He was just sitting there, like he did every morning. Sometimes he was staring off into space, and other times he was bold enough to read the daily news. Either way it was the same routine. Dinn would come in, shortly after Creed awoke, and just sit down at the kitchen table, motionless. His much too large jacket covering up most of his face with its excess of fur. Creed had no idea how Dinn could stand being in the jacket for so long, especially on warm days like today. Creed knew he never looked at him, after years of paranoid fits he recognized the feeling of being watched, but Creed had no such feelings for the past few weeks. All five of Dinn's eyes were somehow always pointed far away from him. Dinn wouldn’t look at him for longer than a few seconds. In fact, he would decidedly turn his head away as if something more interesting had caught his eyes. But what could be so interesting in Creed’s little cabin? What could be so enticing that Dinn held no desire to ever look back?
The tension was not missed by either man. Nor was the reality that they each were trying to systematically avoid the other at all costs. Despite what Dinn said the day he showed up on Creed’s doorstep, there was nary a word shared between the two. He looked like a completely different person, what with his long brown hair and red tips that curled around his face and tumbled down his jacket. Not to mention how small his horns looked on his head. After years of chipping away at them, it seems they’ve been downgraded to small nubs. And his tail, or rather tails. They had been split down the middle many years ago and it seems the fur never grew back.
Why had Creed decided to put up with this tension? In his own home no less. His place of respite and solitude from the rest of the world. A place where he first felt at peace after years of fighting an unholy war. Was he just that gracious of a host as to not kick Dinn out after the first hour of tension? It’s not like he didn’t have anywhere to go. Dinn would certainly land squarely on his feet and not think twice about turning back. So why?
The squeal that sprung from the kettle took Creed out of his thoughts. Removing it from the stovetop he hurriedly poured himself a cup of the boiling tea, and for the first time that day, he turned to face Dinn. Dinn glanced back at him, noting his movement, but again he quickly looked away. Creed grimaced.
“So?”
He spoke, his calm voice breaking the silence.
Dinn turned back almost startled.
“Are we going to talk today?”
Creed asked staring directly into Dinn’s eyes, as if willing him to speak up for once. But Dinn only sputtered. His mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. Did he truly have anything he needed to say? Or was this all just a ruse to force himself into Creed’s home again? Dinn’s eyes turned downward as if he was deep in thought about what he wanted to say. Surely, he’d respond with an apology. An explanation? Something that at least made him ending up at Creed’s doorstep somewhat meaningful. More than just hanging around the cabin. More than just eating his food and sleeping in his guest room. Surely there must be something he needs to say, right?
“What do you want to talk about?”
Dinn responded with a sudden spark of insight, as if this question wasn’t the most infuriating thing to ever grace his lips. What did Creed want to talk about? That wasn’t the deal. The deal was Dinn would talk and Creed would listen. Creed had no questions that needed answers anymore. As far as he knew, Dinn’s actions spoke volumes about him. He was selfish, egotistical, a lost cause. It was Dinn’s responsibility to prove him wrong. But those words jumped out at him just proving his bias. Did Dinn even know what he did wrong? Or was he expecting to return and drum up a bunch of excuses for Creed’s questions?
Creed shook his head, irritated to no end. Why was he holding out hope that something different would happen? That somehow Dinn had changed? Impossible. Dinn can’t change if he never did anything wrong. With a heavy sigh that revived the tension in his home, Creed turned and walked out of the kitchen.
------------
Dinn didn’t know if he would ever get used to his surroundings. He’d been living deep in the city for the past few years after the war ended. But here, in Creed’s cabin on the outskirts of town? There was something so odd about it all. Waking up every morning to the birds squawking away. Hearing the owls and the wolves at night. Being able to walk around midday and be completely isolated except for the buzzing of the few bugs that shared this home. Was this how Creed had been living since they separated? All alone out here with just the rivers, trees, and animals for company?
The first time they met, Creed had been obsessed with big city life. He wanted to see all the world had to offer and experience the hustle and bustle of a frantic workday. He was an odd one, especially when confronted by city folk who lived those days for their whole life. They couldn’t understand what was so magical to him about life in the fast lane.
