It Doesn't Follow

[Hedeon]

Hedeon walks through the 'light plane' before taking a wrong step, and begins to fall. He hits the hard pavement. Kith is standing over him, holding a gun.

"nuts... The mormons must have known we were coming, they can use manala energy." Hedeon tells Kith, and stands up, letting out a painful moan as he does so.

"What the... I'm bleeding?" He sees that Kith is holding a gun. He draws his shadow sword. "I should have known you were going to purge me."

[Lady Violet]

"Thank you, Li. I am recieving some odd reports from those monitoring Hagana. These files will be useful in evaluating that situation."

I set the files on my night stand and take a sip of water from glass resting on a silver tray to my right.

[Sasha Kropotkin]

When we reach the apartment, the surreal feeling wears off, leaving just me and Simona.

"Is that... really you, Simona..? Oh Jesus, Simona!" I wrap my arms around her and cling, almost hysterical. Although we are both spirits, this feels much more real than anything else he has experienced.

"I can't believe it... I'm so sorry Simona, I killed you... I raped that woman, and she was going after me, but you died. You died because of what Antero and I did. Oh god, I raped that woman..." I say, now completely hysterical.

"Please, just let me start over... I want another chance, I take full responsibility." My voice occasionally cracks, and tears now stream down both sides of my face.

[Kith]

I drop the gun onto the ground.

"No, it isn't what it seems. Simona Weil was here with you. She was about to leave with you, so I shot you. It sounded like you were joining the anarchists."

+++++++

I hold out my hands to appear as unhostile as possible.

"I gave you warnings but you didn't even listen to me. You were too busy talking to her."

[Simona Weil]

"We've both done a lot of wrong things. I don't stand above you as some shining example of morality. You have nothing to appologise to me for. And Charlotte murdered me and injurred others in the area. It was all a chain reaction of wrong doing. I don't know when it started, but that is why we are here, and we have to somehow do our best to end it." I kiss his teary face.

"I haven't been able to taste or feel since I have been dead...until now...it is strange. Maybe because you are dead too."

[Hedeon]

The shadow sword disappears, and Hedeon holds his side, doubling over in pain.

"Agh f**k..." Hedeon begins to notice that Sasha's presence is completely gone, and feels a sense of liberation.

"Alright, well he's gone. Let's just do this." Hedeon replies stubbornly.

[Kith]

"Let me heal you. It is the least I can do for shooting you. I must admit you are tougher than I imagined a fairy to be."

I move towards him and touch his shoulder and side. My hands glow with light green energy and the wounds close.

++++

I look behind us and see the run down Piggly Wiggly.

"We are in luck. Let's go."

I lead him to the ramshackle grocery store and enter through a door busted off of its hinges.

++++++

[Sasha Kropotkin]

I laugh.

"I really am dead, aren't I? These past several weeks, or however long it's been has been very interesting for me... I never thought I would consider taking my own life, but I just... And here I am... Not technically alive, but d**n it's good to be back." I state with euphoric happiness.

"How can we fix things? How can we get back to life?"

[Raz Nili Ze'ev]

Raz walks into the living room to find guests.

"Ah, hello. What can I do for you boys?" Raz asks. She is still holding her gun, which she had been cleaning in the other room. She had also gotten a cot for Chaya, for when he returns. It is the same cot she slept in as a child, since her parents could not afford an apartment with more than one bedroom. Raz's apartment is also one bedroom. Very few people can afford more than one. Some of the orthodox families who have many children are able to use tzedakah money from the chabad house, which is an organization which helps out other Jews, to afford larger apartments.

[Simona Weil]

"For starters we should talk to some religious people. They might be able to point us in the right direction at least."

I think of who we can talk to.

"I scare most people I encounter. It will be hard to find good help."

[Sava Dimitrijevic Apis]

Since Sava is from Eastern Europe, where apartments generally were one bedroom even under capitalism, he thinks nothing of the small apartment.

"I am Sava Dmitrijevik Apis and this is my friend Aleksandar. We wanted to work with you for a while. Our group, the Black Hand, has been crushed and we are trying to rebuild." He explains to Raz Nili Ze'ev.

[Hedeon]

Hedeon shakes off the wounds, but is still a little upset that Kith shot him.

"Thank you."

They walk inside, and it looks as though they still try to sell groceries here, although not much is on the shelves. Hedeon finds the basement stairs.

"There." He says, pointing.

[Chaya]

When he thinks it is safe to return, Chaya teleports back to Raz's home. He stands behind Raz when he sees there are some more strangers there.

[Sasha Kropotkin]

"How about your brother?" I reply hopefully, my hands clinging to Simona's.

[Ezra Weil]

Ezra wakes up feeling a little more confident about his grasp on world politics and the information he had been gathering over the past several months.
He whistles as he walks over to Raz's apartment, but stops in the doorway when he sees she has company.