Tʜᴇ Pᴀᴛʜ Tᴏ Hɪɢʜɢᴀᴛᴇs

Gʜᴏsᴛs Oғ Bᴇʀʟɪɴ Hᴏᴜsᴇ

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 24

Reich stood staring. His eyes boring into the sight of you, his father and his grandfather climbing into the car.

No one noticed him, he stood alone. Part of him wished you would turn and smile, waving. But the other part of him was still so angry. Not with you, however, but with the world. Why bring someone so wonderful to him if he wasn't to be given everyday with her?

It seemed moronic. It seemed unfair.

Reich clenched his hands into a fist and turned away. Not wanting to see the car pull off and vanish down the driveway. Only God knows where they were taking you.

He would have taken a guess, but he didn't want to know. If you weren't with him, there was no where in the world he could care you were. All that mattered was that you stayed with him.

Without you, he had nothing.

"It's not fair! I've been zo nice to her und he's been nozing but impertinent!" Reich spat. His nails digging further and further into his skin. Pulling a sharp pain through his palms in jolts of energy. "I schould be zee one vith her..." he muttered, his voice quieting, his fist slackening, "it's not fair..."

Reich dropped to his floor, his back against his bed. The same words repeating over and over in his mind. It just wasn't fair to him. Does he not deserve to be happy? Did the Gods decide he was undeserving of a fair life. Everything had been taken from him. And now, even though they sent someone to him, they wanted to take her away.

Reichs head drooped. His anger now completely subsided, replaced by the silence seeping through his room. He held himself closer, arms reaching around to clutch his body. Leaning harder against the side of his bed, he dragged his eyes up. "Vu're lucky vu get to zee her all zee time." He spoke in a soft tone to the cat sitting in front of him. Her tail looped over her paws planted in front of her body.

Salems green eyes shimmered, her head tilted to meet his fallen gaze. "I visch I had ein friend like zat."

He didn't know why, but the room suddenly felt smaller. Like it was closing in on him. The walls that usually made him feel safe seemed almost hostile now. Though not in the way he had gotten used to.

Regularly, at random times, he would hear slams against his wall. A voice not yet forgotten attempting to break out. Shattering his semblance; his only peace and reminding him he would never truly be alone. No matter how often it felt like he was.

Sometimes he felt a joy in this, but other times it was overwhelming. The sound was so loud he found it hard to believe no one else heard it. That was, until, he realised you had heard it too. Your round eyes wider. Your heartbeat so prevalent he could hear it smashing against your ribcage. Gaze trained on the very wall that was shattering under the weight of the screams.

He wasn't the only one anymore.

That haunting voice was real now and that gave him some peace knowing that he wasn't going crazy. Knowing at least in some way, it was real.

Reich's head fell further down. If it were speaking now, he knew he would feel solace; at ease. But it wasn't there. All he could hear was his fervent breathing and the static of silence. He was all alone, with no one to put him at ease.

Just as he was about to succumb to the swelling in his eyes. Salem suddenly hopped to her feet, and strutted towards him. Reich watched through sunken eyes as the black cat stopped in her tracks and curled up beside him. Her loud purring breaking the destitute.

Reich smiled and brought a hand around to drag his fingers through her fur. "At least I have vu!" Reich beamed. Almost immediately forgetting his troubles.