They would have to sell the house. There were special welfare systems that would allow Serah to live under the care of her older sister, provided her older sister can find a job.
In order for all that to happen, Claire would have to die.
Serah couldn't recognize her sister anymore. Claire was dead. Averia was what she had turned into. What in the world did the name Averia even meant?
It held no significance to Serah. Perhaps that was what mother wanted to name Claire at first but rejected the notion as it was too foreign. Serah still called her Claire despite Claire not responding to that name anymore.
Serah quietly walked to the spot amongst the tall grass hedges of their garden. It would be her last day here in this grand house. After that….they would have to sell the house. They would be moving out by tomorrow morning and Serah had painstakingly packed all her items into those huge cardboard boxes.
They had to sell off some their parent's furnitures as well but Serah knew that there was no way those leather covered items would've fit into their small, new apartment.
Serah cried when she learned that they had to leave a lot of memories behind. Claire- no, Averia reminded her that they would be sold and the money would go towards feeding them both.
So Serah spent the last week, tracing her fingers over every single details of the Victorian inspired manor. She would commit the scent of wood and freshly cut grass to memory.
The grass was starting to look ugly; weeds were starting to invade the flowers. Serah strolled across the garden. It was quiet, the sound of running water from the little fountain was gone, dead ever since their parents departed and the birds have left for greener pastures. Not even the little squirrels remained. Perhaps, the scent of death still lingered around the premises. The only sound Serah could pick out were whisperings from the neighbours.
They would look at her and Averia with pity and perhaps, even a hint of disgust.
Serah remembered how her father would tell her a tale of a girl who fell through a looking glass.
"What's a looking glass?" Serah had asked a long time ago.
"A mirror." Her father replied. "A mirror is a polished glass surface. There is science behind your reflection."
"Will there be wonderland beyond the mirror in the bathroom?" Serah questioned, touching the mirror.
"No, but you are already in wonderland." Her father had laughed and that concluded that night's bedtime story event.
Claire had smashed her fists through the bathroom mirror on the night their mother hung herself. Serah wondered if Claire badly wanted to go to wonderland to find mother and father.
No, Claire only wanted her old self to die. Useless, stupid, timid Claire Yuffa Farron.
Serah was starting to grow to love Averia bit by bit.
But like their pretended little wonderland, Serah would never get tired of running through the little grass maze.
Nor would Serah ever not miss Claire. Claire was Averia but in another different persona altogether. It was difficult. Life was difficult.
It could've been worse. Averia had reminded her.
Serah winched as her hand came into contact with a thorny rose bush. Little drops of blood spilled upon the dying petals of the white rose, staining it red at the tips.
"What are you doing?"
Averia.
"Committing everything to memory." Serah replied, back facing what was left of her sister.
Arms wrapped themselves around Serah's small frame. For the first time, Serah saw Claire. Not Averia the teenager who was trying to grow up too fast but Claire Yuffa Farron, the older sister who would always let Serah cry on her shoulder, who would whisper silly, sweet nothings into her ear.
Serah faced the older girl and leaned into her embrace. For once, the dying garden was beautiful.
"We can have a small indoor garden in our apartment." Claire suggested.
"It won't be the same." Serah said.
Serah would miss the garden. Very soon, Serah felt that she would miss this side of Claire but Serah didn't want to voice it out. She didn't want to break the magic between them.
Claire's fingers was tracing circles lazily around Serah's stomach, making the younger Farron squeal and giggle in an extremely, adorable way. It took Claire a huge amount of self control. Claire wanted her sister beneath her.
What Claire Farron wants, Claire Farron would get.
Serah's thoughts were incoherent. Fingers worked their way to her neck. Before Serah knew it, her sister was carrying her back to their room. Seconds later, Serah found herself on the double bed they shared.
There was a look of fear and excitement in the younger Farron's eyes. The fear vanish a bit too quickly for comfort as the older Farron slipped her hands underneath her sleeveless white top. Serah writhed around when she felt her older sister's lips sucked on the crook of her neck.
"Ah!" Serah cried in surprise as the cold early autumn air hit her. Her top was gone within a few seconds, the fragile material stood no chance against her sister's strength.
