The Unequal Hardship

Chapter 3: The Shared Secret

The woods were dark and cold. The sounds were not nice either. Cold wind dancing through my hair, and whistling through the leaves all around me. I didn't have a thought of where I was going, and I had a feeling that this was a bad idea; these woods are supposed to be forbidden from anyone going in them. I have just broke that rule.

My family had their secrets, and I had mine. Though I wish I knew what they were hiding from me, they can never know what I'm hiding from them. They hated and disowned me before, and now they finally have accepted me into their lives again. My brother even wants to play video games with me, but could I trust that they would never try to kick me out again. I shook these ideas away as I continued my journey through these woods.

***

As I was walking through the forest, a sudden shiver, cold as ice, went down my spine, and made my legs shake. I stopped immediately and looked around. I felt like I was being watched, but there was no one in sight. The trees had a sense of danger, or remorse, but I couldn't figure out why. The ground felt cold and rotten, but it had a calming sense. The air was heavy, but rewarding with every breath I took. There was something about this forest that reminded me of home.

As I finally made my way to the end of our property I felt a sting on my shoulder again. As I crossed out of our property, heading to the other side of the neighborhood, which the last half of the way through the woods, the sting grew to a burn. I was calm to it for a moment, but then it became excruciating. It felt as if I was being branded. I could smell the scent of burnt flesh, and felt the burn through my whole body. I couldn't move anymore, and then I fell to the ground. As I hit my head to the rotten forest floor, I heard a stick break. Someone was coming, but I couldn't see who it was. I had my right hand holding my left shoulder as the burn slowly calmed itself. I could still feel it, as if the aftertaste was going to be worse than the main course. The pain started to go to my head, and the unknown person still was approaching me. I tried to stand and run, but my vision started to black, and then it all happened at once, I blacked out right as I heard a voice, but I couldn't make out who it was.

***

The bed I woke in was so soft. I could feel the velvet sheets below me and covering. The bed was memory foamed, and supported and held my figure comfortably. The pillow was cold, and washed away my afflicted head, and brought back my vision as I opened my eyes. It was dark around me, and I couldn't make out my surroundings.There was a faint light coming from one end of the room I was in. It must have been a window that was recently covered up. I heard someone else breathing slowly near me, it was faint and quiet, but for some reason I could make it out, "Hello?" I asked cautiously.

"You're awake!" It was a guy's voice, a familiar voice. He sounded jumpy, he must have not expected me to be awake by now. I now know by his voice that he was to my left. I turned, and as my eyes adjusted further, I could make out a slight silhouette of his figure. He slowly stood tall, and the form of his body walked to the opposite side of the room. Then the lights turned on, at that moment my vision went again. My eyes had to adjust to the newly bright room. My blurry vision was trying to take in all the new colors, and it was hard. My head was pounding, and my whole back was aching, and all together, this day sucked. I now thought of what would happen if my parents found out I left the house. The thought soon slipped my mind when my eyes adjusted. I finally saw who was standing before me. It was him it was George. Him with his gorgeous blue eyes, and a body built to show off his personality. He had a safe aura surrounding him, a warm feeling I've never felt before. It was different from when I used to see him, and go scared. 

As I looked at him, he started to go around his room, like he was worried. He paced to his two windows, and then to his door. He opened and yelled, "Hello?" There was no answer though. I came to the conclusion we are here alone. He then shut his door and locked it.

He turned back around and I finally took in the figure of his room. Where he was standing was to the right corner of his room, and I was sitting on a double bed more to the left side. I could see that there was one window to my right on the back wall, and then at the end of the bed on the left most wall there was another. I turned and put my feet on the ground now sitting and saw there was a desk with a laptop on the right most wall where the door led into. There were posters of bands on the walls, and he had a plain white carpet. On the front wall, left of the door, there was a small flat screen TV hung up, and a dresser right below it. 

I noticed him, now standing to my right, at the end of the bed. I looked to him. Confused I asked, "How did I get here, what happened?"

"I found you in the woods between our houses, and you were unconscious. I noticed something glowing on your back as well, but I decided to not take your clothes off." He says with a smile. Though it didn't answer what happened to me, but I had no time to think of that. 

As of now I was interested of what was glowing on my back. I still feel a hot sensation on my left shoulder blade, but I knew it was something more. I stood and walked to the lifeless TV, and I took off my shirt and spun around. I heard George gasp, and then I saw it for myself. I was branded.

On my back, just glowing over my left shoulder blade, was a brand in my skin. It didn't burn but it looked incomplete. As of now it looks like a half of a star in a circle, but I'm still uncertain. Thoughts started to pressure my mind, and this is when I knew my family was hiding something. I recall what my mother said about rules, and how my brother accepts me now for who I am, could this brand be connected to that. I couldn't comprehend everything. Then George came closer. 

"Does it hurt?" He asked. He stared at my charred skin, red seemingly dancing around the scar. He moved his hand towards my scar, but before his skin touched mine the heat began to burn more. He was the reason this was happening. I cried in pain and fell to the ground, "Oh my God. Dalton are you alright?!" 

"Ye..yeah. I'm OK." I say, as I stand. I take a look at my reflection again and more of the incomplete brand has formed. Could George be the cause of this I thought to myself. 

***

After another hour or so, my brand was completely cooled off. Though it gets warmer as George would get closer to me, so I tried my best to keep my distance in this spacious room. We haven't talked since he asked if I was alright. He has left the room a few times to get drinks or snack and gave some to me, but there was no conversation, but after all of this silence, I decided to break it, "So you're just like me?"

"What?" George asked. He turned to me and his beautiful blue eyes met my golden serine eyes. 

"I asked if you were like me? Ever since that day you saved me from your 'friends' I couldn't stop thinking of you." My brand began to get warmer. 

"Well...um.. yeah...I guess so. Nobody really knows besides you and my parents," he replied moving his eyes to the ground.

"I know how this feels. Its OK to be nervous or confused. I've felt that my whole life, and its worst now than ever with whats on my back." 

"Ahaha," he laughed. He looked up now and took a step closer and smiled, "I've always thought about you Dalton."

I looked at him nervously, not knowing what to say. He then took another step closer and then another. There he was in front of me only now inches from where I was "trying to keep my distance". He was the reason this brand was now burning. I could feel it hotter and hotter, and then a miracle. It stopped right has he put his lips to mine. I closed my eyes, and he put his arms around my body. I couldn't move, and I didn't want to. I followed through with his lead, and then it happened all so quickly. I opened my eyes and my body started to glow and the glow went to his body. I could feel his emotions, his thoughts, his soul. My brand wasn't burning anymore, but I felt it. It was complete. He pulled away from me and opened his eyes, "I think I'm in love with you, and always have been."

"I don't know what to sa..." There was a bang at his door interrupting this moment of realization. A voice called, "George who are you talking to! I thought i said nobody here while we are gone! George open this door now!" It was his mom.

"You have to leave, here," he pushed me toward the back window. He opened it and pulled a part from a vine through, "Use this and the rest of these vines to climb down. Go home. I will see you again, I promise." 

He said all of this with his eyes locked to mine. He gave me one last kiss on the lips, making my mind fly through my body, and my soul dance happily. This was a shared and forever will be our secret. Then I started to climb.