I am so sorry. I didn't realize how long it's been at all. Time just flew by. I think it was because I tried to set a deadline. Anyway, I have a proposition for you good sports!
Here it is!
I need an editor, frankly I don't have time to be doing this at all, so when I do get the time for the actual chapter editing is a last priority. I've already made note of this on Tumblr to people, and have received some offers, one of which I'm heavily leaning to, but I'm thinking two editors besides myself would be a good idea.
So if you are interested, drop a comment, or message me on Tumblr! ( .com or .com)
See you at the bottom~
Chapter Nine - The Newest Discovery
Jack held his friend close to his body. He didn't ever want to let go.
A genuine feeling of happiness flooded through him when he realized how Pitch felt. He hadn't expected anything of the sort to really happen between them; he'd never gathered he fully wanted this, but now he saw that it was all he ever wanted.
Pitch knew at least some of what was happening to Jack and didn't reject him.
The little voice in the back of Jack's head tried to whisper that that was what Jamie had done, but he pushed it away. There was something different about Pitch, though he couldn't place a specific finger on what it was.
Jack still felt a full feeling in his chest that he hadn't felt for years.
At first he almost didn't recognize it. Now all he wanted was for it to never leave him again. Not for it to be forced away by anyone this time.
He wished Pitch would chase away all of his demons, and Jack had a feeling the older actually might if given the chance.
But right then, all he really knew was that he needed to do that for Pitch.
Right now.
I need to get out of here right now.
Jack's thoughts screamed at him but he couldn't move his legs. He couldn't have yet another person knowing his secret, could he?
It was worse this time than it had been at Jamie's. He didn't need this awareness of being broken anymore. He couldn't keep taking it no matter how true it was.
Jack remembered his view of God and death suddenly.
Perhaps that really was his only option.
He stared into the stunned person's eyes that floated in front of him.
Everything else was dark around those honey and steel irises.
Pitch was speaking to him, but Jack could only faintly hear it. He was sinking into a dark wave with only those pupils shining through. He felt his heart constrain, his throat ache, his lungs suck in the water.
He was drowning in darkness and saltwater and he didn't think there would be way to rise to the surface this time.
No, he was sure there wasn't a way.
Dread, depression, hurt, humility, guilt, shame, and exhaustion crashed down on him all at once.
It wasn't worth it to try to wade through this time.
He let it pull him down, further and further, until the next step for him would and only could be letting it take him over completely.
The words continued to be muffled by his train of wrecked thoughts. It wasn't until he heard Pitch at last start to slow down and mumble nearly incoherently that Jack finally listened to him.
"You're not okay… Are you? I wonder if anyone else knows… I doubt you've even told anyone yourself… Ah, I think I understand quite a few things now… Avoiding the police, your falsities, and those hollow expressions you always seem to make…"
Jack flinched. No one had ever been able to see through his act before, not even when he wanted them to; not even when it was one of those days where he didn't think he could bare it any longer.
"Will you ever tell me who did this to you? … Will you ever be able to? …If you're not apt to as of yet I understand that as well… This just isn't right, though. I apologize. You went through so much trouble to hide it, it's obvious, but why…? Has someone made you that afraid? No matter what you think you are going to face, or what the consequences will be after getting help, it will be of benefit. Because yes there will be hardships afterwards, but it is not okay to just keep it to yourself. Something like this can't go on. Children should never be harmed no matter what they may have done. Someone needs to know about this; someone needs to help you."
Pitch took a shaky breath, his vision still cloudy.
"Even if that someone is only me… I know I'm not the best person, and I know I have my own issues and past to deal with, but I keep thinking that maybe it's you that I need… That if I can save you, maybe I'll be redeemed in that Man's eyes… Maybe that's why all this has happened. You being my guide, the chance encounter this morning, the rides, that disgusting teacher… I think that we were meant to be there for each other… Or am I just being absurd right now?"
A slight shine appeared in his gaze.
"I guess it is a little silly to think that we met only a few days ago and yet I'm expecting to spend as much time as I possibly can with you. I don't think I've ever felt this way before… I think I might actually… Care about you, and admitting that doesn't feel wrong to me."
He paused slightly before starting back up his slow mumbling.
