Metamorphosis

Chapter 2: Knocking on Reality's Door

Edward's headache became less intense the more he relived the events of the past week. But he didn't want to relive them. There wasn't much he could do but just close his eyes and let memory guide him through the hurt and the pain and the anger that that was nothing he could have done. He had been like a little butterfly when Frankie had flown on top of him. He could still feel himself sinking, sinking like he had done when his brother's fangs were in his neck. He had let the pain take him and had left it all to Frankie to deal with the aftermath for the time being. But that hadn't changed the fact that he was now having to deal with the aftermath himself. And there was one to turn to. How could he talk to Frankie when he could barely look him in the eyes now? There were days when he hated him, hated him for what he promised never to do. But then there were days when he was just too tired to hate, which were becoming more and more. He knew his brother had done it out of love for him. That he would rather have gone behind his back to protect him rather than listen to him and let him die. But he still hated him.

Cause he would have died, he knew, if he remained a human. He would have been dead in the next day or so. But he didn't care. He would have died to honor humanity. His humanity.

Knock knock.

"Who is it?"

"Ed, let me in."

He had wearily gotten up and unlatched the door to let his younger brother step inside.

"What do you want, Frankie?"

"I just need a place to stay for a few days."

Edward nodded and walked towards the kitchen to get him some wine.

"You can have the spare room upstairs. It's already set up for you."

Frankie followed him to the kitchen. Edward stared at him in disgust as he pulled a bottle of red looking stuff out of his duffel bag. He knew what it was. Blood. His brother, who was in the armed forces hunting down the last remaining humans, got bottles of it for free. This wasn't the first one he had seen, just the first one he had seen that belonged to his brother. He stepped away and splashed some water on his face from the sink.

"You treat it like it's poison."

"That's cause it is poison."

Edward looked back up and could have sworn his brother's eyes just turned red.

"I have to drink it. To survive."

"Yeah, cause you went and turned yourself into a damn bloodsucker."

"We live in a world filled with vampires right now. It's normal. It's necessary. Of course, you were never one to adapt to change. And you're gonna get yourself killed one day because of it."

"Gee Frankie, I never knew you wanted to be like everyone else. I never knew you wanted to be a freak."

Frankie wanted to inch up closer but his brother didn't look too good. He was clearly agitated. So he kept his distance for the time being.

"You really would have wanted me to stay human? It would have killed me."

"You don't know that."

Ed ran a hand through his hair and tried like hell not to walk away. Deep down he knew he and Frankie needed to have this talk. And it was better done sooner than later.

"Stop lying to yourself. Of course it would have. And it's not ethical to have humans hunt humans."

"Oh, and you think it's ethical to turn yourself into one of those things?"

"Things? Vampires Ed, vampires. I'm a vampire. And it's time you start to accept it. Cause this was my choice. I chose to survive. And you want to hate me for that?"

Edward sighed in frustration and walked closer. As close as he allowed himself to go, which was still about a foot away from Frankie.

"I don't hate you Frankie. I'm just disgusted with you. I just can't deal with this right now."

He turned away from him and paced around the kitchen.

"I came here to make peace with you big brother."

"Just get that thing out of my kitchen", he pointed to the full bottle.

Frankie stepped closer to his brother but he only stepped farther away. He sighed and put it back in his bag.

"Happy now?"

"Not really", Edward shrank away from his last remaining family.

"Ed listen."

He looked back up into his brother's eyes, where he saw no red this time.

"You promised me. You promised me you would never resort to this."

He could feel the tears coming now. And he'd be damned to allow himself to let them fall in front of his younger brother. But what could he do? He was pushed past his breaking point ages ago. He couldn't deal. Edward Dalton was a fighter. But it was becoming harder and harder for him to fight in a world like this. And it was too late to fight for his brother. He had let him down, let him slip right through his fingers.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? I'm pretty vulnerable in this world when I'm a human, Ed."

He begged Frankie to understand for his sake. Forcing him to look into his eyes and see the extent of the pain he had caused him.

"You should have kept your promise."

Frankie paused and licked his lips, remembering past life with Ed.

"Remember when we were kids? We always promised that we would look after each other. No matter what."

Edward turned away and shook his head, remembering all those times. He had been the one to say it the most, him being the eldest. It was too late to look after Frankie now.

"You're not looking out for me. You never did."

"I've always looked out for you!"

"No Frankie. You're just…You're not my brother anymore."

"You don't mean that!"

"Just go away, Frankie."

His little brother just stood there, horrorstruck at what he was saying. Ed turned around and hated himself for saying those things but hating Frankie for doing this to himself. He was a monster. A sickening monster who was in his house trying to make him understand. Well, he couldn't understand. In fact, it was his brother who couldn't understand.

"I love you, Edward. I always have. And I'm doing this for you. Because you would do the same for me."

Edward shook his head and saw his brother advance towards him out of the corner of his eye.

"Frankie?"

He was so scared and he couldn't stop his body from shaking violently as his brother walked forward, arms held out as if to hug him but with a certain look in his eye that Ed did not like one bit. Edward walked backwards, terrified, nearly crashing into the wall. He led Frankie out to the living room.

"I'm so sorry big brother. But I love you far too much."

Frankie lunged.

To be continued…