Exile ✷ Ethan Landry

𝟬𝟬𝟴 never felt so alone

EXILE,
eight

BATTERED AND BRUISED. Eden felt like a worn out piece of clothing. So forgotten. She felt ripped up, ruined, hated. She had felt so happy. Now, it was all ruined.

Same as her older brother. Both siblings exactly alike. Useless. Heartbroken. Exhausted. Cale Miller felt absolutely useless. Everything Ethan Landry said was making so much sense. Everything was so clear.

Growing up a Miller just made the two absolutely useless. Just like their mother. Just like their father. Two siblings, growing up in a lonely household. Two absent parents who were barely at home. Two parents who didn't seem to care about their children's feelings.

Eden and Cale didn't want to think about their home. So instead, they cried. Both of them in their own rooms, sobbing quietly. It felt bittersweet to cry again. Instead of talking about their feelings, they could cry. Cry for hours.

Currently, both siblings were in their rooms, hiding in their bedsheets. Eden was ruining her hearing by blasting music, while Cale was also listening to music, drowning out all sounds of his sobs.

Both siblings couldn't get Ethan Landry's voice out of their head. Well, Eden couldn't. Cale was too focused on how it felt when Quinn agreed with Ethan's words. How it felt when she thought he was capable of killing somebody.

Cale sat up, looking at the picture frame that was propped up, sitting perfectly on his nightstand. A picture of both him and Wes Hicks, the two standing together, while Sam Carpenter stood in the back. She had a wide smile on her lips as she messed up both Wes and Cale's hair.

Cale never liked to mention Woodsboro. He didn't like to mention the events that both him and Eden went through. Or the feeling of heartbreak when he discovered that Wes Hicks had been murdered. The person he said he would protect. He had promised Wes. Promised to make sure that he was going to be okay.

He had lied.

And Cale never wants to relive that feeling. The feeling of seeing somebody's body in a zipped up bag. The body of someone he loves. If he ever had to relive that feeling, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Knowing that Eden could someday be in that position just makes his stomach turn. Because Cale can't live without Eden. His blood. The girl he loves most. He can't stand the thought of her dying. Eden can't die. If Eden dies, Cale dies.

Then, Cale remembers that he can't waste his time with his only family. He can't see his little sister like this. Just because of one boy. And Ethan Landry, of all people.

So the Miller boy quickly grabbed his jacket, pack of cigarettes, and phone, before knocking on his little sister's door. No response at first. Just a weak sob. Then, footsteps. Footsteps that progressively grow more audible.

Finally, the door slowly opened. Eden is standing there, a singular tear streaming down her face. She looked at Cale, her face pale and swollen from crying. Her lips dry and chapped while her eyes are bloodshot and emotionless. Cale isn't lying when he says this: Eden looked horrible.

And Eden never looks horrible.

"Cale." Eden dryly spoke, looking at Cale. "I'm so sorry." She apologized, wiping a stray tear. "For what he said." Eden added on, letting out a foolish sob when Cale pulled her into a hug.