Pain of the Whispers

Chapter 39

I click my tongue as I reply. "But I'm not hiding anything from you?" Red sighs deeply as he grunts. "We're just going to keep going in circles because you're hiding the truth and won't admit to what you or someone else did." I gave a teasing look as I tried to change the subject. "Well, I have to run in circles around the big forest every single day for training, so I guess we will keep going in circles. I guess you can call me a pro at running around in circles." Red points a finger at me and scolds. "Stop trying to change the subject."

It's my turn to sigh deeply.

I knew deep down that the truth would find light to express itself, one way or another.

No matter what I tried, I couldn't hide anything from Red. I bit the inside of my cheek.

The temptation to tell him everything and have the weight of it all lift off my shoulders was very much tempting. But the love I had for him to not get hurt was greater than anything.

Red moves closer to me as he asks. "Let me guess. It has something to do with Bill?" Disbelief fills my eyes and Red's gentle expression changes to something of anger. Red growls as he hits his fist hard on the ground besides him. "Tell me what he did to you. I won't let him get away with hurting you in any sort of way. I don't care anymore if it's either Bill or Mother, I will take then down somehow." I leapt forward a bit, close enough so I could grab his shoulders. "Red don't you dare do anything foolish! Do you understand me?" Red snatches both my wrists and plies my hands off his shoulders as he holds them close to his chest. "I am the man of the house. The man of the house is supposed to protect the women inside the house no matter what happens. I have let Mother and Bill do things to you for long enough." A sharp breath catches in my chest, making me cry out. "Red you can't do that! Mother will hurt you! Bill hasn't even done anything to me. Unless you count annoying me to death than that's about it!"

Red brushes his hands up my wrists to hold my hands in his as he makes eye contact with me. "I am still the man of the house, Rice." I rip my hands away from him as I fling them in the air violently. "We are just children Red! You must have gone mad if you think either of us can do something against a full-on adult. Especially when Mother might be working with other people. What house are you even talking about anyways!?" Red swung his hands around to, mentioning the Row house. "This is our home; this is the house! We are not children Rice! Can children really put up with what we have to do every single day? Can a child seriously have the strength of a man, like you do? Can a child run miles on end within an hour and barley be winded, like you? Can a child shoot so accurately and be so sharp skilled with all types of guns and weapons, like you? Can a child even handle a gun? Can a child cook pretty much a whole entire feast at ten-years-old, like you? Has a child ever even killed a man before, like you!? Does a child even think to do all the things you have done before? What child even has the body like you do Rice!? Honestly, do you think we're helpless children, that can't stop what's wrong in the world we live in?"

All the things he said was very much true but the thing he said about my body hit hard.

Like an arrow through the heart.

I touch my hand over my chest as I look down at it. I didn't find there was anything wrong with my body. I knew it looked very different from other girls my age, but I never thought there was something wrong with it.

      Red realized what he said and what I was looking at. His face turned bright red as he exclaimed. "I didn't mean there was something wrong with it or that it looked ugly or unpleasant. I'm just saying that you have the body of a blooming 13- or 14-year-old. Ten-years-old normally don't bloom so early."

Confusion spread over my face like wildfire as I asked. "Blooming?" I have never seen Red's face get so bright red before, it was nearly a tomato now.

Red scrambled through the books by him, he found the one he was searching for and nearly threw it at me as he explained. "I am not explaining that to you. You can read about it but in no world may I ever explain that to you." I look down at the book cover and it takes a few moments for me to read it straightly and accurately, the book cover reads "Male and Female body changes." I ask out of curiously. "Why do you even have this book?" Red replies sheepishly. "I need all the information I can learn; the changes are about to start happening in a few years so I thought I would be prepared."

I shake my head and put the book aside as I say. "You better not try and do something Red. I'm being serious." Red scolds me again. "And I'm being serious as well."

I saw the utter determination in his eyes and knew there was no changing his mind. I had one last thing that I could do that might work.

      I plead with him. "Please I beg of you, that you just give me at least a few months. I know Mother will change her heart and mind if I make her proud of me."

Red knew I never had begged for anything in my whole life. So, to have me begging him for something, he knew I was desperate and serious. Red snarled. "Fine, I'll give you a few months and that's it. But you will have to tell me what you're hiding. You'll also have to promise me that you never hide anything from me again. And that you stop trying to protect me and let me protect you."