Into The Woods

Running

"Go to sleep…!"

He knew- he should've known something would be wrong with his brother. He should've done something. He should've been more firm, he should've made an effort to make Jeff feel better. Clearly something had been wrong, the strange look in his brother's eyes, the way he kept...smiling...oh god that smile…

It was impossibly wide, and he realised why. It was carved into his face. Blood trickling down his brother's face from the fresh wound. One of his eyes was bleeding badly, blood pouring from the socket like tears.

This wasn't Jeff. This couldn't be Jeff. This wasn't his precious baby brother. It was a crude imitation pretending to be him. Burnt beyond recognition, scarred and smudged into a murderous monster.

Jeff panted, the knife shaking in his hand. His smile seemed to falter, and Liu took the opportunity. His hand shot out, gripping his brother's wrist. He snatched the knife from Jeff's hand while he was caught off guard and sat up immediately, holding the blade out as if he were brave enough to stab his brother.

Jeff stared at him, completely in shock. Slowly, he sat back on his knees, still staring. He clenched his teeth. Liu watched him shake and begin to sob. A familiar, feeble noise that made him think of the small boy who'd cling to his leg and whine whenever Liu had to leave him alone.

He hugged him.

Jeff gripped his shoulders tight, balling up the fabric of his shirt in his shaking hands. Liu didn't care. He just held his baby brother against him until the sobbing and gasping and mumbled sorrys went quiet. Jeff smelled like a hospital- probably because he'd just been discharged from one, and also...smoke...he knew exactly why. He didn't want to think about that though.

"I'm- I-I-I'm s-sor-" Jeff tried to mumble out again. Liu shushed him.

"Jeff?" He asked ever so softly. "What'd you do…?" He could only hope the answer wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be.

"I killed them." Jeff's voice was shaky and feeble, full of horror at his own actions. "I killed them both I-I-" he sniffled and gasped, sobs threatening to break him again. "I didn't wanna die…"

Liu blinked. He pulled away and looked at Jeff, bloody and white, so scared and afraid- "Die…?"

"D-dad he-" Jeff's gaze lowered, staring at nothing. His voice softened to almost a whisper. "He pulled a gun on me...mom...t-told him to…"

"Wh-why…?"

"She saw me... doing- doing th-this-" he pointed to the bloody gashes in his face. "She told him to shoot me be-because I-" he sniffled, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. "I didn't wanna die..." He whimpered.

Liu stared. Their parents- had- had they- he didn't want to believe it but he thought for a few moments. About how they'd yell at Jeff for just not being happy, or sometimes being too happy. About how they'd shame him for hurting himself rather than realise he needed a therapist or something other than a grounding. It made sense when he thought about it.

"Jeff." He said. His brother sniffled in reply. "That was self defense. You- you wouldn't get arrested for it."

Jeff looked up slowly. "Wh-What do you mean…?"

"I mean...when the police get here...you could get off on self defense."

Jeff looked terrified. He shook his head wildly. "No!" He yelped. He gripped Liu's shirt. "Plea-Please don't! I don't- I don't wanna go to prison Liu I don't I can't I couldn't I-I-I-"

Liu stared in surprise at his brother's reaction. "Why are you so scared? I just said you wouldn't get arrested!"

"They'll separate us." Jeff croaked out. Liu opened his mouth in surprise, then closed it. He looked around, worried. Jeff had a point. They'd definitely be put in different living arrangements. Away from each other. Liu couldn't let that happen. He knew Jeff couldn't live without him, and he couldn't live without Jeff.

"...Then I guess we'll just have to run away."

"H-Huh?"

"We'll go on the run." Liu gulped. He was seventeen- old enough to get a job. He could sustain them if they got a place to live. He could look after Jeff. He'd spent years raising him just as much as their parents had. "We'll find somewhere safe to stay and we'll- well, we'll figure it out."

Jeff stared at him. "But wouldn't we look guilty for that?" He breathed. Liu looked away nervously.

"Yeah...but we'll- we'll figure it out." He looked at Jeff again. "It's either we lose each other or we run away. I won't make you deci-"

"Run away." He didn't even have to finish his sentence. Jeff knew what he wanted. Liu nodded.

"Pack your stuff. Put clean clothes on, wash the blood off yourself." Liu said. Jeff nodded. "And take as much money as you can find."

"Even from mom and dad?"

"Even from mom and dad."

Jeff nodded and climbed off the bed. He had grabbed his knife back. He stared at it for just a moment, then dropped his arm, turned, and left the room. Liu climbed off the bed quickly and moved to his wardrobe.

It was just him and Jeff now.