Twisted love

Innocence lost

Chapter: Twenty-seven
Oliver’s POV
Flashback

The air was thick with nostalgia as I strolled through the park where Andrew and I had spent countless afternoons together as kids. I could still see the remnants of our childhood—rusty swings creaking in the breeze, the worn-out sandbox where we’d built castles that only existed in our imaginations, and the faded slides that had once seemed like mountains. But as I wandered deeper into the park, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this place held more than just happy memories; it was a canvas painted with the shadows of our past.

As I approached a small clearing, a memory flickered to life in my mind. I was thirteen years old and  Andrew was eight , and he was my best friend. We were inseparable, two boys lost in a world of adventure. I remembered the time we discovered a fluffy white bunny nestled beneath a bush. Its fur was soft and inviting, and it seemed to radiate innocence. Andrew had instantly taken a liking to the creature, claiming it as his own. We named it Thumper, after a character from his favorite movie. He would carry it around, showing it off to everyone as if it were a trophy.

In those days, Andrew was vibrant, full of laughter and mischief. We spent hours playing in the park, and I could hardly recall any signs of the darkness that would later come to define him. But even then, I sensed a flicker of something unsettling beneath the surface—an intensity that made me uneasy at times. I shrugged it off, convinced it was just a quirk of his personality.

As the weeks passed, Andrew became increasingly obsessed with Thumper. He wanted to feed him, pet him, and take him everywhere. At first, I thought it was adorable; it was sweet to see him care for the little creature. But as the days turned into weeks, I noticed something unsettling. Thumper began to distance himself from Andrew. The bunny would flinch at his touch, darting away when Andrew tried to pet him. It was like the innocent creature sensed something Andrew didn’t realize was there.

I could still picture the moment everything changed. We were playing hide-and-seek when I heard a commotion coming from behind the playground. Curiosity piqued, I followed the noise. When I reached the clearing, I froze. Andrew was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks, holding Thumper in his hands. The little bunny lay motionless, its soft fur stained with blood. I could hardly comprehend what I was seeing. Andrew had lifted a heavy rock, and in a fit of rage and desperation, he had crushed Thumper’s fragile body.

“Andrew! What did you do?” I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest as I rushed to his side.

He looked up at me, eyes wide and wild, and for a moment, I didn’t recognize him. “He didn’t want me anymore!” he yelled, his voice raw with pain and confusion. “He just… he didn’t love me back!”

I had never seen him like this before. The boy I knew—the playful boy who chased me around the park, who laughed until he cried—was gone. In his place was a boy consumed by anguish, a boy whose mind had twisted the world into something dark and unrecognizable. The sight of Andrew cradling the lifeless bunny felt like a waking nightmare. It was as if a shadow had fallen over our friendship, casting a long and dark silhouette that would linger for years to come.

“Andrew, you have to understand… bunnies don’t think like we do. They don’t understand love in the same way,” I stammered, trying to rationalize the irrational. “You can’t force them to love you.”

But he just shook his head, disbelief etched across his face. “I wanted him to love me, Oliver! I just wanted him to love me!” His voice cracked, and he fell into a fit of sobs.

At that moment, a realization struck me like a punch to the gut. I was witnessing the first real sign of the darkness that had begun to envelop my brother. I could feel the air grow heavy, as if the universe was warning me that something sinister was taking root within him.

After that day, things changed. Andrew became increasingly isolated, spiraling into a world where his actions had no consequences, where he could act without remorse. I remember the guilt that settled in my chest, knowing I hadn’t done enough to intervene when I had the chance. I tried to reach out, to pull him back into the light, but he pushed me away, retreating further into his own darkness.

I thought back to those carefree days we spent together, the innocent laughter that had filled the air. It was painful to reconcile the boy I had known with the man he was becoming. I couldn’t shake the image of Thumper’s lifeless body, a haunting reminder of what had been lost. Every time I saw Andrew, I was reminded of that day—of how quickly innocence could be shattered.

Now, standing in the park, I felt a wave of grief wash over me. I realized that this wasn’t just a story about a boy and a bunny. It was a reflection of a deeper pain, a warning that Andrew’s obsession had roots that ran far deeper than I had ever understood.

Andrew had once been so full of life, so vibrant. But after Thumper, something shifted. It was as if he had lost a part of himself that day, leaving behind only the remnants of a boy I once knew. I couldn’t help but wonder how many more innocent creatures had suffered in the wake of his need for control and validation.

I closed my eyes, trying to erase the memory of that fateful day, but it was seared into my mind. I opened them again, glancing around the park, the shadows of our past lingering like ghosts. I could feel the weight of history pressing down on me, suffocating and relentless.

The truth settled heavily in my heart: Andrew had changed that day, and I had been powerless to stop it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that his actions had set off a chain of events that would haunt us for the rest of our lives. And now, with Katherine caught in the middle, I felt a desperate urge to protect her from the darkness that had consumed Andrew.

As I sat there, staring blankly at the wall, a dark cloud loomed over my thoughts. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Andrew was somehow connected to Katanya's death. Every time I replayed that tragic day in my mind, the pieces felt misaligned, as if I were missing a crucial element of the puzzle. Despite my attempts to brush it aside as paranoia or grief, the suspicion lingered like a shadow, creeping into the corners of my mind. Andrew had always been unpredictable, his behavior erratic at times, and it made me wonder if there was more to his obsession than just unrequited love. Was it possible that in his twisted perception of reality, he had crossed a line that should never have been breached? Each time I dismissed the thought, it would return, stronger and more insistent, forcing me to confront a chilling truth I wasn’t ready to face.

As I turned to leave the park, I knew I had to confront the reality of what had happened between us. I had to face the truth about my brother—the one I had turned a blind eye to for too long. No matter how painful it was, I had to uncover the truth behind the boy I once called my best friend, the boy who had become a stranger. And above all, I had to protect Katherine from the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole.