Joey’s decision

"And what's so wrong with the bubble!" Joey spat so viciously that his saliva seemed to spray through the barrier onto Abrem's face.

Abrem wiped his face calmly with the back of his hand.

"You know more than anyone what the spirits do, it aint worth it."

"T-they keep us safe, the outside world… w-we'd die out there, the war ain't over and-" Joey struggled to form words; he knew his logic was flawed but he equally knew the dangers of the outside world. The dome was all that he knew; even a curious spirit as large as his was no match for the terror that the outside world caused… or so he thought.

"It won't keep us safe forever Joseph." Abrem placed his hands on his hips before turning his gaze up to Joey's.

"There's a reason the only way to keep them away from us is to be locked up with the spirits. Our job is to keep the spirits out of the inner dome--away from you and your family-- but we can't do that forever and it's not because of the barrier."

Joey's mind had gone numb. He would inevitably have a panic attack over this later, however, in the moment his mind went blank; his whole life he had been told that the grave kids were dirty, that the reason they didn't get the safety of the inner dome was because they didn't deserve it; never was it insinuated that they were the ones who provided that safety. How come they didn't get to be as safe as Joey and his family was? How come they only had one wall protecting them from the outside? Joey had so many questions and such little mental energy left. Abrem could see this.

"Athol, the woman who raised me, she's a mage, and you've heard of Anselmo-- I've heard your dad talk about how powerful he is; well, everything he learned came from Athol, so if anyone could hide your mark it's her. I-I'm no older than you Joe, but you need to talk to Athol if you want to understand-- you need to understand." Abrem bit his lip to keep from crying. He had hoped seeming aloof and suave would be what convinced the emotional wreck that was Joseph BarClay to do as he said, but here he was, hormonal and emotional, practically desperate for compliance from a stranger.

Joey uncrossed his arms slightly.

"This is the dumbest thing I've ever done." he sighed, his bloodshot eyes now glaring at the ground.

Abrem could barely contain his excitement; he said nothing, but his expression was one of pure joy.

Joey reached his hand out cautiously, his reddish fingertips shaking mere inches from the lavender mist.

This may be the last time he stood on this side of the barrier. It certainly was the last moments that his father would care for the real him. He shook the thoughts away with a violent whip of his head. He had wanted this since he was five, not to mention his gut was filled with the strange desire to see the outside world, that couldn't be from nowhere-- no, there must be a purpose behind these unshakable desires he felt.

"We ain't got much time." Abrem gruffed.

Joey nodded absentmindedly, his hand still hovering by the mist.

Abrem sighed. Reaching forward, he grabbed Joey's hand.

Joey squeaked on contact. Abrem's palm was warm and dry, very different from his own hands which were coated in a vicious cold sweat.

Time froze for a moment as Abrem yanked Joey across the line. His feet fell out from under him, causing Abrem to catch him in a sort of hug to keep him from knocking the both of them over.

Joey pushed himself away from Abrem's embrace; however, all he could manage to do was stumble a few feet backwards before landing on his rear, his dazed grey eyes staring off into the purple mist and at the outline of his childhood home which was distorted by the barrier.

Abrem stood still for a moment, watching his new friend in silence, the only noise being the heavy wheezing coming from the boy's open mouth. A look of concern contorted Abrem's once cheerful complexion as he watched this.

"You alright?"

Joey gave a distant nod.

"Well we ain't got much time, I suggest we get."

There were a few tedious seconds of silence before Joey undissociated enough to look straight at Abrem.

"Where is it?" his voice cracked a bit as he said this, his pale bony hands frantically darting from place to place on his body as if he would be able to feel the mark.

Abrem knelt down next to Joey, his knees now buried in the dry foliage that covered the ground.

"You can't feel it." he chuckled.

A strip of dark covered Joey's face as the branches of the sparse wood above them swayed slightly.

"Oh- well I figured it would… ya know feel like somethin." he emulated Abrem's laugh as best he could to hide his nervousness.

"As for your mark.. It's uh-" his words faltered, but he managed to trace his fingers over his own half formed adam's apple.

Joey's face fell.

"I was hoping I could see it." he grumbled.

"C'mon quit beatin' around the stump redhead."

Joey pulled himself to his feet begrudgingly.

"Very original."

Abrem snickered, "And the mark looks mighty fine so don't you worry bout it."

Joey huffed slightly, placing his hands on his hips. He began to walk ahead of Abrem into the dry, stuffy woods.

Abrem followed, marching determinedly after his new friend.

"Where the hell are you goin?"

"Wherever we supposed to go." he gruffed

Abrem snickered yet again before sticking an arm in front of Joey to block his path.

"Follow me dimwit - at least I know where I'm goin."

Joey smirked slightly at this, still in a bit of a daze. Yet, he seemed to be coming more and more into his own, Abe just hoped that he wouldn't snap with guilt or fear; Afterall, it was unheard of to cross the line like this, even if it was for a small period of time--it just simply wasn't done.

They walked like this in silence for a few minutes as Abrem led their way to the grave site.

The dead leaves crunched under their feet and the setting summer sun beat against any part of their body that made its way out from under the protection of the forest shade.

Suddenly Abrem halted in his tracks. Joey stumbled slightly, coming to an equally as sudden stop.