Riley stared at the sky, eyes half open. It was a beautiful sight. A dark blue curtain, shimmering with stars. Thick ribbons of brown, gold and green twisted together, transparent enough to allow some stars to twinkle through. They were dusted with pink and bright blue, appearing to cradle the crescent moon.

He smiled.

"I…gave my love a cherry…that had no stone."

His voice was hoarse and weak.

It was a warm evening, but he was cold. It didn't help that his blazer—his favorite blue one, too—was soaked and stained. His belt was probably ruined by now, and it was only a matter of time before the seat of his pants would be as well. He smiled, feeling a trickle of something thicker than spit ooze down his cheek. "I gave my love…a chicken…that had no bone."

Riley shakily raised his hand and looked at it. The white glove was torn and a little dirty. His smile widened. At least he believed it to be torn. The skin on his wrist was as white as the glove itself. Which, admittedly, wasn't very white…but it was indeed a dozen shades lighter than his normal tone.

"I…told my love a story…that had…no end."

His breathing was becoming shallow but quick.

He let out a chuckle that sounded like chipped glass.

"How can there be a cherry that has no stone?" Asked a distant voice.

Riley's smile became crooked. "A cherry…when it's blooming…has no stone." He could barely hear himself over the soft footsteps.

"And how can there be a chicken that has no bone?" She knelt down.

"A chicken…in the…in the shell…has no bone…" Riley coughed. He could feel his head being lifted.

"And how can there be a story that has no end?"

Riley stared up into the single orange eye. "The…story…of how…how I love you…it has no…end."

Maltrina pushed aside a sweaty lock of hair. Her face was unreadable. Or maybe it was just his vision blurring.

"You're beyond my help, you know." She said.

"I know…" Riley shut his eyes before forcing them open. "So why are you here?"

Her hands cupped his cheeks. "Tell me who did this to you."

Riley let out another chuckle, this one dry and rickety. "Didn't…see'm. Stabbed in the back…"

Maltrina frowned. "Riley…"

"Hey…hey…" he took one her hands into his own. "I've made…plenty of…enemies." His hand twitched. It was the closest he could manage to a squeeze.

Maltrina's head tilted down, her hair dancing over Riley's nose.

"Tell me who did this to you," she repeated in a whisper.

"I wish…I…I wish I could…tell you." Riley's eyelids began to flutter.

"I'll find out myself then."

His eyes remained shut. "That's…that's my…"