They were younger back then.
Now Creed submitted himself to a quiet simple life, away from needless distractions and loud noises. Dinn had seen the war change all types of men. Not just from hopeful to destitute, or from angry to a concerning calm, but everything in between. But had he really missed that much of Creed’s life that he’d never imagined that this would’ve been where he ended up?
When Dinn was finally able to track him down, he almost didn’t believe it until he ended up on Creed’s doorstep. His hair was much longer than he remembered, almost as if he grew it out on purpose as a way to combat the dress code that had to follow during the war. However, most of its color had long since faded, it seemed. What was once an annoyingly vibrant pink, purple, and orange had faded to the point that the pink and orange were almost the same color. Creed was a bit older than Dinn, but not by much. That fact that his hair was fading and graying much quicker than his own spoke volumes about the taller man. His small antlers were still perfectly precise, but his white claws were chipped and badly damaged, as were the rest of his arms. Burn mark and scars littered his forearms and rode their way up to his chest. Dinn wondered how many scars he had missed since they separated. And now seeing the way Creed lived day to day in this small cabin, this was definitely not a front for his real life. This was his life.
Coming back to Creed wasn’t an easy decision, but Dinn did believe it was what he wanted at the time. But now, seeing this Creed. This Creed that shares the same name, face, and voice, but is so different than the one he once knew. Was this the Creed he wanted to come back to?
Dinn was startled by the back-door opening, immediately pulled from his thoughts as Creed stepped outside. Dinn surmised he must’ve been done with cleaning for the day and was now going to tend to his plants, as he did every day. Creed didn’t even look his way as he walked out onto his land and knelt down beside his vegetables. Dinn took a moment to look at him and ponder.
Maybe he wasn’t the same as before, but neither was Dinn, right? Surely, he wasn’t the same selfish child who first entered the war for his own desires all those years ago. Hadn’t he changed and created a new life for himself? One where he felt that he would be good enough to fall in love again?
But looking at Creed, working away silently and calmly. Seeing how much he’d changed and grown to be someone so foreign to him. Has he not done enough to change? Could they have what they once did? Or was it really just another waste of his time?
-----------
Creed didn’t know why, but the sun was especially bright today. Looking up he saw a large stack of clouds in the sky, but still he found himself squinting to see anything directly in front of him. In essence everything felt like it was glowing, and Creed could barely stand to keep his eyes open. He thought working in his garden would help soothe his frayed nerves, but the plants just shone back at him, as if mocking his attempts to get away from the light. Frustrated Creed held his arm in front of his eyes, willing the light to fade, stumbling carelessly back up the steps to his cabin. He’d hit and nearly tripped on a step as he made is way inside. In the back of his head he heard Dinn calling for him, asking if he was alright, but he didn’t respond. His eyes were now dry and stinging, and he thought a quick wash would get them sorted out.
Stumbling blindly into his bathroom Creed hovered over his sink, splashing his face with the cool water that leapt from it. In a moment of respite Creed allowed himself a quick peak at the world. The lights in the bathroom were off and the shadows were a much-needed relief.
He remembered the feeling of the world going white after experiencing pain so intense that it nearly killed him. But this was not that. There was no evident pain; not in his side, not in his back, nor in his chest. Just a nagging white light that blocked his vision. He couldn’t tell where it was coming from or why it had just suddenly appeared.
Straightening his back Creed gripped tightly onto the edge of the sink as he nearly fell backwards. He felt dizzy, his head didn’t hurt but he was dizzy. Steadying himself he took a look at his reflection as if willing it to answer his questions. That’s when he saw it.
The wall behind him held an unnatural bright glow. Even in the shadows of the bathroom it very obviously was expelling a white blinding light, to the point that Creed almost couldn’t see his reflection. Whipping his head around Creed thought he’d be once again assaulted by this light, but looking at the wall behind him, there was nothing there. No sense that it could give off any light at all, let alone one bright enough to rival the sun. It was just a regular wall hidden in shadow.
