The Secrets Behind Them

∅{Emotions}§

⚠WARNING: gore/blood and dark topics referenced⚠

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"Miah!" Neveah shouts from the kitchen. My entire body tenses as I look down at the bloody scalpel in my left hand. I nearly stabbed myself with this thing when my sister yelled for me. My fingertips are dripping in blood, I made a mess on the floor too. At the moment, I'm sitting on the floor with my legs crossed and a decapitated mouse hanging by the tail in my right hand.

"Miah! For christ's sake, get out here!" Veah screeches again, leaving me in a panic. Shit. I have bloodied up hands. I set down my scalpel, picking up the red stained mouse head and then standing up. I scan my bedroom, searching for a hiding place for the dead animal. "Hurry up!" Neveah yells once more, I choose to rush to the window. I unlock the window, pulling it to the side and letting in a skin pinching breeze as it opens. I hesitate for a moment, questioning if throughing a bloody animal into the new snow is a smart idea. However, I have no time to lose before Neveah or literally anyone else comes to get me. I toss the carcass out into the winter wonderland outside. I only call it that because I picked it up from Carlos. I glimpse back at the scalpel and drips of blood on the wooden floor, I can't clean it up right now. I'll do that when I get back.

I swipe my hands behind my back, no one should know that I got my hands dirty like this again. I'll get a lecture from Gabe about "animal cruelty" and how killing "is bad." I lead myself out the door and into the hallway, pulling the door shut with my foot as I leave. Entering the lit hallway, I find myself immediately encountered with Gabe at the other end. Fuck.

"What's behind your back, huh?" Gabe goes right in for an interrogation. The worst thing about Gabe is that he can immediately tell when I'm hiding something. I clear my throat, coming up with some sort of excuse. Maybe I can tell him that I was messing with his knives again? Or that I had a bloody nose? He has his eyes glued on me right now, I'll have to be real convincing.

"I, uh." I freeze up as I put my hands to my sides and watch Gabe's eyes widen. The sight of my hands stained red shocks Gabe but at the same time, he isn't exactly surprised that it's blood. He sighs, scrunching up his face and placing his head in the palm of his hand. Any normal person eould immediately feel guilt for killing an animal at this point, but I just feel horrible for being caught.

"Miah. I told you to stop doing that." His hand slips off his face and he gives me a sharp glare to match the slight harshness of his voice. He just doesn't understand how irritating it is when I catch a mouse anywhere near my beloved plants. I point my eyes in a different direction to avoid the sight of my clearly frustrated brother. My head feels like it might topple over as a muscle in my left arm spasms out of nowhere. I can still feel Gabe staring heavily at me and I still don't feel bad for pest that I killed.

"How big of a mess did you make?" Gabe sighs, walking towards me and then turning to the bedroom door. He presses his hand against the wood and as I watch him, I feel the urge to stop him. I know what his reaction will be and it won't be fun for either of us. I swallow my saliva when he pokes his head into the room and spots the mini pool of mouse blood next to his blade. For a split second, Gabe turns away and his eyes twitch at the sight. He breathes in through his nose and slowly exhales with his eyes squeezed shut. Normally, Gabe goes straight to glaring at me when he sees what I've done. But this time, he appears much more upset about it than usual.

"Miah, where did you get that scalpel?" Gabe's voice becomes soft, but it nearly sounds shattered as he speaks. He brings both of his hands down, with one's thumb pressing into the sleeve of the opposite arm. I can see him clench his teeth as he does so. I suddenly feel compelled to feeling guilty and answering him.