Animalia by Cristian Johnson (free novels to read txt) 📕

“Hmm...so I was still able to convince him to stay for a while but yet I still do not know what to do about Luke. I can’t have just any old person to remove him from his life. I should have him have a good life until it's fully time.” Reginald says to himself as he also walks out of the building carrying Luke’s body in his trunk slightly dragging him down on the floor still being gentle with him. Reginald had a big choice in his mind and he had finally decided what he would do. Reginald walks up to Chris who is now calm down as he is ready to explain to Luke’s fate. “Hey Chris…, it’s about Luke and I want to tell you about him. The possibilities of Luke’s passing can not be denied but I have a feeling it is time that we should end his life.” Reginald says with a small sigh.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING REGGIE?!!! DID YOU JUST TAKE DEMENTIA PILLS LAST NIGHT OR SOMETHING WE ARE NOT GOING TO KILL LUKE YOU UNDERSTAND!” Chris roars out at Reginald.

“Look I know it's extremely difficult to comprehend this information right now but everything is ok Chris. Do you want him to suffer Chris? Do you want Luke to die a painful death and with him not knowing the fact you could have made it more peaceful for him.”

“But….but...he's my friend..I don’t want to lose my only friend in the world. He was there with me for many of my ups and downs. He took me to places I would have not go to since I am an introvert. You can’t just give up on my friend that easily...I just want more time with him.”

“Look...I know it's hard and it's harder for me to be his only source of family that would take him to my house, but I-......I…...I...need you to….”

“Need me to do what Reggie….what??” Chris says looking at his face.

“Need you to take Luke to the old house…..and end it” Reginald says as he begins to tear up once more.

Chris can only look down at the floor as he just walks away. “I hope you truly understand I am murdering your only grandson...your only bloodline. No generations of your name will be remembered once this is finished. It won’t be long however but I won’t be coming back for a while either just a reminder.” Chris finishes his statement as he calls out for Luke.

Chris told Luke that they were going to go for a walk today, and they were going home. Of course Luke was unresponsive as always but looking even more famished than usual. His signs show that he is withering with his fur still falling off his hide, Luke now may as well look as if he had radiation poisoning from being here.

"Wait, Luke, it's just that you have been silent and have not been talking for a long while and it had everyone worried...Are you feeling better now?" Chris asks Luke.

"Well....I really do not know. I just feel as if I took a very long nap." Luke replies back to Chris. Luke is not aware of all the previous actions when he was blank in the mind. Yet Luke still had the same symptoms and then questioned why this is happening to him. "Chris is it just me or my bladder is like not liking me today," Luke says as he goes behind some bushes.

"Well you do drink a lot of water buddy. " Chris smiles.

"I did a lot of peeing in my younger days but this is just ridiculous. Do you know why we are here though? Can we go home now?" Luke asks.

"We can not exactly go home right now....we are on a quest ya know. Reggie just gave me word that we have to check the city back home. He said it's really important we do this ok..." Chris says as his head is pointed down to the floor.

"Oh huh.....that's weird, gramps would probably have more things to do, so why out of nowhere he would ask me to do many things that could easily kill me or just bore me."

"Well that's what the orders said, so how about we do it." Chris did not know what to do with him since he was acting healthy mentally but physically he is degrading to death. This worries him as he decides to make most of the fateful trip by stopping to areas that Luke likes around town. He first took him to the former video game store that they used to hang around after school. It was empty like expected however Luke's antlers did bump some machine that worked. They then went back to Central park as they noticed how the cobwebs are now more obvious to see around the park.

"Chris it looks like the scary crab thing is still around here eh..."

"Well maybe...you took a major beating from him which made you fall unconscious."

"Ahh, I got it, well we went to the gamer place, had some good grass and saw the best wood of central park. How about we say we go back to the old neighborhood before the so-called quest hmm?" Luke says to Chris as he looks tense at his eyes.

"Yo pal you good bro?"

"Yeah...yea...I'm fine it's just a lot of things on my mind right now...are you really sure you want to go home now?" Chris says back with a serious face.

"Yeah, but it looks like we're gonna have to spend the night over there."

Chris agrees as they walk throughout their old home and city. Nothing much has changed since the scirmage of mutants and Roberts that head a little while ago. The only thing that was not there was the main hotel building that was towering over many buildings that is now shattered down to the ground from the landslide that almost killed luke. They walk until they see the same burger joint that Luke got attacked by the cat gang. They chuckle for a while as they remember the memories and as they pass by Chris's apartment and then ponder as they wonder if they will ever really be back to their own lives.