Turning back around Creed was horrified to see a few new figures in the reflection. A few sets of glowing white hands reached for him from behind. Before he had time to react, they grabbed a hold of him. This time there was no denying it, he could feel their boney fingers and their long nails digging deep into his exposed skin. They began wrapping themselves around him, ignoring Creed’s cries of protest. They were pulling him back, back towards the glowing wall behind them.
“Dinn! DINN!”
Creed finally called out finding his voice once again. He didn’t know what Dinn could do, but if anything, he at least wanted a witness to his disappearance at the hands of these disembodied figures that were forcing him back into the light.
A sudden pounding of footstep grew closer, and Dinn appeared at the entrance to the bathroom. His eyes wide with shock at what he saw. Creed being taken away by some glowing figures he could not understand, being dragged through a wall of his home into some gate of light.
“Dinn help me!”
Snapped out of his momentary surprise Dinn lurched forward grabbing onto Creed’s hand and trying to pull him back through, away from the light. He struggled roughly against the strength of these figures. Their grip was so tight, and their strength was unimaginable for appendages without a body.
“Let him go!”
Dinn roared. But just as he did a new set of hands leapt out from the light and grabbed onto Dinn’s shoulders. He too was now being pulled towards the gate. Looking back at what little bit he could still see of Creed, Dinn only saw one unblinking eye filled with terror staring back at him. He hadn’t seen Creed so horrified in years, and this solidified his own horror at the unknown predicament they found themselves in.
“Hold on Creed!”
Being unable to pull Creed back through the wall, Dinn resigned himself to tightly gripping Creed’s hand and allowing them both to be pulled the full way through the portal. If he couldn’t keep them from whatever lied on the other side, he didn’t want to lose Creed in the mess that would surely await them.
Once the light faded the cabin stood silent once again, as if nothing had ever taken place. No windows were broken, no property damaged, nothing stolen. From the outside one would assume it was just a peaceful cabin where two men lived enjoying the silence away from the hustle and bustle of city life. But if anyone was to enter, they’d find a much different story.
-------------
There was an incessant pounding in Dinn’s head as he awoke. All around him he could see nothing but white, and for a moment he thought his vision had faltered. Shifting his head to look around he caught sight of Creed lying just a few paces to his right. His body was unnervingly still and Dinn’s heart dropped. With great effort Dinn attempted to stand, still extremely dizzy and slightly battered from the fall. Carefully he made his way over to Creed. As he got closer Creed’s body finally shifted only slightly. He was alive.
Dinn sighed in relief, letting out what he didn’t realize he’d been keeping in. Dinn had only seen Creed as still as a corpse one other time and he wasn’t one to relive horrible memories.
“Creed?”
Dinn called out softly as he came closer. Supporting his weight on his elbows Creed looked over to see Dinn kneel just beside him.
“Dinn? Where are we?”
He asked shifting around to sit up properly. Dinn could see Creed’s eyes were still blown out, an indicator that he was still terrified. Understandable considering the world around them had morphed into a vast plain of white. No shadows, no walls, no sky, no evidence that they were still in the world of the living.
Helping Creed to his feet Dinn responded.
“I don’t know. The last thing I remember was getting pulled through that portal.”
“Right…but why?”
Creed asked the open air. It was clear that he was distracted by his own thoughts than actually directing his attention toward Dinn or his answers. Dinn gripped tightly onto Creed’s elbow, something he did regularly back when they were fighting on the same side. He had just found the physical contact somewhat comforting. As if it meant that he was truly still alive and that someone took notice of his existence. But now, he wasn’t sure. Sure, Creed was standing right next to him, but he was in the same situation. Who’s to say Creed wasn’t dead too?
Suddenly the pair heard a loud screeching sound from behind them. As if someone was dragging an iron nail over glass. Dinn and Creed both covered their ears tightly, feeling as though their heads would pop off as the sound grew in intensity. They quickly ducked down to the ground fearing some sort of bombardment or attack from a force they couldn’t see. The sound was now ear piercingly loud and they could do nothing to stop it.
Just then a voice broke through the piercing sound. It spoke in a brassy raspy voice, as if it hadn’t been used for many years.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Do not be afraid.”
