little man in the boat

Abner was silenced as Noah, in his invisible state, covered his mouth with a rag dosed with Duska’s succubus powder. He tried to resist, but in his wounded and weakened state, the dust did its work quickly, and he couldn’t even raise his arms. “Shut up. Shut up. Shut up,” Noah silently hissed as Abner passed out. Thanks to the dust cloud providing extra cover, it looked like Abner had simply fainted from his injuries. He’d wake up, barely remembering the fight.“And the winner is Reiss!” the referee announced to the adoring crowd.

A moment of silence passed before Tarnas cleared his throat and began to speak. “That truly is an unforgivable crime. You are right to feel guilty, to hate yourself for the things you’ve done. That is what you are supposed to feel, and to admit it now means you are on the correct path. It means you are learning from your mistakes and want to do right. Whether or not you can ever truly make up for what you have done, you can still become a better man than you were before. You can become a man who helps instead of hurts, who strives to make the world a better place.”

He had never told her what he and Alexis spoke of that snowy morning, never told her the real reason why he had helped her break free of Galvin. If he did, how would she react? Would she become disheartened, accusing him of toying with her for his own selfish desires because he couldn’t let go of the past? Or would she go with it, try to take up the role of his long-departed wife, forsaking her identity, her future, and her relationship with Alexis just to receive his affection? Neither was an outcome he wanted.