8.18 – Freaky mess

Warning: Pg-13 for gore

No one’s POV

Erin: I need to talk to you. Can we meet up at the park?

That was the message Xavier received when he was in the middle of doing his math homework. Xavier didn’t know exactly what had transpired just a few minutes earlier, but the text still managed to fill him with worry. The nauseous feeling he’d started having a few minutes ago wasn’t helping either.

Once Erin had recovered surrounded by Oliver’s arms, she reacted negatively. The sorrow and the pain had left and made place for the guilt, shame and frustration. She’d pushed Oliver away and yelled at him to leave. Oliver had gotten up without a word and left, making Erin even angrier. But most importantly she felt conflicted and she wanted to seek advice from her best friend.

However, when they met up at the park, everything she’d meant to say flew out the window. All she wanted was a piece of advice, but to get it she had to explain things she didn’t want Xavier to know. Too many things. And on top of that she felt an ‘I told you so’ was bound to come up.

So instead, Erin had stayed silent and sat on one of the benches. It was clear to Xavier, by her red stained eyes and the way she grimaced whenever she moved her left arm, that something bad had happened. And so, he’d sat down, silent as well, hoping his presence was enough to comfort her. She wouldn’t let him do anything else.

And that still continued to frustrate him.

“This is the last time Erin.” He said, staring right ahead. Erin let out a small sigh and bent her head. “I’m serious Erin. The last time.”

“I get it-”

“No you don’t!” Xavier almost growled in a low voice, still looking in front of him. Erin jumped a little. “I’m tired of this Erin. I’m tired of seeing you in pain and not being able to do anything about it.”

He was tired? Well so was she!

And that truth surprised. She’d constantly simply closed in on herself to deal with the harshness at home. When she thought of home she felt tired, exhausted, but she never really felt angry. Or that some injustice was being done. For the first time, she really really wanted it to end. She wanted her mom to stop reminding her about her baby brother. She didn’t want to have to watch her every step. She wanted to have smiling parents who took you out for group activities and took interest in your education. She wanted a normal family.

That want and her frustration over shadowed her guilt for a few seconds. But then she felt horrible again for letting Oliver see her in such a state.

“Got it?” Xavier asked.

“Yeah…but you could just zap them away.” Erin said joking half-heartedly.

“I would if I knew how.” Xavier replied in a low voice.

Erin’s mouth shut itself as an uncomfortable silence fell down. This was why she couldn’t tell Xavier every little detail. If she did…it would torture him even more to not to be able to do anything.

Erin sniffled from the cold she’d gotten from being outside without a coat. Xavier took that as his cue to get rid of the heavy atmosphere. He got up and lightly touched Erin’s arm. He didn’t know how badly she was hurt.

“Come on, let’s got to my house. My mom’ll probably be up for making us some hot chocolate. Sound good?” Xavier asked.

Erin smiled and nodded. “With marshmallows?”

“Duh!”

***

“Something’s weird.” Xavier said the moment the two arrived at his house. Erin looked at him weirdly.

“What? You’re out of hot cocoa?” She asked with a smirk.

“No I’m serious. Something’s off…I think someone else is here.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Look. There are footprints in the snow.” Xavier said, trying to see in the windows inside his house, but they were too frosted for him to see anything.

“Xav come on. Tina probably came outside or something. Now are we going in or not? You never told me, do you have the big marshmallows or the small ones?” Erin said.

“I’m being serious! Look at those prints, they’re way too big to be Tina’s!” Xavier insisted, starting to feel a little agitated.

“Geez alright, so Charlie came back for a surprise visit.” Erin suggested, still not grasping the seriousness of Xavier’s weird feeling.

“I highly doubt that.”

“Okay, so your mom’s got a new lover.” Xavier gave her a shocked glare. “Well what do you want me to say? If you’re so curious we might as well head on in.”

After nervously biting his lower lip, Xavier turned around and headed inside his house.

He couldn’t properly explain the weird feeling he was getting, and the first few seconds after opening the door he thought he might be over reacting.

Two steps inside, the sound of a book being thrown to the floor, and a muttering made Xavier realize his instincts were spot on.

