The Skeletøn Bøy

TWØ

"Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind." -- Henri Frederic Amiel

++ C H A P T E R | T W Ø ++

"You're joking." Elliott felt lightheaded and woozy just thinking of the possibility of mother's return. They'd been gone for a year and she was back. The break was not long enough, especially not for Mat.

"Why would I ever joke about that?" Adrian sounded angry, which good reasoning. Mother was back. Mother was back.

"Where is she? At home? Where is Mat?" Elliott's mind was whirling at one hundred miles per hour, and he could barely breathe. All he could think of was little Mat, and his safety. Elliott was failing at being a good brother, like always.

"No, she talked to Anna. Demanded to see us, but Anna declined. She's going to court with it as well, saying we ran from home and we aren't orphans. Do you know what that could mean?"

Elliott did. And it frightened him, the thought of seeing his mother again and living with her. The thought of the stinging pain that came with the whips. The torture, the tears, and most importantly, the scars. Elliott shuddered with the memory of crying out in pain, no one around but mother to hear him.

"We won't go back, I promise." Elliott said, but he couldn't really promise this. He was eighteen, so legally he could adopt his own brothers, but he didn't even know where to start. And, he couldn't get involved with the Government. No one could ever learn their past, and their secrets.

"Elliott, you don't have to do this alone. I'm sixteen, I can help. Really." It was sweet of Adrian to offer this up, but Elliott knew he couldn't involve Adrian. Adrian could still have a future. Adrian could still recover from this mess they called life. Especially Mat. It was Elliott that had been permanently damaged. It was Elliott that couldn't look back.

"No. I'm doing this alone - I have to. I don't have a choice."

"Elliott, you always have a choice. We're in the same boat, remember? We're all the same-"

"Don't. Don't talk about it."

"I'm sick of pretending! I'm sick of hiding and being someone I'm not because of our past. Because of mother! I'm done with this, and so is Mat. Mat can still be fixed and grow up normal. Mat can be the person he's always wanted to be. You're stopping that!"

"No, I'm protecting you. Mother can't ever find out. Mother would know. Mother already probably knows you're thinking of it!" Elliott was distraught with fear. He couldn't let mother know.

Adrian understood Elliott had always had it the worse - he'd been beaten worse than the others. But, it was time to stop pretending. Elliott just had to see this and accept it. Changing would be hard, but it had to be done. For Mat, at least. Anna would love them the same no matter what.

The conversation was over as Elliott stormed back to the house. He couldn't imagine not pretending. Not hiding. Not being someone he wasn't. Elliott couldn't even fathom the thought of being the person he'd always wanted to be, but it was too late. No one would ever accept him. No one would ever look at him the same. His secret was too dark, too morbid, too dangerous to let go. He couldn't stand the thought of people bullying Mat and Adrian because of their past. He couldn't dare begin to imagine a different life, not until he knew mother was finally gone.

The house was empty and quiet when Elliott and Adrian returned. This put Elliott on edge - where was Mat and Anna? The fear crept up his throat and for a moment, he pictured being too late to save his brother and new foster mother. He pictured his mother holding Mat with a wicked smile on her face.