Chapter 14: Décès

Had I known it was going to happen?

Of course not. To this day, I am unsure whether it was divine intervention, sheer trick of nature, or something else entirely.

But before that, I recall having finally caught up with him. In such a short time, something had changed.

He even questioned me, saying that 'I just couldn't stay away'. He was correct, I could not.

But I followed him, for fear he had completely lost his mind.

And indeed, he had. The few remnants of Liam's sanity had...shattered completely.

It was as if several different entities were battling for dominance within his fractured mind. He switched between them with alarming frequency.

One moment, he was speaking calmly, the next he was cursing and shouting.

I am not ashamed to admit, seeing him so destroyed...it absolutely terrified me. This...thing had once been a man I called my best friend.

And he surely had no qualms when it came to intimidating me.

It was as if he could sense my fear. He seemed to revel in it.

When he was not scaring me, he would talk about how he had been wronged by the townsfolk. He claimed it was their fault he had become this way.

To an extent, he was correct. He had taken their cruel words to heart, and they had been a factor in his decision to become an undead creature.

He stated that had they not pushed him to that point, he likely would have lived a normal life. He blamed them, but only partially.

Then, he turned and pinned the blame on me. Why, I had an inkling. I had been the one to administer the means to become undead.

But it had been his choice. Yet he blamed me for everything he'd become.

 His words stung me:

"Still can't believe I trusted you." 

"I thought you were my friend."

"But you're just like everyone else!" 

Of course I was his friend! I simply knew when he had gone too far. But Liam was too broken to be reasoned with.

His tirades became more virulent, and laced with obscenities. Soon, it became all my fault. How somehow, I was in league with Liam's bullies.

But then, he would alternate between shouting, and taking hold of his neck.

I am unable to say initially, whether he was being dramatic, or if his poisoned mind was reaching the rest of him.

But when his fit was over, he would resume his accusations.

Liam alternated between the two. It was almost as if two different sides of him were battling for control.

What unnerved me was, during his fits, he looked directly at me. It was as though he blamed me for this, as well.

As he went on, the longer Liam shouted, the worse his episodes became.

I then knew he was not acting in the least.

But, like always, I did nothing. It was not that I did not want to help him, no, I still did. He was simply too far gone.

Whatever had taken hold of him, now had him crushed in his grip. His expression had gone from one of anger, to one of fear.

His eyes grew large. At this point, Liam had been rendered incoherent. His attempts at speech were but garbled noises.

It sounded as if he were a wounded animal. In a few short moments, those sounds gave way to what sounded like a rattling noise.

Though I myself never created such a sound, I knew full well what it was.

Liam seemed to realize it, as well. He reached out, whether towards me, or towards the sky. He was trying to cling to something.

I swear, he briefly looked at me, and whispered my name. Or I may have been imagining it. But if he did...

Even if I had not actually heard it, the voice sounded much like his, and it sounded so...remorseful. Had he finally felt regret for what he'd done? Were his actions the reason for this?

If he was or not, it no longer mattered. Liam stood in that position for a few moments more, and then he broke apart.

He shattered and smouldered into dust, like a brittle clay pot that dropped to the ground. I simply watched as it happened.

Part of me was upset that he died, another relieved that he no longer suffered. Surely the act itself was unbearable for him.

When the Man in Black came, he seemed pleased to see who had died. I asked of him, regardless of where Liam ends up, to request that he wait for me.

But I made my request clear. I wanted to see Liam not as the ruthless killer, but as the man I cared about. One not burdened by a nonexistent sanity.

However, I understood if he could not fulfill that wish. The Liam I asked for...died long ago. The creature I had just witnessed the death of was not him.

Death did not give me a verbal answer. He merely nodded. I took it to mean that he would try his best to make it so.

To this day, I await when my time upon this earthly plane is up. I eagerly await the day I will see if my wish has come true.

And I believe...

I believe that day has come.

(End of Chapter 14.)