Until I Collapse • @vscomultii

Chapter 10 // Grayson

When Ethan sits on top of me, I immediately feel my chest caving in; he's so heavy and he looks so big just sitting there. I don't know what's going on. He hasn't been this rough with me since California.

And okay, I get that you're pissed off at me for lying to you and throwing up that pancake.
I understand.

But what happens next isn't fair.

The first feeling of him bringing his solid fist down on my face really jolts me into reality.

He's gonna kill me.

The fact that Ethan is much stronger than me now more than he ever was is really an advantage. But come to think of it, I know that everything in this situation is in his favor.
He's bigger now, much faster, much stronger.

I immediately want to get away. Before I even start trying I'm sure that my attempts will reach no avail. Each time I sit up his forceful hands just hit me again and I'll be laying back down. After multiple repeats of this, I just stay where I am.

I keep crying and begging him to stop.

When he stands up I think it's over. My face is in such agonizing pain, and I can feel it throbbing and bleeding. I hope he'll just tell me it's a joke and he's not being serious. That he's sorry about it, and it means nothing.

He starts kicking me, which is even worse than the punching. I feel like I'm some lowly kind of unwanted dog. Plus, it hurts worse than any other time I've been beat up. And it's been multiple times.

I let my body just go with his kicks and eventually he finishes. My vision starts to go black around the edges. When he finally stops, I try to see as clearly as the reddish-tint clouding my vision will allow. He is now hovering over me, and I just stare back up at him. Every part of me aches and throbs.

I'm scared. More scared than I have ever been in my life. I say nothing. There is nothing to say, but even if there was I wouldn't be able to talk.

He stars to open his mouth as if he is gonna say something, but nothing comes out. I am almost 100% sure I was about to be killed. By my brother.

But he just keeps staring down at me. I roll over onto my side, whimpering.

You tried to prove you're strong to your brother, but he just damn near killed you. Great job. Again.

My vision soon goes black, and I lose track of how long I am laying on the floor for. I don't know if Ethan just stands there shocked, or if he leaves and comes back. I had never thought of what death would feel like. And well, since I never died before, I'm not even sure if this is what is even happening to me right now. 

The next thing I know, I am being carried through the air and his strong arms are around me. I don't care where he brings me. I just want it to end.

And by "it" I mean the pain. Or my life. Whatever comes first.

I feel myself being placed in my bed, and I try to roll over and check the time. To my dismay, I can't move at all.

Okay, so I'm definitely dead.
-
When I finally am able to open my eyes, it's pitch black outside my window. My door is wide open, and I hear Ethan pacing back and forth in the hallway. I close my eyes and just listen to his steps matching the slow pace of the soft rain hitting the pane of the window.

It is the kind of rain that happens after the fast, swirling torrents of wind, and the thunder and lightning of a huge storm. A drizzle of light, soft rain, dripping down my window, plopping quietly and barely audible to my ear.

Just like the rain, the worst is over. Right?

"Grayson...?" He asks in the most quiet voice I ever heard from him.

I don't respond. He slowly walks over to my bed and looks down. He has an eerie look of regret plastered on, and it almost looks fake.

"I'm sorry." That's all he says. After nearly killing me, the only two words he can say are "I'm sorry"?

He walks out of the room, but before he is fully over the threshold I take the chance to say something.  "That's it? I could have died! And all you want to say is, 'I'm sorry'?"

He looked back wordlessly. "No."

I wait for him to continue, but he just leaves me waiting. When I realize he isn't coming back, I just listen to the sound of the rain pick back up outside the window.