Trembling With the Strings

I was really surprised that he had left me alone. It had been well over an hour, and I hadn’t seen any sign of him. I didn’t know if I wanted him or not, but I could have died and he wouldn’t have even noticed. Or maybe he didn’t even care.

I was done moping, though, so I decided to check on my brother. The hallway was empty and his bedroom door was shut (as was everyone else’s), but surely I could just take a peek, right?

I stepped up to the door, pressing my ear against it. I heard someone mumbling softly to themselves, so I eased it open quietly. His eyes darted over to me. He looked absolutely drained. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, holding the piercing gaze I wasn’t used to seeing.

“Hi, Marc,” I said quietly, stepping into the bedroom. He didn’t smile. He just turned away from me, buried in the covers of his bed. “What’s wrong?”

“Why did...?” was all he said. I stepped farther in until I was right beside the bed.

“I can’t hear you,” I whispered to him, sitting down beside him. He turned around abruptly, shooting up in bed. He was glaring death at me. I cringed.

“Why would you do this to me?” he hissed, shoving me away. I stumbled to the floor. This wasn’t my brother—it was the pain talking. Right? “I don’t want to be a bloodthirsty monster!” He cried out suddenly, hugging himself as his body trembled. I pulled myself onto my feet.

“I couldn’t lose you! Please! You’re not a monster,” I told him, begging him to forgive me. He kept glaring, his gaze not softening at all.

“Why couldn’t you have just let me die?” he whispered, so much betrayal in his voice. I stumbled for words.

What do you say when your little brother tells you that he wants to die? I didn’t know!

“I couldn’t...Marcus, we’re all we’ve got, remember? It’ll be okay.” I hugged myself. “It will.”

He scoffed at me. “Don’t be so full of bullshit! Darius probably wishes you would have just let me stop breathing!”

I shook my head furiously, daring to step closer to him again. “He felt awful about what he did. He kept saying sorry over and over. He—”

“He only said that so you wouldn’t hate him! He just wants to still get in your pants,” he snarled, getting out of the bed suddenly. I backed up, nervous. “But, hey! Go on; believe, if it turns you on!”

“Marcus, please don’t talk like that,” I murmured, touching his shoulder. He grabbed my wrist suddenly. His skin was so cold.

“Don’t patronize me, Grace,” he hissed, throwing my hand off of him. “How would you like to be like this? How would you like to be a monster?” I opened my mouth, but he pushed me to the floor suddenly, this crazy look in his eyes. He reminded me of Darius. “And don’t even tell me that you will soon. That’s not the fucking point!”

“I love you,” I whispered, trying not to cry.

“Love hurts sometimes, doesn’t it?” he asked me, narrowing his eyes. “Sometimes it hurts enough to break your heart, huh?”

“Please.”

Then he bit me! My little, sweet brother bit me! I screamed, trying to claw him off, but he held tight just to make his point. Next thing I knew Marcus was pulled off of me and tossed to the wall like nothing. Darius pulled me into his arms, holding me as I shook. I watched as Marcus pulled himself to his feet, glaring at Darius and I.

“You can both rot in Hell for what you’ve done!” he hissed under his breath, pushing past us and into the hall.

“He doesn’t mean that,” Dray tried to convince me.

Then why had he looked so sure of it?