Puppet [LGBT - POLY - Complete - Edited]

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The front door slammed shut behind him.

"Varian!" His mom stood up from the living room couch. "Where the hell have you been!"

Varian stopped in the small hallway that opened to the living room from the front door. His hair was dripping wet from the rain outside. He hadn't been thinking when he stopped into the house, dragging in mud and cold rain. He was bundled up and the heat in the house was turned up so high he was starting to sweat.

It wasn't enough, however, to warm the freezing chill inside of him. He still felt as if he was standing by the lake's edge, waiting for a sign to appear and say it was time for him to die.

He hadn't thought about what he was going to say to anyone when he came back from wandering the same forest he'd been abducted in. They couldn't know where he'd truly been. They would flip the fuck out.

That was what any rational person would do anyway.

He stared at the almost pristine living room. Though it was still September, his mom was already pulling out the Christmas decorations. October would have been to callous after what he'd gone through. Hanging dead corpses and spider webs wasn't exactly good therapy when he'd seen the real thing.

Thanksgiving would have been better.

Varian wasn't sure he could handle the constant reminder he was going to have to put on a fake smile for the holiday.

Though at Thanksgiving he would have to pretend to eat.

That was easier than putting on a fake smile.

He looked away from the pretty lights on the too green Christmas tree. It was all too fake. Faker than the plastic tree his mom had bought before he was born.

"Out."

His almost bored eyes fell on his mom. She rushed toward him and pulled him into her arms.

His hands stayed limply at his sides. He tensed as her hands spread over his back. It had been soothing when he was younger. It felt inappropriate now. He didn't feel any comfort.

She pulled away. Her eyes frantically looked over his face. She was searching for her lost son.

"You think this is funny? I was just about to call the police!"

He pushed her further away. His fingertips burned. He yanked them back and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

"I'm fine. I don't need you riding on my ass all the time."

There really was no point in even pretending to be normal. In this house or outside, it didn't matter where he was. He was a monster that didn't belong in this world.

She was close to tears. He'd done that. He hadn't even been trying. He had a true talent for ruining things.

Strands of her hair were falling out of her pony tail. Her clothes were ruffled as if she'd been pulling at them for some time. Perhaps she had. It didn't change things.

Her fingers wrapped tightly around his wrist. She was faster than he was. He was too caught up in his thoughts to see the attack.

"When you came home, I didn't ask questions. All that mattered then was that I had you back. That you were safe."

He looked away. She was looking at him like he was a freak. Her emotion was too raw.

"Now all I can think about is if all this wasn't just a mistake. What happened Varian? What happened to you while you were out there?"