Sticks and Stones, Emmy41 [beach read book .TXT] 📗

BE, BROTHER!” another, solid punch hit me In the face, and I flew back, slamming into a wall so that I blacked out.


(Him)

“SHOVE!” dad gritted out, and the door slammed closed. I whirled around, to see Sweetie laying on the floor, looking worse than she did this morning. I bent to pick her up, and something shocked me.

“Damn. He coated her. We can’t touch her until she wakes up.”
“ so we’ll have to wake her.” Dad said, heading for the kitchen.

“ Dad, let her be. She’s worse then this morning. We-“ he came back and splashed a glass of water in her face. She jerked up, and then moaned, slumping back on the floor.

“Sweetie, can you hear me?” she moaned again, which I took as yes. I kneeled closer so that I felt the buzz of the coating on my face as I studied hers. “ Give me permission to touch you, Sweetie.” I said softly, reassuringly. She half opened her eyes to look at me, and I saw fear in her eyes.

“ I just want to help you. Will you let me heal you, Sweetie?” I asked soothingly. Her eyes fell shut, and a moment later she nodded once just slightly. The coating fell away, and I immediately stroked her hair back. “Thank you. Can you hold still?” She nodded again just slightly, and I glanced at dad, confused.

“ He hit her in the mouth. It probably hurts to talk.” I looked back down at her to see he was right; blood was trickling from her mouth.

“ Please don’t bite me.” I murmured, then went to touch her jaw to open her mouth.

She screamed.

I jerked back as tears started streaming down her face.

“ shit. Her jaw’s broke.” I said, glancing at dad. He leaned down and traced her jaw once. She shuddered, but allowed him to do it, tears running harder down her face.

“ I’m sorry this hurts, Sweetie. I promise I’ll help.” Dad nodded at me, and I went to open her mouth again.

“Don’t use your hands. Saliva will be faster.” Dad said, bending down to look at her leg. I gave him a blank look, and then went wide-eyed as I realized what he was saying. I looked back down at her, and she was looking at me. I hesitated, and then probed her mind. She slammed a block down automatically, and then, to my surprise, it fell away. I winced as I felt a shadow of the pain she was feeling. She held it behind a veil quite nicely.

You do know what he’s saying, don’t you

? I asked. She nodded just slightly, and I slipped out of her mind, bending to press my lips to hers. After her lips had healed of all cuts, I hesitantly probed her mouth with my tongue to find any cuts on the inside as well. She flinched back once or twice, but otherwise was completely still. I took one final, unnecessary sweep of her mouth before pulling back. Her eyes where closed.

“ Thank you.” She croaked out. I looked at dad worriedly. He glanced up impatiently.

“ What are you waiting for? Do her neck, and face, and, if you can, arms.” I hesitated, and then kissed the cut above her eye, and then the one along her jaw. She had a bruise coming in above her forehead, and I kissed that, too. I hesitated before pulling back. She tasted like the sun. I gave her a weary look before tilting her head to the side. She grimaced, and I felt around until I felt the pulled muscle and the tore one off to the side.

“ Dammit. He hit you hard, didn’t he?” I muttered before bending to kiss her neck as well. This time she tried to jerk away from me completely, whimpering, and I pulled back, giving her a confused look.

“ Don’t.” she croaked. I hesitated, then sighed, using my hands instead. She didn’t pull back again. I healed all the cuts and bruises on her shoulders and arms as well, and by the time I was done, so was dad.

“ You’re not going to be able to walk, Sweetie. Baron, carry her to the couch.” Dad said. I bent obediently to pick her up gently. She weakly put her arms around my neck as her top half swayed, grimacing.

“ I’m sorry.” I said automatically. I set her gently on the couch, and she still grimaced.


(Her)


“ What was that?” the man asked. I cleared my throat. “ who are you?” He gave me a surprised look, then sighed. “ I’m Barons father, Zairian. Guess I should have introduced myself first.” I nodded, trying to sit up. Baron was there, pushing me back down. He sat next to my stomach on the couch, studying my face.

“ why is Kyndil attached to you?” he said softly. I grimaced.

“ When you where a kid, and on your birthday cake as you blew out your candles, what did you wish for?”

“ a dog.” He said automatically. I felt my eyes widen.” Well, I didn’t. I wanted to know why I was so different from my family. When I was angry the house would shake, when I was scared no one would be able to find me, even if I was standing in the middle of the room. If I was sad, it poured. So on my 14 birthday, I wished someone would explain to me why I was different. That’s all I wanted. The next day, while I was playing hide and seek in the basement with my sister, something grabbed me from behind. I screamed bloody murder, and my sister ran upstairs to get my dad.” I shook my head slowly, looking down.