It said. Though the voice was calm, its booming intensity instantly made the pair pause and look up in abject horror at what they saw. What was staring back at them could not be described so easily. It looked down on them with its many eyes and spoke with its many mouths.
“Do not be afraid I said. I am not here to hurt you.”
But the rings of fire that surrounded its form spoke a different story. The form was moving, ever changing the more it was observed; as if it had no literal form on its own. Its body would shift with spikes and rings and mouths and hands. Great wings would drip and morph through all stages of life and all varieties of winged creatures. The fire would quell and grow and rotate and shift of its own desire. And the eyes, oh the eyes. They’d close and open always in different places, but always with the same unsettling stare directed at the pair.
“Who are you?”
Dinn asked finding his voice again.
“Who I am is not important. Who you are is much more meaningful.”
It said. Dinn looked over at Creed hoping to catch his eyes, but Dinn only saw terror etched across his face. His knees were bent, making him almost as short as Dinn, his hands hovered over his ears with his fingers pressed tightly into claws scratching his skin. His eyes had not left the being since it appeared, his pupils dilated drastically.
“Creed. Creed!”
Dinn tried to call to him, but it was obvious his mind was anywhere but here at the moment. With a deep breath Dinn shot out his hands grabbing Creed by the shoulders.
“Creed look at me!”
Creed noticeably jumped in place and Dinn could feel him trembling. But luckily it seemed like he could breathe again despite himself. His breaths came out shaky, but it was more than nothing.
“You are Creed. And you are Dinn.”
The being spoke, gripping both men’s attention, before Dinn could say anything that might calm Creed’s nerves.
“What’s it to you?”
Dinn spat back.
“We need your help.”
Now Dinn and Creed looked at each other, their questioning gazes mirrored in each other. There were so many questions. Who is “we?” Why them? Why had they taken them from their world? What could they do to help this creature?
But Creed could only ask one question.
“Why?”
He stammered.
“There has been a mistake. A critical mistake that could shape the future of the worlds. This one, and all of its altered forms.”
Creed and Dinn had been silenced by the beings booming voice. They didn’t understand what it was saying, but they knew they needed to heed its words if they wanted to survive.
“Your counterparts’ souls have been mixed up. A green one has ended up with a red, a blue with a yellow, a purple with a white, and so on. You are one of the only pairs that have ended up in your correct spots—”
“What are you saying?”
Creed interrupted.
“Creed just listen!”
Dinn shot back in fear of angering the being.
“No! I don’t understand! Altered worlds? Counterparts? Souls—What does any of this have to do with us?”
He was sputtering again. The being’s words were indeed causing him to panic, but Dinn didn’t know how to calm him. He too was so utterly confused and terrified at the thought of not knowing. But the beings voice didn’t waver.
“You are Creed. And you are Dinn. The correct ones in your world. The correct ones for each other.”
It said shifting its many eyes between the pair.
“Think of it as if you’re sorting marbles. You are both cat’s eyes, therefore you are in your correct spot in your box together. But in the next box there is a cat’s eye and an onionskin. And in the next box there is a pearl and a mica. And in a box a few rows down, there is a swirly and a tiger. None of those go together, and yet they were put in the same boxes for safe keeping. Isn’t that awful? To have so many mismatched marbles.”
Dinn still didn’t really understand what the being was going on about, but he hazards a guess that its mistake had something to with souls in odd places. Maybe?
“So, what do you want us to do about your…marbles?”
He asked incredulous.
“Well, they must be sorted.”
“Why don’t you sort them?”
He shot back. The being paused for just a moment.
“Imagine, if you will, that I am newly blind.”
The being emphasized this by closing all of its many eyes, finally adverting its gaze from the pair.
“Maybe then you’d understand that a swirly can certainly feel like another swirly, but it can also feel like a cat’s eye. In fact, perhaps all the marbles feel exactly the same according to my hands. I would need much more time to figure out which is which. Time, we do not have due to this anomalous circumstance. But, if two sighted people were able to help me sort my collection…”
“If you’re newly blind, then how do you know we’re both cat’s eyes?”
The being’s eyes flung open at Creed’s question. It hadn’t been anticipating such a statement. It faltered for just a moment.