"You need to know that what's happening to you is wrong and there's no other way to explain it other than that. None of it is your fault. I don't know who's abusing you, or what the situation really is, but I can say that it's not right. Never feel helpless, because from now on, I'm going to be with you for as long as I can."
Jack stared directly into the man in front of him's eyes. He hadn't heard right.
He couldn't of heard right.
No.
He was a selfish little brat, deserved what beatings he got, it was all his fault, it would always be his fault.
But this person had confirmed his little doubts.
Is this what other people would say?
Would they really accept him that easily?
…Was it really okay?
Jack had to make sure.
"What… what did you just say?"
"I, I don't know… I didn't realize I was speaking…" Pitch looked down, seemingly interested in something that probably wasn't too important.
Jack stepped forward.
If he didn't know he was talking then maybe his friend's words had come from the heart and not the head… Was that possible?
The teen whispered as he went on with his walking. "You said… you said you cared about me… and that… that you wanted to be free and happy with me…"
"Oh… did I?"
That was it. That slim disbelief in Pitch's tone, as if he couldn't logically explain what he'd said.
"You did."
Jack was getting closer to Pitch, not entirely sure what was going to happen when he made it to him.
"…Don't keep me in suspense, then, Frosty…" The taller whispered.
Jack honestly chuckled as he was now closer to Pitch than need be.
He had an idea of what was next.
"I won't."
Jack raised his hand and gently felt Pitch's jaw. There was a modest stubble he hadn't noticed before, and it prickled against his fingertips. He noticed his friend move in the tiniest bit towards Jack's touch. The teen brushed more of his fingers up to the base of Pitch's ear. It was smooth, and he kept trailing down towards the taller's collarbone. His friend trembled and Jack felt the beginnings of goose bumps as he headed back up to Pitch's long neck.
His hand went towards his friend's scalp, and he felt the soft locks spread between his fingers; parting just for him. Pitch was cold, or at least he seemed it compared to how intense Jack's skin prickled. His eyes were half-lidded while he lifted his other hand to grip Pitch's shoulder.
Pitch was still staring down through the cramped distance between them.
Jack was annoyed. "What's so interesting, Pitch?"
His friend slowly raised his gaze to rest on Jack's. He looked flustered, shy, and had the tiniest smileon his face that Jack had ever seen. It just fits him so perfectly… I've got to see this more often. Tall, dark, and handsome actually being shy? This is going to be teased about later.
Jack wasn't annoyed anymore.
"Well, uh… I was thinking maybe you could just have those socks."
Oh this was going to be good.
"That's too bad." Jack faked, looking away from Pitch.
"W-what?" The older actually appeared distressed.
Oh this was going to begreat.
"I didn't plan on wearing them for much longer." Jack shrugged nonchalantly.
"And why would that be?" Pitch sounded irritated.
Irritated.
Oh this was going to be fantastic.
Jack snapped his gaze back to Pitch's, beaming as big as his ego. "I was hoping you would knock them off for me."
Pitch looked practically disgusted at Jack's amazing pun. "Oh come on, that's got to be the wor-."
The teen cut him off before he could carry on with a kiss.
Jack felt something pull at him from his abdomen up to his heart. It wasn't a want for Pitch, it was a need. He didn't need him just physically, he needed him emotionally. This man knew how he felt, knew what he had to have, he understood Jack; the first person to understand Jack in his life.
If it wasn't such a blissful moment for Jack, he'd be bawling on the floor.
But he could cry tears of joy at a later time.
He believed what Pitch had said; he understood what to do now.
He knew he didn't want to be like his parents, and for once, he didn't feel bad about it. He didn't feel guilty, or ashamed at the thought of his family being twisted.
He wondered when this had happened; when he had finally not cared anymore.
Though he wouldn't be able to have the police involved with what went on behind closed doors for fear of Megan being taken away from him, he still felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders. If only he could tell people, tell everyone of these sick bastards he lived with, but it was only a few months away, if that, to his eighteenth birthday and then he would be able to run as far away from this place as possible, coming back for Megan, hell, maybe having Megan live with him if he could get her out of there, and by God he was gonna try his hardest to do that.
A tiny part of him had always thought that maybe he had deserved the abuse, that this was all his fault, and he got what was coming to him, but not anymore. It was his parents that were the infected ones. He didn't do a damn thing wrong, and if it weren't for that same little sister that prevented him from saying anything in the first place, he would be long gone by the time morning had come.
