They sat together. The silence was heavy. Arthur sliced a piece of chicken. He held it out to Jean. "Eat, babe."

  The clatter of silverware stopped instantly. His mother’s glass halted halfway to her mouth. For a long second, the only sound in the room was the hum of the refrigerator.

  Jean kept her lips pressed tight, her eyes darting to the floor.

  "Eat. Babe." Arthur stared at her. His eyes glared, his iris cracked.

  jean opened her mouth and ate.

  He waited until she finished. "Come," he said, standing up. "I will show you the toilet." He walked her to the bathroom. She washed her hands.

  She looked up at her reflection, she saw a 17-year-old girl blonde hair, Eyes like emeralds that glowed in the dim light.

  “Are you going to keep staring at your reflection?”

  She flinched, “No I am finished master.”

  She got out of the toilet and he went in.

  He washed his hands, washing off the invisible blood of the day. He dried them. Then he grabbed her hand again. "Come with me."

  They went downstairs. Arthur sat on the couch, waiting. He knew his father would want to speak with him.

  For minutes the only sound was a clock ticking showing that time didn’t freeze. His brother’s stares were getting sharpened by the minute as a sword gets sharpened by the black smith.

  "Son," Angel said, breaking the silence. "Before you talk, I just wanted you to know me, your mother will always love you no matter what you do no matter where are you,”

  ”no matter how much darkness has taken you , and no matter how deep you are in the wrong, we will always love you, What happened?"

  Arthur bit the inside of his cheek, hard. The sharp pain did the trick. His vision blurred, and a single, hot tear traced a path through the dust on his cheek. He let his shoulders slump.

  “I have been dating her for a month.”

  “but today I didn’t see her with us outside of school.”

  “I thought maybe she went home early.”

  “and so I walked to home as usual, and I heard some noises coming from the alley.”

  “It was like a sound of a female being punched and beaten , and so I couldn’t walk not after what I heard.”

  “and I went inside of the alley, And they were... they were tearing her clothes off. They were holding her down. I... I couldn't just watch.”

  His mother gasped.

  Arthur’s eyes started to become a river.

  “and so I shouted at them punching them to the side grabbing her.” He pointed at Jean who didn’t have a drop of blood in her face.

  “she was able to run away from them… but I couldn’t they caught me.”

  “and so they dyed my hair as a….”

  Arthur started to cry.

  His mother hugged him patting his head.

  His father’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the armrest of the couch, the leather creaking under the pressure.

  When he spoke, the words came out strained, as if they were being dragged over gravel.

  “which gang did that to you Arthur.”

  He looked up. “I think it was the yellow claws.”

  “but the yellow claws are in Florida Arthur.” His father said.

  “maybe they moved to new York angel.” His mother said.

  “Maybe… but I would have known.”

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  “They wore yellow bandanas, Dad. Maybe they are copycats. Does it matter? They hurt her.”

  “She has been saying that she felt someone was following her.”

  “And she lives alone I can’t leave her to go there.”

  “And so if they knew their home why didn’t they rape her there.” His father said.

  “Angel! Is this the time for this.” His mother said.

  His father kept looking at Arthur waiting for something. But it didn’t show.

  He sighed. “you are right, maybe I am just exhausted, Arthur give me her address I will call my friends in the NYPD and they would handle the situation,"

  "she can stay with us until everything is under control.”

  Arthur nodded taking that as a signal that he is dismissed.

  Arthur walked Jean to his room. He closed the door. The tears vanished instantly.

  He walked to the wardrobe. He got some clothes out and started changing. Jean turned her head immediately, looking at the wall.

  He tilted his head. "Why are you looking away?" "Because... you are changing, Master." "Okay, Do as you like."

  He finished. He gathered saliva in his mouth and spat on the floor. The black ink bubbled and wove itself into shape. A pair of pajamas.

  "Wear them."

  She started walking towards them. She picked them up. Her hands were shaking. She started changing. Arthur didn't look away. He stared at her. She started to cry but It was on mute.

  She changed. Her clothes.

  He went and lay on the bed. "Where am I sleeping, Master?" she whispered.

  "Next to me, Or... do you have another opinion?"

  "No, Master."

  She scrambled onto the mattress. She lay down on the very edge, stiff as a board. She waited. She knew it was coming. It was the normal thing. A boy in the same bed with a girl he owns.

  She waited. And waited.

  He didn't move.

  "I am the son of a Great Man," he whispered to the ceiling. "He never forced a woman. He never had to."

  Arthur looked down at her, his eyes cold. "I will not stain his legacy with filth like you. Sleep."

  Jean stared at the ceiling, and no sound came from her mouth, But mostly... she was exhausted. And finally, she slept.

  The next day started as the sun stretched its lights on the room of Arthur showing every corner of the room killing every shadow that was there.

  He waked opening his eyes and for the first time in years he didn’t hear the sound of the shadow but the shadow was sleeping next to him.

  He smiled.

  He went to the bathroom. its door was locked.

  “Joseph are you inside?”

  “No it’s me.”

  “John, strange you don’t wake up this early.”

  John opened the door, “yeah strange things happen these days, me waking up early, you getting a girlfriend.” John chuckled.

  “Never thought I would see the lone wolf seeking love.” Peter said, leaning on the wall.

  “Can you stop being so poetic and say things normal, and can you just finish what you are doing

  John so we can use the damn bathroom.” Mark said.

  “I still got a shave my beard. “John said

  “Where is that beard.” Arthur said.

  John’s hands became fists. And mark fell on the ground from laughter.

  "Since when do you talk back? The silver hair is getting to your head." John said.

  Peter smiled.

  “Yo did the princess wake up.” Peter said nodding towards Arthur’s room.

  “no she is still sleeping.”

