BloodBorne

Memories

We enjoyed the rest of the day killing time with stories and games. We were becoming more aquainted with one another as the hours passed. He told me of his mom's death in childbirth and his father's death to cancer and how the Foster's took him and his little sister in as if they were their own. He didn't get emotional about his parents but when it came to his little sister Tilly , the tears flowed freely. He had witnessed her death first-hand unlike his parents.

" You don't have to tell me how it happened Asher.. I don't want to upset you "

"No, I .. I haven't talked to anyone else about it since it happened. I need to tell someone"

"Okay, take your time"

I said gently holding his forearm.

" It was when this all started, news hadn't spread to us yet.. we didn't know it was happening. And well, we had run out of feed for the chickens so we climbed in my pickup and head to the Mart in town. People were running around like they were in a hurry and cars were speeding down the roads. We went into the Mart I had her little hand in mine . I let go. Just to pickup the bag of feed and when I turned around she was gone . I heard her .. her scream.. "

His voice cracked and he struggled to control his breathing.the tears falling deliberately.

" I dropped the feed and ran to where it came from and those .. things .
They were eating her.
Her lifeless little eyes stared through me . I lost it . I beat them until they stopped moving and even after they did. They took her from me . I brought her home in the pickup with me . It was silent the whole ride . When I pulled in the drive she made a low groaning noise and her eyes shot open bloodshot and glassy . She came at me and bit my arm. Scared me .. I had to gag her and tie her up. It wasn't until the next day when I came to see if she was still there that I realized she wasn't my Tilly anymore. She became a monster. I .. I held her and rocked her in my arms singing her her favorite song but she continued to fight me. I .. I had to put a knife through her head to end it... If I hadn't let go she'd still be here.. I shouldn't have let go.."

He wrapped his arms around himself and sobbed . There was nothing that could be said to make him feel any better so I just hugged him. We stayed like that for what felt like forever before his sobs stopped and he gently pulled back and whispered.

"I'm sorry.."

I eyed him gently

"Don't be. That's a lot for just one person to carry. I'm glad you trusted me enough to share it with me. You did what you had to and I'm sorry that there wasn't a way to bring her back from that darkness. But you can't blame yourself for her death. It wasn't your fault that that happened to her. And you don't have to feel alone anymore. I'm here whether you want someone to listen or someone to help with work. You don't have to do it alone ever again."

He peered at me through blurry eyes and gave me a small smile.

"Thank you"

We sat in comfortable silence for the next few hours before  the sun started to fall. I was getting hungry again so I figured I would make him dinner tonight since he'd been so generous and because of the emotional trauma that ensued earlier in the day. I made my way to the kitchen and looked through the cupboards to see what I could whip up. Egg noodles, can of mixed veggies, beef broth, and beef boyon cubes. I would make him beef and vegtable soup. I dug out a pot and poured all of the ingredients in and covering it over. I turned the temperature between medium and high heat and let it simmer stirring every so often. I hoped he'd like it , after all, I was winging it . I cooked a lot before the world ended but it'd been a while since I had. The closest thing to a stove in the lab was the Bunsen burner or break room microwave. It already smelled delicious my stomach gurgled at the scent. I was so hungry. I let the soup simmer until the noodles were fully cooked in the broth before removing it from the heat and adding garlic powder, onion powder, salt , and pepper. I pulled out two bowls and spooned the soup into each before covering it over and grabbing two spoons. I walked into the living room with both in hand setting mine on the table and handing him his.