Serah was writhing around too much and she was extremely sensitive. Claire found it enjoyable but it was starting to get in the way. She was about to pull her little sister's top off completely only to get her hands pushed away by a giggling little school girl.
That problem was easily solved. Ropes were good for something after all. They can bind you to the grim reaper's scythe; they can bring one utmost pleasure.
Serah's wrists felt a bit itchy against the coarse material of the ropes. The ropes bound her wrists to the bed post. Escape was impossible.
Serah shut her eyes, uttering squeals of utmost pleasure as Claire's nimble fingers stroked against her stomach like a prized show cat.
"A-a-!" Serah gasped and struggled against her bonds as fingers began to press around her breasts.
Fingers began traveling past her waistline, snapping that cute little school skirt off. Serah's pleas were completely silence, replaced by her cry for more. She felt Claire enter her moist entry in between her legs. It had hurt but it was a strange kind of hurt. There was a bit of pleasure thrown in.
Serah cried out, pain and pleasure overwhelming her. She had no idea how her body would be able to handle such strange…..wonderful sensations coming from the person whom she secretly wanted – yearned – for.
They moved together and it was like a dance; a dance traditionally performed between men and women in order to ensure that humanity will never be extinct.
Serah's body went totally limp after her sister released herself into her.
There was no regret between the two sisters.
There was certainly no regret in him either. Somewhere in between space, time and reality, a lone creature stirs awake in his kingdom of ruin.
He had heard Claire's call. She was the one he was looking for.
xXx
Serah found herself in the garden again. This time it was overgrown with weeds. The manor had never been bought by anyone. The neighbours would tell the tale of how the couple died. They would dramatized how the late husband of Mr ffffff Farron would take her life. Serah had heard that the neighbour near the edge of the town had warned a potential buyer that misses Farron actually killed her own husband before taking her own life, right in front of her two children.
There were so many variations to the grisly little suicide tale.
None of them affected him though.
Serah was told that the new tenant would be moving in soon. So Serah took her own sweet time in the unattended garden, submerging herself in waist high wild grasses and weeds. Fall had arrived so everything was starting to die. The carpet grass was brown and dry, resembling the moldy carpet in the old house. The garden held an odd scent of mildew and frost, the fountain was littered with muddy rain water and broken concrete.
Despite the ruins of her childhood surrounding her, Serah found it to be a beautiful sight.
She wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. This was her home. It still was in a way.
A familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist.
"There you are."
Clai- no. Averia.
"You're finally back!" Serah smiled, leaning against her older sibling's forbidden embrace.
Her actions were rewarded with a kiss to her cheek.
Were they really siblings now?
They had consummated far too much secrets.
Serah turned around to face the older Farron. Averia looked tired from her 18 hour shifts as a military clerk.
A pang of guilt hung around Serah's heart. Serah had lost Claire and she didn't want to lose Averia to madness or reality. She wanted a reality where Averia was the Goddess; where she was free of the world's burden. Serah could imagine that she would worship Averia lovingly; day and night.
Serah could picture it all happening now in her mind.
But whenever that picture appeared in her mind, Averia would be accompanied by a shadowy figure. It held the built of a man.
And that man took Averia away from her, replacing her with the image of a Goddess named after a majestic element incapable of protecting yet capable of destroying anything.
xXx
Serah couldn't sleep. That image was haunting her but Averia had re-assured her fiancée- no – sister that she wasn't currently seeing anyone.
Averia knew that Serah hated to share. So Averia respected that decision.
The younger Farron quickly threw on a simple white sleeveless hooded top, a pleated red skirt and a white cardigan before heading out quietly.
The garden was her number one destination of course. The cold late autumn wind bit through her black leggings as she climbed over the fence.
There, in the garden, she was at home. It was her home. It was their home.
"Don't you know it's dangerous to sneak out alone to some deserted place in the middle of the night?"
Averia stood behind her, trench coat draped over her jeans and tank top, looking every bit like a seasoned soldier.
"I won't ever get a chance to see the garden again." Serah replied as she ran her fingers over the rust covered grim build up on the white concrete.
Averia sighed. Serah's obsession to their past was comparable to a sleepwalker, unconsciously returning to the same place over and over again in sleep. But Serah did it with her eyes open.
