Games : 8
"I said no, David." Mom lay in the bed, her eyes half lidded and foggy. Dad leaned over her, his trembling hands clasping hers tightly.
"Please, Amy. There's a hospital on the third level, we could tell them the hybrid died."
I sat on my bed cross legged with Lizzy huddled against my side. Her small arms wrapped around mine and shook lightly. I kept my gaze on the wood floor.
"They want them…" Mom slurred, her eyes closing as she inhaled shakily. She had been saying this for the last hour. Her mind was scrambled and incoherent as she drifted in and out of consciousness. I had called dad only because Lizzy had begged me to. She cried silently, her head buried in my shoulder.
"They won't find them, I promise." Dad pleaded but mom's head lulled to the side as she passed out again. He let go of her pale hands and gently shook her shoulders. Nothing.
Dad let out a frustrated, stressed breath and began pacing the small room. One hand on his hip, the other running anxiously through his hair, he muttered to himself quietly. Then he paused and looked over at us on the bed, his brow furrowing in a deep scowl. I swallowed and averted my gaze.
"You two…" He huffed, shaking his head. "She only cares about you two." He looked back at mom's sleeping form under the covers. "But you're the reason she'll die."
"Mom won't die!" Lizzy sniffed, glaring murderously at dad. "She'll get better!"
"She won't!" Dad's voice boomed in the small space and both of us jumped. Lizzy panted as she hid her face again. "She has cancer, you morons!" Tears were actually running down his face now.
"Why doesn't she go to the hospital?" I asked quietly. My heart leapt into a staccato rhythm as dad glared at me. His bloodshot eyes were full of hate and anguish.
"Because then the hospital will know that she has hybrid children." He pointed at me, still holding his menacing stare. "And all hybrid children must be reported to WICKED, especially ones with mutations like yours. But she wanted to protect you, keep you hidden. Evil people in evil places using evil creatures for evil games."
"We're not evil…" Lizzy whispered and dads gaze flashed to her.
"Did your brother tell you what he did to that little boy? His name was Colin-"
"Stop it." I grit my teeth, keeping one arm around Lizzy's shaking shoulders.
"Stabbed him in the chest and injected him with venom. It's what wraiths do to their victims. It's in their blood, to kill. Their instinct."
"I said stop it!" I jumped off the bed but dad grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground in one swift motion. I hit the ground hard and skidded into the wall. Lizzy screamed.
"You're nothing but a monster, you all are!" Dad kicked me in the stomach with his heavy boot. All the air rushed out of me with an audible crack. I curled into a ball, unable to breathe.
I need to stop this.
"Stop!" Lizzy was standing in between dad and I now. She was crying, wailing, and she pulled on his arm. She was a fly to him, completely insignificant. He wrenched her arm away from his and threw her down next to me.
"Don't touch her…" I groaned and slowly sat up, pushing Lizzy behind me. I swung my tail around and expanded the forked end wide. The long, broad feathers parted and exposed two, opaque white daggers, each 6 inches long.
Dad froze, the wickedly sharp points aimed straight for his heart. Blood ran into my eye from a cut on my forehead. I squinted through it, my breathing harsh and shallow.
"Are you going to kill me too, Newton?" Dad asked, his voice scarily calm. He looked me in the eye, daring me.
"Leave." I growled. "Take mom to the hospital."
"I'm not coming back." Dad backed away slowly towards the bed. I stood stiffly, keeping Lizzy back with one arm. "And neither is she." He leaned over mom and gently lifted her into his arms bridal style. She was limp and unresponsive.
"I don't care." I panted as he walked across the room towards the door. I pivoted with him, keeping my tail locked onto his back and Lizzy behind me.
"I hope the games find you." Dad paused at the door. "I won't report you because it's Amy's final wish," He looked back at us. Anger, pain, and hate clashed together in his mind so strongly it felt like a tidal wave. "But they will find you. And when they do, I'll come and cheer for the one who gets to rip you apart." He opened the door.
Mom hung limply from his arms. Deathly pale and skeletal. She was alive, but not at the same time. No thoughts or emotions, not even dreams. The door closed behind dad, leaving us alone in the room.
…
Lizzy hadn't stopped crying since dad left. She lay out on her bed curled into the fetal position and hugged a pillow fiercely. Her bruised arms trembled and her face was buried in the tear soaked pillow. I sat on the edge of my bed, my tail in my hands. The tail lock lay on the ground by the wall still, right where I had left it. I would never wear one again.
A drop of blood dripped off my eyebrow and onto my leg. I ran the back of my hand over my face and more blood stained my sleeve. Grimacing as lightning shot through my cracked ribs, I slowly stood and limped towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Lizzy squeaked behind me.
"To find Mrs. Wren." I opened the door and looked down the long flight of stairs. Lizzy padded up next to me and took my hand.
The old woman was in the kitchen making dinner when we entered the dining room. I sat down in the end seat heavily.
"Dinner won't be ready for a couple of hours, dear." She called out. Lizzy was already moving around the counter and pulling on her apron.
"Dad hurt my brother." She said in a small wavering voice. Mrs. Wren's eyes shot up to look at me.
"Oh, Newt, honey…" She hurried over to kneel in front of me, holding Lizzy's hand. "You're bleeding."
"He's gone. He won't be back." I said curtly, my breath hitching in my chest painfully. "And he took mom."
Mrs. Wren stood and took out a white cloth from her pocket. She delicately dabbed some of the blood, her other hand tilting my chin to look up at her. Then she handed the cloth to Lizzy with instructions to rinse it out.
"They'll be back." She whispered gently. Her hand moved some strands of hair out of my eyes. I looked into her soft gray eyes. She reminded me of mom.
"No, they won't." I blinked hot tears away and stared at the floor.
Mom would die in the hospital. I didn't even get to say goodbye.
'I'll come and cheer for the one who gets to rip you apart.'
Mrs. Wren dabbed the wet cloth on my forehead.
"What are the games?" I blurted out and looked wide eyed up at her. She hesitated, looking taken aback.
"We can talk about that another time, dear." She glanced over at Lizzy. She sat in the chair next to me, her bloodshot eyes carefully watching my every move.
"What happened?"
I looked up at the sound of Thomas' voice. He stood in the doorway of the dining room with large eyes. He roamed over the bloody cloth, the cut on my forehead, and Lizzy's bruised form.
Thomas, I need to know what the games are.
His eyes locked onto me.
"Thomas, now's not the time. Go back to your room, please." Mrs. Wren said quickly and he tore his gaze away from me to her. "Run along, dinner will be ready shortly." He looked back at me.
Tonight. I'll show you tonight.