Legend of Kataria (Draft Version)

Chapter 9

"She's dead."

"It wasn't your fault."

"But she's dead."

"Greeny, she made her choice. She chose to protect you. You can't blame yourself for this. Any of it."

"Then why does it feel like I killed her?"

The room slowly sank into shadows. Greeny lay on the bed for hours, staring blankly at the ceiling. His conversation with Sky played over and over in his brain. How could Leah be dead? It didn't seem real. It was like he could blink and she would be there with her typical wry smirk and over-bubbling enthusiasm.

Why didn't I protect her? I had the chance. I should have used my powers. Why didn't I?

He'd been berating himself like this on repeat. He knew he couldn't have done anything. He'd barely had time to react when Morto had struck. There was no way he could have moved her out of the way, physically or mentally. She knew it. She chose to jump in front of him. He would have just been in the way, but it still felt like he should have done...something. Anything. That he could only stand there and watch was the most excruciating part of the whole thing.

He raised a hand half-heartedly and aimed his mind at an empty cup, trying to make it move. He stared firmly at it. Waited. Nothing happened. Useless. He groaned and dropped his arm, flopping onto his back and removing his glasses to rub his eyes tiredly.

There was a soft knock on the door. Greeny put his lenses back on but did not move, pretending to be asleep. "Pssst." Red stuck his head through the door, wiping a mop of light brown hair out of his face. "May I come in?"

Greeny waved him in, not bothering to turn over.

Red didn't seem bothered by this and silently slid into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. "We have been given your protection detail. We're to escort you to the resistance base later this week."

Greeny sighed.

"Are you almost finished sulking yet? It's been two days. You haven't eaten. You haven't slept. You know, it's not going to look good for us if you kill yourself with starvation." Red was staying incredibly calm. "You're not going to help anyone by staying locked up in here. Miles is fixing breakfast. Why don't you come out and get something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

Red grunted. "Yeah, that's not possible. You're still human. You still have to eat. Come on. Just for a couple of minutes." He started toward the bed and Greeny did his best to brace himself in case he was dragged forcibly from the mattress. "Her death was not your fault. If she were here, you know she would tell you the same thing. Look." He took a seat at the end of the bed and sighed, as though struggling to be sensitive and firm at the same time. "I wasn't there when it happened, so I can't say for certain what went down, but I know it wasn't your fault."

"But--"

"Did you electrocute her?"

"Well...no, but..."

"Did you push her in front of you?"

"No."

"So how do you say you killed her?"

Greeny stared, open-mouthed. "I--"

"Stop. Just...stop." Red held up a hand to cut off his protest. "Now, I went back through the security footage of that day. I saw what happened. There was no way you could have done anything. Had you intervened, there is a good chance you'd be dead as well."