The whisper of a lullaby still lingered on her frozen breath, rolling and curling and drifting. Her golden hair had been dusted with flakes of snow, with her freckled nose and cheeks tinged red. Her small, elfish ears listened to the music of the snowy night, so silent yet so stunning…
The next lines of the song did not come; the words died at her lips, paralyzed and cold. She could do nothing but take in dry, rattling breaths and watch white clouds erupt from her lips. Jamie willingly drank in the cold air, as sitting through the chilly night had’t smothered the warmth inside of her.
The winds whipped her harshly, tossing Jamie’s hair in different directions, and disturbing the stillness of the night. Despite the harshness winter brought, Jaime couldn’t help but find solace in it… She found the cold somewhat comforting; it warmed her. It didn’t bother her, sitting this long in the snow, but she was lying in wait.
Where is he?
Jamie threw her head back and shut her hazel eyes, absorbing and welcoming the embedded pain of the stinging air. She would wait willingly, hours into the tedious night if it meant seeing Neil.
Neil…
The very thought of him brought a tender tranquility and a small smile, though it sliced warmly through Jamie’s patience. She hadn’t seen him in five years. For every second, every snowflake, every breath, Jamie’s anticipation grew, hungry for the one thing the darkness of the night would reveal to her.
The only question was, ‘when?’
When exactly were the shadows planning to unmask her best, if not only, friend? Would they have evaporated by then? Perhaps the flaky night would have melted upon Neil’s arrival, the icy moon replaced by the sun.
The question hung heavily in the air, burdening Jamie’s thoughts.
“Looking for someone?” A sly voice called from somewhere beyond the trees.
Jamie jumped, startled by the broken silence. Just as Jamie was about to exclaim“Neil!”, she realized this voice did not belong to her friend. It was deep, sonorous, lacking the playful tone that always seemed to chime in Neil’s voice.
“Who are you?” Jamie spoke, cautious. She swiftly scanned the dense, cradling forest and stopped when she spotted the silhouette of a man- no, a boy- much taller than Neil.
“Come on, imbecile. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me.”
Jaime couldn’t help but gasp as the boy stepped from the veiling shadows. The moon’s dull glow highlighted numerous scars that had been plastered unevenly across his forehead, leaving a white trail over what should have been smooth almond skin. Despite the shocking nature of it all, Jamie couldn’t help but find a sort of… charm embedded within it. His hair was wild and unruly, longer than Neil’s had been, his nose seemed a little crooked, as if it had been broken at one point, and his jawline had become sharper; if it hadn’t been for his eyes, Jamie would have never recognized him.
Neil had changed so much.
“Neil! I- I can’t believe it’s you! But, wow, you look terrible…” by instinct, a gentle hand stretched out, until Jamie remembered he had no tolerance for affection. Miraculously, Neil drew closer and wrapped Jamie in a sweet hug, surprising her.
“I could say the same for you- How red can your face get?” Neil grinned that crooked smile of his; it was all so familiar.
Blushing furiously, Jamie spat, “It’s the cold, Neil. You know that. You’ve kept me waiting-”
“Hey, relax… you look different, too… but I still recognized you.” Neil pointed as he removed his satchel. “I’m guessing I scared you?”
Jamie offered a small shrug as she observed what had become of her friend… It wasn’t exactly frightening, but rather… different. She couldn’t help but miss the cheery, comforting face that had once belonged to Neil.
“It’s just that you’ve changed so much…” Jamie admitted. “I could hardly believe it was you.”
“Well, I’m still me. I guess time in Hell will change a guy… Theft comes with a price, you know.” Neil argued, pointing to his scars.
Jamie blinked, taken aback.
“You did what? You went where?”
Neil did not respond; instead, he fished for something in his satchel. He drew out a heavy leather bound book with a rough cover. In dark emerald ink, ‘Dispute’ was etched deeply into the leather.
His lips fell straight and his expression grew grim as he spoke.
“I went to Hell to steal this.”
Jamie’s eyes narrowed at the book; it looked so simple… too simple for it to have brought Neil to Hell and back. But it wasn’t that that bothered her.
“You’re kidding.” Jamie said flatly. “What do you need with it?”
As if rattled from a trance, Neil pulled his gaze from the cover with the slight shake of his head. Hesitant, he stashed the book and bit his lip.
“I’ll explain later… It’s complicated. For now, let’s get somewhere safe.” A blizzard stormed in Neil’s eyes, scattering a mix of emotions and thoughts. He signaled for them to start heading towards the nearest town, but Jamie stayed planted to the ground. The words tumbled forward.
