Excerpt: Ashfall (Working title)

Nico forced himself to keep moving, knowing that if he let himself stop he might waver in his determination. He thought of the single blank grey-blue eye the creature still had and how Jhonen had always been so full of life. Rage and pain flooded through him again but he pushed it down and controlled it, using it to keep going, along the walkway and down into the computer room. He pulled his gun as he went through the door, glad to find the room was empty, and used the control panel at the side to first sound the whistle then open the door into the warehouse.

“Want me to stay here?” Ashes asked, his voice uncertain.

A number of snappy responses went through Nico’s head but all he said in the end was a shaky, “Yeah.” He took a deep breath and went through the door, the gun hanging loosely in one hand.

The creature—he didn’t want to think of it as Jhonen, it wasn’t Jhonen anymore—lumbered out from around a stack of boxes and stood in the same spot it had before. Nico wondered if it even saw him. He took a cautious step forward and stiffened when it jerked its low-slung head towards him. He found he was trembling, his hand slick with sweat where he gripped the gun. He switched it to the other hand and wiped the sweat off on his jeans before switching the gun back.

“Jho?” His voice came out hoarse. “Can you hear me?”

The creature continued to look at him, though no recognition showed on its twisted face. Nico took another step towards it and it half-raised a hand before hesitating and dropping it again. Licking dry lips, Nico stopped just out of reach and carefully sent a tendril of thought towards the creature. He reeled back at the resulting confusing jumble of images, then steadied himself and reached for the core that was still Jhonen deep inside, trapped and lost.

He saw him for a moment, his slim form overlaying the creature’s. Emotions washed over Jhonen’s face, shock and fear and anger, and then suddenly he smiled. Nico heard the familiar voice inside his own head, saying his name with great affection, and the creature knelt down in front of him.

Do it, Jhonen whispered. Set me free, Nicky. I love you and I miss you, but I don’t belong here anymore.

Nico blinked away tears and swallowed hard before flicking off the safety on the gun. He placed the muzzle gently against the creature’s temple, tightening his finger on the trigger, and with the other hand stroked the creature’s white hair. “I’ll kill her. I swear it. So rest easy.” He licked a tear away from the corner of his mouth. “Love you, Jho.”

He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.