⚘ Synesthesia ⚘

Chapter 3 ⚘

Chapter 3 of 11:
Though I'm Weak

"Get mom." Avery instructed his younger sister. When Lily stayed in her place Avery raised his voice. "Now!" He normally would never yell at his sister, but this was the worst that he had seen Ryder been beaten, excluding the time when they were eight.

Lily scurried off to find her mother, while Avery was looking Ryder up and down. He immediately noticed the blood that was on Ryder's wrists. Although Ryder's dad did beat him, he never attacked Ryder with a weapon. Just looking at the slits on Ryder's arms, Avery knew that those wounds were not made by Ryder's dad. Ryder had done that to himself.

Seeing the blood made Avery feel a dark grey. His head was swimming in the color and he was having trouble finding the right words.

"You promised." Avery spoke, his eyes focused on Ryder's arms. Ryder was about to defend himself, when Avery was promptly shoved out of the way.

"Come here." Avery's mom ordered. Ryder reluctantly followed Avery's mom into the kitchen.

"Lily, go upstairs." Avery's mom directed. Lily scampered up the steps and gave Ryder one last look before disappearing around the corner.

Avery's mom was busy looking Ryder up and down with slightly watery eyes. It was mainly silent with a few remarks of worry coming from Avery's mother.

"Avery, stir." Avery's mom instructed, pointing to the pot on the stove. Avery nodded and proceeded to do what his mother asked.

Ryder took a sharp inhale of air when Avery's mom touched his chest. Timidly, she lifted his shirt up- just a few inches, and what she saw was enough to make both her and Avery sick.

Ryder's chest was a mixture of colors. It was as if it was some sort of twisted rainbow. There were lots of purples and blacks, mixed with lots of yellow and green tints. All over his chest he was covered.

Seeing this made Avery feel quite purple himself. It was like falling down face first into freezing cold snow. It burned his face and got into his boots. He could feel the coldness inside of him, but at the same time he felt as if he were on fire.

He began to twirl his hair in his fingertips, tugging just enough to the point where he could feel his hair being pulled, but not gripping hard enough to rip any hair out.

"Ryder, why don't you go take a cold bath. It'll keep the swelling down." Avery's mom said. Ryder nodded.

"Thanks Mrs. Taylor." Ryder spoke, his voice raspy, no doubt from his yells of pain when he was being beaten.

"You can come down and have dinner with us, when you're done." Mrs. Taylor offered. Ryder forced a smile.

"Thank you." Ryder said, before gingerly walking upstairs to the bathroom. Lily passed Ryder on her way downstairs and avoided eye contact.

Mrs. Taylor filled up three bowls with stew and set them on the table.

"So, Lily how was your day?" Mrs. Taylor said, trying to distract everyone from the desolate atmosphere.

Avery didn't really listen to Lily recounting her day. He was too busy trying distract himself from the purple color that surrounded him. That seemed to be all he was capable of feeling at the moment and if it didn't stop soon, he wasn't sure if he would live.

The burning sensation was getting worse and worse. Just thinking of Ryder only made him feel more purple. It was the sting of the cold over and over and over again. He longed for the moment when it would stop.