Brothers and Broken minds - Remus Greenbough

[Darkthrasher]

Drip…. Drip…..Drip….

The sounds of the recent finished rain echoed down the greyed halls. Seeming endless, though the noise was soothing, like the leaves of the forest, chattering with the wind.

It’s so cold tonight.

Smeared glass, unable to see through, save for the remnants of water that trickled from the rooftops, running streams of purity alit by the alley lanterns, down, down, down…. And gone. Endless, for eternity. At least how it felt.

Why are they keeping me up? I just want to sleep, I’m so tired.

Drip…. Drip…. Drip…

Heavy boots, rung out louder than the ambience. Thud, Thud, Thud. Two loud slams on the door, then it was blasted open.

Mister Bosco… what’s he carrying?

Brown eyes of innocence followed the figure, his face was cold, apathetic… A sound was heard… Whimpering… whimpering from within the man’s hands. He was carrying someone small, someone hurt. That metallic smell…blood? The man threw his contents onto the bed across the room, and thudded out, shutting the door.

Shhhunk… the latch of the door closed from outside. Whimpering…. Whimpering from the bed. There was no light, not enough to see who it was. He would have to get closer. The floor boards creaked, and the whimpering was louder. Getting closer. His hand met sheets, and blindly felt to the source of whimpering. It was wet, warm… that metallic smell… blood. The source of the whimpering recoiled.

“F-farkas? Is…that you?”

A Pause… Drip… Drip… Drip…. A sniffle and reply.

“It’s me, Remus.”

He didn’t know what to say, though the questions spread like toxin through his mind. How? Why? Who? The whimpering began anew.

“…What happened?...”

Whimpering turned to sobbing, and gasping breathes. Fear was felt, gripping like a strong hand to his throat, choking his life away.

“Don’t… Don’t sing for him… No poems for him”

“Don’t sing for him Remus, No poems... Don’t!... Don’t sing for him Remus, No poems!... DON’T!”

The voices crescendo wavered into fearful whimpers. He crawled to the edge of the bed, back the way he had come. His hand was sticky from the wetness, but that fear bid him not knock on the door for aid. Slipping off, his feet found the floor boards. Creaking. Each step an assault on the ambience. His hand met sheet again, this time familiar. Safe… No fear here. The voice rang in his head, as he crawled to the safety within the sheets.

Don’t sing for him Remus, no poems.
Don’t sing for him Remus, no poems.
Don’t sing for him Remus, no poems.
Don’t sing for him Remus, no poems.
…DON’T SING FOR HIM, NO POEMS…
… DON’T SING FOR HIM, NO POEMS…
… DON’T SING FOR HIM, NO POEMS…


Drip… Drip… Drip…

[Darkthrasher]

BANG, BANG, BANG.

Eyes opened with a startle. Nothing but blackness, and the final remains of the rain.

Why? Why do they keep doing this?

Those innocent brown eyes turned across the room, peering into the void towards the bloody covered lump of his brother in the bed, barely seen. The whimpering had ceased, exhaustion taking over. Not even the loud slamming of the door rising the stained juvenile from his slumber.

There it was again, that feeling. Choking, damning, numbing. Like being dragged into ice cold water. Fear.

Mister Bosco’s voice barked out from behind the door.
“Remus… tha head master wants ta see you …”

Silence... Hesitation....

BANG, BANG, BANG.

“…Hurry up, tha master don’t like ta wait…”

That same fear inside now urged him out of bed. Scrambling for feet to find floorboards. Breath quickening, pulse ringing in his ears. A final glance through that void to the bed across his. No movement, not even the rise and fall of breath seen.

Is he dead?

No matter, fear drove him now, numbing his thoughts.

The thudding of the small feet on the floor within the room alerted Mister Bosco. The door swung wide, revealing blinding light. Those innocent eyes adjusted, and looked upon Mister Bosco’s face. A face of apathy, of animosity; unfamiliar sights.

“C’mon lad, you’ve taken your sweet time. Best hurry now afore the master thinks I let you sleep.”