The blame wasn't laid on him, and that's the one thing he actually did care about at the moment.
Not the fact that the next time he headed home another round of abuse was likely to happen, not the fact that his mother would forever neglect her oldest child who needed the most help until it was convenient for her, and not the fact that he still had to endure all of it for a bit longer.
It was the fact that he was finally free.
But as soon as that train of thought ended, another began.
What about Pitch?
There was a tug in his chest as he remembered the cool lips molding with his own.
He wanted to stay for Pitch, wanted to be free with Pitch, not just Megan.
He had let someone else into his life, and there was no going back this time.
Jack didn't think he wanted to anyway.
One Harry Potter movie, several icepacks, and a discussion later Jack realized that Pitch, for all of his being an English gentleman, was in fact a fan boy.
Oh this was too good.
He could tell that his friend could barely resist the urge to put in the second movie, and all Jack wanted to do was laugh his ass off as late afternoon rolled around.
The dog, Sandy, Jack recalled his name, started barking causing Pitch to investigate.
Quickly and quietly Jack stood to follow, but his eye was caught by the walls of the bedroom he saw at the end of the hall. As he went in the door closed a tad behind him.
He strolled up to one of the walls in the bedroom with paintings all over it. They were beautiful, not that Jack had much experience with art.
The one in the middle was especially aweing.
A few minutes later, footsteps sounded behind him and his friend was there in the room.
Jack questioned Pitch about the middle painting, curious as ever.
The reaction he received wasn't what he'd been expecting.
The artist's face twisted, pinched, contorted. He visibly flinched and took a step back when Jack asked about the name Seraphina, a name he'd heard Pitch whisper when he dozed off on the couch for a few moments.
Pitch's gaze hazed over and he looked straight through the teen. He didn't seem to be in the same time as the younger. He looked tormented and trapped, like a little kid who'd lied about taking a cookie and had been caught.
He almost looked like Megan from that morning.
In his friend's face, the life was draining faster and faster, and once Jack reached the final word of his question, it was completely gone.
Something snapped under that grey surface.
Something important.
Pitch raced off into another bathroom Jack hadn't noticed before.
The younger, more confused, person went up to the door only to hear sounds of dry heaving from the other side. It felt like forever before they stopped, and Jack wanted to cover his ears.
He knocked awkwardly, unsure if his friend needed another minute or not.
His thought was answered for him.
Pitch swung open the door and quickly paced over to his bed, collapsing on it.
Jack saw him curl into the fetal position, hands on his head, gripping so tight that the tips of his fingers were white. Hushed, heavy tears slipped out from crinkled eyelids as he began to shake.
If it hurt this much to look at the wrecked man in front of him, Jack could only assume what Pitch was actually feeling; what it was that could drive someone to the brink like this. He'd been there and back, it wasn't an easy placeto get to.
There was one thing he could think to do.
Pitch was cold against him, tensed, at first. Gradually he began to warm from the inside, and relaxed after a few sentences were quipped while Jack kissed the back of his neck with a thoughtful grin.
Sandy bounded in beforehand and snuggled up next to Pitch, like he'd done it before, and maybe he had, but that was something to talk about later.
Right now the three of them had the exceptionally soft comforter pulled up and lay breathing deeply.
It was the first time in a long time Jack knew that he had a family.
Jack didn't know when they'd all drifted off together, but when he woke up it was dinner time, and his stomach prompted him to rise.
Pitch was still asleep, clutching the Corgi to his chest, and Jack didn't have the will to wake them.
He fumbled with closing the door behind him, cursing and hoping he didn't just do what he was trying to avoid in the first place.
The hungry teen padded to his bag by the door, reaching inside to pull out his cellphone. It beeped furiously.
"Shit."
It was Megan asking him what they should do for the night.
Jack opened his contacts and found Jamie's house number. It picked up halfway through the fourth ring.
"Hello?" Mrs. Bennett spoke over the phone. He could hear the smile in her voice already.
"Mrs. Bennett! It's-," Jack started.
"Oh you don't have to tell me, dearie. I'd recognize that voice anywhere! Are you calling about your darling little sister? She and Sophie have just been amazing today, and we all baked some nice chocolate chip cookies on my lunch break. They're to die for! I could save you some if you'd like. You know what, I'm definitely sending Megan home with a couple to make sure you get some meat on those skinny bones of yours! Just because it's Halloween next week doesn't mean you just get to be a skeleton now!" As much as Jack loved Jamie's mom, she had the tendency to ramble. Now he saw where Jamie actually got it from.
