Vir Fortis vs Malificus (Beta Version)

Chaser and Reese

Okay, this had gone on long enough: I needed to spend more time with my little brother Reese. And I was going to make time for him today.

It was a gray and cloudy one, bringing a cold, damp aura in the wind, though I sensed by afternoon things would clear up. But presently, drizzle stilled like soft mist in the morning, particles of gray floating like half-suspended snowflakes.

"Hi, Reese." We were sitting inside. Reese was sitting on a chair and reading, as always, a book on his lap, while I sat on the floor nearby.

"Hi." Reese glanced up shyly through his bangs and back down again.

He always acted like this after I'd been away and occupied for a while. It made guilt stab me like a drill to my gut. If I stayed away too long or didn't interact with Reese enough for days, he would withdraw and get all timid again as if I were a new person he had to be introduced to.

"What did you want to do today?" I asked, forcing a smile.

"I don't know." Reese blinked. "What did you want to do?"

There were only so many options with him.

"Want to go for a walk?" I asked.

"Sure," Reese said.

I straightened, he closed his book and put it away, we put our boots on, and went outside to our dismal backyard. Rain speckled the ground in shiny beads, silver droplets clinging to everything. The air was cool yet moist and clingy. It was surprisingly light out, the thick clouds pale and bright, but fog still drifted down wetly from the rainclouds. I opened the gate and we set out.

"Did you know that Ossei is coming over in a few days?" I asked to make conversation.

"No, I didn't know that," Reese replied, brushing his bangs over his eyes.

Silence.

"Let's hope he doesn't talk quite as much this time," I laughed. Reese and I both liked Ossei, as he was my helper and Reese's caretaker, but he tended to wind on at times. "Give him one comment or question and he answers with five essays."

"Yeah." Reese gave a short laugh.

Silence.

Reese had agoraphobia.

We'd discovered that last year and ever since then Reese had been stuck at home. It was such a severe, crippling anxiety that he was homebound and hadn't gone farther than a few blocks down our house. And since Reese and I weren't talking much right now, memories of it resurfaced.