“Isn’t it obvious? You two were my favorite part of the collection. My rarest two cat’s eyes! So, I brought you with me wherever I went. That is how I knew your touch.”
Creed shrunk back, suddenly faced with the being’s eagerness had made him uneasy again.
“But, as for the others I can’t be sure.”
“I’m going to ask this again once.”
Dinn stressed, his own panic forming into anger.
“What. Do. You. Want. Us. To. Do?”
The being stared back at the ignorant man. Realizing that his blatant emotions in protecting his Creed were overcoming his fear of the figure. It had doubted itself before, but now there was no question. These two were indeed cat’s eyes.
“I have created a home for you and your altered forms wayward souls. Here, in the heart of Infinity. It is the place you see around you. This glorious white canvas that can be perfected to your liking, whatever that may be. I have opened up portals to The Infinity from each altered world and sent invitations to every Creed and Dinn I could find. If they heed my warnings, they too will be arriving here shortly in order to quell this anomaly. Your job, as Guardians of this piece of The Infinity, is to help each Creed find their true Dinn, and help each Dinn find their true Creed. That is why I have brought you here first.”
That was their job? To play fucking matchmaker for a bunch of beings they had no idea existed until now?! Just because they may share their same names does not mean they’ll ever be able to recognize who goes with who.
“And if we refuse?”
Creed spoke up, his breaths evening out and his voice shaking a lot less. The being paused.
“I have left you both a portal back to your original world. Seeing as how you are not a part of the anomaly; it would make sense that you could return home at any time. However, just know that if this anomaly continues to plague the many worlds, then it will come to affect you as well. The glitch in our system will result in the worlds working to tear themselves apart and attempt to fit neatly back together like a puzzle. Even for a perfect world like your own. The universe crumbling and morphing into small bite size pieces will surely tear apart humanity and everything that comes with it. To us this is no big deal. For when the worlds do piece back together life can start anew from the very beginning. But, for you, death will be slow and painful. That is, if you refuse. The choice is yours.”
And with that ominous foretelling the being slowly melted away into the world around them, becoming nothing more than a streak of light that shone from the white sky. Creed and Dinn could only stare in stunned silence at the place it once was. With a large metallic sound, a singular hole opened up behind them. A swirling blue vortex stood moving rhythmically, as if calling to the two stunned men. This must be their portal home. Or maybe it was the portal that the altered forms were supposed to enter from? Or perhaps both?
Creed didn’t have much time to ponder. With a sudden wave of dizziness coming over him he fell to the ground, slipping through Dinn’s numb hands.
--------------
Dinn didn’t know how long it had been since Creed had fainted. There was no way to tell the passing of time here in The Infinity. At the moment, in spite of everything that happened, Dinn’s mind was completely blank. As he stared at the swirling blue vortex before him, he couldn’t stop and think about what they had gotten themselves into. He thought for sure his mind would be racing about all the possibilities for their situation, but he could only sit and listen to Creed’s soft breaths as he waited for him to awaken. His body and mind were numb without Creed’s guidance in this moment. Even if Creed was more freaked out than him, it was his questioning that allowed Dinn to come up with answers. Some may say this would be a weird way for the two’s relationship to blossom, but it’s how it’s always been.
Dinn had found Creed intriguing from the moment he saw him. He was odd compared to everyone else. The way he spoke, moved, and even his powers were unlike anything he had seen before. But it wasn’t until the two began to buttheads that Dinn felt a growing chemistry between them. To everyone else the two looked like they were always arguing, but Dinn and Creed knew this was just how they got work done. Creed would be the only one brave enough to question Dinn’s motives, his plans, and his arrogance. In turn Dinn had become quick witted and found that the answers to Creed’s questions became faster and more precise, to the point that the holes in his strategies were few and far between. It had become obvious after a while that Creed was his superior. He had known all of the answers before he even asked, but he needed to get Dinn to realize those answers for himself. If Creed had come in with answers to questions no one asked either he would’ve looked like a fool, or he would’ve taken Dinn’s spot as a strategist. Something Creed stated many times over, that he did not want.
