His heart, his life

"Maybe you want to go to my house? Or right here?" a man's voice asked and the next second, someone pinned him against the wall and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Shame on you! You're not human! And yet we respected you!"

"How ashamed your parents must be!"

"Stop!" Adelard shouted, trying to chase away the man behind him. But he proved to be much stronger. Pressing his face against the wall, this strong man breathed heavily into his ear while his teeth sought their way into his heart through his skin. The bites brought with them silence. For everyone was watching in anticipation. Even those with children and wives. And even the wives who were with children. They were all playing the roles of saints, but they were unable to close their eyes from what they were seeing.

"No. Stop!" Adelard shouted, unable to make the slightest movement.

"I've dreamed of this forever. You're so beautiful, perfect. And you smell good," the man whispered as his thankfully clumsy hands continued to roam over Adelard's jacket. Trying to turn to face him, Adelard managed to find the strength to do so. When their gazes met, there was a strange gleam in this man's eyes. "Beautiful," he whispered.

"Stop. Please," Adelard said and when he felt his hand where all sin and desire lived, he slapped the man in the face with force and he even fell to the ground. The people continued to stare at him, waiting. Their eyes widened. Their hearts were beating too fast. They couldn't think about anything else.

"You should be ashamed of that," Adelard said, looking at them all, and when his gaze stopped on Jean who was standing far away, he repeated, "You should be ashamed of that."

Jean stood and watched the whole thing from the beginning. Even then, when that man was hurting him, he stood silently and just watched. His gaze was cold, his face no longer the one where Adelard had always seen noble emotion. He had become like everyone else. Though, he had always been like everyone else.

Jean, forever, was the one who ruined friendship, respect, and trust.

Looking at him, Adelard wanted to say something else, but when he felt the sharp pain and saw the drops of blood on the ground, he collapsed.

"Men like you don't belong here! You walk near our children! Near our husbands! You want us to stop believing. You want us to become like you and go along with your desire. But no, you can't do that," the man said, and blows followed those words. The men, and the women and children, began to attack him. Many hands tried to hurt him while he was on the hard ground, with the taste of blood in his mouth. His gaze was still fixed on Jean, who stood far away, not daring to take even a step forward to help. He looked at him even when they turned him on his back and began to beat him with sticks. His best friend threw one last look in his direction and, without doing anything, simply turned back and walked away. His tall figure moved slowly along the tall trees until he disappeared into the bright sunlight. Sticks were followed by stones. People started throwing stones. There was nothing Adelard could do but just close his eyes and think about what his best friend was really like. But somehow, the pain that was all over his body opened his eyes to the truth. Never before had he been able to see so clearly. Realizing that he had been living in a "good" world all this time, refusing to see reality, he smiled to himself. The smile turned into laugh. And the laugh turned into cramps of terrible pain.

"A man like you should not walk among our children! You have deceived us all!"

Among all these men and women, Adelard could see those whom he had helped more than once. He saw acquaintances whom he considered his friends. He saw everyone. The moment the big stone was lifted up and then thrown down, right on top of him, Adelard felt no more pain. Something in him had changed and he no longer felt anything. And he saw this new feeling as death.

"Stop his torment. Someone like him shouldn't live in this world anyway," someone said, and as everyone began to shout, Adelard heard a familiar voice.

Nicholas, shooting the pistol into the sky, shouted loudly, "Stop! Or I'll kill you!"

Aiming his gun at the crowd, Nicholas was able to stop them. "You're nothing compared to him. You'll regret what you did," he said. The anger made him look twenty years younger. Those lively eyes could speak volumes than the shot that left behind the foul smell. Running up to Adelard, he lifted his head. Blood was everywhere. The weakness and humiliation hurt more than the wounds.

"It's people like you who spoil our society. You're like cockroaches and need to be gotten rid of," the man said and wanted to attack again. But Nicholas pulled the trigger and it was too late to do anything about it. The bullet, finding cover in the soft tissues of the man's leg, made him scream in pain and make a heartbreaking sound. The screams, the cries of children filled the entire street. And then silence.

"If you hurt him again, I will do everything to stop you," Nicholas said, helping Adelard to his feet. Fortunately, the wounds were only on the surface. Inside, however, he still felt a rush of strength that helped him reach the carriage. The gendarmes' voices were the last straw for Nicholas to completely lose himself and his control. Holding the pistol directly in front of him, he was ready for anything. And not even the gendarmes could stop him. Before people could panic again and fight with each other, Nicholas ran up to Adelard and putting some bills in his pocket, said, "You have to leave. Adelard, you can't be here. Leave and live your life. Promise me that you will live and you will be happy."

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"They won't leave me alone. I don't want to go to jail. I don't have time for that yet. I've got some things to do. And if I'm lucky, we'll meet again. Armand's here. So you can go right now. It doesn't matter where. Maybe Paris. But as long as you don't stay here. Do you hear me?! Adelard!"

"Yes. But Nicholas!"

Pushing him away, Nicholas smiled and said, "Monsieur Adelard Mars, it has been an honor to serve and be near you."

"Nicholas!" But it was too late. The one sincere man in his life had left him. Alone and with a small child who began to cry loudly.