"Mrs. Bennett, that sounds just wonderful, but there's been an issue." A big issue.
"Did the dog come back?!" She sounded shocked.
"You could say that." Jack tried not to snicker at his own morbid humor. "Either way, I was really hoping Megan could stay with you tonight? She told me earlier how much fun she was having today, and instead of having her come stay with me at my friend's, I think she'd have more fun with you and the rest of the Bennetts." Lies were coming easier than ever, it seemed.
"Oh that's fine! As you know they had school off today for that teacher's meeting and whatnot, so I'll just have her borrow some of Soph's clothes for tomorrow morning."
Shit, he'd forgotten about her school.
"Are you sure that's really okay? I mean, I can come get her if it's not. It's no trouble, honest." Jack held his breath. While he really wanted to see his sister, Pitch was emotionally wrecked, and while most likely he wouldn't oppose to Megan coming over if Jack explained the situation, the younger didn't want to push that onto him so soon.
"It's okay, dearie! Are you sure you don't need a place to stay? There's plenty of room upstairs with Jamie-."
"I'm fine, I wouldn't want to intrude on you more! I'll text Megan and let her know where I'm staying. Thank you so much for this." All he wanted to do now was get out of the conversation before Jamie overheard.
"You kids with all this texting. I don't understand how your thumbs don't fall off." Mrs. Bennett laughed loudly at her own joke. It definitely wasn't that funny, but hearing that motherly voice made him laugh right along.
"Thanks again, Mrs. Bennett."
"Please, call me Jamie's mom." She laughed harder and so did Jack.
"Okay, okay, I'll make sure to do that. See you tomorrow."
"Bye-bye, Jack." There was tenderness to her tone as she stopped her fit. Jack felt embarrassment creep into his cheeks.
"B-bye." He flustered and hung up as he heard another laugh.
She'd sounded like she'd cared. Maybe she'd always sounded that way and Jack had never noticed.
Or maybe…
A loud knock jumped Jack out of his trailing thoughts.
"Fu-…" He slapped a hand over his mouth and peered down the hall to the closed bedroom door. He didn't hear any waking noises from behind it.
Jack crossed the short distance to the front door and looked through the peephole. He was puzzled. There was no way Pitch had any friends, but there was definitely no friends he had like that.
He reached for the knob and pulled in the door.
"Hello?" Jack flashed a confused, squinty grin.
The person gasped. "They sparkle like freshly fallen snow!"
"I-I'm sorry?"
The weirdo took a step forward. "Mind if I have a look?"
"At wha-?" Before Jack could finish his sentence, delicate fingers pried open his jaw.
"Your teeth, silly! They're gorgeous!"
"Whouhldm youw miende-," Jack stammered through small hands.
"I'm sorry, what was that kiddo?" They pulled back.
"Would you mind not putting your fingers in my mouth? Thank you." He stared, irritated, shifting his weight to one foot and putting his hands in his pockets.
"You're right, you're right. Introductions come first."
Oh yeah, that's fine, once you tell me who you are and why you're here feel free to examine my teeth. That's how meeting people works. Good to know. Thank you.
Jack just glared.
They held out their hand. "My name's Toothiana, and yours?"
This lady, whatever business she had with Pitch, well… It seemed a little odd someone that looked like her would be around someone like Pitch, of all people.
She had short, thrown back hair that spiked up and back in a small wave. The color was one of those 'mermaid' styles Jack had seen some of the girls at his school wear. It was tri-colored, starting with sea foam green at the roots, going out to a sky blue, and into a light pink and a dark purple. She wore a headband with gold sparkles and faux diamonds. Her earrings looked like tiny, metal peacock feathers, and besides those in her earlobes she had small golden hoops and diamond studs.
