Deliverance
Chapter One
It was about two weeks or so after I had confronted him. My own twinÉ After I had dropped him off in a small town I had discovered only days before. We kept each otherÕs company for a time; both of us needing itÉ though neither of us would admit it. Knives had too much pride to admit to loneliness, and IÉ WellÉ I was too angry to admit that his constant presence after all these years was comforting in a way.
As soon as we had both calmed our nerves enough to speak to one another again I made the decision to continue my journey across the planet. Knives was skeptical and questioned where I would go now considering my drive to go on all these past years was to find him. At first IÕll admit that I couldnÕt answer him. I was standing by a window looking out at the quiet, nearly abandoned town in silence. Knives walked up behind me and wrapped one of his strong arms up and over the opposite shoulder he was standing on. He let out a heavy sigh and leaned his weight into me, resting his head in the shallow hollow of my neck and collar- bone. I hated to admit it to myself, but even this simple act of compassion coming from him was a long missed feeling. I loved my brother dearly, no matter how hard he pushed the limits of my love for him; I could do nothing but care for him. He was all I had left. In turn, I was all he had left in the world as well. I knew he loved me too.
I turned my head towards him so that my cheek lightly caressed his forehead and lifted my hand to his face, cupping it delicately. Knives didnÕt resist the gesture. Instead, he sighed and his arm pulled me even closer still. I smiled. It felt good to be embraced after all this time.
Ò KnivesÉÓ I whispered his name, my breath gently tickling the skin of his ear.
Ò Hn?Ó He glanced up into my eyes.
Ò Why must our lives be filled with such strife? Why do we both live such a tortured existence?Ó I could feel the tear on my cheek and, in shame; I turned my head away from him.
Knives was obviously surprised by the questions. He lifted his head from my shoulder and stared directly at me. The feel of his eyes burrowing into soul caused me to shudder. He still held a tight grip on my shoulder, which only caused my body to tense further.
His fingers took on a painfully tight hold of my shoulder. I cried out in pain and turned towards him, wincing as I yanked my tender flesh from his vise grip. At first, the look of despise on his face terrified me. Slowly, the grim expression melted away and that old calm and collected expression relaxed his features. He smiled gently, wellÉ his lip curled up a bit. IÕm not sure if the look he froze me with could be considered a smile. It frightened me more then his initial rage did. I never trusted that lookÉ for good reasonÉ
KnivesÕ slender fingers caught my chin and pulled me close to his own face. I swallowed hard as I stared at my startled expression in the reflection of his crystal blue irises. Our foreheads touched and I could feel my breath catch as his whispered words caressed my face almost seductively.
Ò What tortured existence my brother? I am living a perfectly fulfilling life. It is you, and you alone who are in anguish of your alien life. Why canÕt you just accept what you are? Why canÕt you just accept that youÕre a born killer?Ó
I choked out a miserable sob, trying weakly to pull away from his simple hold on me; yet, somehow, couldnÕt manage the strength to break free.
Ò No! YouÕre wrong about me! IÕm not like you KnivesÉ IÕm not!Ó I let out another sob of regretful pain.
Knives smirked and drew my body against his. His free arm wrapped securely around my waist while the hand that held my chin hostage swiftly readjusted to the back of my head, cradling the base of my skull. His fingers gripped my nap fiercely and he pressed his lips forcefully against my own, kissing me deeply. I gasped in shock leaving the inside of my mouth unguarded as I did so. Knives quickly took advantage of my stunned stupor and speared his tongue deeply towards my throat. I nearly gagged from the force of his advances on me. I pushed against his chest franticly, pleading with my body to return my strength so that I could escape. Knives forcefully shoved my back against the far wall, pinning me as if I were some rabid beast. I grunted at the impact, which only seemed to drive him further. At least he had pulled his tongue away from the back of my mouth.
After what seemed like an eternity writhing against his strong body frame, Knives pulled his head away. He grinned maliciously, calmly caressing my cheek as I panted for breath. I was flushed with exhilaration that caused me to cast my eyes to the floor in shame. He was breathing heavily as well, yet that didnÕt stop him from releasing a sly chuckle that reverberated from the back of his throat. It sickened meÉ The pleasure he took in torturing me. I growled slightly in frustration. The unusual sound attracted his attention. He leaned forward and nuzzled me as if we were swooning lovers; I shuddered.
Obviously turned on by the tremor that shook my frame, Knives pressed against me again. I could feel his arousal against my inner thigh and I felt my body go numb. I didnÕt want thisÉ Not from KnivesÉnot from anyone at the momentÉ At least thatÕs what I thought. However, as I turned my head up and away from my brothers wandering lips and felt the horrifying tingling sensation that came with each kiss he planted on my skin, Wolfwood suddenly entered my mind.
His presence was like a warm blanket, covering and protecting me from the harsh elements of the outside world. As I saw his face in my mind and felt his soft smile upon my soul a feeling of ultimate shame coursed like ice water through the very marrow of my bones. I whimpered quietly, forcing back a sob. NickÉ Please forgive me. I donÕt want to betray youÉ Yet I feel I have no choice. What can I do? What should I do? ÉWolfwoodÉ
The sudden sensation of Knives nimble fingers caressing the crotch of my pants smacked my mind back to reality. I gasped in shocked horror, my hand flying on top of his and gripping fiercely, causing him to wince in pain and release. My emotions reeled inside me all climaxing into one unmistakably volcanic rage. My eyes blazed with a fiery contempt and I growled deeply like a feral wild cat. Knives eyes grew to the size of saucers as my hand gripped his own with the mercilessness of a vise grip. I hadnÕt even realized how tight I was holding him, nor how deeply entranced my brother was until the sound of snapping bone shattered the silence of the abandoned room and Knives let out a sharp yelp of pain. His meek cry only enraged me further and I released a thundering roar, spinning towards the wall I had been backed against and slamming Knives lithe body against it with a bone-crunching thud. My brother remained still on the dust-littered floor where he landed after sliding down from the crater in the wall his body had left.
I stood above him, inhaling deep breaths to replenish my oxygen strained lungs. Knives groaned in pain but didnÕt move an inch. Perhaps I had knocked him unconscious. I hadnÕt killed him though and at the time I couldnÕt decide whether I was relieved or disappointed in that fact. I let out a harsh snarl and turned from him, heading for the door. My mechanical hand smoothly lifted my red trench coat from the chair it rested upon with hardly a sound of fabric brushing wood. As I stood in the doorway and looked out across the nearly deserted main street I turned once more to the disheveled heap on the floor that was KnivesÉ my twin. My hand lightly touched the denim of my pants in the same spot that had started all this. Forgive me brother, for being so cruel to you. But only one is allowed to touch me like that, and you are not that manÉ Nor will you ever be. Please, for your own good, stay in this town. You can survive quite well here, with little interruption. I will be back when I feel IÕm ready to face you again. Until then, my brother, take careÉ
I sighed and, leaning over slightly, hoisted my canvas bag from the wooden planks of the floor, slinging it over my now aching shoulder like I had done no less then hundreds of times before. Without looking back, I walked out the door and onto the dusty dirt road. I glanced both ways, then towards the skies. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath I listed to the dry wind howl past me, causing my loose clothing to flutter. I lowered my head and glanced to the north. That is where I shall restart my journeyÉ no matter what graces my path, I wont come back hereÉ not until IÕm ready. I pivot on the balls of my feet; the souls of my boots crunching against the grains of sand on the road and head north towards New Denver with a determined mind and stronger spirit then I entered this town with.