Web Short 1 - Sweet Burden Series (Pt. 3)

Web Short 1 - Sweet Burden Series

Sophie's Decision (Pt. 3)
The Conclusion

**This takes place between Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 and during the same time as Vol. 2.5**

When she found herself at Rediisu’s house she was surprised by the appearance. The lawn was unkempt, litter blew around and the house was dark. Sophie took a deep breath and moved forward. As she walked up the path she realized the front door was ajar. Worried they already came for him, Sophie rushed inside. Her eyes stung from the scent of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke. She slowly shut the door behind her and flipped on the light switch in the foyer. The bulb above hummed and then suddenly shattered raining glass shards all over her.

“What the…” she started as she brushed herself off.

“Who’s there?” Rediisu’s voice slurred as he appeared at the top of the stairs. “Sophie!” he called out holding a bottle in front of him as an offering. “Join me.”

“Rediisu, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like, sweetheart? I’m drowning my sorrows.” He stumbled down the steps and Sophie got a better look at him. His hair was greasy and dirty; his clothes were wrinkled and stained. His stench was horrendous.

“I thought you were out looking for Hitomi.”

“Hitomi? Hitomi?” he yelled as he looked around. “She’s not here.” He moved past her and into the parlor.

The room was completely trashed. Furniture was torn apart and bottles and cigarette butts littered the floor. He wobbled over to a chair and sat down as he lit a cigarette.

Sophie was in a state of shock over Rediisu’s behavior. “What has happened to you?” she spat.

“I’m drunk, in case you’ve missed that. And do you know how much a death god has to drink to get drunk? Especially one like me who’s been drinking for practically six hundred years? It’s definitely not a couple bottles.”

Sophie peered at him unable to formulate words.

“It’s a lot!” he barked. “Are you sure you don’t want to join me?” Rediisu swigged generously from the bottle and then slammed it down on the side table. “Sit down. You’re making me nervous.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave in a minute. I just thought you might want to know that Liam was taken by Roland. They arrested him. You’re probably next, if you even care.” She started to walk away until Rediisu began hysterically laughing.

Sophie spun back around and watched Rediisu’s body shake from his uncontrollable cackling. He covered his face letting the cigarette fall to the ground. She quickly rushed over and stomped it out before he set himself on fire.

“What is wrong with you?” she screamed. “There are serious things going on and you’re acting like you’re on spring break. Don’t you even care about anything anymore?”

His body trembled as he ran his hands down his face. It was then that Sophie realized that his laughing somehow turned into tears streaming down his cheeks. His expression was troubled and confused. Sophie peered at him questioningly as he rested his head back. He wasn’t trying to hide the sadness on his face.

“This isn’t the way things were supposed to be,” he mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“Obi shouldn’t be dead. I might as well have killed him myself. And Hitomi…” He raked his hands over his face again. “And Abigail. Oh…Abby. So much is ruined.”

“Abigail? Who’s Abigail?”

He shook his head and closed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters anymore.” Rediisu took a deep breath. “I messed up. Hundreds of years I waited and tried, but all I did was mess everything up.” He sighed and opened his eyes. After lighting up another cigarette he took a long drink emptying the rest of the bottle.

Sophie tried to piece together all of his ramblings, but none of it made any sense to her. She figured he was confused and drunk. “Rediisu, you can’t blame yourself for everything. You did what you could. Now we just need to find Hitomi and get Liam back. Once Hitomi is found we can figure out a way to get her memory back and she’ll be able to make everything right. This isn’t your fault, but you need to get yourself cleaned up and sobered up so we can find her.”

“I’m not fit to do anything. Unless it’s destroying everything.”

Sophie’s jaw clenched as she became enraged with his attitude. This was not the Rediisu she was used to and not the one she expected to find. “Get up. Now!” she demanded.

“Listen here, little girl…”

“Little girl?” she interrupted as she gritted her teeth. “I’m practically just as old as you.” Swiftly she grabbed his shirt and yanked him up from his seat. He pushed her away, but then she curled her hand into a fist and punched him in the jaw. The hit sent him stumbling back and a smile spread across his face.

“I guess you’re serious,” he replied with a forced chuckle.

The front door creaked and they both turned at the sound. Sophie’s eyes widened at Roland and his two angel buddies standing in the foyer.

Roland laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. “From one death god to the next. You move quickly Sophie.”

Sophie didn’t respond as Rediisu staggered forward. “Hey there Roland and his fan boys. Care for a drink?” he grumbled. “Although I’m not sure there’s very much left. I have an idea. Why don’t you make yourselves useful and go get us a few cases of liquor?”

“Rediisu, shut up,” Sophie snapped.

“Oh darling, don’t worry,” he said sarcastically as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I was just simply trying to be a good host. We have so much to celebrate.” Rediisu focused back on Roland. “Isn’t that right, Roland? It seems all is right with the world now with the Heavens open and Obsidian gone. London can rule without interruption.” He raised his eyebrow watching Roland intently.

Sophie looked at Roland, who seemed clueless as to what Rediisu was talking about. But Sophie was confused as well. She turned back looking up at Rediisu, who smiled down at her.

“It would seem that no one really truly knows anything.” Rediisu cackled and turned his attention back to the men. “I’m just going to assume you guys aren’t here to party. And if you’re not here to throw back a few drinks, then I can only assume you’re here with hostile intentions. Am I right?”

“You might be drunk, but you’re not stupid,” Roland replied.

Rediisu let out another laugh. “No, you’re wrong and I’m probably going to do something stupid.” As he said the words, he squeezed Sophie’s shoulder.

She swallowed hard realizing that she was going to have to pick a side. If she helped Rediisu now, she might not be able to help Liam. She wouldn’t be able to help Hitomi when she returned. She would be cast out of the Heavens. If she walked away she would have the opportunity to plead her case to London and stay on the inside of everything. She would be able to watch over Hitomi and find Liam, but she would be risking Rediisu’s existence. She had to make a choice and she refused to let Liam go.

Sophie slowly pulled away from Rediisu and stepped to the side. She could feel his eyes boring into her and she glanced up giving him a conflicted expression.

“Sophie? Really? And here I thought we could finally be together,” Rediisu said sarcastically.

She wanted to apologize and explain why she was walking away from him, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t able to say anything with them listening and watching. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

Rediisu seemed to understand and his gaze settled back on Roland. “I think it’s time for you to leave Sophie. The party’s over.”

The glares Roland and Rediisu were exchanging sent chills running up and down her spine. She knew Rediisu wasn’t going to go as quietly as Liam and that excited Roland. He seemed to be itching for a fight and Rediisu was eager to oblige. She didn’t want to leave Rediisu alone with the three angels, but she had made her choice. She chose what her heart was telling her to do and that was live to fight another day.

As Sophie fled, the sounds behind her made her believe the house was falling down. The crashing and banging was deafening. Even though Rediisu was older, she knew he wouldn’t be able to escape all three of them. He would be arrested and held wherever Liam was, if he wasn’t eliminated. She hoped Liam hadn’t tried any heroics once they left the cabin. She prayed Liam trusted her enough to find him and that’s what she planned to do. But first she would need to face London and that worried her. With Gareth pulling London’s strings she had no idea what she would be walking into.