Emergence ~ Split

Chapter Five

Casey understood regret well. She had regretted a lot of things over her life. But the biggest regret she had, was not pulling the trigger in front of her Uncle. He haunts her dreams, her day life and her privacy.

Casey learnt how to remove herself from situations when they became unbearable, more often to not it was closing her eyes and running a small knife along her skin. But soon she began to regret that too.

Her uncle saw the cuts, and saw her as a fool. Yelled at her for damaging the only thing her father left her, good health. Her cry of help didn't get attention, and soon she began to believe it. Feeling ashamed about ruining what her father saw in her, becoming emotionally crippled and too scared to harm or heal herself. Contradicting each thought about what her father wanted. In turn becoming malleable, without thought, without problem.

Kevin could never hold his shoulders high without earning a whack to the back of his head, and a sly remark from his mother about his distracted focus. His hands were rubbed raw from all the cleaning, thin layers of skin peeling away, his hands stinging, aching blisters between his fingers.

His red hands were always held behind his back as he walked the St John Paul aisle, his clothes perfectly pressed against him as his mother stood even more immaculate with a dark pinned coat and skirt. He would sit for hours without a word, without any other thought beside that of which was expected by him. But what took his sanity after each day, was when they arrived back home.

Kevin always slipped out of his church clothes, but his mother became lazy, she would hurry to sit on the couch and expect Kevin to bring her something to eat. Kevin's only skill, even to this day, sandwiches. The crumbs and smears always found their way onto her coat, littering filth across her. Kevin felt disgusted and ashamed, he could't comprehend what his mother wanted.

Kevin found himself a friend, Dennis. A figure so capable and compliant to what his mother needed. What Kevin needed, stiff and silence. But Kevin doesn't need Dennis anymore, his mother died eight years ago. There was no one left to prove or to provide for. Since Dennis's desires have slowly become more of in focus, acting on selfish impulse rather than planned expertise. Kevin didn't need this. Instead he needed revenge, he needed anger and bitter passion to carve the future from. Kevin needs to destroy what expectations are left, to destroy what is pure, he needs to melt back into himself and fall through to the other side, slip beneath Dennis and face the world as a beast.

-

His thumbs indented her skin, as his eyes slowly slipped up from her top to look back at her. Casey felt a cold shiver press against her spine at his deteriorating hold over himself.

Casey sat back on the bed, placing the first aid kit beside her as she waited for him return from his frozen panicked state. After a moment, the man scanned her face, his own expression being one of pain and fear as his breath caught up to him, slowly puffing between them.

He leaned towards to Casey, his other hand coming to rest against her leg as he shifted closer. His eyes dropped to her lips as he blinked nervously to look into her eyes. Casey watched him with confusion, not knowing who he was. But the gentle expectation in his eyes made Casey wanted to clear the space and hold him close, his warm hand resting on her leg driving her crazy with the light pressure of his rough calloused fingers.

The man drew his leg off the pillow, to move the final centimetres closer. But the tensing of his muscles caused the thin fibres in his thigh to tear as he gritted his teeth at the pain instantly looking at his again noticing the large red patch of bandages taped to his bare thigh.