“f***ing damn…supposed…alone…darn…nothing good…”

Erin and Xavier watched in stupefied surprise at the scene before them.

What little objects the living room had, had gotten tossed all over the place. Tina was on the floor looking like she’d been knocked out by the lamp beside her. In front of the bookcase at the back of the room was an unknown figure who was furiously searching behind the books for anything valuable.

There wasn’t any doubt in the teen’s minds. He was a burglar.

It wasn’t the first time someone had broken into Xavier’s home, it wasn’t the most secure of neighbourhoods, but it was the first time the house had been occupied when it happened.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing!?” Xavier yelled angrily. His mom was unconscious, and his house was a disaster. What had this guy done!?

Erin reached for her phone to call the police.

The burglar spun around just as shocked to see them.

“Oh sh*t!”

The man quickly glanced outside before grabbing the pack of bills he’d left on the bookcase. His pockets full of the treasure he’d managed to find, he dashed towards the side door.

Xavier couldn’t believe the man was actually trying to make a quick get away with THEIR money and after knocking out his mom!

“STOP!” Xavier yelled. Without realizing it, he channeled all the anger he’d been harnessing against Erin’s parents towards the stranger. And that yielded surprising results.

Like a cobra striking, a spark of magic suddenly burst from Xavier’s hand. It spiraled in the air with quick movements that seemed to be disorderly, but were clearly heading in one direction. The burglar.

The rogue spell missed the burglar by a hair and instead hit the window right behind him.

The force of the impact broke the window easily and thousands of little shards flew in all directions. Some impaled themselves in furniture, some into the burglar’s shirt, and the rest into Xavier’s thick wintercoat.

Brushing off the glass shards from his clothes, the burglar glanced between the now broken window and a shocked Xavier.

Xavier stared at his hands. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like to cast magic; it had been weeks. Xavier’s eyes left his hands and instead locked on to the burglar’s.

The man was staring at him wide-eyed like a panicked cat.

“You…you FREAK!” He finally spat out before grabbing the side door and escaping through it as fast as he could.

Freak?

Xavier’s whole body froze as the word reverberated in his skull.

Freak. Freak.

Why…? Just because he’d….?

Xavier watched the man disappear, unable to bring himself to do anything else.

Him? A freak? He’d never…

Erin’s voice cut through his scattered thoughts.

“Are you alright Mrs.Jales?” Erin asked, as Tina groaned awake.

Xavier shook his head and quickly went to Erin’s side.

Xavier breathed out in relief as he saw that his mom was going to be just fine. Her head wasn’t bleeding and she was regaining consciousness.

But still, as the police sirens were heard in the distance, Xavier couldn’t stop thinking about what the man had spat scornfully.

Freak

***

Xavier’s POV

“-and now Jerry with a commentary on the supernatural population. It’s all yours Jerry.”

“Thanks Pete. You’ve all heard the rumors. People are saying the supernatural species are dying off, and the statistics prove that. A lot of you commented last month asking how it was possible. Well we have some more surprising news that ought to send all your minds right back to thinking.”

“Two days ago, a baby was born to two witches. Now calm down, I’m aware this sounds very normal. He’s the weird part: the baby is a natural. It actually has very very few supernatural blood in its system! This is a first! Normally it’s a given that two supernaturals would produce a supernatural baby. The reason supernaturals are disappearing isn’t because they aren’t reproducing, it’s because magic itself is vanishing. Leave your comments on our facebook page. What do you think is the reason? And do you believe we should be taking measures to keep the supernatural population alive?”

And with those last words, a commercial for fancy toilet paper came on. I opened my mouth to comment, but Edmund beat me to it.

“Good riddance I say.”

The words I was going to say caught painfully in my throat.

“Good riddance?” I asked just to confirm I’d really heard right.

“Yeah, I think it’d be better if there no supernaturals. It causes too much of a power struggle.” Edmund continued.

“Oh?” I tried not to let my voice betray my disappointment at hearing him say those words.

“Example, around the time we were born there was this weird vampire scuffle and some rogue supernaturals killed the inhabitants of three entire towns.” Sometimes it’s really annoying that Edmund is a know-it-all. “Supernaturals have an advantage over us naturals. If they really wanted to they could easily overthrow the natural government and kill us all, or keep us to feed the vampires.”

