Summers' Purpose

Chapter 4 (2013 flashback)

Young Louis's POV (1996)

When their mother sent them to get help, Louis decided to run next door to their neighbor's house where the nice old lady lived. He was frantic at first but managed to collect himself enough to tell her what was going on. Y/n's small frame stood trembling beside her brother on the doorstep as he explained what he could, his tears brimming in his eyes. The brave boy managed to finally get the old lady to call the police to help their parents, wondering if he was too late.

The old lady persuaded the children to stay with her for safety while they waited for the police to arrive. Louis could only think of being there for his parents. When he heard the police sirens, he ran towards their home to tell his mother that help is here. That he did his best to help. When the first police officer carefully pushed open the front door of their home, Louis froze.

It was merely a glimpse, but it was substantial enough to shake his world and everything he knew about it. He saw their mother crying with their father in her arms, both somehow covered in red. He noticed his little sister was now standing beside him, reaching for his hand. He held her hand to comfort her. When he fully realized what he was actually seeing, his whole body went numb.

Y/N's POV (2013)

The last thing y/n remembered was her brother's hand holding hers. She felt it getting cold, but his comforting grip on her never once loosened. Even when his little hands were trembling, trying to still be strong for the both of them, he never let go. Y/n turned to look at what had made her brother turn cold.

She felt her whole life crumble again. She remembered everything now. Everything she had tried to forget, or thought she had overcome. It was merely hidden well, now exposed clearly once more as she was reminded of it by the scene in front of her. This was the catalyst. The start of what feels like an ending. An ending that continues, the agonizing paradox that it was. Little y/n opened her mouth to scream at how unfair everything was.

She screamed her heart out until her throat started to hurt, until it was the only hurt that she can focus on. The pain brought her out to the surface, the image in front of her fading. She knew it was already burned into her mind, but right now something was pulling her from it. Y/n tried to fight it so she could stay and help Louis be strong as well; to run to her mother to hold her as she needed to be held. But she herself was slipping away.

Y/n opened her eyes, this time to a different nightmare. She was still screaming, the pain in her throat was real. But her family, her beloved family were now again just remnants of a past. A past she had tried hard to remember but to also forget.

The guilt and the longing overcame y/n as her screams turned to cries. Deep sobs that she didn't know were yearning to be let out. Perhaps she did know, but she'd rather seem strong even if it was a façade. Her grief ran through her whole being. How could she want to forget her family? But then again, the pain that comes with thinking about them can be so overbearing at times.

Suddenly, a different pain took hold of her attention. The grief was still there, but it almost felt like it was radiating. Along with that feeling was a warmth that grew into heat that travelled within her, so hot that it almost feels like it would boil her alive.

"Please, help me! It burns, oh god please... Please make it stop!" y/n begged to no one and anyone at the same time. Y/n struggled on the metal surface, trying to move but was reminded from the pain on her wrists and ankles about her restraints. Her cries of sorrow turned into ones that were filled with pain and fear.

"Please, help me! It burns, it hurts too much, please!" y/n cried out until she saw her veins in her arms were bluish. Alarmed, she glanced down at her body as much as she can. noticing the same hue. Y/n recalled the glimmering blue liquid that was injected into her before her memories took over, thinking how there was no way back at this point. It could very well be killing her from the inside by now, and all she could do is just scream.