Ever since those old days Dinn found that Creed was the only one he was able to bounce ideas from and hold conversations with. Every other person he had tried to seduce or friend he had tried to make fell short of comparing to his former partner. In this moment, with Creed passed out cold, lying on Dinn’s lap, Dinn’s mind couldn’t come up with anything. He was lost. All he could think about was time.
Whether he was trying to count that passing seconds into minutes. Or lamenting the fact that he had no clue if he should be falling asleep or getting ready for work. He staked a lot of his life on time in the past few years, and not knowing was driving him mad.
Please, please, I just need the time.
Suddenly a sound like a balloon popping sprung up right next to his arm. And a small alarm clock fell to the ground by his side. Dinn looked at the clock, not fully aware of what had just happened. He reached for it cautiously. The clock was the same shade of white as the rest of the room, but it was the only 3-dimensional object he had seen in quite a while. Turning it over he looked at its face as it slowly ticked away. 1:24pm it read. Dinn could barely believe his eyes. Was this real? Or just some figment of his imagination? Was it really 1:24pm, or was The Infinity just playing tricks with his mind?
Had he willed this thing into existence?
No, surely not. That just sounded completely absurd.
And yet, here it was. The very thing he desired sitting in the palm of his hand, ticking away as if it couldn’t know that it didn’t exist just mere moments ago. Sure, it was oddly blank for a 3D object, but it did the job alright. It told Dinn what he wanted to know, and he supposed that’s all he needed, right?
Feeling a sudden weight shift on his lap he looked down to see Creed stirring for the first time since he passed out. Dinn’s mind suddenly started racing. Creed need comfort, he was probably freezing, he needed water just as much as Dinn. If Creed woke up now with nothing to comfort him, he wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind to discuss what they needed to talk about. And above all else, Dinn just needed Creed to be alright.
Creed’s eyes opened and he was none too pleased to be met with the same blinding white landscape that he wished to escape from. It all came back to him dreadfully slowly. Being pulled through a wormhole, ending up in the middle of nowhere, meeting that being with many eyes, and being given a task of protecting the worlds from falling to pieces. His head was throbbing like mad as the memories rushed back to him, he had just woken back up and he already couldn’t stand being here.
“Creed? You alright?”
Dinn said, looking down as the man tried desperately to dissipate the fog in his head.
“Yeah.”
Creed croaked; his throat as dry as can be.
“Just a little dizzy.”
Sitting up he noticed a piece of white cloth slowly fall from his body onto the seat beneath him. At first, he thought it was simply his large white jacket he always wore that Dinn had decided to lay on top of him in an effort to keep him warm. But looking down at himself Creed realized his jacket still hung from his elbows as it always did, sloppily cascading over the side of the…couch…he currently sat on. He picked up the white cloth, feeling its fuzzy warmth he realized it was just a large blanket. Turning around to face Dinn he was greeted with a cup of water that was offered towards him.
“You’re probably thirsty. Just drink, we’ll talk in a second.”
Creed’s mind was racing with hundreds of questions, but he couldn’t deny that his throat was painfully dry. So, despite his better judgement he took the offered cup and downed its contents rapidly. Struggling to catch his breath after finishing the glass, Creed set it gingerly on the floor and turned back to Dinn.
“Where did you get all this?”
He asked incredulously. There was no denying they were still in the blank world, so how was it that Dinn just showed up with all these comforts at a moment’s notice? Was it possible that Creed had been asleep a lot longer than he originally thought? Dinn sighed.
“This is going to sound crazy, but it just kind of appeared when I needed it.”
He shrugged, trying his best to seem non-threatening. Creed was still obviously on edge and the last thing Dinn needed was for him to faint again. Creed challenged Dinn with a quizzical look. It wasn’t necessarily that he didn’t believe him, but that he didn’t understand how it was possible. He felt wary of Dinn’s newfound ability and thusly felt wary of Dinn as a whole.
Dinn noticed Creed’s questioning glare, the look he had become so accustomed to. A look that meant tell me more, teach me your ways, prove it to me. The one way Creed challenged Dinn that always made him mad with a desire to please him. Dinn racked his brain for something that could possible explain what was going on in The Infinity.
