Impulses

tres

"And where have you been?" My brother pushes on the subject, jumping backwards into the sofa. He chucks a crisp into his mouth and chews with his mouth open.

"Well Mum, if you must know I was out." I smile, closing his mouth and giving him a side eye.

He doesn't push the subject, instead he taps the sofa next to him and hands me the bag of crisps.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." I weakly smile and he frowns.

"You're acting off." he states, standing up and looking down at me.

"You okay Aria?" he whispers and I nod. I shift uncomfortably under his stern stare and step back.

"You've never been good at lying." he chuckles then grows quiet.

"Just don't do anything stupid, you know, because-" I shake my head vigorously.

"Night." He says and I nod before heading up to my bedroom.

I shut the door quickly and sigh heavily.

- - - - - - -

"You're safe now Aria, I promise you you're safe." He mumbles into my hair, rocking us back and forth I register the situation in my head, clinging onto Aaron as if my life depends on it. We stay in that position, with Aaron mumbling comforting words into my hair every now again.

"Wanna come and get some warm milk?" I think about it then decide to. We always get warm milk when I have nightmares, it's simply our thing.

We sit at the kitchen table, drinking our milks in stunned silence, then proceed to the living room to watch frozen.

I remember Anya going to find her sister before I drift off to sleep.

"Aria get up! Didn't you book an appointment to see your Grandma!" My mum fusses and I open one eye. Aaron is on the sofa opposite me on his phone.

"Mum cut her some slack alright." He sticks up for me and I roll my eyes, getting ready to hear her lecture.

"If Aria isn't okay Aria will come to me. I gave birth to Aria and I vividly remember her first words, so I know she can talk. She doesn't need you putting things into her head just like last time. It's your fault she managed to conjure up she's afraid of the world and suddenly being diagnosed with anxiety."

Just by the look on Aaron's face I could tell he was about to lose it.

"Mum you're going to be late for work." I say quickly and she picks up her keys off the rack and leaves.

Aaron lets out a long fustrated groan and runs a hand through his hair.

"The women is so oblivious to your life it's fucking comical!" He shouts standing up.

"Aaron it's-"

"No! For once it isn't fine! She's so closed minded and ignorant that she refuses to believe shit that right in front of her! It's people like her that drive you to do stupid things!" He continues his rant, throwing the milk glass from yesterday against the wall. It shatters leaving a deadly silence to linger in the air.

"I'm going to get ready." I mutter heading for my bedroom.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Nice to see you again Ms Argen.." The slender man smiles and I nod. I take off my shoes and go through security again, before being put back into the box of darkness.

The lights soon follow and here he is, standing in front of me. I tense up instantly and the guards focus on the situation.

"I'm not going to hurt her." He states calmly, glaring at the 'mirror' He puts his arms on either side of my head and smirks. I feel my heart speed up at the proximity yet he doesnt move. Instead his eyes interrogate my face and I bite on the flesh of my lip in anxiety. His face is so close to mine that our noses almost touch. I notice he has a scar under his left eye. I hide my frown when his eyebrows look more perfect than mine. I instantly feel envious and trapped. I realise he must be trying to see if I was scared of him. He made his mind after a while, before walking away and taking a seated cross legged position in the middle of the floor.