Survivor of The Present

"Don't do it." He whispered, his fingers tracing through her hair.

She heard his voice. She didn't look up. She couldn't look up. She knew smarter, so instead she kept her eyes down, focused on her indimatading posture more than the pain she was soaked in, the deprivation of happiness she suffered. Her mouth stayed sealed in a tight fold, refusing to give a single signal of response. The truth of the situation was already heartbreaking, if she spoke of it her vulnerability would get the better of her, so she simply let the tears boil inside softly, yet unoticed to the person that passed her presence. It was a cunning strategy she had learnt when she was a young girl, because crying was simply pathetic. No benefit comes out of it, so what is a valid point to do so? None in her eyes, emotions are not necessary.

He looked down, observing her face from every angle. She looked different, but not in a sense a person would expect. She couldn't of been eating well, she was practically skeletal. She was always a thin girl, but this time it was more than noticeably unhealthy. She also seemed to have a resting solemn look planted on her face, that was new. Not that she hasn't been rather moody in her teenage years, because she certainly was, but this was a different sadness, an uncomfortable one, that he wasn't at terms with.
She wore a a long Rhianastone dress that traced the cobbled floor of the balcony, glintinh in the moonlight. It matched her tone flawlessly.

Reece looked in her eyes, his joyful presence unmatched. He knew she didn't want to speak, yet he knew he couldn't blame her. Someone would have to take the first steps.

"Aut, they'd miss you." He spoke softly but calmly, to assure a panicked frenzy wouldn't arise.

No reaction, she kept her lifeless expression ahead, but her lips pursed before slowly moving.

"Big brother my presence is unrecognizable. I am only known under our father's name, and there is no further question. The only impact it would have is the loss of economy potentially."

Reece laughed, shrugging a little. "There must be like, at least 25 people in there waiting for you to kiss them."

Autumn took a cigarette out at his words, and lit it arrogantly, rolling her eyes. "Love isn't temporary. It shouldn't have relevance to kissing nor sex. The real definition of love is sacrifice and waiting, bravery."

Reece's heart thumped as if he had just been hit aggressively in the lower stomach at his sisters words. He didn't have to even question further into that dig, because he already knew where it was aimed. His face stayed neutral, though his expression was cast out in the  shadow. "It's been a while." He muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "You and me, talking."

Autumn looked out into the distance, her pain subtle yet obvious all at once. "Rightly so."

He pushed away the statement, and reached into his blazer pocket to pull out the leftover brandy that accompanied him. He reached for a small flask, and poured the remains into the metal container. He went back to his previous observations.
"You've changed, you look different." He spoke, in a to be that came across as highly gracious.

She fiddled with her ring, still reluctant to exchange a glance. "Mm."

"Not too different though, it's kind of, as if your stuck in the middle of time, because right now I'm still getting a hint of that fifteen year old girl, the Rescemblence is clear actually."

Autumn's crystal blue eyes grew narrower at the statement, and finally looked up to be far from parallel with her brothers. She only laughed coldly. "I see clearly time hasn't got anyone anywhere then. You might as well go to the Meadow down the town, pick some of the flowers that have died. Ive heard amongst chatter it the season for it. Things untouched, yet dead. A quite accurate representation of your teenage years I'd say."

His eyes filled with pain, and it came upon him he probably would loose this battle. But at least he could win the participation award.
"One day." He started slowly, yet extremely cautiously.
"You will see me differently in this light."

Autumn pushed her hair behind her ears, shaking her head slightly with a small manipulative smile. She could always endure to disagree.
"A light can't change a person, a person can only change the light they are captured in."

Reece looked down, his appearance visible in the cloudy glass bottle that lay below him. "But sometimes a light is placed upon her person that can deceive their true colours." He spoke knowingly.

Autumn edged closer, as if this was a long awaited conversation she had so desperately hoped for. She had a frequent habit of it, letting a conversation land on her, and expressing her opinion in a way no one could disagree with. "But what if a person's true colours is decieve a certain light? A light they are hiding, a light of uncertainty, or danger." She smiled, raising an eyebrow.

Reece laughed, shrugging. "The uncertainty could still, well be due to  that light."

Autumn rolled her eyes, a smile finally on her face. A smile Reece hadn't seen in a long time, a smile that was a sign of peace on the horizon. But slowly that peace was drowned out into an awkward silence, an awkward silence unknown to the present moment.

Reece pressed his weight against the rail. " I mean, I understand you so I can see why your probably out here."

Her smile faded as realisation washed over her of the person she was accompanied by. Her guard fell back up in her as her conscious seemed Venagancy.
"No-one understands me. It's a feature I'm highly fond of." She spoke defensively.

Reece put his hand to the back of his head.
"Aut, people hide away from the things they don't understand, because they are scared. They are scared of difference, its unsettling to their liking, so they hide from it, before taking the steps to find out the reason."

Autumn lit another cigar, sighing in an irritated tone. She hated how her brother was right, but she wouldn't take that as an opportunity to class herself in the wrong either.
"Don't pretend you know me." He spoke coldly, so coldly it came as a chock ice didn't descend off her tounge.

It didn't trigger him, and she knew full well that it wouldn't. But the words slipped out in the realism of someone beating her legacy.

Reece smiled. "But I do know you, and you can either use it as an opportunity or a vulnerability."

Autumn turned to him, as if anger was pulsing in her veins. She grabbed his collar and made her status level higher, maybe due to dramatic effect or maybe so she could seize a moment to finally be the one looking down on her predator. "I am not vulnerable. Vulnerability is for the weak." Her voice cracked, emotion slowly filing out.

Reece only nodded, as if to point out he was fully agreeing with the statement. "Exactly, a reason for you to count your options, instead of jumping to the worst conclusion."

Sarcastic confusion painted the woman's face as she gritted her teeth, her indimatading glare not failing to cause panic amongst him. "It's rather amusing to take account of how pathetic I appear to you. Reece I am not a prisoner of my past I am a survivor to my present. Survivors lead a legacy to victory, and they don't break that legacy to a cause that undermine them. Survivors don't leave their territory to gain back the wrong-doers they lost on the way." Her tone sharp and enraged, yet controlled and peaceful. She could see the pain in his expression and hers was now successful yet his broken. Hadn't he told her to count her options? That option didn't have a loser contract.

He watched her disappear into the moons pathway, her Silhouette glinting in the dark. Maybe she had gained her spark, but to gain it she had broke another's.

That the funny thing about games, sometimes you must tear others down to gain personal benefit, yet what is the satisfaction that comes out of it?