Chapter Six

Silence coughed and looked up at the roof. He moved his hand up to his chest and felt his heart beat quickly. Nahla frowned at him and removed the rag from his forehead.

She had been coddling him since the moment she came off of work. She gave him more medicine that day and made sure he stayed in bed. Every once in a while she'd make Leo check up on him and Leo would end up staying longer than usual talking about random things.

Over the few hours of the night Silence felt himself gradually feeling sicker. His nose became stuffy and his throat began to hurt. By the next morning he felt completely dead. Having a cold was much worse than what he expected.

Leo opened the door. He held onto a bowl and slowly walked with it in his hands. Nahla reached to grab it, but Leo accidentally dropped it making soup spill all over the floor and some of it splashed on the bed. Nahla gasped and backed away. She looked at the floor and a very loud, long sigh left her mouth.

"Sorry!" Leo bent down and began to pick up the noodles that were on the ground.

"No, no, I've got it, just check Silence's head again." Nahla said and bent down and began to pick up the vegetables.

Leo stood up and quickly walked over to Silence. He smiled and removed the rag from his head. Silence coughed and a small sneeze left his nose. He wiped his puffy eyes and coughed again. Leo placed his hand on top of Silence's head. He moved his hand and turned to look at Nahla.

"Mama his head is hotter." He said.

Silence closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. A weathered down cough left his mouth and he felt his stomach squeeze. His throat was starting to ache with each horrible cough, and his nose was very runny. This was probably one of the worst feelings that Silence ever felt.

"Here, drink this." Nahla handed Silence a warm mug.

Silence looked down into the brown liquid. He coughed making the drink in the cup spill on his shirt. Leo reached to help him, but hesitated and looked up at Nahla who shook her head.

"He's got it. Plus, knowing you, you'll drop it." She said and placed the bowl from before on the dresser.

Silence moved the cup to his lips and began to drink it. It was sweet and left the taste of water and sugar mixed together. Silence coughed again and sniffed loudly.

"Oh Leo is right, your really warm." Nahla frowned and dumped the rag into the bucket of water that she had been using. She placed the rag back on his head and moved his hair to be behind his head.

"I don't feel warm." Silence spoke confused. His voice was deeper and sounded more croaky.

"That's not what we mean." Nahla chuckled and adjusted his blanket.

Silence drank more and looked over at Leo who's face visibly changed. He seemed almost like a mixture of shocked and embarrassed.

"Are you okay?" Silence asked.

"Yeah, anyway when I was sick my dad used to play his ukulele. I can't find it though. It's in my room somewhere…" Leo frowned "but I'm sure I can find a new one in the village!" He happily looked at Nahla "can I go mama? It'll be quick and easy, I promise." He already began to walk towards the door not even waiting for an answer.

Silence placed the mug down and watched Leo leave. He grabbed his knife and looked down at it. He hadn't used it since he saw that picture of the girl. Silence sneezed again and lied back on the pillow. He placed the knife down and closed his eyes.

Moments later he found himself falling off into his dreams. In between his dreams he continuously woke up and fell back to sleep. His head would throb whenever he woke up, and he'd look around the room waiting to see Leo with the ukulele.

He wasn't there.

Silence shuddered and opened his eyes again. He looked around the room and found it empty. Nahla was no longer in there. He wiped his eyes and sniffed.

"Where is he?" Nahla muttered outside of the room door. The sound of things being pushed around was heard "I'll check up on him later. He's fine, I just need to make sure Silence is okay." She spoke to herself and opened the room door. Her eyes landed on Silence and smiled warmly. "Your finally up." She said.

Silence nodded his head and looked up at the window. It was opened and the air was circling around the room.

"Where's Leo?"

Nahla grabbed the rag and soaked it in more water.

"I don't know. He probably got distracted, but he'll be back soon. Instead of worrying about him you should get some rest. Come on, back to bed." She lightly lied him down on the pillow.

Silence watched Nahla clean up some things and sigh tiredly. She grabbed a few dishes and left the room making sure to leave the door opened on her way out.

Something about this situation didn't feel right to Silence. He felt something was… off. He tried to push it away and closed his eyes hoping to fall deep into slumber, but that horrible gut feeling wouldn't leave his body.

Silence tried to blame it on his sickness, and he even told himself that it was just the tea, but he still couldn't shake the feeling off. The feeling that Leo wasn't just 'distracted'. Silence had noticed that Leo did get inattentive at times, but there was no way that he felt like this just because Leo saw something that he liked.

Silence eventually gave in, sighing as he stood up from the bed. He felt a rush of dizziness and imbalance run through his body. He stumbled for a bit and leaned against wall, but quickly gathered himself together and grabbed his knife. He forced it into his pocket then swung open the door.