“Neil…” Jamie started, unsteady. “Why would you steal from the Devil?”
He looked up, but his face revealed no answer, offering no acknowledgement of her question. When he did not respond, Jamie took a step forward. “Neil, why did you go to Hell?” It was all she could do to keep an avalanche of questions from crushing her friend.
“Jamie, we aren’t safe here. Not with me being near you, not here. I’m a criminal now. I’m wanted by the Devil.”
The words struck her hard, but not hard enough. It did nothing but instigate her. So now, this book was more important than their safety? Why not burn it? Why not return it?
Why did he have to go and risk his life in the first place?
Jamie couldn’t help her anger, bubbling inside her annoyingly. She lunged forward and grabbed the satchel, keeping it from Neil’s reach.
Her breathing was unsteady, heavy and thick with rage and realization.
“So this is the reason I haven’t seen you in so long, isn’t it?! This is the thing that could lead us both to our doom? You half-wit I thought you said you’ve quit stealing!” She exclaimed, rage playing at her. Like a puppeteer, Jamie allowed her anger to pull at her strings. A single glance of the leather-bound book washed a fresh wave of unexplained rage over her.
“Jamie, give it back.” Neil urged with a set expression, though fear sparked in his eyes. His stupid eyes… they always gave him away.
“You’d promised! For me you’d promised!” A scowl strained her face as she felt the satchel shiver beneath her merciless grip. “And then you left…” At this, Jamie’s voice wavered and fell onto the cold, unwelcoming snow.
“I swear, Jamie… This was the last time… You don’t understand! I’ll explain everything, I swear.” When Jamie refused to show any resentment from her stubbornness, Neil’s patience wore thin. “Jamie, give it back.” he repeated, his strict tone brimming.
Jamie ignored him, but spat, “Don’t play these games again, Neil! We both know you stole this book because of your greed.”
The sting of words can be as harsh as the cold, at times…
Having nothing to say to this, Neil threw himself at Jamie, eager for his satchel. The two had staggered into fights and arguments numerous times when they were younger… but never had it been fueled by such anger.
Jamie ran, hugging the satchel hard as the shoulder flap flew behind her. She wasn’t thinking; it had all happened in a blur of thoughts and emotions. She dodged trees and jumped over logs. Neil’s heavy breath and trailing footsteps grew fainter as Jamie accelerated.
“Jamie! Stop! Jamie! Stop!”
She didn’t stop despite her tired self or Neil’s echoing pleas. The steady thumping of the satchel on her chest and steady flow of tears kept her from halting; they powered the very spark inside of her that kept her from looking back.
I hate you, Neil. It rung inside her head and stung her heart. Of course, she did not mean it; The words were dry and hollow… they were merely a reflection of how she’d felt at the time. I hate you, Neil.
The dull trees and the somber sky seemingly mushed together as Jamie felt herself fall.
I hate you, Neil…
She stumbled before her head hit the ground, with the satchel flying from her limp grip, landing several feet away in the pale, subdued snow. It boasted the book with little instigation, allowing the catalyst to bathe in silver sunlight and a wet, shivering white. The thick leather presented the royal emerald title, such a deep, rich, word, ‘Dispute’. It shone innocently, partially buried in the snow.
Neil stumbled over a log, dropping to his knees in front of Jamie as panicked tears sprung to his eyes. He gently lifted her head, brushing snow from her blushed, numbed cheek. Her hair spilled over his lap in gold pools, displaying the only color that hadn’t seemed lifeless from her. A dark gash was visible across her forehead, where the jagged rock must have struck her. Blood began to pool in his shaking hands.
The snowflakes stopped falling.
“Jamie?! Jamie? Wake up!” Neil’s voice wavered with a panicked, unfamiliar fear. “Jamie, please don’t be-”
Neil’s voice caught in his throat before he could finish. He could still see the faint, white puffs of breath escape her mouth. Suppressing sobs, he carried her into town. It wasn’t until later that night he ventured back into those woods to recollect the forgotten book.
The book had been basking in the snow for approximately 3 hours, from the moment Jamie dropped it to the moment Neil picked it up. Within that time frame, it would have been fitting if the Devil himself had come to retrieve his book, his creation, Dispute. However, he is a player, and a smart one at that… or rather, a torturous one.
He waited patiently. He would have his book, all in due time. But for now, his decision was made. He would let the book toy with the friends, let it rip them apart, start discord and chaos, summon tears and pain.
He would let such a simple thing ruin such a beautiful friendship.