Meat Family

Chapter 12

Goodbye

How dramatic

"Brock...

Wake up...

Come on, kid. Open your eyes!"

Brock was jolted awake from his dream by a firm shake. Disoriented, he looked around and saw green eyes in front of him—his dad. His dad's expression was worried; he had dark circles under his eyes and visible wrinkles. However, his features relaxed when he saw that Brock was awake.

The boy felt like crap. His back ached from lying on the uncomfortable forest floor, and his head still throbbed from the nightmare. He had fallen asleep in the woods and had been there all night. Now, the memories of llum Estrella came rushing back.

How was he supposed to explain this to his dad? He had failed again, made the same mistake, and killed someone once more. He felt like such a disappointment.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and his dad noticed. He placed his hand on Brock's shoulder. "What's wrong? What happened? We've been looking for you because you didn't come for dinner and were gone all night. Your mother couldn't sleep a wink."

Now his poor mother had been unnecessarily worried about him... What was he doing? Tears streamed down his cheeks, and his body trembled.

"I-I'm so sorry," he sobbed, looking deeply into his father's eyes. "I-I did it again! I-I..." He couldn't continue, his voice trailing off into sobs.

Michael gently pulled his son into an embrace. It was comforting for Brock to feel his father's warm body, especially after spending the whole night on the cold ground. His body felt chilled.

"Calm down first. We'll go home, and then you can explain everything in peace."

Michael guided Brock back home. He felt his nose was stuffy and his throat scratchy—now he was also getting sick.

When they opened the door, Marie and the twins immediately rushed to him. Brock saw how exhausted his mother looked; it broke his heart to see her like that. She enveloped him in a thick hug and then sent him under a warm shower. It felt good as his body warmed up under the hot water. After drying off, he put on a white shirt and gray sweatpants, leaving his hair loose as it fell to his shoulders.

He looked at the mirror, expecting to see the gray creature with red eyes staring back at him, but to his surprise, he saw his true reflection. He looked really awful...

Afterward, he sat at the old dining table, where a warm cup of tea was already waiting for him. He took a sip but burned his tongue—great.

His parents sat down across from him, his father with a serious expression and arms crossed, while his mother, holding a cup of tea, looked at him with concern.

"I think you have some explaining to do," his father began firmly. Brock sighed, yes, he did. He started to recount what had happened in llum Estrella, trying to ignore the scratch in his throat.

When he explained the events with Ramón, Marie gasped in shock. She had been married to the old priest, and right after she had Miguel, she left him to be with Michael. His mother always said she was too young and naïve; she thought Ramón was her true love, but then she met Michael and realized what true love really was.

His father closed his eyes and listened attentively, muttering quietly to himself.

After Brock finished his account, an uncomfortable silence fell between the three of them. His mother nervously looked at her cup, and his father continued to mutter. What would they do now? The village would surely not take this lightly, all because of his stupid mistakes.

Slowly, Michael opened his eyes and looked at his wife, who gazed back at him hesitantly but then nodded slightly. What did that mean? Had they made some kind of agreement?

"Brock," Michael began in a rough voice, "Your mother and I had a long talk after your first incident, but after this... we have made a final decision. You will not return to Redwood Academy."

His soul shattered into a thousand pieces. With those words, his father destroyed his future. He would now have to stay home like his other siblings. He could no longer travel to strange cities or make new friends.

"But..." Brock began to raise his voice, but his father interrupted him.

"You've seen for yourself how dangerous your curse is. Brock, you have to admit that this is the best for you. We know how to deal with curses. Out there, you're vulnerable. We're already being called monsters by llum Estrella; if the whole world finds out about our secret, it could put our entire family in danger."

Brock remained silent. He was right.

He was right, but Brock just didn't want to believe it. He had a life out there, but now he could forget that. Now he wished he were in Jeremy's shoes, living a life without a curse. What a dream.

Quietly, Brock stood up from his chair and left. He just wanted to go to bed. He didn't care if Cursed sent him into another nightmare; this was already a nightmare.

As he left the dining room, he saw the twins quickly scurrying up the stairs. They must have overheard everything. With slow steps, he climbed the stairs; his body felt uncomfortably warm. Snot ran down his nose, but he wiped it away with his T-shirt.

Once in his room, his gaze fell on his laptop. He should probably let Ryan know now. He hadn't called him since he left for llum Estrella; Ryan must be worried.

He turned on his laptop, and as soon as he checked his messages for a while, he received a call from Ryan. Brock hesitated for a moment before answering, and immediately Ryan's face appeared on the screen, looking stern.

"Well, look who's here, the vacationer. Where were you yesterday? You know that it's-... are you okay?" Ryan's irritated expression, however, showed concern as he saw Brock.

"I'm just coming down with a cold," Brock explained nervously, his voice sounding much raspier now. "I'm sorry about yesterday; a lot came up."

His friend sighed. "It's okay. At least give me a sign that you're alive, even if it's a small one. Oh, and I wanted to continue telling you about yesterday, so..." Ryan started rambling on. Even though Ryan was usually a quiet guy who didn't like being alone with strangers, he was completely different with Brock. He talked a lot and shared daily gossip. It was nice to see Ryan, but it broke Brock's heart knowing this would be the last time.

"You really don't look well, do you?" Ryan's voice pulled Brock out of his thoughts as he looked at him with concern.

"I... oh, you know that I... um..." Brock stuttered, unsure of how to begin. "C-could you do me a favor?"

His friend immediately nodded. "Of course, anything for you," he offered with a warm light in his eyes that only made Brock's heart ache more.

"I-I really appreciate everything you've done for me, and you need to know that I love you with all my heart." He saw Ryan's cheeks flush and his smile widen.

"But... but..." Brock continued to stammer, placing his hand on the edge of his screen.

"For your own safety, I want you to forget me."

After that sentence, he closed the laptop. The last thing he saw of Ryan was his shocked and confused expression.

Brock pressed his lips tightly together, fighting back his tears. Despite his efforts, a tear ran down his cheek.