“But witches aren’t so bad right?”

“Are you kidding? They’re the worst! They’re the most powerful! They’re the one supernatural type without a disability! Vampires have to depend on humans to survive, you know to drink their blood. Fairies are weak physically, you just need to clip their wings and they’ll die instantly. And werewolves are hot headed, which can lead to a lot of bad decisions. I suppose eye supernaturals don’t have disabilities, but their powers are minimal. Witches are really the most powerful. With the right words they could probably do anything with their magic. They’re the ones people should watch out for. Especially since they have nothing to distinguish them by. They look exactly like a natural! No glowing eyes, no fangs or pale skin, no wings, no weird eyes.”

My heart sunk. The chances of me answering yes if he asked are you a witch? were dwindling rapidly.

Geez, now I’m really happy no one (except Erin) knows I’m a witch.

Freak.

Would the bullying have been worse? I hadn’t realized some people didn’t like supernaturals.

Would Edmund and I be where we are now if he had known? Would he break up with me if he knew?

I could feel Edmund staring at me curiously, trying to figure out why I was being so silent. I forced myself to think about something else or at the very least, make Edmund think about something else.

“So what did you say your hobby was?” I asked with a smirk.

Edmund was taken aback. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

A week ago, we’d had a group discussion on hobbies. It had all started when Oliver commented on Teo’s cooking, and then we talked about Oliver’s photography, and then Oliver joked that Edmund’s hobby was probably studying. Edmund had immediately argued saying he had an actually hobby, but then had curiously done his best to not reveal what it was. Needless to say, I was curious! As his boyfriend, it’s my job to know.

“Don’t play coy! What could be so bad about a hobby that you wouldn’t want to talk about it?” I pressured. Edmund turned back to the t.v.

“Weren’t we discussing supernaturals and stuff? Let’s get back on that subject shall we?”

I leaned right into Edmund’s personal space, making it impossible for him to concentrate on the t.v.

“EEEdddmmmunnndd,” I drawled.

“Xav my hobby is you.” Edmund said with a big smile, but he wasn’t going to get away with it. I gave him an unconvinced look.

“You’re way too insistent, it’s not even important.” Edmund said, and I knew I was getting close to getting an answer.

“But I want know.”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“Spill!”

“Fine…iwritestories” Edmund quickly muttered out.

“You write stories?” I asked. There were so many other things he could’ve said.

“I was muttering! You shouldn’t have heard that.” Edmund exclaimed avoiding my eyes.

“Ed, that’s not embarrassing!” I chuckled amused.

“Well whatever, I think it is.” Edmund insisted stubbornly.

“Can I read one?” I asked with a smile.

“What? No! Of course not!” Edmund responded instantly.

“What do you mean of course not? Come on Ed let me read one.”

“Hey, I just confessed something really embarrassing, your turn.” Edmund tried to redirect the subject on me.

“That wasn’t embarrassing.”

“It was to me.” Edmund said again. We stared at each other, until finally I gave in.

“Okay fine. I…I like to sing.” I admitted, glancing away. When I looked at Edmund again he pulled me towards him, swinging my legs over his.

“Really?” He asked with an intrigued smile.

“Don’t make that face, it’s creepy.” I mumbled, knowing what he was going to say next before he did.

“Sing for me then.”

I blushed, embarrassed at the mere thought of it.

“Excuse me? No way, nuhuh.” I said, rejecting his idea as immediately as he had mine.

“You wanted to read one of my stories.”

“That’s different! And anyways, I only sing in the shower so…”

“Well then, let’s go find a shower!” Edmund proposed, already starting to get up.

“Edmund!” I said, forcing him to stay sitting as he burst out laughing.

“Idiot.” I said leaning down to kiss him.

We both got away with it, it seems.

***

Erin’s POV

I am so freaking happy right now!

I hummed along with the song playing on the radio as I reached into the fridge to get myself some ice cream.

But you know, I usually am when…I have the whole house to myself!

