Malignant, Endless, Passionate

Two: A Sense of Belonging

Two: A Sense of Belonging

The warmth of Leo's house instantly hit Celosia as he opened the front door and motioned for her to step inside. She was infinitely grateful for his kind offer, and she wanted to embrace him and express how much his kindness meant to her, yet whenever it came to a conversation about feelings, she became nothing more than a mute.

 “Your home is lovely,” she complimented, her eyes fascinated by the eccentric paintings welcoming her. “Do you enjoy art?”

 “I'm not much of an artist myself,” Leo answered from a room a distance away from the front door, where Celosia still stood, her gaze lingering on the pieces of art as she admired every detail, “however I do enjoy looking at it. It's something I believe all homes should have, y'know? It's wonderful because every guest has something different to say about them and it's, it's nice to hear someone else's opinion.”

 Celosia followed Leo's voice as he spoke. He seemed to marvel in art and from the way he spoke she could sense his fondness.

 “My father had the same mindset.” Celosia let a nostalgic smile form on her lips, holding eye contact with Leo just long enough to see him smile back.

 “Tea?” Leo offered, handing the mug he'd just made to her, willing for her to take it.

 “Sure, thank you.”

 There was a silence that lingered between them then, as Celosia took a seat at the dining table placed beside the double doors leading to Leo's garden. She stared out of it, wondering how lonely it must get for Leo, living somewhere as big as this all by himself – or so, she assumed he was by himself.

 She took a sip of her tea, now moving from the seat she deemed uncomfortable. Instead, she stood next to the glass doors. There was a swingset that looked as old as the shed beside it and Celosia knew it hadn't been touched for a period of years. Thoughts of what happened here began clouding her mind, Leo's whole garden eerily isolated.

 Sia envisioned her and her younger brother. Their childlike innocence something that always had their mother and father watch them in awe. It was almost like the scene playing in her head was happening in slow motion in front of her. Her hip-length hair, blonde at the time, darting in every direction as she chased him. Her brother's beaming smile, being with Celosia the only time he ever really smiled. When she caught him, the exhilarating laughter he'd burst into as his body would be in a fit from her tickles. His begging her to stop and the more he begged, the more she'd carry on, tickling him harder. Nothing made her happier than seeing him smile like that, hearing him belt out laughter and the sight of him being so carefree; nothing mattered more to them than that present moment.

 Like an abrupt hand forcing her head underwater, Celosia's vision now held a memory she ached to forget. She was no longer tickling her brother, she was witnessing as he got strangled. His suffocating. His cries. Still only a child, she stood, screaming hopelessly, unable to find the physical strength needed to move, to help him. Though at only nine years old, what could she have done? She stood, lifeless. The tears cascading down her cheeks were now a replica of the tears that flew like a waterfall from her eyes as a child. It was a twisted horror movie in her head, her mind putting her through torture she could all but endure, inflicting these hallucinations as a simple reminder: Derry was dead.

 “Celosia?” Leo's interruption of her thoughts shocked Sia, causing her to jump. She turned to face him, wiping her eyes hurriedly. “Are you okay?”

 “I-I'm fine. I'm fine, thank you for asking,” she let out a sigh of relief, thankful for him breaking her away from her memories, but also thankful for his company. She placed her mug in the warm water in his sink and began washing up, leaving Leo dumbfounded.

 “You don't need to wash up, y'know, you're the guest.”

 “Don't worry, it's fine. I'm done now, anyway,” she smiled at him wholeheartedly, her eyes a hint of bloodshot, “am I sleeping on the sofa tonight, or?”

 “Oh, of course not. I have a spare bedroom, come.”

 Celosia wiped her hands and proceeded to follow Leo, before stating “you don't need to take me there. If you tell me which room it is I can go by myself”

 “Well, yeah, yeah okay. You go across the hallway, and it's the room on your left. The sheets and everything, they're clean, just in case you were y'know...”

 Celosia let out a little chuckle at that, “no, I wasn't, but thank you,” she began walking up the stairs, before peering over them, adding “oh, and Leo?”

 “Yeah?”

 “Merry Christmas.”