𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴

HIS MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD HIM that he resembled lightning—hard to predict, destructive and beautiful.

To her he was sweet and lucky. And with luck that was always right next to him, Ever was always above him. He received such praise, he was watching him to make sure that when his luck ran out, he was there. Ready to pull his own legs from under him, and break his nose with a crack and a big pool of blood.

Auden saw nothing beautiful about hurricanes or about himself. He wasn’t destructive either; quite the opposite. But lightening. Lightning was pretty and destructive, and that’s what Ever was. That’s what Ever believed he was.

It was also warm. Something his brother was not. He’d walk through another hell just to escape the Atlantic one he lived in. He was prone to hypothermia in his skin and bones. But the temperature was perfect to Ever.

Raindrops fell and raced down his large window at the tempo of the third movement of Moonlight Sonata. A storm blessing the sky and as lightning struck it, he felt warm. His favorite storm and his mother’s favorite song, he was in paradise.

The tune sped up with the strikes of his fingers, the storm keeping up.

Auden felt her eyes engraved into his features. Not that he minded at all. To some, the lingering looks would make them uncomfortable while the Ettienne’s basked in it. He was a pretty boy. Handsome to the rest along with his bloodline. It would be an honor to get any of them to play their designated instrument for you.

He stole a glance from the young girl. And from one, he remembered her face. Her eyes that down-turned, the long lashes that tried to hide her blueberry colored eyes. How her nose leaned too much to the left but her freckles made it straight. Lips that weren’t too substantial but not too attenuated. Nicely plumped.

Auden wanted to count all of her freckles. He wanted to know how far the beautiful blemishes went. Do they stop at a certain point? Only appeared in certain areas? They looked as if they could set him on fire.

And he’d let them.

Within the glance he took, he looked the most nervous he had ever been. The lightning that flashed the sky into daylight made sure to pick out the beaded sweat on his head. He knew he was watching.

Such a pretty face to be wasting. Something he would say.

The stars were speaking but not to him. He wondered if anyone else had heard them, hopefully his brother didn’t. But then again, he never heard them and just thought Auden was crazy. He wasn’t crazy.

The key turned from a pleasant white to a vivacious red. The miniature circles on the keys were red and the tune of the piano stopped. Her face and eyes filled to the brim with concern.

“Something wrong?” Her head cocked to the left. It almost made her nose straight.

Everything was wrong.

“Hm?” He replied with a low no after pausing. “Just a little tired.”

Her hips led her, a circle around the grand piano to settle in his lap. She brought a tissue up to his nose.

“How about we take the session upstairs?” Cold arms snaking around his neck. She felt dead against his fevered skin; he had to stop himself from checking her pulse.

Upstairs. Upstairs would’ve been nice. Great even. Auden wasn’t usually the one to initiate such. But he needed to blow off steam and he didn’t want to do it upstairs.

Anywhere but upstairs.

“Upstairs?” He said cautiously, asking if she was sure she wanted to be up there.

When she agreed, Auden’s heart felt as though it was going to explode; beating rapidly, he swore it had stopped for a few breaths.

He dreaded this. He wished his soul was born into another life. He liked her a lot. Unlike the rest, he could’ve loved her.

Somehow. Some fucking way. Auden certainly didn’t know how they got into his room. Clothes trailed the floor from the door to the bed. Never had he thought he’d be doing anything with someone like her. But here she was, knees on either sides of his hips.

Auden watched her for a moment. Letting her lips build pressure against his. On the sides of his mouth. Off his chin, down his throat—letting her tongue slide under his jaw. Planting hickies here and there. Her hands tugging his hair as she grinds down in his lap.

He didn’t close his eyes like he wanted to, even though watching her was ten times better. He had to prepare for the worse and he didn’t want any surprises.

She placed his hands on her hips and let them roam her torso. Squeezing curves and pulling her underwear. He wanted to enjoy it, he really did. But he couldn’t. He wished he could. But the nagging feeling pried at him. It wasn’t fear that immobilized him, it was the fire that ignited in her hair.

What could he say, redheads made him nervous.

Although it was no excuse. He should’ve warned her. Should’ve told her no more times than yes. Maybe to just go home.

She didn’t know it but she was a hostage in a twisted game no one would make it out of.