"Chris sometimes even I question the reality we live in, you know. I mean what if this is actually just a bad dream we are in right now....Then everything we wake up to would be back to normal right. School family and all the works of life." Luke says to himself.

"If it was a dream It would be sad to see that Emma would not have been here but, at least there won't be so much death and mutants roaming the area.”

When his friend finished talking he just looked him in the eye and told him seven words.

"I'm really glad you're my best friend-" Luke is cut off as he gasps for air and waddles around then falling to the ground.

"LUKE!!!..LUKE!!! WAKE UP BUDDY!! NONONONONO.....PLEASE WAKE UP PAL." Chris yells out as he drags Luke's antlers desperately to wake him up.

Luke did wake up but his mental state was coming back again. Chris tried so hard as the day grew darker. He finds the same neighborhood Luke grew up in and drags him to a tree.

Luke sniffs the ground and looks up at Chris. "Hey....you know the time we used to climb the trees...and our old folks then yelled at us for climbing?"

"Yeah...yea...I remember you were so wild you jumped out of the tree...and then you hit a beehive." Chris replies, giving a small smile.

Luke chuckles as he coughs out a bit of blood. "Uh oh...that's not good isn't it."

"Don't worry about that Luke just continue talking ok..." Chris begins to breathe slower.

"You know Chris...I always wanted to tell you something for a long time. I never told this since you were not ready to hear it, but now seems good when I am looking at you clearly. Chris you are something special and not because it was destiny we are friends, or the fact I am somewhat of a guardian towards you, but because you have that heart of a lion. It is powerful indeed with many attributes that contribute to your power. That's why a lot of people grow to love you for who you are, like Emma or other people. I know things are looking pretty rough at the moment but you my best friend make me feel fulfilled. I never had a friend who could do all the things that I like and still be epic and not constantly stressed with things. Cole still may be your biggest Hell for you but yet you got back up and still able to continue being strong when I am not around to keep him in check. I really want you to know that buddy. You make me proud enough that if you were my younger brother I would then hug you so tight, however I can't exactly do that right now. You will do great things and i know it, I do not know when it will happen but I still can see it within you that you are meant to be here with me at this hour of time in reality of our world collapsing. So it really makes me happy that I have you still around and Emma, and my gramps to be here till the very end. Eventually we will get to hang out like the old days." Luke struggles not to tear up as he gets closer to him.

"Thank you..that means a whole lot to me bro, how come you waited that long to tell me this?"

"It's because you're something Chris, and I know one day we are gonna be kings here." Luke then notices the sun lowering down in the distance. "Well...damn that's a sunset I for sure is say one of the best I have ever seen have you." Luke yawns.

"Yeah it really is sure something....” Chris looks down as his sickle claw taps on the ground.

"Chris....this wasn't a mission right? I am also not well I am assuming. I've been feeling healthy as a horse yet somehow I feel somethings not right."

Chris tries to hide his face. "I-...It's not what you think..Please don-" Chris says as he begins to cry.

Luke then lunges his antlers to bring Chris's face to his own. "hey...hey..hey.. *shhh* *shh* its ok buddy...I know how you feeling...just stay calm with me ok....I don't want you to do anythign dumb you here. "

"But...but...your dying Luke...I can't just give up on you. You're the only true friend I have, and losing you is like giving my own brother up for adoption to Death himself." Chris says as his breathing grows swift.

"You know...death doesn't have to be always sad and gloomy...We can always smile and laugh until it's time for me to go.. ''

"BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO!" Chris yells out in his pain with tears dripping out.

"We had the longest run you know, friends like us, people like us usually fall apart once we hit high school, but look at us, we've been friends since we were toddlers. Yeah I wished we could be here happy and no more troubles you hear. I'm sure damn proud that you are not my best friend but you are my brother Chris and I wouldn't have it another way..."

Chris just looks down at Luke as he stares into the sunset under the tree as Chris begins to raise his sickle claw up in the air. His breathing increases as his left claw trembles and his face shakes. Chris could not bear to look at his friend as he just watched Luke to be breathing slower and slower. Chris's emotions were too much for him as he jerks his sickle claw into Lukes head stabbing