The Reaper | F. Odair

Twenty-six

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Aaron
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    Was this what my mother felt when she realized she'd basically lost everything? It was like staring at some faceless being holding my own heart, stabbing, ripping, throwing it -- somehow damaging it without actually breaking it. It's like someone is strangling me but still giving me just enough air, my chest is basically breaking into itself. I'm somehow empty, but stuff is still coming out. I'm alone.

Another sob chokes out of my throat, passing the bile that's been sat there for basically hours now. There's another knock on the door, "Aaron?" Prim's voice calls gently, "Aaron, are you sure you're okay..?"

I shake my head and pull my knees closer to my chest, "go away..."

I can hear Prim sigh behind the metal door. Key's seem to rattle for a second and I can hear the door unlocking as my fingers dig deeper into my legs. The girl sighs, "Aaron..."

"She can't be gone..."

Prim slowly walks closer to where I'm sitting in the shower, "she's gone, Aaron..."

"No..." I whimper, "it's not fair... She was finally coming back to me, s-she can't just be gone..."

The thirteen year old pushes the curtain open. I can feel her soft eyes graze my neck as another sob slips out. "She was killed in the bombings, right..?" Prim asks.

I shakily nod, "t-that's right..."

"My father died in an explosion." Prim says, crouching down next to me, "it's weird to just know they're not going to come home."

"...I hate this world."

Prim gently wraps her arms around me as she sits next to me, leaning her head on my right arm. I can feel her shake her head, "don't say that."

"I hate it."

"Don't hate the world, Aaron. It'll get better, there's things out there that you may like."

I shake my head and awkwardly bring my right hand up to my face and wipe my tears, "I can't love anything with them still out there..."

"You can and you will again someday, okay?" She whispers.

A sigh slips past my lips as I grab her right hand gently with my own. "I wish I was like this at your age."

"Like what?" Prim asks, pulling away.

"Happy... all positive and all that." I mutter, "my sister died right when I was turning thirteen, my parents abandoned me around the same time. I was forced to grow up." I explain, taking my head off of the wall and looking towards Prim, her bright blue eyes are glued onto mine, "you had Katniss. I had nobody."

"You have people now, though." Prim frowns.

"No one likes me, Prim."

"I like you."

"You're crazy then." I smile, she smiles as well, "you're friends with a psycho."

"You aren't psycho. Now, come on, you said you'd give being social a chance." She says, grabbing at my right arm and pulling me from the wall.

"I don't plan on talking to anybody..." I mumble as she pulls me to my feet.

"You only have to stay calm. Come on, you'll be fine."

"Do I have to keep an IV in?" I ask as I look down at my arm, the tubes are still there but they've been taped and blocked off.

"When you come back, yes. It's only for a little longer."