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Shadows hung like a pall over Holstenwall's twisting streets, making Jane glance around warily as she traversed them. Despite the light of the occasional crooked streetlamp, the evening gloom weighed heavy over the creaking rooftops, deeply permeating every stone underfoot and every timber overhead. It wouldn't take her long to reach home, although she still shuddered; it was eerily quiet, and nobody else appeared to be about, but there was no telling who might be on the streets at this hour. She paused at a fork in the path, when she heard- were those footsteps?
The street seemed empty, snaking off into darkness on either side of her. She tensed, hoping she had only imagined the noise, when she heard it again, before it disappeared. Had it only been in her head? Or-
"You... walk... too... fast."
She startled, and turned around. Right behind her, breathing practically down her neck, was a lanky shadow pressed against a wall, limbs sprawling from a skeletal torso and two frigid eyes staring from black-ringed lids set in a pale, painted face.
"Cesare!" she laughed, catching her breath. "Stop doing that!"
The head tilted with a sudden pop of the neck. "Doing... what?"
"Scaring me like that! I didn't see you. Next time, don't sneak up on me, all right?"
He blinked, retreating into the shadows. "Will... not... again."
She gasped. "Oh, Cesare- I'm not mad at you. It's okay. I just- I didn't see you, that's all."
"Will... not... hurt... me?"
"Of course not! Of course not. I don't think I'd be able to win a fight with you, anyway," she laughed nervously. "Hey, would you like to walk me home? We're only a few streets away. I could use the company; it's getting late."
He blinked again, his long fingers sliding from the wall as he stepped towards her.
"I have so much to tell you," she said as they made their way down the street. "I ended up calling off the engagement- right before the wedding, too! A lot of people weren't happy about that... but honestly, I'm more concerned about the people who were." She shuddered, and Cesare looked back at her, fear undercutting his typically blank expression.
"Don't worry about it," she said, nervously fiddling with a strand of hair that hung over her shoulder. "I'll be okay- I've dealt with them before."
"Dealt... with...?"
Jane blanched. "Oh- like, I've talked to them. Not- you're used to hearing a different meaning of that, aren't you?"
He nodded.
"Right- right, I'm sorry. And- about what happened to you- that must have been..." she sighed, falling silent.
He opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly tensed up, fleeing to the nearest wall.
"What are you-"
Cesare shook his head and edged into the darkness, until only his eyes were visible.
"What's wrong? Did I frighten you? Where are you-"
"Jane?"
Francis stood by the streetlamp, seeming worried. “There you are,” he said. “Who were you talking to?”
“I’d like to get home. It’s quite late.”
“I hope you don’t think I’m angry with you. I’ve always respected your decision; I just wish we could have communicated better. It’s okay if you don’t want to get married now, or ever, but after Alan… well, all we have is each other, and I don’t want to lose our friendship.”
“Thank you, Francis. I… I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Would you like me to walk you home?”
Jane glanced towards the wall. “No, thank you,” she said. “It’s not too far away; I’ll be fine. I appreciate your offer.”
Francis glanced around. “He’s here, isn’t he.”
“Francis, we can talk later-”
Francis grabbed her shoulders. “I want to believe you, but- out here? At night? With nobody else around? Wherever he is, we can’t trust him.”
“Let go of me. Please.”
“Even if he’s suddenly acting better, how do you know he won’t lapse back into it? Or if it’s all some sort of trick? The things I’ve read about- those can’t be easily reversed. I don’t know if they can be reversed at all; he’s probably too far gone. I’m walking you home.”
“I said, I’m fine!” Jane wrenched out of his grasp, stumbling back. “Good night, Francis.”
Francis grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but I lost Alan. I almost lost you to him, too. I’m not going to lose you again; you’re all I have.”
“Francis, please-”
“Let… go,” a high, guttural voice hissed in his ear.
“You!” Francis turned around, grabbing the collar of Cesare’s leotard. “You tried to destroy everything I love.” Cesare screeched, attempting to writhe away.
“Stop it!” Jane insisted. “You’re hurting him!”
“I’m hurting him? Don’t tell me that, after what he did.”
“You promised,” Jane begged. “You promised you wouldn’t.”
“I didn’t promise to-” Francis gasped in shock as Cesare bit his hand, then shoved him against the wall.
“Cesare, no!” Jane gasped. “He’s my friend- he just wants to help me-”
Francis clutched his hand, tears burning in his eyes. “What did I tell you?” he exclaimed through clenched teeth as he struggled to stand. “That is not your friend.” He lunged at Cesare, but Jane stepped between them.
“Both of you!”
Francis shoved her out of the way. “Alan deserved better,” he said. “This is for him!” He punched Cesare in the stomach, and he doubled over, twitching.
“That’s how it felt, wasn’t it?” Francis said, breathing hard. Cesare curled up on the ground, like a spider inches from death. “When he hit you with that cane, day after day. When you were starving and locked in that box, and he’d take you out, just to beat you. I know what he did to you- more than you do, I’d imagine. I know more about you than you know about yourself. But what do you know? Tell me what Alan’s last words were.” Tears were streaming down his cheeks. “Tell me!”
“Francis, that’s enough!” Jane cried, kneeling by Cesare’s side.
“No! I want to hear this. What were his last words, you demon?”
Cesare shook his head, coughing. Jane lifted his head onto her lap, but he recoiled, thrashing onto the ground.
“It’s okay- it’s okay,” she insisted. “Stay still; you’re probably just fine. Breathe, okay? Try to breathe.”
Cesare nodded shakily, taking a few gasping breaths. Francis looked on in disbelief.
“I…” he began, but couldn’t come up with the words. “Alan…”
“Go,” Jane whispered.
“Please-”
“We’ll talk about it later- I promise we will. We need to. But there are things you don’t understand, and right now… I can’t. Just- go.”
Francis took a few steps back, before breaking into a run and disappearing.
“Can you stand?” Jane asked Cesare.
He nodded, struggling to his feet.
“Can I help support you? I’ll have to touch you- are you okay with that?”
He shook his head, stumbling back to the wall, where he leaned onto the stones.
“He’s not a bad person,” Jane insisted. “He’s just hurting. We all are.”
“He… knew,” Cesare whispered.
“Yes. Francis knows about what happened to you. I’m sorry he used it against you like that; he’s usually very kind. You need to understand- he’s still grieving.”
“He… knows… about… me?”
“Yes.”
“Then… why… does… he...” Cesare stumbled, and Jane caught his arm. With an aggressive jerking motion, he pulled himself away.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“I’m… sorry.”