PAPER SIGNS | miscellaneous

→ the goodbye

hey guys :) this is a short one but it's a writing i did recently at school. the limit was supposed to be 300 words (but lol fuck it). it's also the first time i've tried to write an entire story using present tense, so give me pointers if you got any.

taken inspiration from the young elites

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I rush up to my room and bolt the door shut. Bending down, I dig up the sack I have stored under the bed. Inside holds all the tradeable items I could find in the house: gold, silver, jewellery—all the preparation I've made for the day that I can't stand to live here anymore. Then I fling open my closet to pull out an armful of clothes. The sack begins to fill up. But it isn't long before there's banging on the door.

"Aidan? Aidan! Open the door!"

The panic fuels me to pack even faster. But—damn the horrible locks this house has—my brother breaks through just as I'm ready. Donavan is staring at the mess I've created in my room. He has some sort of pained expression, what—is that heartbreak?

"Aidan?"

His mouth is open with disbelief. I expect him to grab my bag and force me to stay, but he just looks on.

"You know I don't belong here." I tighten my hold on my sack.

"But you do! You're part of our family. You're my brother, please don't leave." He's actually pleading. Fool.

I snarl at him, "Your family has made it quite clear since the day I was 'adopted' into here: I'm not welcomed." He's seen me suffer all these years, how dare he say these kinds of lies right to my face? I love you; he liked to say. Father loves you, and mother too. They just don't know how to show it.

I'd feel pity for him if it isn't so utterly pathetic.

"You can't just leave. Where would you go?" Far away from you. "Running doesn't solve all of your problems, brother."

"And why would you care?"

"Because I love you."

Lies.

I snort, and then I start to laugh, but I feel no amusement. "I'm no coward, Donavan. I will gain power, and I swear I will become a force to be reckoned with. I will watch this house burn to ashes with a fire that I lit. And none will dare cross me again." The cold promise sends chills up my spine. It's all wrong, I know. I shouldn't direct my fear and hatred toward him; he was the only one who ever showed me kindness.

But how exactly do you restrain fifteen years of hate and abuse?

So I let the venom drip into my voice. I want to hurt him. "And I am not your brother." I spit out every syllable with conviction.

I can see his bottom lip tremble. An odd sense of satisfaction washes over me when he speaks; with such pain as well, "Fine. But you're not leaving here."

"And you're not going to stop me."

Seconds pass. Minutes. Before he finally lets out a breath that's barely a whisper. "No. No, I won't."

I approach the window and turns for one final look. And the longer I observe, the more I remember. When we used to love each other, I would make wooden swords every week on the condition that he played with me. We'd steal sweets every day and get into trouble for all the wrong reasons—

Why am I reminiscing about a place I hate?

I shake my head to focus on Donavan instead. He looks defeated, hopeless. And for a split second, I want to reach out to grab his hand and tell him everything's alright. But I direct that hand to secure my sack.

Then with one last meaningful gaze, I disappear into the night.