The Wolf and the Natural ✔️

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BECKER
Becker thought for sure he was done. He had no magic, no respect from others (not that he deserved it), and no Raisin Bran.

He rubbed his brows as he moved from the kitchen bar to the couch, laying down and looking up at the ceiling. This place... this place used to be a second home. And now... all it did was hurt him.

He wanted Constance back. He wanted Arlis to be happy again. He wanted... he wanted so many things.

When he was with Konrad, he thought about his plan. Konrad wants to wipe out the other species, render the world back to the witches. And that was terrible. But the additional part to that, getting his mother back. That part sounded okay to Becker.

Becker nearly let himself fall to Hell that night. He had puked and puked, made himself sick. Genocide wasn't worth his mom coming back. To think that for even a second... made him almost as bad as Konrad.

He should have hated his mother. Hated her for leaving him all alone. But every time he tried to be mad at her... a little piece of him broke. He couldn't blame her for getting away from Konrad.

But he could blame her for leaving him behind.

He closed his eyes and turned around on the couch, saying "I'm so sorry." He didn't know who he was apologizing too. Nobody could hear him. Maybe he was saying it to himself. He certainly should apologize to himself, and what he put himself through. And as for what he was apologizing for... he just felt bad for who he was and how he hadn't helped when he could.

He felt like he was going crazy. He felt... so unlike the usual Becker he once was.

He wasn't in Ireland, getting frisky with the ladies and gents. He wasn't out stealing art with Arlis and Connie. He wasn't watching over Everly and Zach.

Zach, who was imprisoned once again by Konrad. Sweet sweet Everly who was dead. And he didn't save her. Didn't even try.

It was all his fault.

Becker curled his legs to his chest and covered his head with his arms and began to cry.

"Take me. Please. Bring me to Hell's gates." He begged for death. He wanted to die. He was spiraling with no net beneath him. He was slowly drifting into darkness, every light around him shutting off one by one.

Water surrounded him, the sun shining above him. His hands flailed around to swim up but it was useless. He was sinking, deeper... and deeper. Any hope he had fled away in the air bubbles that left his mouth. Pretty soon those bubbles would stop floating up. Pretty soon, his lungs would be filled with salty liquid.

He couldn't protect his family. No wonder his mom left him. Konrad was right. Becker was weak.

He pulled his hair and let his mind drift off to the soft melody of his own breathing.

***

He woke up to someone sitting on his legs. "Get off." He huffed, trying to kick and pull his legs out from under the other person's weight.

The person huffed. "It's eleven in the afternoon, why are you asleep?" She sighed, laughing quietly.

Becker shot up, his eyes wide. He looked her up and down, checking if she was real. "Everly?" Her shiny black hair was thrown up into a tangled ponytail. Her cheeks were hollow, her eyes dark. She held more maturity than from when Becker had last saw her.

Was this even her? Was this really her? Was his magic playing tricks on him again?

Magic... he didn't have any.