Almost Surviving

Chapter Two

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Chapter Two: Kain

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Kain's soft, hitched, puffs of scared breaths create a squeaking sound with every inhale. Though asleep the child is terrified, sounds of distress made with every sound that can be heard by his small ears.

As Casien pulls him closer Kain jumps himself awake before calming down to the familiar humming of his brother. He begins to hitch his breath faster as if rearing up to begin crying.

Casien shifts even closer, eyes puffy, and pulls Kain into his arms. One arm under Kain's head, his thin brown hair tickling his arms slightly, shifting his leg forward past where a curled Kain lays toward the wall.

He lays his head on top of Kain's head, shifting his hand to be just above his neck, and buries Kain's nose into his collar.

Casien sighs, slightly numb, his chest permanently burning, like the weight of the world was on him.

His brain repeating the horrors, him trying to forget as scenarios of what he should have done, what he should have said. His chest hurts more and a burning in the back of his throat surfaces, he ignores it.

He looks down and has to muffle a sudden sob, right into Kain's hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He whispers in a hoarse, hysterical voice. As if repeating it would change anything as if it was his fault.

Kain, flinching, shivers as a cold breeze is blown through the tiny room. Heating off, lights out, food-gone.

He clutches Casien closer burrowing his nose hard into Casien's collarbone, using him as a tissue. Dried tears crusted on his cheeks and neck making his face stick to Casien's neck.

Casien just lies there his bare shoulders covered in goosebumps, and pulls the blanket higher up on Kain, covering his ears.

He maneuvers himself out of Kain's grip. Kain makes a jolt before a shushing noise from Casien calms him down. Kain makes a whine of protest and starts to tear up.

"I'll be right back. I promise." Casien whispers into his ear, he slowly gets up rubbing his brother's back gently before quietly grabbing a flashlight off the dresser, he turns it on and sits it back down facing the wall.

He opens the drawer, now able to see, before grabbing a pair of heavy-duty jeans and a leather jacket. He then takes off the pajama pants and changes into the jeans, holding onto the dresser as he gets dressed.

Afterwards, he picks up the pajama pants and goes through the oversized pockets, grabbing a pocket knife from the pants and slipping it into the side pocket of his jeans.

Slipping on the leather jacket he zips it up as far as it will go and grabs a pair of leather gloves far too big for his hands from on top of the dresser.

He slips them on, before gathering two braided shoe strings that were sitting beside the gloves and ties the ends of them as tight as he can to each of his wrists to keep them in place.

He grabs a pair of muddy leather boots and slips his feet in one at a time. He tucks his jeans into them before tying them and grabs his motorcycle helmet, securing it to his head. Manhandling the bat propped up by the door to a comfortable position in his hand, he sighs and closes the guard on his helmet.

Casien grabs a green duffel bag and a key from on top of the dresser. Slinging the bag over his shoulder and slipping the key into his pocket.

He looks back at Kain, who is watching intently at him, eyes still half-open, Kain has a sad look on his face.