  “of course how can’t she, she just got saved by her knight.” John said.

  “Arthur being a knight, no way dude can’t imagine him in an armor.” Mark said.

  “No he will look fine, especially with that new style. “Peter said.

  John got out of the bathroom after he shaved his beard or the two hairs that grew on his chin.

  and as he walked away from the door, Joseph ran into the bathroom, closing the door.

  “No, come on joseph, I have been here for thirty minutes.” Peter said.

  “you are too slow Peter.”

  “I am going to beat you when you get outside.”

  “you will be late for school dumb.” Joseph said.

  Arthur sighed, “I am out.” He looked behind him towards his room he was jean opening the door.

  Stretching her arms.

  “Good morning honey you can go to my parents’ bathroom, just ask my mom and she would tell you where is it.”

  “okay mas- babe.”

  Arthur smiled, as she went down stairs.

  He looked behind him.

  And John’s eyes were wide open.

  “Damn she is fire.”

  “I won the bet.” Mark said, opening his hand.

  “Fine here take.” John said, handing Mark ten bucks.

  “What the heck?” Arthur said.

  “Mark bet john yesterday that when he sees her, he will say damn she is fire.”

  “Oh what the heck even more.”

  “yo that girl is fire how did she choose your sorry face.” John said.

  “For real, I don’t know what she found in Arthur so attractive.” Mark said

  “Maybe because he’s smart unlike both of you.”

  “You are calling us dumb.”

  Peter sighed, shaking his head, “Didn’t I say both of you are stupid.”

  Arthur sighed, walking down stairs.

  He found jean done.

  “Ready to go to school?” He whispered.

  “yes master.”

  He took her hand and he spat at his clothes changing it to the school’s clothes.

  “Mom I am going to school with jean.”

  “Okay but be careful.”

  “I will be mom.”

  He walked to school and got inside.

  And he saw bill’s father, crying to the principal about his son, that he didn’t come back home and that his phone is out of service.

  Arthur watched the man crumble. The jagged sobs were loud, ugly things, but to Arthur, they sounded like a melody. The knot of tension in his chest finally loosened.

  He took a deep, relaxing breath, savoring the air. Then, he hiked his bag higher on his shoulder and strolled past the broken man, whistling a cheerful tune.

  “So what happens now master.”

  “you are going to stay out of trouble until I finish school.”

  “That’s what is going to happen.”

  She nodded as he left her hands, and he went inside.

  After school he walked for a minute then he whistled from the alley Jean ran catching his hand to continue the act.

  Arthur didn’t look at her.

  “We are going now to my real father the Prince.”

  “I don’t want a single word coming out of your mouth, okay?”

  “Okay master.”

  Arthur knocked on the door. Sally opened it. She stared at him. "Strange new look you have there," she said, eyeing his silver hair. Then she looked past him. "Who is she?"

  "My girlfriend," Arthur said, pushing the door open and walked inside, sitting in his chair at the chess table.

  Daniel walked out of the hallway, drying his hair. "Yo, Prince," he muttered. "We said you don't get in the toilet when I shower." He looked up. He saw Arthur. ...BLINK...

  The Prince opened his eyes. He scanned Arthur. The silver hair. The girl shivering behind him.

  "What happened to your hair, kid?" He looked at Jean. "Oh," the Prince smiled. "That happened."

  “so, teens these days dye their hair when they start dating?” The Prince said.

  "Should we start?" Arthur asked.

  "Yes. Yes, of course."

  Arthur didn't move his pieces yet. He looked at Jean. She went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and brought it to him. Arthur took a sip. "Thank you, babe."

  Sam, watching from the couch, made a face. "Gross. Get a room, bro."

  Arthur set the glass down. He looked right at Sam. "Gross?" Arthur repeated. "You know what was really gross? There was a person at school... whose hand was cut off. Just... sliced off."

  He looked at Frank. "You are an investigator, right?"

  The color drained from his face. The Prince noticed Sam's face. He looked at Arthur and smiled.

  "Yeah, I am," Frank said. "I heard the story. But we couldn't find the person who did it. It was out of nowhere."

  "Really strange," Arthur said, holding Sam's gaze for one second longer. He turned back to the board. "Anyway. Should we start?"

  "You were the one talking, kid, not me," The Prince chuckled. "Let's see if your new style made you smarter."

  The game started. Arthur's style was different. It wasn't defending like the first time. It wasn't survival like the last time.

  He was challenging the Prince. He was trying to dominate. He moved his pieces like an army of shadows, swallowing the board.

  "So," the Prince murmured, "that hair really did make you smarter."

  The game continued, Arthur was winning. He pushed the Prince back. He cornered the King. Arthur smiled.

  Arthur smiled. He had the Prince sitting in a corner. Or... so he thought.

  "You are really interesting," the Prince said. He picked up a knight. "but. Playtime is over kid."

  Tap, the Prince moved the knight,

  Then Arthur moved the bishop.

  Tap, the Prince moved the knight again.

  Arthur gasped moving the queen for defense.

  Then tap.

  "Checkmate." The Prince said.

  “How?”

  The world became gray. Arthur put his hand over his mouth to stop a scream of frustration.

  His eye cracked.

  The Prince saw it. He leaned in, his voice dropping. "What happened to your eye?" The Prince smiled, touching Arthur's face.

  Hello Ghosts and Ghouls.

  One chapter left for Act 4.

  (To those of you binge-reading this in the future: Keep yourself warm. Or, if you are reading this in the summer, drink some water. Don't let the heat take you.)

  And to the ones seeing this story publish live: I want to thank you for being the OG Ghosts and Ghouls. You were here when the ink was still wet. I hope our paths cross one day—even if that day is far down the road.

  See you on Monday. Damn, it's cold. Keep yourself warm... or the shadows might get too close.