In this peaceful night, as the storm had already calmed down after a few hours, Billy rolled on his bed in discomfort, unable to sleep after everything that had transpired since the possession. "Ugh!" Opening his eyes with a scowl, he quickly got up and walked towards a nearby window.
The moon is shining brightly through the sky above, along with stars decorating it as though the heavens themselves blessed the land of mortals with its splendor, but they don't shine with their light upon this place, not since that day, not since that one moment.
Not only had he put his companions in a lot of trouble by being kidnapped, but he also had them rescue him, even though he never wanted that to happen. Billy always believed he could do things his own way and fix problems without anyone's help.
But now he knows the truth: he's nothing more than a burden, a leech, and a parasite sucking the life out of others while he continues to live his life of meaningless pleasure and violence. What will he be remembered for for simply acting like this and treating others badly?
He was no better than the bastards who tried to harm his mother. He probably is becoming like them since his one mean bitch who can't get over his issues says, "She's right about me; I'm no hero." His hand touched the glass window in sadness and self-loathing, beginning to consume his soul.
The words Morgan spoke of him were likely true after all; he was really a bully, nothing more than that. And yet, he still believed he was always better compared to the rest. He trusts in himself that what he always does is right, while the world is wrong in its ignorance.
He wonders if that is truly the case or if it is him who is ignorant all along in everything. "Damn it! God damn it, I fucking hate this!" His right fist struck the glass with amazing strength, resulting in visible cracks where the impact hit it. "Why the fuck am I always like this?" Frustration was building inside of him.
"Shit..." He cursed when he saw blood begin to drip from his injured knuckles. Looking closely at his fist, he growled angrily as he held the hand and moved it to the side. "I'm still like the rest," he said, ashamed of being associated with weakness itself.
Billy can get injured or killed if he isn't careful. "You're just like the rest." Telling himself the simple truth with a hint of irritation in his tone while looking down to the floor in frustration, "And this fucking pissed me off!" He was angrily shouting as he glared at his own bloodied hand.
There is a price to pay for being human; they age and die. The boy can't stand it, but at least he knows his own mortality; that doesn't make it hurt any less than it should. He hated how he's not immune from death, hurting him in the process of how this vulnerability is affecting him, "fuck being human," clenching his fist, the blood stained on his fingers.
His vision shifted toward the door, turning around and deciding to leave his bedroom to get some fresh air. "Getting some cool air might help me calm down a bit," he whispered to himself in slight annoyance of this notion as he casually approached and opened it, revealing the same hallway he is always familiar with.
Everyone is asleep, and he's here throwing tantrums. "Why am I so fragile?" Billy asks himself before walking through the hall, "I'm such a weakling." He muttered angrily from the term, making him feel like one after the truth slowly slithers its way into him.
No! He can't be weak like Seth or those who are cowards! Being strong is what makes man at the top of the world—to show people who are superior and never be messed with ever again! The thought of imagining himself as one of the weaklings only fills him with disgust and repulsion.
He is nothing like them; he will never be!
Because he is the toughest kid in the old wild west, no tooth fairy or any other spooky monster could possibly scare him in his nightmares; he is not afraid of anything or anyone. For he is the gun itself, where the damn speeding bullet is unstoppable and lethal as well.
Reaching downstairs, he can hear the crackling sound of fire within the fireplace. The flickering flame was warm and inviting after quietly walking down to the living room, giving him some peace of mind by listening to the gentle flame dance around in the hearth.
As he headed to where the fireplace was, expecting to see the unconscious Seth sleeping comfortably on the couch, Billy wouldn't have expected to see a concerned Morgan checking his friend's temperature by touching his forehead.
That's what made him stop in tracks; he couldn't move or make a noise, paralyzed by this view. The blonde kid would've done anything to leave after seeing her again, but before he had done so, she turned her attention to him with wide eyes.
"What are you doing here?" She frowned at seeing him again. "Did you come to insult me again? If so, please refrain yourself from doing it." Her sharp glare pierced his soul, forcing him to back away, even though he was slightly cautious of witches who could perform curses.
"Okay, hey," Raising his arms in surrender, "I'm not here to fight," he said in a low tone, "I just want some fresh air to calm me down," explaining the reason for his presence in her home before sighing, "You're not the only one who was worried about him," lowering them down afterwards, "I was worried sick for my friend, alright?" Billy stated this bluntly: "I just don't want to be lonely."
Her gaze softened when she glanced at his bloodied right hand and said, "Your hand..." Approaching him in a rather concerned voice, "I think you should clean it up with water," moving closer with careful steps, "that injury could be infected if it isn't treated immediately."
Billy was surprised by her sudden change in attitude. "Uh, what?" Confused by this turn of events, he noticed the magician staring at his injury and saying, "Oh yeah, that," remembering the accident he had awhile ago before scoffing, "it'll heal itself," confidently retorting to her, "Stop worrying; it's not that bad anyway."
