Good People / Bad Things
Come, pain,
feed on me;
Let me be your perfect lamb.
"This is not the end of the world." Those words ring in my mind. This is not the end of the world. This is not the end of the world. Kenny's probably told himself that too many times to count. The phrase is familiar to me;
I used to have this bully from my elementary and middle school years. I was a really loud and annoying kid, so I'd get picked on a shit ton. I didn't know how to defend myself, so there was basically nothing I could do other than tattle, but I'd get my ass beat even worse when I did. I didn't tell my family until my dad witnessed me getting shoved around. He didn't stop it because he wanted to see if I would defend myself, but I didn't. My dad got me in the car, then asked me about it. That's when I completely bursted and started crying and all. He told me that it wasn't the end of the world, and that he'd make sure they wouldn't do anything like that ever again. I don't know exactly what he did, but after that day, those kids wouldn't even look at me. It scares me to think of, but I was naive and relieved at the time. Such a simple phrase brings back too many memories.
I toy with Danielle's necklace, dropping it and picking it back up off my chest. I'm sitting on the front porch watching Kenny make a wooden organizer. He was going to make it in his cellar room, but I convinced him to take it outside because the weather won't stay nice for much longer.
I wonder why of all the rooms in this manor, he likes that cellar room of his the most. It's not my business.
Anyway, the other reason I forced him outside is because I got my period, and an odd quirk with me is that when I get hormonal I need to be out in nature. It's always been a thing with me.
Nature sure wouldn't approve of the amount of toilet paper I'm using, though. I'm just too awkward to ask for actual pads.
I've got that big trenchcoat on again, and it's like a big blanket. Without it, I'd be freezing to death. Kenny's not wearing a coat— he's in a grey t-shirt and loose dark grey jeans. I was baffled at first and scolded him, but it didn't really work. I bet if I shrugged my jacket off, he'd fuss ten times more.
Partially out of boredom, partially out of wanting to prove my point to myself, I undo the wooden buttons of the jacket and let it fall from my shoulders. My foot begins to tap on the step below it to cause a distracting 'tap, tap, tap' sound that I know Kenny will be annoyed with. Only about 30 seconds later does he pause with his hammer just above a nail, and turn to look at me. His eyes read to be curious.
Kenny stands up a little straighter. "What are you doing?" He asks like I'm stupid.
I shrug simply, almost rolling my eyes. "Sitting?"
His empty hand rests on his hip. "Put your jacket back on." He says with a hint of a chuckle.
Internally, I'm hip-hip-hooraying. "I don't see yours." It's way too damn hard to hide my amusement. I probably look stupid with this smile and these low-hanging eyelids.
"I'll come over there." He scolds while playfully waving around the hammer. If I knew him any less well than I do right now, I'd be horrified.
I pretend to think for a moment. "I'll bite."
"Put your bloody jacket on."
"Damn." I'm cold anyway. I wrap myself back in the trenchcoat.
But what my point is meant to be, is that Kenny will not leave me alone for a second without fussing about something. He acts like I'm his kid or something.
My gaze drops down to the silver chain clasped around my neck. The image of Danielle's bloody corpse flickers in my mind, and I immediately drop the necklace with a seethe. I can almost smell the metallic blood as I take deep breaths in. This isn't the first time I've gotten scared like that, but I'm sick of it, and I want to make sure this is the last. I undo the clasp, then shove the jewelry in my pocket.
Oddly enough, the world around me seems to get a bit duller.
Kenny seems to be a bit tired, so I decide this is the perfect time to take a break.
"Kenny?" I call out to him. His head snaps to me. "Can we go for a walk?" I point towards the general direction of the path.
Kenny's eyes flicker from the wood to me. He seems a little confused, and almost unsure judging by his tense posture. "Let me find a place for this, then we can.." He trails off as he sweeps his gaze around. With a small pause he decides to leave it leaning against the porch railing.
Soon enough, we're right where I want us, standing at the edge of the lake. I've come to adore this place. I'm a little sad that winter is going to tear it away from me so soon, but I guess it'll just give me a chance to see this area in a different light. Makes me wonder how the hair tie has survived for so long.
I'm a little hesitant. I am sort of frozen, stuck staring into the depth of the water. I want to do this, I want to get rid of this foul memory, but I just can't move. It's like.. my reflection looks like her. She's staring back at me, daring me to throw that rusty piece of silver to the wind. Her voice is sort of ringing in my mind— it's a whisper, nearly silent. Saying my name. Quinn. Quinn. Quinn—
"Quinn?" Kenny's voice pierces my mind. My eyes snap to him. "Is everything alright?" He asks, furrowing his brows just to where I can see them.
I sigh. "Have you ever let go of something that's, uhm, difficult to let go of?" I ask, averting my gaze back to the tree on the island.
I hear Kenny crunch a leaf under his shoe. "..I have. Why?" He replies.
"How did you do it?" I mumble. A part of me wishes I didn't have to ask.
"I grew up." Kenny answers simply.
Damn.
I shake my head, furrowing my brows in impatience. "Nothing else?"
Through my peripheral vision, I see his head turn to me. "Everything I've done has led me here. I don't regret anything."
Warmth spreads up to my face from the pit of my stomach in a flutter at his words. I give a small preoccupied grin to show my acknowledgement.
"Why are you asking?" He adds.
I meet his stare. "Because I need to learn to let go." I answer softly. My hand falls into my pocket, fishing out the necklace. I raise it, letting the sun catch the silver. The stars glitter in the light, and through each flash I see Danielle.
"Oh, come on— it'll be fun. Let's get out of the house for a bit."
I hear her sometimes.
"LET ME GO! GET OFF OF ME!"
"QUINN, PLEASE!"
But when I let go, she'll disappear too.
I clench my fist around the chain, then in an instant I chuck the thing as hard as I can.
My eyes go wide— I just did that. I actually just did that. It's gone.
Through the wind, I don't hear it hit the water. There's silence. I don't know how I feel, I know it's not bad. I feel okay.
I feel okay.
A small smile grows on my lips, and my eyelids fall lower. I start laughing. I feel so light, like the weight on my shoulders has been lifted.
"Quinn?" I hear Kenny's voice; it sounds slightly alarmed.
I release a large amount of air, then lock eyes with him. "That felt really good." I say, taking a step back from the edge of the lake. "That thing's been..." With a tense breath, I glance back at the glittering water. "..Haunting me for the longest time." I shove my hands into my pockets as if the necklace would come flying back into my hand.
Kenny pauses, then looks at the tree on the small island. "I'm happy for you." He replies.
"Kenny?" I say. I don't break my stare with the water.
"Quinn." Kenny answers.
"I... wanna be somewhere other than here tomorrow. I need to be out of the house for a bit."
YOU ARE READING
What Remains
Horror(Originally optimized for Google Docs, apologies for any mistakes.) When exploring any abandoned building, make sure you take into account both what is there, and what isn't! There SHOULD be: -You, AND a friend or two! Never go alone when exploring...
