Between The Walls

Chapter 20

Isabelle tentatively tugged at the porcelain mask, giving Brahms a chance to stop her. He didn't. So she took it off completely, and her heart broke at the sight of his tears. He looked so dejected.

She took in the sight of him. She never had the opportunity to study him without his mask. The few times she previously had, she was always distracted.

The right side of his face is grotesquely scarred. In his parents' rush to hide him from his crime, they had left the injury he sustained from the fire barely treated, leaving a heavily disfigured piece of skin on the side of his face. But the other side, the one untouched by the accident, showcased a fine, handsome man. A bitter reminder of the kind of life he could've had.

"What happened, Brahms? Why did you say that I wanted you locked up and hurting? I never-" she halted as she came to a realization. Brahms must've heard her when she said that he was better off locked up.

He stared at her like a prisoner waiting for execution. Ironic.

"Oh, Brahms." she said.

"Don't lie." he mumbled. "Please, don't lie."

"You don't understand Brahms." she sighed as she sat the both of them down. "Remember when you told me about your past? You told me how you made a mistake 20 years ago and that your parents had hid you since? That was wrong. What your parents did was wrong."

"If they didn't do what they did, the authorities will hurt me." he insisted.

"No, Brahms. That wouldn't have happened. You were 8 years old, Brahms. The law doesn't punish kids the way they do adults. Yes, they wouldn't have let you walk away freely, but they wouldn't hurt you either. And besides, with all the hiding and suffering you did for the past 20 years, you already more than made up for those mistakes."

"I don't want to go outside." he argued feebly.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." For now, at least.

Brahms took in everything she said. Could it be? Had he already reached atonement for his crimes? Or was she just saying what he obviously wanted to hear? And what proof does he even have that she's telling the truth?

They sat in silence, finding solace in the temporary peace. But their little bubble was broken by the sound of doorbells ringing.

Who could it b-

Malcolm!

They were both so caught up with their own issues that they forgot about Malcolm's scheduled delivery of groceries. 

"Go." Isabelle silently instructed, telling him to go hide himself. Brahms obeyed but stayed close to watch as she left to open the gates for Malcolm. 

As he hid, he berated himself for hoping that what she said might be real. The man inside of him wanted to blindly believe her words, but the broken child in him knows better.

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A/N: I know it's not that great of a chapter, but I was busy with applying for part-time jobs. It'll get better, I promise.