Empty Hearts | Rosalie Hale

02 | ISOLATE ME

"We drink the poison our minds pour for us and wonder why we feel so sick." - Atticus

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MALCOLM felt it was best to dwell in pain on his own.

He chose to ignore those in the household the best he could, howbeit, he couldn't completely shut them out thanks to his enhanced senses. They wouldn't keep quiet. Numerous voices would seemingly shout down in his ears, worrying up a storm for his wellbeing. At least through this, he was able to learn everyone's names that he viewed as strangers.

The woman who left him in excruciating pain was named Kate. She was the most upset out of everyone; her voice grand and full of vexation. From time to time, she would pace around the room - heeled shoes clicking and clacking against the floors as she mutters out profane words at the world. Then, sometimes, she would stop and call out his name. In response, Malcolm would grow stunned before choosing to ignore her suddenly-concerned voice.

There was another woman, this one named Irina. From her, he heard the least. It was as if she stuck to her head, screaming out her worries within her conscience to not worry what Malcolm can only assume are her sisters. All three - Tanya, Kate, and Irina - always stuck together, snug at the hip. During the early mornings, she would step outside onto the frosted driveway and gaze up at the roof where Malcolm took permanent residence. Her pretty amber eyes would twinkle with questions she dared not to utter because she knew he was suffering and by asking questions, she would feel as if she would make his pain worsen. Therefore, she would watch for a full minute before retreating indoors.

Then, there was the pair. For a while, Malcolm lacked knowledge of who these two were. Certainly, he could tell that one was a woman and the other a man, yet they always chatted in hushed voices. Occasionally, his name would slip through their lips in addition to the mention of "...a lack of gifts..." It was through this that the female would eventually say the man's name.

"Perhaps a gift would've made him worse, Eleazar," she had said with a remorseful tone. "Clearly, he's suffering and wishes not to associate with us."

And when she said this, Eleazar sighed her name, "Oh, Carmen."

Eleazar and Carmen cared for him deeply. After this conversation, their voices became more loud and clear as if trying to communicate to Malcolm their genuine emotions. To show that with their desires to look after him, he could return to the ground and try. But Malcolm couldn't. Not only from embarrassment flourished from the fight with Toby, but because he refused to even think about the killer. Throughout the past four days spent on the roof, the newborn chose to full-on ignore his so-called friend.

Never before had Malcolm felt so betrayed. His dead heart was completely crushed. His feelings were tossed into a blender, thoroughly quashed.

Toby was the loudest of everyone, not quitting his voice. He apologized, trying to make Malcolm understand, and for one point, he could. If he were to see his friend practically dead, he would want to save him. But this, this was something he could never handle. He had to fix this problem.

Toby at one point attempted to join Malcolm on the roof. With a single leap did he land on the roof, but with a pair of ruby irises glaring viciously in his direction and a threat of pushing him off did he back away. No one else attempted to join him on the roof since then, even Tanya.

She was the only "friend" he could handle. Perhaps they were acquaintances; sometimes she would wander outside, lift her arm, and wave while Malcolm, pathetically, would wave back. Other times, she would try to speak, "Hi."