Morgan's eyebrows raised in confusion. "I wasn't worried about you," stating the truth of her reason for mentioning the injury. "I was worried of the fact that Seth will be disappointed in me if I don't do anything about it," adding more context to the situation. "He had high expectations for me," her reason finally dawned on him.
"Oh..." a hurt look spawned on his face. "Then what is with the whole concerned thing if we are enemies in the first place?" The young boy asked curiously, causing her to pout in annoyance as she folded her arms in indignation at such an inquiry.
"It's because of the things that Guan Yu had said about you and Seth," she said, looking away in order to hide her conflicted expression, "and no matter how much I want to get rid of you, I still believe the man's words speak truth in this world of lies," speaking truthfully about the opinions of others.
Anger rose again as many thoughts of being offended by her desire to remove him almost snapped him again, but he held these passionate feelings under control, even if it was painful to try to do it. "Really? The old geezer had said something about me."Asking her bemusedly in spite of being hurt, "I'd like to hear it for myself."
She was about to lash out at the boy for being rude again, but at the same time, the woman felt not to do so, for Morgan isn't sure if Billy was trying to be disrespectful or was simply just acting normally. "He said you're quite an interesting child, to say the least," finally giving her answer to him after taking a moment of pause, "the man seemed to have great interest in your potential of being a better person than what you are today."
A half-smile formed on his face upon hearing those words: "A better person than what I am now?" Asking her in disbelief, "How in the hell can a man like him say that I am worthy of being a good person after the shit I have done to others?" He pointed out his mistakes to her, filled with regret.
Seeing him happy about hearing this response and doubtful altogether, she begins to be confused by this sudden demeanor; having never seen him this caring of someone else's opinion, let alone smiling genuinely, "Your strange child..." Curiosity was rising after seeing him act like a decent human being once.
Billy rubbed the back of his head, letting out a nervous laugh, "Thanks, I guess," then his eyes glanced downward on his own feet, "hearing something positive coming from the old man's does give me a strange feeling of wanting to make amends in living up to Seth and Guan Yu's expectations," continuing his thoughts before realizing he was talking to her in the first place, "I mean—!" Trying to apologize for this revelation only led to failure when she heard her laughing wholeheartedly.
At first, he felt offended by being embarrassed like this and was about to angrily talk back at her, but this time, Billy chose to wait patiently and listen to what she was trying to accomplish: "Are you making fun of me?" Narrowing his eyes in suspicion of this behavior.
Putting her own hand over her mouth, Morgan laughed one more time before nodding. "It's just that I hadn't seen you speak with such honesty before," she wiped a tear off her eye. "This is the first time that I saw you act differently than being the bully you are," she said, smiling genuinely at the boy who averted his eyes. "They really believed you have the potential to become a better person than what you are at this moment."
Those words resonated within him: "You think so?" He responded in blush, expressing a hopeful look towards the magician, "After everything I had said to you?" I was reminding her of the awful words he spoke during their times of arguing among each other.
Of course, she hadn't forgotten about that, but now having gotten a little understanding of this rebellious blond teen's personality and reasons, Morgan starts to see a glimmer of hope between them. "What you have done to him is unforgettable awful," causing Billy to flinch in shame. "I don't know how Seth managed to tolerate such treatment from you, but..."
Pausing for a second before continuing what she had said, she took a deep breath before letting it out. "I do believe that he is quite forgiving," she said, closing her eyes. She then opened them afterwards, "and if he truly trusts you and forgives you, then I will do the same," finishing her point across.
"Huh? Really? You will?" Surprised by this declaration, "Are you messing with me or is this for real?" Still uncertain of her sincerity due to her initial words, "You can't expect people to forgive others that easily?" Having spent so much time being an outlaw, forgiveness is nearly nonexistent in his experiences.
This statement caused the witch to frown at his cynicism: "Have you ever asked for forgiveness before?" She asked in an inquiring tone, "Forgiveness is never an easy thing to do, especially from the person that you had hurt deeply, but after learning what Guan Yu had told me, it is courageous and selfless for someone to accept an apology in their life."
The boy didn't like to think about it, but she was right: "So...were you trying to forgive me?" Billy decided to confirm this information with her, feeling terrible after their conversation. "I can't believe what I did to both of you, and for what?" Tilting his head to the side, he looked away in embarrassment. "A bunch of childish stuff, right?"
Morgan let out a giggle at his awkwardness. "We will never know unless we find out." Gently placing her hand on his shoulder, which startled him briefly before realizing what she was doing, she said, "I suggest we start by you admitting your mistakes," gently suggesting to him that he do the right thing.
Apologizing is for the weak; that is what he has always learned since he became an outlaw. Strength is everything for him, but... wouldn't it hurt to try being humble for once? Billy knew this wasn't like him, but maybe he should follow through on her advice and give it a chance. Slowly, Billy nodded as he closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry for everything."
