Kith and Kin

Part 1: Broken: https://thetwistedpathgroup.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/broken/

I enjoy peace and quiet, usually. But today I find it grates. In a house full of people I should be hearing something. Well, other than just the sound of pages turning. I blame Jes. She took my journal the other night. She made copies of it and handed it out to the family as they arrived. *sigh* She’s read it already but has yet to say a word to me since she got home.

I was first here. I came earlier than usual. I wanted a chance to talk to her, warn her that I had things to discuss tonight. I got the hand. She’s said absolutely nothing to me. I guess I know how this is going to go. Hopefully I won’t lose everyone, but I’m guessing my time as family is at an end.

“Other room please. We need a few minutes to discuss this.” Raven didn’t even look at me as she spoke. I left the room, into the kitchen with me. I might as well have a drink while they discuss my fate.

There’s an iPod sitting on the table. I peek back into the living room only to have one of my sisters catch me. I sit down at the table, a glass of whiskey in front of me. I’m fidgety, and I catch myself playing with the unfamiliar iPod. I can hear them talking quietly but I can’t make out the words. I consider leaving, after all it’s what I figure is going to happen anyway. So why wait? I get up and grab my purse, slip quietly out the door to my car. I go to put the key in the ignition and realize I’m still holding the iPod. *sigh* I’ll have to go back inside, I can’t take it with me. I might be a killer but I’m no thief. I reach into my glove box instead and pull out my stereo cord. I plug in the iPod and turn on the engine so I can have a listen.

“Eternity gazed back at me. Like an ocean’s horizon at midnight. Faintest of whispers softly caress my ears and I wonder if it is a nightmare or a dream.” words & music by Jason Sinner

I hear the words, listen to the song, and then play it again. I don’t recognize the man’s voice so why does it sound like he’s in my head? I turn off my car, and head back inside. Sitting out there where someone could see me is making me tense.

My timing is… good I suppose. I hear Gwen sending someone in to get me. Monster comes in. My Mikey, my Monster, if I lose everyone else I will still have him. He’ll still have them as well though. I may have brought him into the family but he is family. He smiles sadly at me, hugs me, and we walk into the room together holding hands. Just like whenever he was in trouble with our folks. We stand together, his arm around me. It takes me a moment but I raise my eyes to meet those of the ones I love. I look from one face to the next until I stop on an unfamiliar pair of eyes. This must be Methial. Jes told me about him, he was brought in while I was missing. I feel a shiver crawl down my back, his eyes are steady on mine and I can’t seem to look away. He smiles at me, nods his head as if in greeting, and that breaks the spell. I can’t make myself continue, my eyes drop, my gaze upon the carpet as I await their condemnation.

Jes and Gwen look at each other. I don’t have to see it to know they are having a silent debate about who’s going to speak. We’ve done this before, only it was between the three of us. I hear a soft sigh, Jes it is then. “When were you going to tell us? Or were you even going to?”

My eyes snap up to meet hers. “Of course I was going to tell you! That’s why I came early tonight!” I step away from the safety of my brother’s arms. “Had you left it alone Jes, I would have told everyone tonight. It’s why I asked for all of the family to be present. My journal is with me, in my purse. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to say it all, I was absolutely certain I’d fail. So I brought it with me. It says all the words I didn’t believe I’d be able to.” I look around and I see distress on the faces I love so much. I’m broadcasting. “Just wait a sec, please.” I walk outside, breathe deeply, I need control. I sit down on the steps, close my eyes and focus on my walls. Brick by brick they go back up.

I feel a jacket placed around my shoulders and I turn to look. It’s Methial. My look is questioning, he simply shrugs and sits beside me. “Penny for your thoughts.” He looks at me briefly before looking ahead again.

Stunned does not begin to describe my reaction to his comment. “A penny for my thoughts? Really?” I look at him and see a small smile before he looks away again. “Ok, fine. My thoughts… my thoughts are somewhat scattered right now. One thought, why are you here instead of one of my sisters? But then I realize it’s because they’re all getting themselves under control and that I had little to no effect on you. Another thought, why did I have no effect on you? Next thought, is there even any point to me going back inside or should I simply get in my car and go home? Also, why am I spilling all my thoughts to you, and why aren’t you annoyed with my ranting yet?” He smiles at me again, stands up, and offers me his hand. Before I realize what I’m doing my hand is in his and we’re walking back into the house.

