Mischa Lecter

Chapter 15: Anymore

They walked in silence the trail winding through the woods behind their house. Their hands were hanging loosely together between them, their identical scars laying side by side. Hamal's eyes faced upwards through the trees and into the bright blue sky that hung over head. Mischa's eyes were down and focused on the twigs and roots on the ground.

"So why is Mom calling you Mischa?"

"It's kind of my new name." Mischa said as she sat down on a tree stump, "It's our Aunts name."

"We have an Aunt?"
"Well, she died before she was 4, Killed by soldiers in World War II."

"That sucks."

Mischa nodded as she played with a stick she had found in the dirt.

"So you found him?"

"He found me, well us, after we were shot. He took care of mom and me, got my arm fixed, you know. Stuff like that."

"You were with him before you came here won't you?"
"Yeah. I can't wait for you to meet him, he's great."

"Yeah." Hamal said as he focused on what Mischa was drawing, "So where did you go after I was shot?"

"The Ireland countryside. Then Paris." she said smiling a little, "It was gorgeous."

"Did they tell you I was dead?"

"Hamal they didn't need to tell me, I was there when you died."
"What?"

Mischa took a deep breath, "We were shot at the same time. I held your hand and you told me that you were listening, then you died. You stopped breathing. Then Papa picked me up and carried me away, and I woke up a few months later."

"They didn't know that I was alive?"

"I guess not. I really don't know."

"What did you do after you woke up?"
"I didn't talk for a long time, when I did it was only to Papa. Then everything kinda went back to normal, I guess. We were talking and acting like a real family. Then I met Aidan and Anthony. We became really quick friends and I developed a crush on Anthony. Then I found out that Aidan's dad had been murdered by Papa and that she was after revenge. I then found out that they were the ones that killed you and shot me. So... I gave them what they deserved."

"What are you saying?"

"I killed them. Both of them." she said simply, "Then Mom left to come here and Papa took me to the safe house."

"You killed people?"

"Yes." Mischa said shrugging, "It's not like I ate them."

"Who are you?" Hamal said standing up and glaring at her.

"What are you talking about Hamal?"

"My sister would never kill anyone. My sister would never lie to the cops to save herself."

"YOU killed someone Hamal, or have you forgotten our teacher? I lied to the cops then to protect you!"

"Don't you dare accuse me of that! It was an accident! I would never kill someone!"

"You already have!"

Hamal closed the space between them and hit the side of her face with the back of his hand, "Don't say that!"

Mischa's hand went to the already bruising spot on her cheek bone, "See? Violence is in your blood. It'll only be a matter of time before you kill again."

"I will never be like you! I won't be a monster."

"Face it Hamal! You're sister has changed."

"You're not my sister. Not anymore."

Mischa picked herself off the floor and tried to force back the tears, "So that's it huh? You're just gonna walk away from me and mom?"

Hamal silently walked down the path, away from Mischa.

She took a few steps to follow him, "You're being a coward."

"What?" He asked, his voice deadly, as he turned on his heel.

"You're being a Coward." she said slower that time.

"How dare you call me a Coward? You go into hiding after you get shot, then after you kill someone and you're calling me a COWARD?" he yelled as he walked back to her and shoved her back.

"Get away from me." she said as he grabbed her wrist, his eyes burning in pure hatred. "Let me go! You're hurting me."

"You say Killing is in my blood... Maybe you'll be my next victim." he said as he threw her back into a tree and hit her again. She cried out in pain before he wrapped his finger around her throat.

Her hands went up to try to pry his off of her as she struggled to breath.

He glared and squeezed harder before dropping her and walking off.

Mischa watched him go, and was surprised that her heart was not hurting like it had when she had woke up. She paused for a moment, her hand gently rubbing the bruised skin around her neck. She thought about what had just happened and stood up. Her eye would be bruised from the last punch he gave her, so would her cheek from the first. Her neck would probably be bruised too.

She sighed and used the tree to pull herself back up. She stepped down on her left foot and jumped back off it. Her vocal chords worked without command as she tried to put it back down. She had twisted it somehow. Maybe when she had fallen after he hit her the first time. She sighed and limped back to the house, waiting for the tears than would never come.