Dear Brother

28. Telling and Midnight

Dale felt sick as he picked up his phone, his heart hammering and head spinning lightly.

"Please pick up, please pick up..." his whispered, and suddenly the phones connected. Iyden's faint voice called out down the phone. "Hey Iyden....can you meet me at the park? I need to talk... Yeah, thanks. See you then. Bye."

**

Iyden pulled on his black jacket, pulling up the collar so that it covered his neck, and wrapped a bright red scalf around himself, wanting to be warm. He slipped on his school shoes, and hurried out of the door. Haydrian was still out, and would be for a while, so he reckoned he'd be back by the time his brother was home.

He rolled his shoulders as he headed to the park, head down against the light splattering as rain. Mud started to cake his shoes, and he groaned as mud seeped through the small hole and soaked his sock.

Dale was perched on the swing, moving his legs back and forth and hidden by a huge blue raincoat. Iyden hurried to him a little faster, curious, and waved his hands around so Dale would spot him.

He did.

"Iyden, you came." he said in a vaguely flat voice.

"Of course I did." Iyden said, "Why wouldnt I?" Dale just shrugged.

"I've got something to tell you."

"Yeah, you said."

"So....you wanna sit down?"

"No." Iyden cleared his throat. "Not really."

"Oh..." Dale muttered, and started to fiddle with his thumbs.

 Iyden rolled his eyes and sat down on the grass, crossing his legs and feeling the cool damp seep through his trousers.

"There, I'm sitting down. Now will you tell m-me?" Iyden said, feeling his voice go rough and strong. It wasn't like him, he didn't like it...but he pushed it from his mind.

"Sure." Dale muttered. "I just...don't know how to tell you."

"Spit it out!" Iyden growled, locking his eyes onto Dale like a snake to it's prey. He was angry, feeling it burn up in him and comming out of him through his voice. It only caused Dale to fidget more.

"It's...it's about my dad." Dale started, his voice going faint. He looked past Iyden to the gate, which was swinging gently in the cold wind.

"Riiight?" Iyden said a little less tempermental now. "What about him, Dale?"

"He...um...you know when Cami tried to k-kill herself before? It's because my f-father..." Dale stopped himself again. His heart beat sputtered rapidly, banging to the forefront of his chest. His pulse screamed in his ears, while a unfamiliar feeling of vibration sizzled through the tips of his fingers. Nervousness, building up to the big moment.

 Iyden frowned. "Because your father what? I didn't come here for you to waste my time. Spit it out Dale, I'm in a horrible mood and I don't want to scream at you." Iyden felt like he could scream.

"My father is a rapist and murderer!" Dale yelled, and then silence fell. He'd rushed out the last words, quick and forceful, hoping it would make him feel a little better, but it didnt. "Cami tried to kill herself because she can't stand it that we're related to him. She tried to drown herself because of that. I'm sorry, I'm sorry you had to get involved and I'm sorry you had to help and now I'm so sorry you have to know."

And then it kicked in.

Killingham. Dale Killingham...

Killingham- Kyner.

Killingham-Kyner, the man who had ruined Iyden's life.

His chest burst, and he felt so so sick. Iyden pulled his coat around him a little more and looked at Dale, who was pale and ill looking.

"I..I need to go, okay? I...I'll see...I'll see you at school."

Iyden got up, and as quickly as his disfunctional legs would let him, he ran away.