“ when he came down it was too late. Kyndil had already convinced me that he could make me understand what I was. He said I just had to promise to come and visit him whenever he called. I was such a kid…” I muttered, frustrated. Something touched my arm, and I snapped my head up to see Baron looking at me.

“ you’re right, you where a kid. Technically, you still are. It wasn’t your fault, Sweetie.” I grimaced, turning my head away from him.

“ Barons right. It wasn’t your fault. His brother has a way of bending his words around.” I glanced at Baron, white faced.

“ Kyndils your brother!?” I squeaked. He grimaced. “ not by choice, I promise you that. We share a mother.” I shook my head, closing my eyes.

“ do you want something to eat?” Zairian asked after a second.

“NO!” I shot up, then groaned. They gave me confused looks. I sighed. “ anything I eat he’ll just make me throw up.” As if on cue my stomach turned so that I clutched it.

“ How does he do that?”

“ he uses me to feed. He controls…almost all of me when he’s at his peak, which is…. In two days. It starts about a week before, I have trouble keeping food down and it becomes harder for me to use my arms. Tomorrow I most likely will be unable to walk unless he allows it, and then he’ll start controlling things I can see and how much I move my head. The next day, he’ll basically drag me into the basement, and i….. I can’t come out until I’ve won the game or I find the door again.” I said the last part softly. They where quiet for a long time, and then Baron touched my arm again.

“ what games.” I met his eyes briefly. “ last night was tag. Every time he tagged me we’d start over, but he’d…. well, you saw, first. The day before was the game I’m best at- I have to find my way through a maze without him catching me. Usually I make it out of that one unscathed.”

“ Besides beating you and…playing games, what does he do to you?” he asked softly. My stomach clenched and I doubled over. Baron jumped up, helping me into a sitting position as I started dry heaving. It seemed like forever before it stopped.

“ I don’t think he wants us to know.” Zairian said thoughtfully. My stomach tightened again.

“ I don’t think so either, so could we please stop talking about it!?” I hissed. He nodded, and the pain eased. I hesitated, then slowly sat up. I glanced around, then into the kitchen.

“ get me some more of that tea, please? I think I can have that.” When my stomach didn’t tighten I nodded. “ yes, I can have that.”


(Him)


“it’s getting late.” Dad said softly. I glanced up. I’d been watching the tv in Sweeties house, her head in my lap after she fell asleep. A rumbling sounded in the house suddenly, and Sweetie’s eyes flew open.

“ He’s awake!” she squeaked, fear in her voice. I felt anger at my brother for scaring her.

“ are you alright?” I asked as she sat up, running a hand through her hair. She nodded, but I saw how bad her hands where shaking. I glanced at dad, and he nodded. I stood, bending to her.

“ let’s get you upstairs and into your room.” She hesitated, then grimaced.

“ I can’t touch the first floors floor.” She said softly. I felt my eyes widen.

“ why not?” she hesitated.

“he’ll drag me down if I do.” She admitted. I emediately swept her up bridal style. She looped an arm around my neck.

“ Holycrap.” She breathed really fast, then glared at me as i chuckled.

“ a warning would have been appreciated!” she hissed. I laughed again.

“ I’ll remember that. But for now, let’s get you up stairs. I hope you don’t mind sleeping in your parents room, because I am not putting you back in that hole you live in.” she just nodded, putting her head on my shoulder. I hesitated at the top of the steps, not sure which way to go.

“Set my feet on the floor, please.” She said softly. She waited a moment before raising her head to look at me. I hesitated a moment more before setting her down. She leaned against me, but began a slow walk to the end of the hall to a door that looked like it would lead to a closet. She opened it and there was a set of stairs. “ Their room is up there.” I bent to pick her up again, and she put a hand on my shoulder.

“ Where are you staying?” I grinned. “ with you, of course. Dad’s sleeping in the guest room, and someone has to stay with you to make sure you don’t do anything chaotic. Now hold on to me.” She obediently put her arms around my neck as I lifted her again, slowly so as not to scare her again. she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead into the crook of my neck. She was cold, but still felt soft. I got to the top and frowned, confused.

“Second door on left. The first one on the left is dads closet, mom’s on the left. The last two doors are dads bathroom and moms bathroom.” She said. I jumped, thinking she’d fallen asleep. “Thanks.” I said, walking in. I reached for the light.

“DON’T!” she