He guides me over to the couch where Mikey is sitting. After I sit down he sits beside me, a little closer than I should be comfortable with but I can’t seem to bring myself to object. Gwen watches with a smirk on her lips. Jes walks in from the kitchen and hands me a glass, a light sip tells me there’s whiskey in my soda. No surprise there, she’s known me most of our lives after all. I take a larger sip and wait.

“Ok so we’ve decided it’s time to come clean with you.” Not what I was expecting. Over the course of the next several hours my family told me what they had been hiding from me. For years. It turns out my family is full of killers. Not just in defense but flat out, cold blooded killers. I mean, yes I knew my Mikey was a monster, and that my sisters and brothers all had particular skills. I suppose it hadn’t occurred to me what purpose they had set those skills to. We all have jobs of sorts. When our folks passed away Mikey and I came into some money, I’ve handled my portion pretty well and haven’t had to have a 9 to 5 job in ages. Mikey drives a truck, a big ass truck. I suppose I now know the reason he loves the open road so much. The rest well… let’s just say they have day jobs and then they have jobs that prefer the night. But those are their stories to share, not mine.

I don’t remember leaving, how in hell did I get home? Mikey had to leave early, he had a run. So I know he didn’t bring me home. How much did I drink while they told me what I’d been too dumb to see? Jes tried to make it seem like they were just that good at hiding it but when I look back they really weren’t. I was just that good at being oblivious. Oh god, it’s not even 8 o’clock in the morning and I already want a drink. I killed, I won’t deny it, but after months in that place one could argue I’d snapped. My sisters, my brothers, they all told me horrible things. The only one that said nothing was Methial. He sat there beside me the entire time, his hand on my back. I vaguely recall leaning on him after a few drinks. Oh god, I need to call Jes. She’ll tell me it was all just stories. A prank. I need my phone, maybe it’s in the kitchen?

I walk into the kitchen and notice an unfamiliar jacket on the back of one of the chairs. I thought I gave it back to Methial when we went inside. I glance around and notice the back door is open. Given my recent paranoia I know I didn’t leave it open. I look out onto the deck, he’s sitting on the steps smoking a cigarette. The smoke curls around his head, almost a caress, before it drifts away. There’s a mug beside him and only now do I realize that I smell coffee. I guess I know how I got home. Dear god, please tell me I didn’t do anything stupid last night. Well stupider.

“He can’t help you, you know.” He didn’t even acknowledge my presence until he spoke. He’s still looking into the trees. And what the fuck did he mean by that? “God is what I mean. He can’t help you. Well he could, but he won’t.” He gets up, sticks his cigarette into the pot of dirt beside him, picks up his mug, and comes back inside. Without more than a smirk in my direction he drains his cup, grabs his jacket, and heads for the front door. “I’ll see you later Dee. We have a few things to discuss.” After the door closes I can move again, I run after him, flinging the door wide, but he’s gone. Just gone. No motor, and it’s a long driveway so it’s not as if he could already have driven out of sight. There’s a wide area around the house before the trees take over and I don’t see him anywhere.

Back into the house, Jes’s voicemail picking up before I even realize I have my phone in hand. “Jes, you need to call me. Like now. Or ten minutes ago. Or come over. Who the hell is this guy? I need more answers from you. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to tell me that yesterday was a bad dream? Or a prank? Just call me, please.”

All I got was a text. “He’ll explain.” Like that helps. And why wouldn’t she call instead? I’m officially creeped out. Raven called me. She said she was sorry that she’d lied to me about what she was doing. She also apologized for telling me the truth. I can’t fault her for that. After I got off the phone with her though I realized I didn’t want to talk to any of the family. So maybe it’s better that Jes didn’t call. I need a shower… or maybe a nice long bath instead.

After I locked everything up, I soaked in the tub for a couple of hours. Bubble baths are my weakness. Every little sound was making me jumpy but I was bound and determined to enjoy my bath. Afterwards I wander the house to make certain everything was still locked up tight. This has become a ritual the last few nights. Ok time for sleep. I turn on my bedside lamp, slip under the covers, and turn over. Right into Methial.

Ok my throat hurts, I’m not sure how long, or how loud I was screaming. My back hurts which I guess is what happens when you try to shove yourself through the corner. He’s bleeding. Oh my god he’s bleeding! What the fuck did I do? “Methial?” Ok whispering isn’t helpful. Did I even make a sound? He’s looking at me. Ok I couldn’t have hurt him too bad, he’s smiling. He’s smiling and walking towards me. He’s not walking, he’s stalking, and that smile scares me.