Nahla looked at him for a moment then walked over to him and made a weird face.

"You should be laying down."

"I have to umm, use the bathroom." Silence lied and began to walk towards the bathroom door.

"Oh, okay. Just… be careful." Nahla guided him to the restroom.

Silence closed the door and looked at his face. It was duller and he had dark circles under his eyes. Silence didn't waste time staring at himself and instead turned to the window that was in the room. He pushed it open and felt a wave of nausea smack his face.

Silence turned away from the window and faced the toilet. A load of watery vomit fell into the toilet and he coughed and spit. Silence breathed loudly and coughed again. More barf exited his mouth and fell into the toilet. He spit and moved his hand up to his mouth where he wiped some of it off the corner of his lip.

Silence flushed the toilet then turned back to the window. He allowed the fresh air to caress his skin and jumped up to lean out of the window. He fell through and hit his back against the dirt.

Silence's head began to pulse and his vision became hazy. Against all odds, Silence stood and leaned against the wall of the house. He was determined to get rid of that gut feeling even if it was the last of him, though he wished it wouldn't be.

Silence walked away from the house and began to go down into the village. Less people stared at him now that he wasn't with Leo, which almost comforted him. Silence looked around the village searching for where they could possibly be selling ukulele's.

He felt his stomach twist as the smell of food entered his nose. Food wasn't exactly what he was looking for. Silence coughed and looked around.

Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe that gut feeling really was nothing. Just when he was going to give up and go back he heard the sound of some people talking which made him stop.

"Here read this." A kid spoke in a teasing voice and the sound of paper being hit against something was heard.

Something told Silence to go towards the direction of the people talking.

"Come on Ralph you know Leo can't read." Another kid taunted.

"Leo? More like bozo."

"Why so quiet bozo? Normally your talking your mouth off." Silence watched a kid shove Leo.

Was this bullying? It sounded like it… Silence decided to hide behind a wall and continue to watch from a distance. He was intrigued and wanted to see more.

Leo whispered something, but it was faint and quiet, Silence could barley hear it.

"Speak up bozo." He was shoved again.

"I'm…umm…just trying to umm… justtryingtoget pass." Leo whispered and looked down. He stuttered and swallowed hard.

"I heard bozo's trying to make friends with the new villager." The other kid said.

New villager? Could that be Silence? Of course it was him, he was the only new villager there.

"Ha! Just wait til he listens to little-mrs- talks a lot. He'll leave in no time." The first boy pushed Leo again, this time harder and making him stumble back.

"Yeah, just wait til he see's your girly nails. And once he figures out you can't even read, he'll leave you for sure."

"Your such an idiot, it's pathetic." The boy lifted his hand as if getting ready to hit Leo.

Leo winced painfully quick and jumped back. Before the boy could even land a finger on Leo, Silence walked next to Leo, giving him a glare. One that he was taught to learn ever since he was little. It was filled with nothing but the warning of death, and blood lust. Leo opened his eyes clearly waiting to get hit and looked over at Silence.

The boys face became filled with terror as he stared at the glare filled with killing and blood. Silence looked the boy up and down and then turned away making sure to force Leo to walk with him.

He didn't even have to say a word, the look was all that was needed.

Leo didn't say anything the entire time they walked back and the only thing that could be heard between the two was Silence's sick coughs. Leo was fidgeting with his hands the entire time and looking down.

Once they got back to the house Silence told Leo that he had to go through the bathroom window. He hopped through and dizzily fell over then hit his back against the wall. He groaned loudly and his vision became hazy again.

He heard the sound of a knock on the bathroom door.

"Silence you've been in the bathroom for a while are you okay?" Nahla asked.

Silence opened the door and leaned forward. He landed in Nahla's arms making her slowly back away. She grunted and helped Silence back to the guest room. Silence stumbled and fell on the bed.

"Stay in bed, I'll go make you some soup." She said and turned away.

Silence stared at the door, waiting for Leo to come in and start rambling. Just as he expected, Leo entered, but he didn't talk. Instead he sat down on the bed and swallowed hard.

"How did you do that? Your eyes, they looked deadly." He said.

Now Silence's only option was to either tell Leo that he was an assassin and that was how he learned it… or change the subject. He couldn't come up with a lie on the spot, so he went with the second option.

"Is that what bullying is?"

Leo nodded his head.

"Yeah…you didn't hear anything they said right?" Leo looked over at Silence.

"I heard a little." Silence admitted.

"What all did you hear?" Leo's voice became filled with worry.