With hands around her throat. Hopefully he wasn’t blocking her carotid arteries or jugular veins. Passing out before death would be a dangerous game. It took either ten seconds or four to five minutes and thirty-three pounds of pressure. Auden didn’t think she’d want to be burned alive so the latter would have been better. He didn’t want her in more pain or discomfort than she already was.

After her body would go limp, he was in charge.

She struggled. Not for long. But she struggled. Struggled to breathe. Struggled to get out of his grip. Clawing at his skin, terror blaring in her eyes and pain taking over. Tears ran from the pain like she wanted to. She was playing a dangerous game but Ever was patient and the fire in his eyes was brewing.

He didn’t wait for the four to five minutes and thirty-three pounds of pressure. Instead he threw her onto the floor. Gasping for her burning lungs and crying for help. Ever gave her a running head start. The sound of her sobs produced a buildup of tears in Auden’s eyes.

Auden layed there, limp. Taking in every shriek, every cry for help in his name, every weep with convulsive catching of the breath that echoed around the hollow house until it stopped. There was no metallic noise or noise of struggle. No gurgling or thudding. It was quiet and the silence was deafening.

In just his dark boxers, he made his way down the numberless stairs to find her body on the ground and leaking blood. But he didn’t find that. He just found silence cutting the air. Auden felt as though she was deaf when he reached the end of the stairs.

About to take another step, he almost fell over at the sudden impact of the body running into him. Her nails dug deep but her screams dug deeper. He wanted to cry in happiness but the relief stopped him knowing she was alive. It happened to stop his ability to hear her clearly. Her mouth was going but nothing came out. Her body was frantic, adrenaline off the walls and her pulse felt as though it was going to explode. Her hair was frizzy yet stuck to her skin.

It wasn’t until her face of shock and that stopped her from talking that every noise could be heard.

Auden should’ve warned her about the clean, narrow cut that was going to adorn across her throat. The sound of the metal blade against the rip of her skin filled the room. The sound of blood spilling out of the crevice and down her small body. She cried harder during the process, and Auden only wanted to kiss and wipe them away from her freckles.

Auden should’ve warned her that her body will be burned and ashes will be collected like a souvenir.

Whimpers tore from her throat. No. Not her throat. It was much louder. It came from the pit of her stomach with the last bit of fear she had in her. Auden could feel the vibrations in her arms as she fell to the ground, gripping his arms as if it were her life.

He had the same face Auden did when he watched lightning. But it soon died out. “They always cry, little brother.” Ever assured as his eyes watched the blood trickle.

He wasn’t his little brother. In fact they were twins and Auden was born before him. But he wanted to lead him to believe otherwise. Ever stood about an inch taller than Auden’s six foot frame.

They both watched her lifeless body on his bed drop a degree and a half by the hour. Her skin grew tight and started to ashen.

Auden was ashamed of himself. Not because he lured her here, not because he played music for her while anticipating the worse for her. He wasn’t ashamed that upstairs, his room and body was a death trap. All of those didn’t make him feel as bad as the raging bulge in his boxers that stayed with him. Even as his twin had his long hands wrapped around her throat. Even when blood began to spill.

Ever wasn’t surprised in the least. He even laughed a little.

He wasn’t aware that Ever was taller than him by a head until he stepped closer to grip his jaw. He sucked in a breath through his teeth as he thought his fingers would immerge into his lower skull. “You’re lucky to have me, little brother.”

For a split second he thought about telling him off and crushing his ego a bit. To Ever, Auden was as see through as glossed clear tape. He dared him to try something he would never have the balls to do.

With what happened after last time, Auden just told him what he wanted to hear. “She wasn’t good enough for me. She wasn’t good enough for our family. You saved our reputation. I’m so lucky to have you.” A tear that was bottled up on the bottom lid finally popped and beautifully cascaded down his reddened cheek.

Ever smiled, satisfied as he let go of his jaw and brushed off invisible dirt from his pants, oblivious to the tears of sadness and regret that was Auden.

“How about some food?” It was never a question when it came from Ever, always a demand. It was his way of saying, fuck what you want to do. “After you clean your little girlfriend up, yeah?” His shoes clicked away toward and up the stairs.

In the distance he saw the bolts hit the sky like a domestic abuser. It was abrupt, fast and most likely hurt. But as always, no one heard it until it was too late. Now people are frightened.