Under The Wildflowers | ONC 2024

Chapter 10.

Dominic's eyes fluttered open as he jolted into an alarmed state. His heart raced with confusion and fear before his gaze fell on Crystal, who lay by his bedside, her arm draped gently across his legs.

Despite the bandages adorning her lip and forehead, she exuded an aura of peace and tranquility, a stark contrast to the turmoil that had consumed them both. Dominic couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for what had happened, knowing the toll it must have taken on her. She appeared to be asleep as her features softened in repose, a testament to her exhaustion.

With a mixture of relief and remorse washing over him, he resolved to make amends and ensure that Crystal's peace remained undisturbed.

"You're awake," Mrs. Norbrooke's voice rang out. Her tone held a blend of relief and enmity.

Crystal stirred beside him, her eyes filled with repose and concern as she regarded him.

"Nic, You're up! How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm alright," Dominic replied, though the moment the words left his lips, a sharp throb of pain erupted in his head, contradicting his reassurance.

Dominic winced as he gingerly reached a hand to his throbbing head. Feeling the tightness of the bandage at the back of it. His nose, also adorned with bandages, throbbed in tandem, a clear indication of its broken state.

"Easy now. You hit your head pretty hard. And your nose is broken too," Mrs. Norbrooke confirmed, her tone laced with concern as she observed Dominic's discomfort.

"W-what happened? Where's Joel?" Dominic's voice trembled with uncertainty as he sought answers amidst the haze of pain.

"Well, the bastard had his wounds treated and was released to the state. He's a serial killer, after all, so it's bigger than Greenville. He'll probably be held in some special unit for high-profile or dangerous inmates to await trial," Mrs. Norbrooke explained, her words carrying the weight of the gravity of Joel's crimes.

"So, he's gone for good," Dominic's voice quivered with a combination of relief and lingering worry, his tone heavy with the weight of uncertainty.

As he considered Joel's fate, a tumultuous swirl of conflicting emotions churned within him.

He couldn't shake the unsettling notion that perhaps Joel didn't even deserve the confines of a prison cell. There were moments when he entertained the idea that he should have taken matters into his own hands, exacting justice in a way he deemed fit. Yet, the thought of crossing that line and becoming a murderer himself filled him with a profound sense of dread and remorse. People would have talked. They would have said that it ran in the family.

Mrs. Norbrooke and Crystal exchanged concerned glances, their worry mirrored in their expressions as they regarded Dominic, silently acknowledging the turmoil raging within him.

"I know it's not fair, but I can't help but feel a bit of resentment towards you for what your grandfather did," Mrs. Norbrooke confessed, her tone a fusion of guilt and frustration.

"Mom!" Crystal admonished.

Dominic's expression softened as his eyes reached Mrs. Norbrooke. His gaze was gentle yet filled with understanding. Despite the discomfort her words stirred within him, he recognized the validity of her emotions.

From the moment Dominic laid eyes on Joel's attic, he had braced himself for the inevitable scrutiny that would come with being related to a murderer. He knew that people would speculate, casting doubt and suspicion upon him. Perhaps they would even insinuate that he had somehow been complicit in Joel's crimes, or worse, suggest that they were both involved in his parents' death.