False Clarity

Dust in the Drink

Malcolm was written before Colette, so please excuse the repetitions or flaws. Thank you.

Colette

"Colette?" I hear a voice and open my eyes, rubbing them as I get up into a sitting position.

"Fayre? What are you doing here?" I ask, as she looks down, blushing. She's so cute.

"Colette, can you bring this to Xander for me? I, uh..." I laugh at her tomato face as she holds out a delicate cup of china filled with dull green liquid.

"If you like him, you should bring it to him yourself," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, you know how I am, Collie - too shy for my own good," she says with a quiet, nervous laugh and continues, "I think it'd be best if you do it for me. And don't tell me that I gave it to him, how about? We don't want him to think I... like him."

"Fine, but you better make this the one and only time. It'd be even weirder if I like him!" I joke and Fayre smiles.

I get out of bed and take up the tea. I blow on it a little before walking out into the hallway to where I Xander's room. I wouldn't want him to burn himself.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" I sing, loud enough to wake him up. "Come on, I've got tea to wake you up."

"No coffee?" he groans, his voice coated with tiredness. "What's the fun in tea?"

I shove the tray in his face and he picks up the cup.

"What is this flavour? It tastes all funny..." he mumbles, and I shrug. I wonder what Fayre put in it.

Suddenly, foam starts building at the corner of his lips, and jerking up he stares into my eyes. My  mouth remains open, my eyes wide. Xander points at me, his face looking like he was just betrayed, his body shaking all over. I shake my head. It can't be. Why? I look at the cup of tea in his hand and he drops it, spilling the now eerily black water onto the carpeted floor.

"What..." he gasps out, his other hand clutching his throat. "...You put?"

I don't say anything as I begin to tremble. I didn't make the tea.

Pain fills his eyes and he looks at me with anger, his hand shaking uncontrollably; so quickly that all I can see are glimpses of his white skin. He takes a forward, tears pouring out from his eyes. "How....could you?"

I shake my head continuously, confused. He looks like this is bound to happen soon. For some reason, I can't bring myself to say anything. "I trusted..."

He teeters forward, his cold hands wrapping around my slender neck as he brings me down to the ground with him, eyes enlarging so drastically that I can see the red veins in the white. I scream. His fingers tickle my throat as he tightens his grip, blocking my airway. Xander's face, covered in rage and betrayal, leaves me breathless. Literally.

The pressure squeezes me from the inside and I can feel my eyes bulge out of my sockets. I gasp, struggling for any bit of air that escapes his grip. Weakly, I slap his hand and mouth his name again and again, wondering what the hell is just wrong with him.

I didn't do anything.

I didn't.

A figure falls through the attic, perfectly through without making a single crack. Perhaps it's an angel - I really am dying. I don't get to see his face, but he's completely silver and drags my brother off of me, leaving me gasping and panting for air. Tears flow down my cheeks as I crawl away. My hand automatically moves to my neck and I become a crumpled heap of shaking flesh in the corner of the room.