Urban Dead: The Price of the Oath

[Cynical Cat]

"Like the leaders. They know each other. And the lessers. But they can't sense me. When they see me, they can't touch my mind. They know I'm different."

[Caz]

"Different aint bad," Jared said with a shrug.

"'Sides, Miss Gwen, Mister Marley, and my mum don't care if you are."

[Cynical Cat]

"Didn't say it was. But being a ghoul in a world of humans and zombies is different. I changed, but I must have been alive when I did. Not like the others."

[Caz]

He paused for a moment.

"Mister Gillian was thinkin' about a way to change you back," he said.

[Cynical Cat]

"Needle didn't work," Reaper said. He shrugged, then relaxed. "You know that I am afraid. Afraid to remember too much."

[Caz]

The boy reached in Reaper's direction. "Where you at?" he asked. "My eyes don't work."

[Cynical Cat]

"Just across the fountain," he replied. "Can't you tell from my voice."

[Caz]

"I dunno how big the fountain is," he explained. He carefully slid around the edge of the bench, feeling his way inch by inch until he literally thudded right into Wendigo's side.

[Cynical Cat]

"What are you doing?"

[Caz]

"I wanna show you something," the boy said dutifully. His small hands traversed up the ghoul's side, then up to his face, then rested upon his forehead.

A series of images began to fill Reaper's mind: the bizarre ritual where he'd 'exorcised' Punt.

[Cynical Cat]

Reaper tensed up, going utterly rigid.

[Caz]

"It's okay," the boy said. "I'm doin' it."

[Cynical Cat]

The ghoul did not relax.

[Caz]

"My Uncle Punt was like you," he said. "I made him better." The boy paused. "It won't fix everything, but it'll fix your head. An' you can eat normal again. You'll be alive, even if I can't make your body new."

[Cynical Cat]

"I am alive. My heart beats. My blood flows. I breath. I never died boy or if I did I resurrected fast."

[Caz]

"Sounds kinda like what happened to me," he said quietly. "That's why I'm blind."

[Cynical Cat]

"I don't remember anything before staggering out a building, hungry. With a base ball bat in my hand. A shambler came by. It ignored me. Guess I didn't smell write. I smashed his skull in and dragged him into an alley. Fed for two days on him before I even thought of hunting again. I was smarter after that. After I killed the next one, started hunting for better weapons. And armor. He tore me up pretty good, but I healed."

[Caz]

The boy nodded, listened to the ghoul's story.

"Dr. Dorian has the same problen," he said. "He don't remember anything before mum found him, an' whatever it was it scared him so bad his hair turned white."

[Cynical Cat]

"Its because we don't want to know what we were. Or what we lost. Or what we did."

[Caz]

"My new mum, Miss Melanie, she says we don't have to remember any of that. We survived; we get a second chance to be what we always wanted. And you're helpin' people now. Like Miss Gwen, she don't even realise you aint like her."

As he spoke, the boy pulled a roll of candy from his pocket and chewed one thoughtfully.

[Cynical Cat]

"I was strong when I emerged. Stronger than a shambler. Smarter too, although my memory was a blur. I must have eaten well inside. I don't want to think what or who."

[Caz]

"I done some bad things too," the boy said regretfully. "I done kiled three people... But we do what we gotta. Everyone in town's got a secret or two now. Miss Sherry ate a lady when she was locked up an' she still feels bad, but you gotta survive."

[Cynical Cat]

He sat in silence.

[Caz]

Jared shrugged, his wide eyes fixed in sightless stare out toward the bustling crowds in the commons area.

"'Sides, if you were plannin' on hurtin' anyone, you wouldn't have made it this far."

He smiled a little.

[Cynical Cat]

"Would have been foolish. Picking off your people outside would have been smarter."