"Just a little stuff. Uh when they said you couldn't read and that you had girly nails."

Leo frowned, but his face was also filled with a bit of relief.

"I CAN read," Leo said "it's just harder for me to."

Silence stared at him closely trying to find the deeper meaning in his face. Leo looked down at his nails.

"Do you find them girly?" He asked in a low voice.

Silence took his hand and looked down at the black color on them.

"No. I don't think they're girly." Silence assured him. He placed his hand inside of Leo's.

"Oh my god." Leo whispered in a breathy voice as he stared at his hand. He breathed heavily and his cheeks became a light shade of red. He pulled his hand away from Silence. "Sorry!" He buried his face into his hands.

Silence stared at him puzzled. Did he do something wrong? He was just assuring him… did village kids NOT like that? Each day he seemed to get more and more confused. Lauren and his mom used to do that to his hand whenever he was sad, did he do it wrong?

"I'm sorry, did I-"

"No! No, your fine! I just-"

Nahla opened the door and entered with a bowl. She looked at Leo for a little with the same bewildered face as Silence and then handed Silence the bowl.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Uh, better, I guess."

"And how about you Leo? Your face is a bit flushed. Maybe I shouldn't have made you come in here so often." She placed her hand on Leo's forehead.

"You can tell!?" Leo's hands went up his cheeks and they got darker.

After a while, Leo left the room to go to his leaving Silence alone in the room with Nahla. Although Silence had helped Leo that gut feeling was still there, warning him of something that he couldn't even think of. Perhaps it really WAS just the sickness.

Silence sneezed twice and placed the bowl down. The noodles really were good, but he was starting to feel like that was all he was eating.

"Let me guess, your sick of my soup." Nahla said as if reading his mind.

"Uh… well,"

"It's okay, I understand. I always got sick of my moms soup too, but this is supposed to ease your sick away."

"So it's gonna make me less sick?"

Nahla nodded her head. Silence closed his mouth and looked up at the roof.

"I have a weird feeling in my stomach." He admitted.

"Really? Where?" Nahla looked at him considered and placed her hand on top of his tummy.

"It doesn't hurt. It's like a really bad feeling that something's off." Silence shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh that." Nahla smiled and moved her hand. "That's called a gut feeling, it happens when you know something is wrong before it actually happens."

"How do I prevent the bad thing? What is the bad thing? Should I listen to the feeling?" Silence began to shower her with questions.

Nahla chuckled.

"Yes. You should always listen to the gut feeling. It could tell you something that you need in the future, but I don't think you can really prevent it."

"So something bad is gonna happen?"

"I don't know. It could be good, could be bad, could just be your mind playing tricks on you, but you should keep watch of the things around you. You might figure out what's causing the feeling."

Nahla smiled at Silence then turned to leave the room. For some reason Silence felt the need to say something, say anything.

"Thanks. For helping me and all that."

"No need to thank me, but your welcome."

Nahla left the room with a smile on her face and closed the door behind her. Silence watched the door close and closed his eyes. Somehow Silence fell asleep deep into his dreams about running around.

In Silence's dream, he was running in a field full of flowers and the sun was shining down on him. He was so close to looking fully happy. Fully bright just like that girl and Leo, but then time stopped. Then he was just standing there frozen and the sun became darker. Rain began to pour down from the sky, and he couldn't move. Not even if he wanted to.

Silence jolted up from the bed and his mind began to rush with loud thoughts. Not thoughts about his dream, but thoughts about his parents.

Why was he suddenly thinking about them? Why were they running through his mind so quickly? What was going on? His stomach twisted more and he looked up at the door.

The sound of Nahla screaming loudly went through the walls of the house. Silence stood up and ran towards the door. His vision began to pulse going between clear and hazy. He pulled the door opened and grabbed his knives.

There was a large vibe change outside of the door. Like there was nothing but rage and death. Villagers screamed outside and Leo screamed too.

Silence ran out and tripped over things as he entered the living room.

"Tell me where he is now." The sound of a familiar angry voice played in Silence's ears.

He froze. It was his dad.

His father looked up at him. Nahla was against a wall cornered between his father and the crack in the wall. The entire living room was a mess, and Leo was hiding behind a large dresser that was knocked over.

"Silence. Come here now." His father demanded.

Silence looked between him and Nahla. He gripped onto his knife and looked at Leo who had nothing but fear in his face.

This was the gut feeling. It had to be.

"No." Silence allowed the word to leave his mouth and dance in the air.

"No?"

"No." He repeated.

"Then your little friends here will all die. How about that? Is that a good 'no' for you?" His dad pointed the tip of his knife in Leo's direction.

