Brighter Days

something new

"The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls..."

― Edgar Allan Poe

Cassius POV

"Don't touch me again, smelling the alcohol on you reminds me of him and I want you nowhere near me, the last thing I need is you getting angry and taking it out on me."

        Rins words continue to swirl around my head as I'm laying in bed shrouded in darkness. A silence that not even the dead could achieve surrounds me as dark thoughts crowd my mind, still recovering from the high that father gave me and the hangover from the multiple parties from the past few days is why I'm racing to cover my eyes when my door is opened causing light to flood in from the hallway.

Seconds later I'm being covered by someone's shadow, moving my arm from my eyes. I catch my sister standing in the doorway. Her eyes don't meet mine and I know she's feeling sorry, though I've already forgiven her I decide to fein anger.

"Can I come in?"

Her soft voice drifts through the silence, sitting up in bed I nod, showing she can enter. Once she enters she doesn't hesitate to sit next to me on the bed and place her head on my shoulder.

"I shouldn't have said what I did. I was angry and sad but that's not an excuse for what I said to you."

I'm not surprised to feel my shirt becoming damp from the tears coming from her eyes, I can't help the small laugh that escapes my mouth "I've already forgiven you my sister" sighing I turn to look at her my mood growing serious " you have all the right to be angry I should have been there for you and I wasn't I failed you and I was selfish. I'm sorry."

No other words are said as I'm about to lay down when rin speaks up again "can we watch some anime?" I need to catch up on some episodes" I just smile and turn the tv on to Netflix and let her choose what we watch.

∞

I'm not sure when I fell asleep but I'm thrown from my sleep when my door is slammed open and my fathers' drunken form fills the doorway.

"The hell ya doin in here" his words are slurred from the alcohol "where's 'dat sister of 'yers at?" entering my room he looks around. Jumping up I try to block him from getting closer to the bed when I see his eyes lock on to where rins laying.

I'm not sure if the alcohol in his system made him strong but I know that I'm still recovering from my wounds and hangover so when he bashes his fist across my face I can't stop the momentum from knocking me off my feet. Stepping over me I see him reach for rin I try to intervene by grabbing his other arm that's closest but he stops me by sending a kick to the middle of my chest. I'm glued to the ground gasping for air trying not to lose consciousness.

Rins shrill scream rings through the air as my father grabs her by the hair dragging her from the bed. turning to leave my sister still in his hold he stops next to me watching me struggle, with a crazed look in his eyes he turns to leave but again he stops. this time,  sending another crushing kick to my chest, ensuring that I won't be getting up anytime soon.

After the last kick, my father wastes no time in walking out my room dragging rin with him her cries ringing out we catch each other's eyes as he opens the door of her room, and before she disappears in after him the look in her eye shows me that this is the time she won't ever return.

∞

Phoenix Pov

Walking through the school doors I immediately found my gaze landing on Corrine and her brother standing near their lockers, Corrine was wearing black baggy sweats and an oversized hoodie paired with dingy white air forces. Cassius wore the same thing except his outfit was grey and his air forces were a crisp white.