It’s for Alice, and Tasha, and Cassandra. And Marshall, Marshall above all. I don’t know what Dante saw, what I know is that he looks like he’s broken. And Shane looks like she’s turning into ice.

“Yeah, Dante… What are we gonna do?”, I echo her, crossing my arms against my chest.

He looks up, like we’re interrupting some important thought or consideration, and inhales a quick breath through his nose. His jaw his clenched and a thin veil of sweat covers his forehead.

He swallows, slowly, blinking his eyelids.

“We have to go”, he says, calmly, “They called because they knew about Marshall. They knew that I had found him. They’re watching us and there is nothing else we can do”.

Shane nods, slowly, clasping her hands together tighter.

“I wouldn’t let you go there alone, anyway”, she murmurs, and Dante’s eyes narrow in a tentative smile.

“I am not about to fight with you about our different opinions…”, he replies, and Shane chuckles, slightly, nodding again.

I make a sad smile, my eyes moving from him to her. Thinking that Dante should have been Shane’s brother. Thinking that they are similar. Same obstinacy, same offhand attitude, same loyalty towards friends and relatives, same unselfishness.

“…I am sorry you guys got involved in this…”, he adds, lowering his head.

I move a step forward.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Dante? This, all of this, is not your fault”, I state, honestly.

He just shakes his head in discomfort.

“I am gonna leave, now. I need a walk. I need to figure things out, to deploy a mental plan about tonight. And you…”, he murmurs, looking up at Shane and me, “…you need time for yourselves. Stay here. Spend some hours together. I’ll be back in a few hours. We’ll be ready”.

He walks to the front door, his head bowed, his steps heavy and tired.

He turns his head one last time, when his hand is already on the door knob. He opens his mouth, blinking, then closes it. Eventually, he just says.

“Nothing’s gonna happen to you or your friends. It’s a promise”.

”Listen to the tales and romanticize,
How we’d follow the path of the hero.
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun.
How we rise to the height of our halo.
Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior,
Feigning all the trials and the tribulations;
None of us have actually been there.
Not like you.”