Her outfit was the most shocking. A short, fake-ly tattered maid uniform without sleeves that was a shadowy green with white, fishnet tights underneath. The trim along the dress was white as well, and her boots went up past her knees. Their shade matched the dress' main color, the laces were white like the tights, and around the laces there was an edging of gold and diamonds, looking much like the headband. She even had a golden bangle on one upper arm that coiled around it, and a simple green, leather bracelet on the other wrist. Her necklace had a gold chain with another big, faux diamond on it. The ornament was shaped like a tooth. Her white and blue eyeliner flared out around her eyes and it made them look bigger, while she was wearing some pink mascara. Her cheeks looked glittery, and it seemed to Jack that there must've been some in whatever small amount of blush she'd used. He also thought that she was only wearing chap stick from the lack of color but abundance in shine.
She was pretty, that was for sure, and while the outfit may have been a little eccentric, she definitely pulled it off with her small, shapely body and wider-than-most hips.
Jack couldn't remember when it was that he started helping Megan out with shopping for clothes. He could only recall times when he'd be up late online looking through different styles and trending outfits to make sure she wouldn't be the odd one out at school. Now whenever he saw someone uniquely dressed, he catalogued it in the back of his mind without another thought because it might help her make friends.
It was a small habit, but an important one, especially since it had to do with his sister.
He took Tothiana's hand after hesitating. "Jack."
"Well Jack, it's nice to meet you."
"You too," he mumbled.
"Are you a friend of Mr. Pitchiner's?"
"You could say that." Jack glanced away as heat flooded his cheeks. Now why was that happening?
"Oh I see." He looked back to see a knowing smirk and a glint in her eye.
"Hey! It's not like that!" Why did he care what this stranger thought?
"You don't have to worry, honey. Your secret's safe with me." With that the woman carried in a basket Jack hadn't seen her holding and trudged over to the kitchen.
"Excuse you." Jack was a little pissed now.
"Oopsies," she giggled. "I probably should've told you why I'm here."
"Probably." Jack gritted his teeth.
"I'm Mr. Pitchiner's maid."
Wait… What?
"Maid?"
"The outfit wasn't enough?" No. "I don't come very often, honestly, and there's not much cleaning to be done around here. Sometimes I think he just hired me for the company, but then whenever I do somehow there's work to be done next time." She huffed, sitting on one of the island's stools and leaning on the counter to look over at Jack.
"Alright, alright. So he's been here, what, not even a month? And he has a maid for no reason, his apartment is amazing. I'm starting to get the feeling that maybe there's a few things he's not telling me." Jack accidentally spoke aloud.
Toothiana made a motion to zip her lips and throw away the key. It didn't make much sense when she opened it a second later. "Sorry, dearie, I can't tell you much. He doesn't say anything to me either."
Silence stretched for a few minutes before Jack remembered how his friend was at that moment.
"Pitch, uh, Mr. Pitchiner is actually dead asleep right now. He had a rough morning."
She pinched her eyebrows together. "I think I understand."
The maid hopped off the stool. "There only seems to be these," she pointed to the dishes. "I'll just wash them real quick and head out. Whatever pays the student loans, ya know?" She shrugged.
"Okay, yeah, that's fine." He fished a hand out of his pocket and awkwardly sifted it through his undoubtedly ruffled hair.
Jack moved over to the island where she'd previously been sitting and brought up a stool for himself.
They didn't speak much until she whispered sadly with her back turned and hands in dirty water.
"You know… Sometimes I come by," she started with a sag of her shoulders, "and his eyes will be bloodshot or the tips of his nose and ears will be red and itchy looking." She paused. "I don't ask anything. It doesn't seem to me like he's the kind of person to spill his guts to any one person, especially if it's something about himself."
Toothiana paused again, rinsing off the rest of the dishes and wiping them before she continued and turned around.
"If he's talking to you, I'm glad. I'm really glad." She bit her lip. "It's weird, ya know? I get hired by this young guy, younger than me, and he seems like such a shut in, doesn't talk much to anyone, and then I see I'm wrong about the guy whenever he thinks I can't see him or I'm not paying attention."
A heavy exhale.
"He gets this sad look in his eye… Have you seen it?"
Jack nods.
"It's not… It's like he's missing something, and I actually have a key to this place, I forgot it today, and I think it was last week I walked in and down the hall to see him slamming a drawer shut. He wouldn't look at me, and just said he was sorry I had to come all the way over here, but there wasn't anything he needed cleaning today. He even said he'd still pay me, but I just thanked him and walked out.
"It was probably a mistake, but… I guess… I don't think he would've said anything to me anyway."
