Daniel's voice turned serious as he responded to Hunter's lack of response. "I don't appreciate the disrespect Hunter." Daniel tried to lighten the atmosphere by continuing to talk in a joking tone, "I was simply concerned about you seem different lately. Sometimes I don't even know if I know you anymore."
Hunter knew it was a stab at him. Evidently Daniel had noticed Hunter revolving around Delia and the twins. Not thinking the comment was worth a response, Hunter remained silent. Daniel took the silence as a guilty conscience. Deciding to get him to confess and give him more information Daniel tried to increase the guilt, Hunter supposedly felt.
"The Hunter I know is calm and quiet and inside his own wonderful world that he created. He is responsible, honest and respectful. The person in front of me has broken all of those things. So tell me Hunter why did that guy change?" Daniel's voice was condescending.
Hunter had just recently had a break down and remembered several horrible events that his mother had put him through. The targeted words and condescending tone of Daniel caused a rush of fragmented flashbacks. What managed to bring him back was Delia. He had witnessed her standing up for her brothers, protecting them. He had witnessed her strength and perseverance in situations that he could never fully imagine. He had witnessed her stick to her principles and even when she broke down she bounced back to protect the things that mattered to her. She pushed past years of physical and and mental abuse and continued to live. He didn't envy her, but he admired her and even know he was the older brother he found himself admiring her more and more with each passing day and coming to strive towards those admirable qualities. With those thoughts Hunter managed to push past his habit of seeking approval and natural dissonance from social interaction and voices some of his thoughts.
"That is the Hunter you know. But brother that is not the Hunter I want to be. I was silent because I feared what would happen if I spoke. I was in my own world but it wasn't wonderful, my nightmares and insecurities followed me. I was calm because I numbed myself to not feel anything. I was responsible because I had to be to relieve your guys burden. And I was never honest not with anybody not even myself. And I was respectful because I believed you were worthy of it." But now I'm not sure anymore. The last part part was silently said in Hunter's head. Hunter was beginning to voice his thoughts and act bravely, but there were certain things that he wasn't comfortable thinking about, let alone saying.
"Stop acting all dramatic. Maybe me and Gracen didn't pay enough attention to you, but when mom left we all suffered. And how could I not know about your nightmares, who do you think stayed with you when you had them? We aren't talking about then we are talking about now. You wouldn't admit who threw the pillow. You spoke disrespectfully to me just now." Daniel's tone was still calm, but Hunter heard the angry undertone to it. He knew for Daniel for all his life, his employees may not know how to tell his moods and thoughts, but Hunter always had a fairly decent guess.
"If you don't believe what I say there isn't anything I can do." Hunters voice equally as calm as Daniel's, but he still felt pain in his heart. He had bared himself to his brother and it had just been brush aside as him being sensitive and exaggerating.
"Then I guess we have nothing left to talk about." Daniel turned around and left making sure that his anger didn't escape his control. Hunter allowed Daniel to get a good distance away from him before he continued towards his original destination. Finally Hunter was able to curl up on his bed and distract himself with his phone.
Not far away Delia continued her painting trying to put the pieces together about Hunter, however she didn't this for long before giving up. He would tell her when he wanted her to know it wasn't like it had anything to do with her plans. No matter what she was leaving this place. A soft ding resounded from Delia's forgotten phone. The number she had texted had responded. It was several encrypted files. Getting up from the floor, Delia reached under her bed and grabbed her backpack. Reaching in she pulled out what appeared to be a puzzle box. With a numerous practiced pushes and pulls the box popped open. Inside the bottoms of the box laid a USB. After attaching it to her phone the screen went black and when the phone turned back on the files were unencrypted. Delia had no doubts about the legitimacy of the USB but it still shocked how quickly the "key" had worked.
The files detailed her mother's plan of action and even had some helpful tips on how to deal with them. Delia smiled that "one favor" promise had covered the whole situation and the result was very thorough. According to the plan Delia had to days before the scene from her nightmare would take place. Delia had been rather placid so far, but that was only because she wasn't sure what Gina's plans would entail. Now that the details of her opponents plan had been laid out it was time to begin working earnestly.
In another part of the house Gracen was having trouble sleeping. There was something bothering him and making his sleep restless, but he couldn't find what the exact source was. There was just a feeling that something large and disastrous was going to happen. Eventually Gracen was able to fall asleep, but not before some final thoughts ran through his half asleep mind. Was someone plotting against them? Was his family going to be ok? What was going to happen?
YOU ARE READING
I Am Here (UNEDITED)
Ficção Geral*Completed, but unedited* Delia, a 13-year-old girl lives with her abusive parents and her eight-year-old twin brothers. She shields them from the cruelties of their parents as much as she can. The twins try to provide her with support but they are...