“Umm, let’s see…”
Dinn took a quick look around him, only spotting the clock and the cup he had somehow conjured up just before Creed awoke. Reaching down he quickly snatched the cup from its place and presented it back to Creed.
“You probably need more water, right?”
He said in an almost too cheerful tone to be met with Creed’s incredulous look. Creed took the empty cup cautiously, not tearing his eyes away from Dinn.
“Maybe?”
He challenged, but just then another popping sound occurred, and the cup was instantly filled to the top with fresh clean water. In a panic Creed yelped and immediately dropped the cup on the ground. It shattered into small invisible pieces that littered the ground. Creed’s stare changed, it was now a mix of horror and confusion as he looked back towards Dinn. Dinn had proved what he had done, now he just needed to explain it.
“I think…”
He paused. What was it? What could’ve possibly caused items to just appear in their hands the moment they desired them. This wasn’t something they could do in the real world, so why here? Why now?
“Oh!”
Just then Dinn was hit with a spark of insight. What was it that creature had said again?
“That thing! That being! It said that…this place could be morphed to our liking. So…maybe this is what it meant? Whatever we needed or wanted will come to us! So that…if we choose to stay, we can live comfortably!”
Dinn stammered out his answer, not truly believing everything he said, but willing to fight for it if Creed challenged him further. But, to his delight, Creed’s gaze softened, and he looked back down at the cup that laid on the ground destroyed.
“I suppose that makes sense…”
Creed said quietly. Now it was Dinn’s turn to look puzzled. Creed wasn’t usually the one to be so quiet and reserved with his thoughts. Throughout their years together Dinn knew Creed would be willing to come to him with what was bothering him. But now, he barely spoke. It could just be the situation they’re in, but Dinn just couldn’t shake the feeling that this would be a new normal for him. Did Creed no longer trust his insight, or was there something else?
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Dinn asked, but Creed looked pointedly away from him, taking a few deep breaths as he did so. It was obvious Creed had questions and Dinn so desperately wanted to have answers. All he wanted was to calm those frayed nerves the same way he used to, but again he was struck with the realization that Creed was not the man he once knew. He didn’t know how to approach him anymore, and he didn’t know if he wanted to.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
Creed spoke though his voice seemed so far and away.
“What?”
“This. This whole Infinity thing.”
Creed gestured widely turning his head, but not looking directly at Dinn. Truthfully Dinn didn’t know if he could stand to do it either. The mere thought that they’d be stuck in this world waiting for some unknown souls to show up and ask them for help. It all felt like too much.
“But we have to.”
Dinn said, mirroring Creed in looking straight ahead.
“Why?”
There it was! There was the question he could answer!
“Didn’t you hear that thing? If this goes on our worlds will break apart and everyone in it will die!”
Creed could only shake his head.
“What if we deserve to die?”
Dinn looked back at Creed and froze. What was this already defeated attitude? If they had a chance to keep on living, why wouldn’t they take it?! If they had a chance to save everything they had built, why would they abandon it?! Dinn’s mind flashed back to the war. Back when men accepted that they may never go home again. Accepted that there was a likely possibility that they’d die fighting to protect others. Not just be uncomfortable, but to die for the safety of the innocent. How was this any different?
“Maybe we do deserve to die. In fact, maybe most of the worlds deserve to die. But, what would it mean for the innocent lives taken because of our complacency? As few and far between as there may actually be.”
Dinn said softly. Creed finally looked over to him again, his expression somber, but understanding. He sighed holding his head in his hand for just a moment.
“Those were my thoughts those some odd years ago. Guess I’d forgotten them.”
Creed almost laughed at himself. The war had changed many men, but some things can certainly stay the same.
Dinn marveled at the thought that this could possibly be their new dynamic. Creed felt lost in their current predicament. He wouldn’t say it, but it wasn’t just The Infinity that made him nervous, it was also the thought of having to rely so heavily on Dinn again. But the being had said so hadn’t it? They are both cat’s eyes. They are meant to be together. This only further solidified in Dinn’s mind, he would win Creed back, no matter what.
So, this was what they would be now? Creed a shaky uncertainty, and Dinn, resolved.