Family?Home?

4

You opened your eyes, and saw the simple white ceiling. The slow beeping of machines told you that you were in an infirmary ward. A curtain was drawn at your left for privacy, and rays of sunlight passed through the opened window on your left.

At your side sat a girl. Fairly tall, she had pearl white skin with jet black hair so long it fell loose by her waist, and almond eyes that had you mesmerized for days.

Had. It didn't now.

You turned your head in disgust. "What do you want, Beryl?"

A look of hurt flashed across her face as your greeting stung her. "We're friends. Of course I'd come see you."

"Yeah sure, only when I'm bedridden." You spat, "You said that we should just be friends, and I said fine. I was totally cool with just being friends with you. Yet every time I tried to go look for you, just to have a chat, you never had the same kind of vibe around you again."

"Ethan-"

"You can fool lots of people with your smile, Beryl, but you can't fool me. I've been reading people for years. I've seen the rejection and minor hint of annoyance in your eyes whenever I get near you. Admit it, you say we're just friends, but all you want me to do is stay away."

Beryl sighed, "Sorry guys, but I can't help you."

The curtains shifted, and four people walked out.

One was a guy with a barrel torso with milk white complexion, which puts him in contrast with the shorter, but not short boy next to him who was cocoa brown. The other two were obviously a couple. The boy had his arm around the girl's shoulder. The boy looked a bit geeky with tousled hair, but he didn't have that geeky vibe. The girl was a timid and small, with a little ponytail tied behind her head.

You didn't recognize them. At all.

"What of my father?" you growled.

They all blinked. "Sorry?" the big guy asked.

"My father! What's happened to him?" your breathing quickened, "is he dead?"

Your tone said nothing of concern. Only bloodlust.

The darker boy swallowed. "He's now a vegetable."

You laughed. "They should probably keep him that way. He deserves worst."

The geeky boy stepped forward. "Dude, I know how painful it is to lose your work but-"

"No you don't!" you shouted, the beeping of the machine went faster. "You have no idea how it feels! To lose the very thing you cared for! My work. My work..." slowly you turned from yell to murmur. Then it turned from murmur to sob, from sob to wail. "My work! All my hard work! All of it...!" you started to spasm, shaking uncontrollably on the white sheets that represented purity but now stood for blankness.

"Hold him!" all the boys rushed, shouting to the girls words that were muffled in your ears. Slowly light became blurred, sound turned slurred, sense turned muddled. A prick of pain and a coldness of metal invaded your arm before black consumed you once more.