Off Record [Ereri/Riren] ✓

27 ⚕︎Intangible ✍︎

Off Record
Chapter 27
⚕︎Intangible ✍︎
Levi

in·tan·gi·ble

/inˈtanjəb(ə)l/

adjective

unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence.

I open my eyes and I'm again nine years old, watching my mom and Uncle Kenny leave as Farlan is in his bedroom playing with his toy. My mom is wearing suggestive clothing while Kenny guides her by the small of her back. I can see the gun poking from underneath his shirt and I already know that he's going to help my mother sell herself and intervene if needed. It's just how life is. My mom is a prostitute and Kenny her pimp. If only it didn't have to be like this.

"Take good care of Farlan, Levi!" Mom calls as she leaves, despite it not being night. On a day like this, they are most likely going to Sina where people can pay more rather than deal with the poor trash of 'The Underground', what we call our little ghetto.

"Always do," I reply, watching as the siblings depart.

"Levi!" Farlan runs out from our shared room. "Can we play hide and seek?"

"Sure. Why not?"

We head outside and walk to the rundown, tetanus-infested park that is about a block away from our sagging, seemingly dilapidated house. We're technically squatters, but it's fine. No one knows we exist anyway.

"Count to twenty- no, thirty!" Farlan claps.

I roll my eyes and smile, turning into a tree and begin to count.

28

29

30

I turn around and my eyes widen when I see a calico cat, quickly running over and squatting to pet it. Its fur is so soft and it's just mesmerizing. Maybe if I take it home, it can be my cat. Yeah, if I don't feed it, but give it love, maybe it'll visit me, but not rely on me. That could work.

"I shall name thee..." I check its undercarriage. "Lola."

Lola purrs and rubs her head against my my leg. I smile and laugh.

"You're so cute, Lola. I bet Farlan would li..."

Farlan.

I get up and grab Lola, running around frantically, looking for my little brother. He can't be gone. He's just hiding. What if. What if...

What if he's dead?

Tears are running rapidly down my face as I scream bloody murder, looking for my brother. My feet, ankles, and knees hurt so, so bad, but I can't stop. I Need him. He's my brother.

"Farla-"

I trip and hurt my knee. It's bleeding and my tears have dried up. Everything feels so hopeless.

I want to die.

"Hello."

I look up and see a boy when appears to be younger than me with moppy brown hair and big blue-green eyes holding a hand out.

I don't take it and instead just stare at him. He seems to be from a well off part of town, as his shoes and clothes are in good condition. Since he notices that I'm not keen on letting him help me up, he instead squats on the ground and touches my knee.

"O-Ow, you fucking brat!" I hiss, but he just stares at the crimson liquid like it's the most precious thing on Earth.

"Pretty." His eyes meet mine. "You're pretty."