This is a rather rare occasion. Usually I hang out with Xavier on Sundays (now that Edmund is taking up Xavier’s Saturdays I’m restricted to Sundays. Still not very happy about that. But Edmund makes Xavier smile so I guess that’s okay.). This Sunday however, for some reason (I think Ed’s parents went off on some special couple trip or something, I don’t know the specifics), Edmund gets to hang out with Xav. Obviously Xav takes up the opportunity straight away! (leaving me behind) I guess I could hang out with them, but I’m going to be the odd one out, and I heard Oliver might drop by at Xav’s and I don’t want to see him.

I danced with the music, taking two second breaks to grab a spoonful of ice cream from time to time.

Okay, so Oliver has been considerate by acting as if the whole event hadn’t happened. Which I am very happy about. I was scared he was going to use it as either blackmail or a sign that I’m interested in him. So that gets him a few points.

But doesn’t mean I want to see him! Quite the contrary. I just want to, you know, forget how…um nice (FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD) it felt when he hugged me.

Once I was done eating that really delicious ice cream, I went in the kitchen and washed the nice pile of dishes my parents had left for me.

The winter holidays are coming really fast! I wonder what the others are doing? I know Teo and Xenia were planning to spend it together. I think Xenia wanted Teo to meet her parents. Edmund and Xavier are probably going to hang out together…but then again Edmund’s parents are really strict so who knows? I might be able to actually spend time with my best friend.

Or maybe we’re all going to have this big get together to exchange presents. That’d be fun.

I wasn’t paying attention, I was lost in my thoughts. I didn’t look at what I was doing and when I brought one of the pots over to the sink, I hit the weak sink knobs.

They flew off under the impact and water suddenly erupted from the sink, rendering me completely wet.

Pushing the water away with one hand, I frantically searched around with the other for something to stop the water. I found some cloth and stuffed it in the hole, but in a matter of seconds it got completely soaked and was thrown out by the force of the water.

I backed up, out of the gushing water’s way, and stared at the mess I’d created. I didn’t know what to do. My parents were going to be back in fifteen minutes. It would take a plumber a half hour to get here. I don’t know how to fix this.

I stared at my feet, at the water already spreading, and I saw my reflection in the water. A frightened girl was looking at me, telling me that I had to find a way to fix this. I had to!

And then the girl gave me a guilty expression. We both knew why this had happened. How foolish we were.

The puddle of water spread and touched my toes.

Suddenly taken with a strong flight or fight response, I turned tail and sped towards my room, leaving a wet trail from my soaked clothes.

Oh god.

What am I going to do?

I’m done for.

Breaking the sink?

What the hell were you thinking Erin!? Why can’t you be more careful!?

I slammed the door shut behind me and almost immediately slammed my head against it.

Darn it! Erin, get a hold of yourself! It’s just a goddamn sink. Just a freaking sink.

But when mom and dad are going to see I broke the sink…It’s going to cost way too much to get it repaired…were already short on money…

I slid to the floor, trying to force my heartbeat to calm down.

F*ck. This is going to hurt.

But it’s fine. It’ll get over with fast, they’ll be too preoccupied with the broken sink to waste too much time on me. I’m sure that’s what’s going to happen…I’m…

My eyes drifted to my bed.

It doesn’t have to hurt that much…if I can manage to maybe dull the pain.

I made my way over to my bed and pulled out the bag from under my mattress.

After all I keep this for an occasion like this.

I fingered the bag, trying to convince myself this was the thing to do. That I was doing the right thing. That I needed this.

I didn’t need a whole lot of convincing. Oh god, I’m so tired of hurting, I can dull the pain for one day right? Just for one day?

I hesitated for just a few seconds before opening the bag and ingesting its contents.

I sat down on the floor and waited, nervous that I’d actually just done this. Would it be instantaneous? Did it really effectively dull the pain? I don’t know! I don’t have any experience with this…which is probably a good thing.

I eventually got tired of waiting. I was feeling jittery, tapping fingers, glancing around the room. Then I decided to try seeing if I could fix the sink again. I’d run away too fast.

The sink was still gushing its insides like it was spitting insults. The sound of the water hitting the floor sounded like a mini waterfall and it was kind of relaxing in a way.

I walked over to the counter, my sandals splish splashing on the floor, being careful not to get myself more soaked then I already was. I opened the cupboards and checked inside all of them, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing I could use to stop the water.

