Andrew's Tears

Chapter 8

{Chapter 8}

Aboard the large Boeing 757, Andrew fell asleep. He dreamed again of the beast, bow and the arrow. Except, it did not end the same way it did before. This time, the arrow struck the beast in the heart just before it lunged for his throat. It fell to the moss covered floor and died in a large pool of blood.

The dream didn’t continue after that point. The world went dark again, but this time it wasn’t filled with the biting cold of death. It was filled with warmth and delicate safety. It was a fragile safety though, and was threatened to be destroyed at any moment. Andrew felt his worries lift from his heart and mind as he slept.

Thomas sat at the back of the Boeing 757, exactly seven rows behind Andrew. He just watched the back of Andrew’s blond head of hair. It sat just under half an inch above the seat back. It wasn’t messy. No, Andrew’s hair was never messy. It was the hair anyone anywhere wanted. It never became ratty, even if it was grown out long. He had inherited that trait from Thomas.

He had always loved it when people came up to him and complimented his hair. How could you not notice hair like Thomas’? You can’t. He thought vainly. One thing Thomas was not going to like about killing Andrew was that he would be destroying more beautiful people in the world. There were a small amount of truly beautiful people in the world and, in killing Andrew; he would be taking away one more beautiful person away from the world.

            But such was the life of a killer. Those things you can get over. They are but just small details that one must look over before killing. Some other beautiful person would be born into the world as soon as Andrew was dead.

            Andrew suddenly stood from his seat. He began to walk back towards the lavatory in the rear part of the plane. Something within Thomas wanted to keep his face uncovered and scare Andrew to death. It was only four hours across the Atlantic, and he didn’t want to do anything drastic yet. So, he covered his face using a newspaper he had picked up, just for the sole purpose of this event occurring.

            Thomas’ heart leapt in his chest when Andrew arm bumped into his. Thomas could see Andrew’s burn on his cheek. For some odd reason, Thomas felt a pang of sorrow for the boy. It was an odd feeling. He vaguely remembered the night in which he had burned his face. He didn’t realize how bad it was, though.

            Andrew spoke, saying, “Oh, sorry.” He moved on. Something stirred within him. Deep in his chest he felt something that he couldn’t register. It was a feeling that had never been there before. Or, maybe it had. He couldn’t remember.  It was a feeling that he had long ago forsaken. He didn’t like that it was back again.

            He shoved the feeling in a box, and shoved it into a box and locked it away, yet it still knocked, trying to get out. His mind and conscience were having a mental warfare.  The conversation was a memory from long ago.

            “Why are you like this?” Anne said.

            “I don’t know! I just… I just have to… I don’t know! He can’t live!”

            “What, so you are just going to kill him?”

            “No. No, I won’t. I can’t. I love him too much.”

            “Then why are you having these thoughts!”

            “I don’t know. I know I won’t kill him though. I promise, with my whole heart.”

This was a lie of course. He was going to kill Andrew. No matter what happened, he would kill him for the sins he had committed. He had had those murderous thoughts when Andrew was four. The first time he had tried Meth. It hadn’t affected him at first. At least, that’s what he thought. In reality, something in his mind had snapped, and he couldn’t control it.

He only tried Meth every once in a while. But, one time, it had created a voice deep in his mind, which spoke his greatest desires. He dreamt of death each night, and he craved to hear the screams of someone.

He tried to kill the voice using higher doses and at first it worked. But one night, the voice broke through, and that was the night that he had first snapped. He had burned Andrew, and that voice had forever ingrained itself in his mind.

And now, after its silence for three days, it spoke up in its raspy voice. “You have to kill him. He has done something irrevocable.”

“I know. I will kill him.”

“You better. His sins can only be paid for with blood.”

“I know. But, is what he did really that bad?”

“Again with the doubts! Haven’t I told you enough times? Yes, what he has done is too terrible for him to live.”

“Remind me what it is that he did?”

“He was born.” The raspy voice said it with finality. The conversation was over, and would not be continued.

Funny, the conversation ended just as Andrew walked by again. Thomas couldn’t help but strike a little fear in Andrew’s heart. He wouldn’t reveal himself. But, he said, “Did you wash your hands?” Andrew stopped suddenly. His muscles tensed and Thomas had to try hard not to laugh.

“That’s a little personal isn’t it?” Andrew said curtly.  

Thomas shrugged.

“Yes. I did. Good day.” Andrew walked away quickly.

Andrew’s heart nearly pounded out of his chest when he heard those words, “Did you wash your hands?” The voice was familiar. Andrew wanted to put a million miles between the voice and him. Dark fear rose within his chest. It was all he could do not to pass out.

He couldn’t be sure it was Thomas. It could have been some clean freak that asked that. But why would a random stranger ask that? Thomas also used to say that when he was younger. Every time he went to the bathroom he would ask that. Also, the voice was too familiar.

Andrew hoped beyond hope that it was not Thomas Markham sitting with the newspaper in front of his face. It probably was, and there was nothing he could do to get away from him.

When Andrew tried to tell Grandpa George who was behind them, he couldn’t get the words out. They were lodged in the back of his throat. He began to hyperventilate as panic set into his bones. There was still about 4 hours left in the flight to Heathrow.

It scared Andrew half to death knowing That Thomas was just sitting behind him. Just watching.