Together forever and ever

Chapter 14: Clothes

I stood up abruptly, my legs trembling as I returned to the confines of the dimly lit bedroom. The weight of the recent events hung heavy in the air, suffocating me with its suffocating grip. The room seemed smaller now, closing in on me as if to amplify the turmoil within.

As I entered, the sound of my own heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out the faint whispers of my sister, Racheal, who lay in bed. I could see the concern etched on her face, illuminated by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Her voice, barely above a whisper, reached my ears like a fragile melody.

"Brother, are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry. I raised a trembling hand to my face, wiping away the last remaining tears that stained my cheeks, mustering the strength to nod in response.

"I'm perfectly fine," I managed to utter, my voice strained and hoarse. But beneath the facade, my heart screamed in agony, the weight of the recent trauma threatening to consume me.

The room became colder, and I watched as Racheal's frail form shivered beneath the covers. Her voice now took on a desperate plea, begging me to join her in the warmth of the bed. I was unable to find the words to respond, my tongue feeling heavy and useless.

Without uttering a single word, I crawled into the bed, my body stiff with the weight of the memories that haunted me. My mind whirled with the images of that fateful moment when he forced the gun down my throat, a cruel juxtaposition to the tender kiss we had shared just moments before.

In the silence of the room, my eyes burned with unshed tears, and my trembling bottom lip betrayed the fear that gripped my soul. The realization hit me like a wave crashing against the shore - I could have died, my heart could have ceased to beat, leaving Racheal all alone in this cruel world.

I reached for a nearby pillow, clutching it tightly against my chest, hoping to muffle the gut-wrenching sobs that threatened to escape. I prayed that my sister, consumed by her own thoughts, would not hear the anguish that tore through my being.

But Racheal, ever perceptive, sensed my pain. Her voice, filled with concern, cut through the silence once more. "Brother, are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry. "Are you crying?"

I froze, the tears suspended in their tracks as if time itself had come to a standstill. Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to comprehend the unfamiliar sensation that coursed through my veins. "What's wrong with me?" I whispered to myself, the words barely audible.

Summoning the last vestiges of strength, I managed to reply, my throat dry and constricted. "I'm fine," I forced the words out, my voice barely a whisper. But the tears continued to fall, betraying my declaration.

---

My eyes fluttered open, greeted by the soft touch of a pillow beneath my head. As the haze of sleep lifted, I felt an unexpected sense of rejuvenation wash over me.

But as I sat up, my blissful awakening was abruptly interrupted by a sharp pain radiating from my eye. With growing concern, I gingerly reached up to touch it, only to recoil in horror as warm blood stained my trembling fingers.

Yet, strangely, I couldn't summon the energy to care. It wasn't the throbbing ache in my eye that consumed my thoughts; it was the absence of my sister beside me.

In that moment, Felix,entered the room. He exuded an air of purpose, his tall frame adorned in dark, sleek dress pants and a crisp white button-up shirt. I couldn't help but question him, my voice laced with a tinge of desperation, "Where's my sister?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, his words sinking into the room like a weighty truth, "I took her to school." As he ventured further into the room,