Silence glanced at Leo then ran up to his dad and pushed him away from Nahla. His dad stumbled back and Silence dragged Nahla, forcing her to stand near Leo. His dad stood stunned for a moment and then furiously glared at Silence.

"Your sick. Your weak. You can come easily and mother can help you, or you can do it the hard way and have everyone around you die."

"No."

"You can barley stand properly. Come on, Silence or else I'll take you by force."

Silence knew very well that his father was stronger than him, he also knew that he was much, much weaker because he was sick, but still, he wasn't ready to go home yet. He just got out. He didn't even get to experience being happy.

Plus, he knew his dad wouldn't spare Nahla and Leo's life. He wasn't as generous as his mom, and Silence wasn't going to let them die. Not after they helped him so much.

Silence glanced back at Nahla and Leo. He bit his bottom lip as he watched Nahla shake her head as if already knowing what he was thinking.

"No."

"Is that all you can say? One measly word?! Fine! You'll go the hard way then!" Silence's dad lifted his fist and punched Silence in his gut.

Leo screamed loudly and backed away. Silence grunted but didn't fall back and instead twirled his knives in his hands. He gave his father the glare of death and ran pass him cutting his right arm and left leg.

He had grew up training against his father, he knew all of his weaknesses, but that also mean't that his dad knew his as well.

Another punch was sent through his gut making a watery cough leave his mouth. Silence cut again in the same spots making more blood gush out of his leg. His head was pounding and his stomach was in so much pain he could barley stand.

His father lifted his fist and punched Silence's chest making him stumble back and fall. The blurriness of the room took over Silence's eyes and blood came out of his mouth.

"Silence!" Leo shrieked.

"Shut up!" Silence's dad yelled making Leo jump.

Silence stood and spit more blood down on the ground. He ran towards his dad and watched him lift his heavy fist. Silence began to slice left and right, allowing the knife to play and dance in his fingers.

Ever since he was little he had a way with handling knives. That was why his parents had given them to him and made him practice with them. Silence stared deep into his fathers eyes and forced the blade into his arm.

Blood was now splattering on Silence and soaking his hands and clothes.

"You know you won't get away." His dad spoke in a low angered voice as he felt his body continue to be cut.

Silence watched Nahla and Leo slowly escape through the door and look back at him with eyes filled with worry.

"I'll be back home daddy, just wait. Why can't you wait?" Silence continued to slice left and right.

"Assassins are mean't to kill! Not make friends! Not run away!" His dad angrily yelled and pushed him.

Silence landed on his feet and felt more nausea rush over him. He watched his dad cough and touch his bleeding body.

He didn't bother to wed his goodbye's and rushed to the door. He pushed Nahla and Leo making them quickly grab onto the door.

"Go! Run! Get away!" Silence shoved them out the door.

As soon as the door opened Silence could see the villagers running, screaming, gathering their things and trying to get as far away from Silence's dad as they could. Nahla and Leo somehow got trapped in the crowd of people.

"Leo! Silence!"

"Mama!"

"Leo?!"

The two called out to each other. Silence ran into the crowd as well and began to search for them. His blurry eyes darted around everywhere and the sound of ringing noises played in his head. Silence spotted Leo's bright orange hair and ran over to him.

"Leo!" He grabbed onto Leo's arm.

Leo turned his head and looked at Silence. His face expression was still nothing but petrified.

"Mama! I've gotta find mama!" He yelled over all the chaos.

"Leo?! Silence?!"

Silence's father burst through the door making the villagers scream even louder and run faster.

"Mama!" Leo's afraid eyes darted around at the people.

"Leo baby you've gotta run!" Nahla screamed "Go the other direction okay?! Go with Silence!"

"Mama!" Leo's eyes watered.

"Go! Go now! I demand you to go!"

Silence jumped up and down as he looked at Nahla. She was very far away and her face was filled with tears. Her eyes landed on Silence and they both exchanged a look. It was as if she was handing him her son and asking him to please do whatever he could to protect him. Silence shook his head silently telling her that he understood.

Nahla turned and began to run the other direction. Silence's dad screamed furiously and began to run through the crowd searching for him.

"Leo we have to go." Silence grabbed Leo's hand and began to force him to run.

"Mama! We can't go without her! Silence please!" Leo tried to rip his hand away. He was now crying uncontrollably.

Silence yanked Leo closer to him and used all of his strength to grab Leo into his hands. His bloody, bloody hands. He began to run not even bothering to look back at Nahla or his father. He dashed fast allowing the wind to smack his face.

"Silence." Leo sobbed into Silence's hair and began to hit him, but he knew that his small punches wouldn't even leave a single dent into him.