She stared deeply into Jack's eyes this time, searching for something, and he hoped she found it.
"I'm happy there's someone now, is all." She shrugged, playing off her little speech and grabbing her basket. "I guess I'll be going."
Before Jack could say anything she was already at the door readying herself to walk out.
Toothiana glanced back over her shoulder.
"Thanks, kid."
And walked out the door without another word.
Jack's heart tensed as he stood back up to lock the door.
There was something there, in her eyes, when she looked at him that last time.
Something Jack wished he hadn't seen.
It was love.
Love for someone he'd just stolen from her.
The air from the ridge came out in cool waves as Jack searched for something he could manage to make for them. He might not have been the best at cooking outside of the microwave, but he certainly wasn't the worst.
Jack whipped out his phone to search for a fitting recipe.
Scents of barbeque chicken, broccoli, and rice pilaf flitted around the apartment.
He could do this.
It couldn't be that bad.
Jack stuck a fork into one of the chicken bits and brought it to his lips. He breathed in, taking a bite.
Just because he was smug didn't mean that the food wasn't actually delicious.
Plates were prepared after a good five minutes of searching for the damn things, and the table was set. Now all he had to do was wake up Pitch.
Jack strolled down the hall, softly opening the bedroom door and peering inside.
Pitch was practically crushing Sandy, half on top of him, and one of his legs dangled off the bed, still clothed.
The teen resisted the urge to snicker as he headed over. He reached out a hand to shake Pitch awake, but stopped midway, looking to the nightstand.
Toothiana said it was a drawer…
Jack fully withdrew his hand and bent down in front of the stand, cautiously looking to his friend's sleeping face to double check he was still dreaming.
He reached for the bottom drawer, feeling the oddly warm iron handle against his palm, and pulled it open.
There wasn't much. A pack of cigars unopened that looked dusty and old, a few charcoal pencils, and a miniature sketchbook.
Jack tried the middle one.
Papers were strewn about this drawer, but underneath them sat a box covered in delicate butterflies. Butterflies that looked much like the one in Pitch's painting. Jack exhaled and lifted the box out onto his lap. He looked again to his right, jumping at Sandy's eyes watching him intently. At least it wasn't Pitch that had woken up.
He pried open the lid and gasped, putting a hand over his mouth.
Another glance over at his friend assured him he was still sleeping.
Jack continued in his search with the drop of his hand.
Newspaper articles were all he could see so far. Articles from some English paper, many English papers, actually, and from what he could tell it was of the same interlocking events. Jack laid them aside on the hardwood floor and dug deeper. Next he found a small children's book with heavily worn edges. He figured it must've been used a lot in its day. Quickly Jack flipped through it. It was about butterflies, and he set it on top of the newspaper clippings.
Now that the box was almost empty, he could see an even smaller jewelry box in the bottom.
He lifted the box out like he'd done with the other and held it in the palm of his hand. Carefully, he pushed the lid back.
Part of him berated him for snooping through his friend's things. Someone he'd not known for more than a week, after all, why would Pitch tell him anything about this? It wasn't Jack's business.
But with the breakdown he'd witnessed earlier fresh in his mind, Jack couldn't stop himself from carrying on.
The covering snapped back on its hinges.
Inside this one there was a simple yet ornate, golden locket.
Jack felt across the top of it, curious why something this small was so important.
He noticed the clasp on the edge and pressed it open with a clink.
Needless to say, Jack was more confused than ever.
He didn't want to rush Pitch with anything about his past, but this…
A young girl's face gazed out at him with a grin befitting a princess.
She was beautiful, young, couldn't have been older than maybe eight or nine. She had matching facial features to Pitch and there was no doubt they were somehow related.
Oh duh.
Jack reached over for one of the newspapers' clippings, grabbing the first one his fingers made purchase with.
Owner and Founder of Pitchiner Healthcare Found Dead With Wife And Child
He couldn't bring himself to read it. He snagged another one.
Break-in At Local Business Owner's House: Three Dead
And another.
Lone Survivor of the 'Pitchiner Purloin' Case Claims 'They've Got the Wrong Bad Guys'
He kept going.