I leaned against the counter, resigning myself to my fate as I watched the water pour out. I let myself be hypnotized by the never ending movement, until I got bored of looking at it.

Has it been fifteen minutes yet? I just want them to ground me so I can go to sleep! Though I was feeling a little too jittery right now to sleep. I could try that blinding potion again. It hadn’t smelled at all last time! The potion had failed because I hadn’t mixed it enough though.

I turned around, leaning forwards on the counter. I played with what was lying around.

One of those things just happened to be a knife.

I fingered it wondering how sharp it was. How easily it would cut flesh.

I do think about it sometimes…but I don’t have the courage to do it.

The front door suddenly slammed open, carrying with it mom’s fake laugh and dad’s gruff voice. Like a panicked cat, I whirled towards them, hiding my hands – and the knife – behind my back.

They’d been in the middle of a conversation when suddenly both stopped talking.

“What’s…” Mom said as she stared at the mess in the kitchen. Dad sighed loudly.

Mom walked over and slammed her hand on the counter, making me jump.

“What is this!?” She screeched. Normally I would’ve recoiled back, hidden my face, something to get away from her glare, but today something was different. My blood was pumping with adrenaline and I had a weird smile on my face that I couldn’t erase. It was like my lip muscles were stuck in that position and all I could do was stare at my mom as she got angrier.

Mom made her way around the counter, her heels clicking on the wet ground and the smile was wiped from my face as her glare got closer.

“You find this funny? DO YOU? You broke the fucking sink, you are paying for this you hear me?” Mom spat in my face.

“Mom I-”

Mom grabbed my face, forcing my mouth shut. “I don’t want to hear excuses! You’ll take care of this now!”

Her hold on my jaw was painful and I felt tears pricking my eyes.

What happened next…I guess things just happened on their own. Mom’s glare disappeared into a shocked expression and I realized I’d thrust my right arm forwards. I pulled it back towards me and my mom gasped. I looked down.

My right hand was clutching the knife I’d been playing around with, and the knife was embedded in my mom’s side.

I pulled it out rapidly, leaving a bloody gaping hole in my mom’s side.

I watched in shock as my mom crumpled into a trembling heap gasping and clutching her side.

I’d just stabbed mom.

“What did you do!?” Dad yelled.

“I-I-I stabbed her.” I said, my voice trembling with fear and panic.

I looked at my mom, at all the blood that was pouring out into the water.

Dad stomped over as mom slowly began to lose consciousness. I brought the knife up almost immediately.

“Stay away!” I warned as I saw the angry glare he was giving me. “Or I’ll stab you too!”

My dad growled and hit my hand to the point where it felt like he’d broken my wrist. The knife flew out of my hands and hit the floor.

“Don’t threaten me brat!” He snarled. “Stay there.”

Now that I was disarmed, his words easily kept me in place.

I watched as dad walked over to mom and checked her pulse with shaking hands.

Did I kill her? Oh god I hope not!

I don’t know how he managed to check her pulse with his trembling hands, but he was soon back on his feet, saying the dreaded words.

“She’s dead.”

My blood went cold. No, no I couldn’t have murdered my own mother! I’m sure she has a pulse! He just has to check again!

“She’s still alive I’m sure!” I insisted in a panicked voice. “Check her pulse again!”

Before I could register what was happening, dad made his way over and grabbed my throat, slamming me painfully on the stove.

“I said she’s dead!” He yelled, a scary anger emanating from him. “You killed her!”

“No I-”

Dad’s hand squeezed cutting off my air supply. I gasped, trying to take in air to supply my brain.

The edges of my vision began to blur as my dad squeezed harder. I felt my mind get foggy.

Was my dad’s angry glare really the last thing I was ever going to see?

>.>

This is what happens when you do drugs

Stock image credit: http://www.wenux.nl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Shattering-Glass-Pane-with-Slingshot-in-Slow-Motion-Slow-Mo-HD-Video-Catapult-Band-and-Glass-Shards1080p_H.264-AAC_00003.jpg

DAMN SINK REFUSED TO BREAK…had to resort to constant sink pranking, until I realized Xav could just break it with a spell