Nemesis: A Love Story

CHRIS

She wakes in the late hours of the afternoon. Her head raging at her for last nights transgressions.
She still has her clothes on and rolls over to stand. She sways on her feet slightly. Her eyes scan the room.
This isn't her room.
She's in her brothers room. How had she gotten here?
Half of her wants to flee but a strong half wants to stay.
Here.
In this space.
His space.
To feel any piece of who her brother once was.
She turns slowly taking it all in. There's a thick layer of dust but she can still see him.
Everywhere.
His hockey posters, his sticks and tape in one corner. A jersey still hangs over the back of his desk chair.
She walks to his desk to see pictures of them together, a family, before everything went wrong.
Horribly wrong.
Why hadn't they seen the signs, she thinks as she holds a picture in her trembling hands. Her fingertips gliding carefully over her parents faces, like somehow if she presses too hard they'll feel it.
Wherever they are.
She softly returns the picture. Puts it back in its proper place.
To the left, pinned onto his bulletin board, she sees photo booth pictures of just the two of them.
She is sitting on his lap.
She looks about 11 so he's 14.
They are smiling.
Making faces.
She remembers that day.
He'd taken her to the mall.
To go see a movie.
He was never one of those  brothers embarrassed to be seen with his little sister, or his family.
In fact she would dare say that he liked her.
As well as loved her fiercely.
If she had been bullied on the playground, he and his friends were the first to arrive. Giving a warning to anyone who dared mess with her.
He was large for his age and he used that to his advantage when needed.
That day at the mall, they'd watched the movie, gotten the pictures taken.
Grabbed ice cream.
Messed around on some riding toys for little kids.
He had been laughing one minute and then the next he suddenly stopped short. Turning around in circles looking for something or someone.
At first she had laughed thinking he was being silly.
He did that sometimes.
But this time he just looked at her confused and frightened.
"Tess, don't laugh. Don't you hear them?"
His tone made the laugh in her voice drop away.
"No. Hear what?"
He shook his head and ran a hand over his face and hair.
Disoriented.
He looked around again.
And grabbed her hand roughly.
"Come on" he pulled her away harshly.
"Ouch! Chris you're hurting me" she told him as he dragged her down the busy mall. She tried  to yank free.
He stopped suddenly turning to face her. His hands on her little shoulders.
"I'm sorry, bug, " he sighed. His eyes moved back and forth over her head.
To something in the distance.
"I just need you to walk faster" he pleaded.
"Why?" She asked confused and scared herself now.
"They're following us." He explained his green eyes meeting hers.
Intense.
Serious
"Who is?" She whispered starting to cry.
He caressed her face tenderly.
Sssshhhh
"The monsters." He nodded frantically "don't worry I won't let them hurt you."
She nodded back in absolute acceptance.
"You promise?"
He let out a relieved exhale. Happy that she believed him.
"Pinky promise"
The locked their pinkies tightly. A promise made.
"I want Mom and Dad" she admitted to him honestly.
"Me too, bug" a single tear fell down his cheek. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
He swooped her up into a hug then and moved her onto his back... piggybacked her quickly out of the mall and towards the safety of home.
"Chris?" she said into his ear as they dashed away.
"Yeah."
"I won't let the monsters get you either"
She heard her big brother make a noise. Like the ones she makes when she's hurt and wants to cry but is holding it in. Trying to be a big girl.
"I know, bug."
She hugged him tighter.
They got home and never spoke about it their parents.
He'd sworn her to secrecy and a promise was a promise.
He'd gone to his room then. The door locked. Music played loudly from upstairs.
He didn't come down to dinner that night.

Looking back at it now. She knows this was the beginning of their end. The family they once were.
She reaches out and pulls the pin out. Letting the strip of pics fall onto the desk. She picks them up, holds them in her hand.
"I miss you." She whispers to his image.
She turns to look one last time at his room.
At a life that hadn't had a chance to come to fruition.
All that potential lost and she felt anger swell inside her again.
Anger at herself for not keeping her promise.
She hadn't protected him from the monsters.
No one had.
She closes her eyes tightly.
Pushing those memories back and away to the furthest parts of her mind.
She closes the door softly behind her.
Not wanting to stir the ghosts.