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we've missed you
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. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧
Before anyone could even react, the flayed Tom Holloway lifted Jonathan Byers up by his collar using his Mind Flayer induced strength. With a grunt, he slammed the boy against the cabinet, where Jonathan promptly fell to the ground, a moan tearing loose from his lips. Alina's vision was blackening now, her vocal cords aching, but the sight of her brother being hurt yet again made her muster up her voice to call his name. As desperate tears fell down her face, Alina rubbed her palms together, trying to make some kind of spark, but she was too tense to let anything in, and therefore nothing arrived. And perhaps she should've kept quiet, because Tom whirled around at the sound of her voice, seeming to remember that she was there.
Alina couldn't move—she could barely breathe—so she was defenseless when Tom picked her up next. Seizing her by the collar, Alina felt her feet lift off the ground again, and she could do nothing but stare into his cold eyes. They were the eyes of the monster, and she could see the Mind Flayer peeking out of the dilated pupils. She could see it in the insane smile on Tom's lips.
Tom's voice was slime when he spoke next. "Well, well," he said, keeping a firm hand on her. "Who is this bleeding all over the hospital room right now?"
It was like a slap in her already-injured face, a kick to her bruised ribs. The reference to the dinner, where Tom Holloway had been human, if a bit of an asshole. The Mind Flayer was toying with her, showing a bit of his old humanity from his old life and lacing the words with venom. It wasn't Tom Holloway speaking anymore, Alina knew, but the Mind Flayer had access to all of him. His memories. His mind. His heart. Just like it had for her last year. So Tom had no secrets anymore.
Alina wheezed through broken vocal cords. "L-leave my brother alone," she pleaded. Her words were slurring a little less now, but they were still thick. It didn't matter, anyway. She didn't think the Mind Flayer was judging her. "P-please. I'll... I'll do anything."
"Will you?" Tom asked, tilting his head. "I know. We know that about you. We know everything about you. We know that you'd do anything for your family." His tone was high and mocking. "Anything. But it's a real shame, Alina Fairgrieves, because there's nothing you can give to us that we can't just take for ourselves."