Alone In This World: The Aftermath of the Pitchiner Murders
Fundraiser for the 'Pitchiner Prodigy' This Saturday
Convicts of the 'Pitchiner Purloin' Plead Innocent
Funeral Procession Held for the Wrongly Passed Family
Special Memorial for Seraphina Pitchiner
Heir of the Pitchiner Healthcare Facilities Auctioned Off The Company As Soon as He took control: Claims 'It's Better In Different Hands'
Jack's eyes pricked with tears as one headline forced him to read the paragraph underneath.
Years Later: Case Unsolved, Original Suspects Innocent, Heir Gone to America
On the anniversary of the 'Pitchiner Purloin,' we mourn the loss of the established members of our community that were wrongly taken from us. Asleep in their beds at the time, Mr. and Mrs. Pitchiner passed on due to murderers, thieves, and downright disgusting men, as we all know. The daughter, Seraphina Pitchiner, stabbed and killed in her little nightgown, unaware of what had happened to her parents hours before. She was only six years old. While suspects were captured, the son, Kozmotis Pitchiner, eleven at the time, claimed they weren't the ones who had committed the crime in front of his own eyes. Proved innocent after months of trial, the original suspects were let go, and to this day the real culprits are still at large. Kozmotis, now nineteen on our records, sold the family's company 'Pitchiner Healthcare' and its affiliates on his eighteenth birthday once it had been signed over to him. Then he said, 'It's better in different hands. The deaths of my family were wrong, and there's nothing I, nor any of us, can do to make that better. […] To take a step into my future I have to let go of the past, and for that to happen I can't drag this organization down with my failure." Once all the paperwork was done and his ties were cut, the Pitchiner Prodigy flew to America to start a career of his own. While he hasn't been in the news since for anything major, our city hopes with every heart he's doing better than when we last saw him.
Jack realized who Seraphina was and more tears fell. She was Pitch's little sister.
She was killed in front of him.
A warm hand gripped his wrist from the right and Jack saw Pitch glaring down at him through his own blurry eyes.
Jack couldn't tell if the orphan was angry, upset, or saddened.
Sandy wriggled out from under Pitch, jumped down from the bed, and bolted from the room, sensing the tension.
Pitch spoke, carefully pronouncing each word.
"Don't hurt her."
Jack's face warped in bewilderment. "What…?"
"Give it to me." Pitch looked towards the locket.
The younger reached towards his friend with the locket in hand as Pitch finally released his wrist and gripped the necklace instead.
He was silent, staring intently at the picture of Seraphina, for several moments.
His gaze went to Jack's.
The teen wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't process all of this at once; everything he'd just learned piled over and spread through his mind.
"I made dinner." Jack stated, pulling everything back into the box and standing up.
"Oh…" Pitch's eyes never left him, but he didn't seem all there as he moved into a seated position.
"I'm going to take Sandy for a walk then." Jack gripped Pitch's forearm and stood him up. He left the room with his friend following close behind.
"Are you… Did you eat?" The older still didn't seem to be thinking clearly.
"Yeah, while you were sleeping." Jack slipped the leash that was hanging by the door onto the Corgi's collar.
"Oh, but…" Pitch was glancing into the kitchen.
Jack opened the door, leading Sandy out of it. "We'll be back soon." He closed it behind him and leaned against it softly with a deep exhale.
From inside he faintly heard Pitch's low voice, almost a whisper. "Then why is the table set for two…"
It was quiet until loud thumps started sounding, like he'd thrown over the chairs as he stomped around. He cried out, heavy and cracking, breaking apart from the inside out. Jack could hear the dripping, collapsed tears in his voice.
"Is this what you wanted!? IS THIS IT!? JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!" Pitch choked a sob. "Just tell me…" Another thump. "Please tell me…"
Jack ran away, leash in hand, holding back the falling saltwater as best he could.
He couldn't listen to any more.
"...tell if the orphan..."
"...orphan..."
ORPHAN.
I'm sorry. And it's been so dramatic lately! Ugh. But we gotta wade through this stuff. I'm actually kinda excited for Jack's next chapter. OH THAT REMINDS ME! Did you guys like my interpretation of Tooth? I picture her like 23 or 26. Was it too eccentric or what? I'd like to know from you! Not just anyone, you. The person reading this right now.
Again, editing was bad on this one, but I was trying to get back to the descriptive writing and upping the amount of body language in this one. If it's too much, shout it out to me n w n
See you at the top of the next (old character? introducing) chapter~
