★彡 disappear, yet you're here
title. Lining
author. Clayton Kalle
rating. PG
genre. dark, psychological
"Is he gone?" He whispered, small hand squeezing the slightly larger one; a futile attempt to find security from the older boy. His long bangs hid the frightened eyes that longingly looked at the dot of light emitting in the unforgiving darkness; the light at the end of the tunnel.
"Yes." The other boy tugged gently at the hand in his, setting both of them back into the rushed pace they had adopted before it happened.
"Is he coming back?"
He did not miss the slight quiver, which shook the words coming out of his little brother, caressing the back of the latter's hand with his thumb as he answered curtly, "Yes."
Long brunet locks fell forward as the kid tried to hide from the cruel reality they were lost in. His head bent down, he watched his little feet eat up space as he and the last of his family rushed down the invisible path to the light. Green eyes peeked through thick bangs and the small heart raced within its confinement; the dot seemed to shrink away with each step taken and now it was barely visible, twinkling in the darkness, teasing them mercilessly.
He whimpered and shut his eyes, tucking his chin to his chest as he tried not to panic. He could feel the oblivion surrounding them choking him, seeping into his body through his nostrils and mouth, running in his veins and spreading in his carcass as it squeezed life slowly out of him, as it staked a claim on his soul.
Panting slightly, the younger boy turned to his brother for help only to stop stock still, air driven violently into his lungs as he stared wide-eyed at the teenager, who turned to face his brother as soon as the latter stopped. Upon seeing the look of terror fixed on the youthful face, fear froze his heart.
With a lump in his throat, the teenager had difficulty breathing as he followed the direction of his brother's horrified gaze. Reality crashed hard and fast and young brain could not grasp the situation fast enough, despite going through it twice before. The child watched as the darkness slowly ate his brother, his limbs slowly fading away and oblivion raced to erase his existence.
Accepting the undeniable truth, the teenager fought past his agony and screamed for his younger brother, "Snap out of it, Cal! Run to the light, run to it and stay there! C'mon, brother, do it for me, run to the light!"
The boy cowered away, tears running down his face as he watched his brother disappear. He was back, for the third time, he was back. He did not have the time to even scream when he surfaced, the big black hand wrapping around what was left of the teenager before pulling him out of view, a shriek echoing in the nothingness.
Cal covered his ringing ears, big eyes staring in the empty space his brother used to occupy and terror took over him. Something snapped in the small head and the boy started screaming, his short legs taking him in the direction of the twinkling dot.
It did not take long before he reached the light and Cal stopped before the line separating the nightmare he was in and serenity. The world before him was inviting; green and peaceful, the small river flowing slowly in its way, allowing anybody to drink its cool water as it caressed the banks lovingly. The boy took a step forward, standing on the thin line as tearful green eyes watched the branches gently sway with the breeze.
He was about to take another step, turning his head around to take one last look at the darkness that stole everything from him, but when he faced forward again, he stopped mid-step. Gasping breaths were taken as Cal's gaze fell on the overturned SUV in the far side of the lightened world, and as he recognized the vehicle, he stumbled backwards and fell down. Wide eyes stared at the car before squeezing shut, a scream escaping the dry throat.
The shadows slowly seeped into the light world.
the end.