Story Excerpts

Phionex, excerpt 2

For the first few years of his life, at least as far as he could tell, Phionex could only remember three emotions; Fear, anger, and hatred. Scared for his life, furious over the crappy hand he had been dealt, hating his wicked birth parents for putting him in this world to begin with. For years, all the boy knew was pain, suffering from day one.
It didn't change when the small, weeping bundle they called his brother was shoved into his arms.
"You have to name him yet. They wanted you to, or else they would get attached." The headmaster had told him coldly. He never did find out who that coldness was to, and deep down, he didn't really care.
Just as he hadn't cared for the infant at first, either. It was loud, and smelly, and just kept crying. Phionex hadn't slept for days, until he finally picked the bundle off the bed, held the child in his arms, and finally named him. Named him, held him, grew attached to his brother, his new purpose in life.
Richard Evans. Oh, how he loved to say the name. Richard seemed to love hearing it, too. He would call out, and the boys beautiful yellow eyes would immediately glow.
October 5, 2002, they had told him. Born addicted to heroin, just as Phionex had been, kept in the custody of the midwife for months before he was given to Phionex, finally medically cleared as far as Natalia could tell. October 5th was the day his beautiful brother was cursed with life, and air, and a beating heart.
"Phionex Evans."
It still hurt every second of the day. Even the nights he was so wasted he couldn't tell up from down, it ached, deep in his rotting soul.
"We ask you to come calmly and willingly."
Why was this happening? What did he ever do to deserve this? It wasn't fair!
"You have been charged with murder."

September 29, 2011.
In the dim, foggy light, the body had been pulled from the icy river. Though the blood was all either frozen or washed away, anyone could have seen the body was beaten savagely before being thrown in.
'Ivanka Markov owes us money. Don't let it cost another life.'
Those words cleared Phionex's name. The paper had been folded and wrapped in plastic, put in a bag, and nailed to the body. Phionex couldn't have done it, he didn't know how to write.

His name was cleared, but his conscience was filthy. They hadn't even caught the real criminals. Phionex had to live the rest of his life not knowing who killed his brother. There was only a small satisfaction in the police letting him bury Richard on his own, rather than having his body turned to ash and thrown away.

And here he was again. Months after he buried the only good thing he ever had.
"Those men came again today. Showed up at my door this time, and didn't even knock. The needles made me sick today, too. I don't know what they want, or why they want it from me, but...I wish you were here, Richard. We could run far away from this place, and see the wonders of the world, and be happy, and we wouldn't have to live in fear anymore."
Please, don't cry. Not again.
"I know I said it a thousand times before, but I love you. You were always the light of my life. Nothing good was before you, and nothing good has been after you."
He was crying. He didn't want to cry.
"I hope you are happy, where you are. Wherever that is. That's all I ever wanted for you, you know. Happiness. And to know every day that I love you more than life itself."
The tears were freezing to his cheeks.
"I have to go. I'll come back soon."
He would have given anything to be with his brother again. In life, or in death.

Image: Appearance reference for Phionex, first draft. This is no longer an appearance reference for him