XCVII | Stunned

❦

The sun sets
before Tom and Jerry arrive.

'What's up with everyone?'

Jerry asks,
smiling broadly,

hoping we'd follow along.
Hoping the mood sticks.

It stirs,
gets lighter

but that's it.

The two of them kick the ball
between themselves.

Their eyes fixed
only
on each other.

In the reality
they've created,

is everything fine so long as
they have each other?

'They know Ming just died,
'right?' Pretti asks.

Jasper nods.

'There's no way he's forgotten.'

Shuhui lights a cigarette.

The ball rolls over
to the bench.

Jerry runs towards us
to get it.

'Aren't you sad at all?'

A puff of smoke
obscures his face
for a few seconds.

He smiles through the smoke.

'He's not the only one
'who's suffering, is he?'
Jerry says.

Tom calls to him.

Jerry kicks the ball too strongly.
Tom goes to retrieve it.

Jerry feels it too.

We're more alike
than you realise.

There's no way he doesn't.

'But he's dead,'
Mike points out.

To that,

Jerry stares
and nods.

'Yeah. So?
'Should we all stop living too?
'Did any of us bully him?

'Should we all feel guilty
'when it's all his–'

he points to me,

'–his fault?'

[Read the full story at novelconbini.com!]