GUILLOTINE

Chapter 6: Buried Memories

As we were walking in the cold and white streets, the silence surrounding us wasn't like the kind of silence from the first time. This time, both of us felt a lot better with each other, it was as if all the conflicts between us was gone, just like that. Still, I knew that he was going to ruin it sooner or later.

"Hey, kiddo..." he said, somehow worried. "How's your back?"

"Well, it's still aching as hell." actually I haven't thought about it until now. "But, whatever, you'll need more than that to stop me."

"You can hurt yourself, don overdo it."

Before I could even refuse, Sebastian held me in his back and gave me a piggyback ride. I couldn't help but feeling surprised, he haven't done anything like that since I was like seven years old, last time I ever saw him actually. I held tightly to his neck, perhaps too much.

"Don't hold too tight, I can't breathe." He coughed while trying to speak. I obeyed. " ...Hey, do you remember when you were little and you used to ask me to give you piggybacks all the time? You were such a cute kid".

"I do remember... And I also remember the time that you left and you never came back."

Silence... just silence... Seems like I had hit the bullseye. He did not seem to have a concrete answer to give me, so I didn't say anything else. Yes, I never truly liked Sebastian as I said in the beginning, but he was somehow the closest thing I had to a dad, and one day, he disappeared as if I had meant nothing to him, nothing to mom, and nothing to Diana. He just left...

"Alan... I just had some things that I needed to solve." Guilt was deep in his voice. " I couldn't stay much longer."

"Whatever, it isn't important anymore." I was really trying to contain the tears in my eyes, so I pressed my face against Sebastian's shoulder. "...You know? For some time, I waited, I asked my mom every single day if you were coming back..." I couldn't contain the tears anymore so I started crying silently. "And you just... you just left like that... as if I weren't important anymore, just another useless piece of garbage..." I sobbed. "...I guess I still am... I understand why you left..."

Again the silence. It was as if he was saying with no words that I was right, which was a lot more painful. The cold tears kept falling from my eyes, some even ended on Sebastian's big coat. I just didn't understand, I didn't. He said that my family was important to him, but then, why did he left?

"Trust me, I wanted to return." He stuttered, trying to find a way to express himself. "But... there's some things that are better for you not to know."

That was the last thing that we said to each other, the rest of the trip was as awkward and uncomfortable as always. I couldn't understand what he meant by that, better for me? What kind of secrets was he talking about? I sighed, it was Sebastian after all. He was so mysterious and reserved...

When we get home, we couldn't believe what was in front of us... the house was open, the door was completely destroyed. Sebastian put me back to the ground again so we could react faster if it was necessary. When we got into the house, all the lights were off and the curtains were closed, so we couldn't see anything. But we noticed a red string lying in the ground making a really particular trace, it looked like it was meant to guide us somewhere.

Uncle Sebastian tried to turn on the lights, but he couldn't, electricity had been cut. We started following the string around all the house. It turned here, it turned there, around the corner, behind the stairs. It was pretty easy, but confusing. I couldn't see anything at all, and all I could feel was Sebastian breathing against my neck.