Echoes of Emotion (Sebastian Sallow x OC)

Chapter 21 - Pains of the Past

I woke up, a familiar feeling of dread filling my body.
I looked around, not quite knowing where I was, as the room was pitch black.
I heard a small whimpering noise in the far corner, and without a second thought, I got out of bed and slowly began walking towards it.

As I got closer, I could see a small figure huddled in the corner, practically hidden behind a large wardrobe.
A sad smile made its way across my face as I realised who it was, and I knelt down to their height, reaching out my hand and stroking their hair gently.

"What's wrong, Hunter?" I whispered.
His eyes glistened with fresh tears as he looked at me, his eyes wide with fear.
"Mother and father are fighting again..." he sniffled.
A frown tugged at my lips.
Of course they were fighting.
It seemed that was all they did nowadays.

I slowly got up and made my way over to the closed door, pressing my ear against it gently.
I could hear muffled shouting, accompanied by the occasional slam or crash.
I couldn't quite make out what they were talking about, but my parents' voices were unmistakable.
I had practically spent my whole life hiding in this room, trying desperately not to get in their way, making sure their yelling was directed at each other rather than one of us children.
Sage and I had learnt to ignore it by now, barely remembering anything different.
Unfortunately, Hunter was more sensitive.

I turned slightly, looking towards Sage's bed.
My frown deepened as I saw her bed was empty, the window next to it wide open.
She had snuck out again.
Typical.

I rolled my eyes before making my way back to Hunter, using a finger to lift his chin and giving him a forced smile.
"How about I come sleep in your bed tonight?" I suggested, causing his eyes to widen further.
"Won't they be angry?" he asked, remembering the other times we had done so.
I shook my head.
I didn't plan to sleep a wink that night.
I would listen to their voices until the morning, and as soon as I would hear their footsteps, I would run back to my own bed.
It was practically a routine at this point.

I helped Hunter to his feet and led him back to his bed, lifting the covers so we were both snuggled under it, protected from all harm.
Hunter hugged my waist, to which I rubbed his arm reassuringly, trying to soothe him to sleep.
"Why do they fight so much?" he asked, his voice shaky.
I shrugged.
"I'm not sure." I answered honestly.
They had been arguing for as long as I could remember.
If anything, a calm day was more uncommon.
Yet, when they did fight, it was never rational.
It was like they enjoyed it.

"Do they not love each other?" his voice broke and I looked down at him, seeing his lip tremble.
It was always so important for a child to believe their parents were soulmates.
To think that they were the product of true love.
Yet, it wasn't always the case.
Sometimes, the truth was a lot more complicated than that.
But how do you even begin to explain that to a child?

I stayed silent, not sure how to answer, the thought making my own eyes gloss over.
I didn't know the first thing about love.
So how was I to know whether or not they felt that way?

"Why the long faces?"
My head snapped up at the voice.
There, creeping through the window, was Sage.

"Where have you been?" I snapped, causing her to roll her eyes.
"Out. But don't worry, I brought us something." she grinned, waving something in her hands.
I glanced at what she was holding and gasped.
It was a fairytale book.

Our parents didn't allow such 'nonsense' in the house, claiming that books are for knowledge, not escapism.
But in a house where such a rule exists, I'd argue escapism is necessary.

Sage walked over to join us in Hunter's bed, with us scooting over to make room.
We were all squished together, the single bed made for a child creaking under our weight.
But we didn't care.
We wanted to know the adventures of the world.
The tales that strangers created with their minds, the limitless journey's they shared.