"Remember how we used to play tag here?" Serah broke the silence.
It was cold and rain was starting to pour in very tiny mists. It was barely enough to drench them both but combined with the autumn wind, it was enough to send shivers down the younger girl's spine. Still, it was ignored. The garden was the only thing that mattered.
Averia nodded. Their game of tag was odd though. In every game, Serah was the princess and Averia was the knight in shining armor. Their neighbour would be their enemy and Averia would shoot rocks, shattering windows with her precise aim.
"Let's do it again."
"One last time." Averia agreed, not knowing why she volunteered to be in such a childish situation.
"One last time." Serah echoed, poking her sister's cheeks and shoulders in a manner far beyond those of sisterly love. "Tag! You're it!"
Serah sped off into the ruined maze, like an overly happy Alice in a Wonderland she called home.
Averia took off, keeping sight of the girl's pinkish red hair. Serah dodged around a dying hedge, nearly sending Averia face to face with a wall of dead grass. The soldier recovered quickly before speeding off again.
Suddenly it was quiet.
Too quiet.
The soldier eyed the surrounding area, attempting to locate the girl. This was unnatural indeed.
"Serah…?"
Averia turned to a corner.
"Serah…this isn't funny anymore…" Averia muttered as she began searching for her little sister.
"Haaah!" Serah pounced on Averia's back, causing the soldier to flail around comically. "Caught you!"
"Hey! That's not in the rules!" Averia plucked her sibling off her back. "I'm supposed to catch you!"
Serah stuck her tongue out before kissing the older Farron on the cheek. "Too bad."
Averia returned that kiss affectionately. Was it really right of her to call Serah her sister?
After all those nights they spent together in bed?
Averia supposed it wasn't such a big issue if their so-called 'parents' did it. They were actress and actors paid by privately by someone but they too, were siblings.
"Nee-san?" Serah's sweet voice snapped her back to her attention.
"I was just thinking. That's all." Averia replied.
Serah took hold of Averia's arm. "You promised me, no more sad thoughts, remember?"
"Yes, I remembered." Averia was about to pull Serah back home. "But I-"
A gunshot went off, somewhere outside the maze. Someone was out there with them. Serah's body stiffened and Averia's military instinct kicked in.
"Nee-san…" Serah whispered fearfully.
The uneasy stench of fresh blood crept into the crisp, autumn air. Someone was going to die tonight.
It was either that bastard or them both. Or one of them. Averia couldn't weigh the possibilities in her mind currently. If there was more then one of them, chances were they're both headed for the graveyard.
Averia squeezed the younger girl's hand. "Be quiet." The soldier spoke, her voice becoming extremely quiet.
Serah winched as dead grass and twigs snapped underfoot whilst making their way out slowly. The younger sibling had Averia's arm in a death grip. She was afraid. If she let go of Averia, Averia would then be gone as well.
Where to, now? Averia knew that they couldn't head towards the entrance where the only way out was at. That would be walking right into the bear's trap.
Serah tugged at her sister's arm.
A butterfly. A red butterfly.
It glowed in the night like a firefly and it was fluttering away. What kind of creature was that…?
Butterflies do not glow in the night. Averia was puzzled.
Let's follow it. Serah was looking at Averia in the eye. Averia knew her well enough to know what was going through her mind.
What choice do we have?
Serah got down on her knees and began searching for a space in between the grass hedges. The butterfly waited.
"There's something on the ground." Serah whispered.
Carefully combing through broken glass and dried grass, the siblings found a stream of white sunlight seeping through one of the hedges. That had to be wonderland. Averia boldly crawled forward after the butterfly. Serah followed close behind. The gunshots were too far away by then.
"What is this place…?" Serah tried to question Averia but her voice was caught in her throat.
A world, full of technological and social progress stood before them. It was a strange, sterile world where the air was perfectly crisp and clean all the time, the temperature was never too warm nor too cold and where Serah knew that if she chooses to remain in that strange realm, she would never ever be too far away from Averia.
But Averia remembered something. A monster.
Soldiers approached them from all angles. Serah realized that the lie they were roped into were simply for their own good.
That lie was broken.