A prod in the side meant to start moving. The air was cold; breath was seen in the dimness of the hallway. It was like a blur. An intense mirage. Only the light from the sconced candles disrupting the cover of blackness down the hall. Moisture dripped from brow. Freezing cold streams tickling his colder flesh. It came into view. A great green door, the head master’s door. Mister Bosco pushed ahead, rapping on the barrier with a boney white knuckle.

Knock, Knock.

“Remus’ here head master. You asked ta have him.”

Don’t sing for him Remus, No poems. Don’t sing for him Remus, No poems…

“Send him in…”

Mister Bosco nodded, and unlatched the door. A shove inside, and the door creaked closed, latching behind. Shhhunnk….Shadows danced in the cold room. The silhouette of the head master revealed from the flicker of the candles. He was seated near the dark window.

“Sit down on the bed boy.”

Eyes followed the flickering candlelight to the bed. The youth moved close, his hands reached the bedside and twisted his body around to sit on the edge.

Silk. silk covers over top a feathered bed. Soft, warm… one could fall forever within its embrace.

A stirring of motion by the window awakened the damning feeling once more. The softness of the bed breaking its promise of safety, and releasing the warmth to the chill of the room. The man moved to face the innocent. Dark eyes glaring with intensity; a familiar fire to them. Large hands slowly made their way to the boy’s small shoulders.

“Remus, my nights have been restless. I cannot sleep, you see…”

Those hands squeezed tightly. Forceful.

“… Maybe you could, sing for me Remus. Or even a little poem to calm my senses mm? Just for a short while…”

Alarms rang in the youth’s mind... Don’t sing for him… No Poems…

The head masters look changed. Hungry, savage, malicious. Like a starved dog looking at an easy meal.

I… No... NO. No, get off me!!!

Silent thoughts. No words escaped through the agape mouth of the youth. Dread holding his tongue in his throat. He could simply sit there. Paralyzed. The man’s face twitched into anger. A quick blur of motion, resulted in a stinging pain. The strike landing hard on the side of the youth’s chin. Tears welled… from the dull ache of the strike, but more from the horrid anticipation. The certainty to come.

“I said sing for me, welp. I don’t stop until you do.”

Another blur of motion, and the wind was blasted out from the innocents’ lungs; a clenched fist to his belly. Knees and hands met the wood of the floor, the small body doubled over. Suffocating from the last blow.

“Your brother told me a little poem… Smart little lad he is. Why won’t you, Remus?...”

CRACK…

Darkness turned to a swirling void. The visual flicker of candlelight gave way to waves of dizziness. A warmth over the youth’s head was felt, creeping down his face to drip and spatter red onto the floor boards.

“Look what you made me do boy… You’re bleeding all over. You had your chance….”

A whimper is all the innocent could muster. His sight slowly fading to black… The head master’s heavy breath, and the ripping of his bedclothes heard in finality before the darkness…

[Darkthrasher]

… “Can you see it Remus? Look!”

Strong winds carried the voice into the dazed youths’ ears and blew liberating fragrances to him. The smell of green, of life…. Of Freedom.

“Remus! Can you? Can you see?”

Squinted eyes opened wide as they adjusted to the new dawn that had burst forth from the hills. And the innocent saw.

“I… I see it!”

An ocean of green, swaying submissively to the winds that whistled through the hills. The new light shining a perfect view of the leaves, dancing and chattering together in harmony. Tears could not be held, and they streamed down like rivers cooled by the kissing breeze. All the while his brother hooted and hollered, laughed and ran about the grass in blissful joy.

Breathing a smile, the brother approached, lifting a hand to wipe the tears off the youths cheek. Brown eyes blinked away the remnants, and looked to his other half. The youth was all but unable to refrain from smiling along with him. The brother pulled his forehead to his siblings, lightly pressing together in union.

“We can live in the forests now Remus. No one would bother to look in there for us… we… we will be Free…”

The innocent felt his brother lightly lifting his head away, hands moving to his shoulders, to squeeze lightly with assurance.

“He wont touch us ever again. Never again…. There will be no more pain.”

Innocent eyes turned to intake the paradise before them.
“… Th-there will be no more pain…”


There will be no more pain.

...There will be no more pain...

...Will be no more pain...

...No more pain...

...No more pain...

...No more pain......


… More… Pain…