Clouded Innocence

Chapter 7

Last time on: Clouded Innocence!

The three shared a look before Kain darted out, sprinting down the hall. She quickly stopped causing her to slide. Immediately, she began to barrel-roll to her destination, being the other end of the hall, just before class ended.

-

The man only stared after her before pulling out a photograph out of his pocket.... A demented smile grew across his face. He was definitely at the right school.

-

"I'm surprised you don't remember me, chickadee. I mean, I practically raised you!" he guffawed, his dark hazel eyes glimmering with fondness. Kain lost what little color she had as she stared up at him in shock and horror.

"Jon?"

Back to the show...

Footprints in the snow, tears freezing on her face, and emptiness. That's all she remembered of that last Christmas with the Jon that raised her. Not the monstrosity that possessed him.

A happy couple laughed as they walked down the street. The man had short, cropped black hair, expressive hazel eyes, and was bundled up in a puffy black coat that was bought in a thrift store. Beside him, a teenage girl with unmistakably silver hair and heterochromatic eyes drank in the Christmas lights. It was her favorite time of year, the holidays. Everyone was so happy and she didn't have to be her father's puppet for a short while. Plus the lights and decorations were beautiful in the night.

"I think it's about time we head back, Kai," the older man said. In the middle of the square, a clock was striking one. Kain let out a yawn, nodding to her quasi-father.

"I'm good with that. Sleep sounds pretty nice right now," she told him, running on ahead to the apartment the two shared. What she missed, however, was the important bit: the hardened look to his eyes, the gaze of a murderer without a soul.

By the time Jon had arrived, Kain was already in the living room. The two foot Christmas tree filled the dark room with specks of white light. Kain's eyes were trained on the bloodstains coating the floor. Absolute silence was all there was as Jon closed the door. He ignored the frozen girl in living room, passing her form and shrugging off his coat.

"Jon...?" came the girl's cold voice. It was calm, unyielding, yet soft as a whisper. She looked to him. The priority wasn't the death under the Christmas tree right then. Finding out why Jon wasn't reacting was.

"Your father said you're getting too attached," Jon said. He approached her with heavy steps. His eyes were cold. Then she felt the familiar chill of steel at her throat, her eyes widening. "That's weakness, Kai. You have two choices. Be killed. Or kill me."

All too suddenly, Kain could feel a burning in her chest. Her instinct kicked in as her body recognized it was endangered. Skittering back, she felt all the helplessness being flushed out by the animal. That's when she blacked out.

When she finally came to, she ran rather than face Jon's body. Ran and ran until she felt her lungs burn with the December air. The tears froze painfully on her face as her chest was coping with the lack of something important. She was only thirteen then.

Her mind screamed at her to move and she tried so hard, she did. But she was frozen by the memory of Christmases past.

"I'm glad you remember me, Kai. I thought you killed and forgot. That's not very good," Jon clicked his tongue. He was clearly enjoying her confliction. "I find it best to write every name on my heart."