chance to tell me." I extended both of my arms outward in an exasperated, pleading manner.

Fortunately, he offered no resistance. "There's no time like the present," he said. 

Before I could ask what that meant, he blinked. He didn't have to focus or pause to do what he did. 

When he opened his eyes, his familiar cold look had returned, and they weren't black anymore. Jeremiah was back in control. He seemed scarier now than he did before, with a haughty look overshadowing his features. 

I thought about releasing him, but Di-Men might try to escape. 

I had a feeling he could if he really wanted to, anyway, though. Did it really matter?

Jeremiah averted his gaze, looking past me at the road. Several cars flew by and dodged our bodies, honking horns angrily as they went by.

After recovering from the sudden transition, I addressed Jeremiah 's silence. "You know, I think the whole point of him doing that was so you could finally explain some things to me."

He shook his head. "You don't want to know my secrets, Jay."

He sounded tired. The light in his eyes was fading. Di-Men was destroying him quickly. From the inside.  

"I think I need to," I said. "I promised Ashley I would get you back to her. I can't do that unless you tell me what you know about Di-Men so I can get rid of him."

He shook his head again. He looked so disconnected, unaware. He needed a wake-up call.

I dissipated my force field and grabbed his shoulder, pinching my hands tightly around the muscle coiled there. The tension brought Jeremiah's focus back to me and his gaze hardened.

"Get your hands off me!" he yelled out. He proceeded to throw my hand off of his shoulder.

"Sorry. You needed that," I said, warily watching his eyes for any trace of returning darkness.

I wasn't entirely sure I liked the normal Jeremiah above Di-Men. He was a lot more hostile personality-wise. Di-Men was just violent. 

I offered a hand to get him off the ground. He clasped it in his left and pulled to get himself up, almost taking me down in the process. He patted down his clothes, which were now dirty from all of the fighting.

I waited patiently for him to get his bearings, but I wasn't going to for much longer. I had waited for far too long for answers; he couldn't hold them back from me anymore. 

He cleared his throat before turning completely towards me. "Alright, now." Almost airily, as if he was trying to offset the coming storm, he said, "You said something about a game?"