Lighten Up

The loud bang of a gunshot echoed through the quiet field. Its shrill sound rang in the two men’s heads as they watched the body fall into a limp heap. Abel put his revolver back in its holster, standing away from the body with an indifferent expression. Not every cleansing could be well thought out. At the end of the day, he was working for the sake of the moon. His job was done here.

However, like a vulture, Mike descended onto the body. With skillful hands, he dug through the dead man’s clothing to search for anything worth value. Watches, money, and jewelry. It wasn’t like the body needed these things anymore. Maybe the dead man could complain about his lost valuables in the afterlife, but he could enjoy these treasures and live to tell the tale. His job had only begun. 

Though, he could feel Abel’s silent judgement piercing the back of his skull. Abel watched his every move; every move of his hand, every object he pocketed. It was like Abel could see the gears turning in his head. He gulped at the thought. Yet, his heart beat with excitement all the same.

Mike turned to face Abel, shining a bright smile as he held up a gold chain. “You definitely found a rich one to cull, huh? With a little fixing up, this could go for a few thousands.” He just had to clean off the blood.

However, Abel didn’t respond. The man may be blind, but he didn’t need eyes to see how Mike was blatantly trying to egg him on for a conversation. He could imagine the sly smile on the thief’s face. This was supposed to be an easy disposal. He didn’t sign up to be a witness to Mike’s plundering. Still, he kept that small, calm smile on his face.

That was, perhaps, the most unnerving part of Abel. Even if he killed a man minutes prior, Mike felt the hairs on his neck stand on edge every time he tried to figure out Abel’s mind. The man had his arms crossed in complete silence. For anyone else, they would take that lack of response as a sign to stay quiet. And yet, Mike never thought to shut up. In fact, he took the opportunity to talk and talk and talk…

“This one is way better than the man you killed last week. His rags barely got me five dollars.” Mike clicked his tongue in distaste. “I’m not a charity case here. The money I spent to clean his stuff cost more than what I got.”

Abel hummed quietly in response. Mike barely caught the sound within the howl of the night wind, but it still echoed in his ears. He beamed.

“But you really showed him– and this guy too!” Mike pats the dead man’s cheek, chuckling under his breath. “You barely let him get a word out before you got him. I bet all their pleading kinda mixes for you. I noticed they started to repeat the same dialogue now since I started to help you.”

Helping? Abel would hardly call what Mike does helping. If he were generous, he would call this a mutualistic relationship; he gets to cleanse the unworthy souls and Mike gets to loot their dead bodies for money. Calling Mike a parasite might be the better descriptor. At this point, Abel simply lets Mike do what he must in order to live his odd life worshipping the Earth. Didn’t mean he’ll bear all this nonsense, though.

After a while, Abel found himself drowning out Mike’s ramblings with his thoughts. Mike talked about the pleading of Abel’s victims sounding the same not knowing that he ends up having the same effect. Many worshippers of the Earth ended up circling about the same things. What was going to help them stay afloat this time? Who’s neck did they need to stomp on to achieve that? Mike was just using him, just like all the other poor souls the leech clung to before. However, unlike the others, Abel won’t let himself be discarded once he proves “useless” to the Earth worshipper. He knew when to put his foot down. And right now? He wanted to go home and rid himself of this annoying chatter.

“Mike.” 

Abel’s firm voice made Mike shut his mouth in an instant. Still, he smiled innocently. “Yes?”

The smile on Abel’s face didn’t convey the same innocence Mike had. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stepped closer to Mike and leaned toward him. His glasses shined under the moonlight. Mike could see himself instinctively backing away from Abel in its reflection. It’s times like this when Mike realised that the moon was the only witness when he accompanied Abel during these jobs.

The faltering confidence. Every twitch of that confident smile, the shift of the grass as Mike moved away, his shaking breath. Abel loved being able to paint this picture in his head.

“It’s getting quite late. I think it’s time to retire for the night, wouldn’t you agree?” Abel tilted his head slightly. His smile widened slowly, an uncanny sight.

Mike nodded. “Yeah– yeah, that’s fine by me! But, uh–” he glanced at the body. He hadn’t even taken that pricy-looking coat, but that wasn’t on his mind now, “what do we do with this guy…?”

Abel hummed in amusement. “Nothing, of course.” He straightened up and already was beginning to walk away. “We let the Earth reclaim his damned soul. Let the vultures peck away at his body. After all,” he turned his head back in Mike’s direction, “every parasite needs its meal, isn’t that right?”

Dumbfounded, Mike watched Abel continue walking away for a few seconds. He sputtered, before scrambling to his feet and hurrying to catch up to the cultist. Words were on the tip of his tongue, but he felt unable to utter a single word now. He could only look helplessly between Abel, and then back at the body. A chill went down his spine.

Sometimes he wondered if it would be his corpse laying before Abel one day.