The Adventures Of John B : The Sacred Stone

Part 9 - Epitaph

SIDENOTE: The song may not match the chapter exactly- it is just there to show you how I got the chapter title.

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I could hear the door creak as it slowly opened, its imminent reveal foreboding.

My droopy eyes and groggy temperament was offset at the noise.

He was back.

And I'm not even sure what I should do.

I never am.

I just hope it will be enough.

I could feel my heart pulse faster as I desperately tried to control myself.

Stay calm.

"Where the hell were you, huh?" I could hear my voice rise against my will, as if testing my own patience.

It was too late to stay calm.

"At a friend's. Look, I'm sorry, okay-" the little figure started.

"And you think a sorry's gonna fix it?"

"Well-"

"Do you?"

"Look, Eddie, why do you gotta go picking on me?!" that apprehensive tone of his sprang up to a fierce bark.

"If you're gonna use your mouth, answer my question!" I stepped forward aggressively.

"You don't know what I'm goin' through, so you better shut your mo-"

"Don't get all snarky with me, Tom-" I growled as a subdued warning.

"ALL YOU DO IS RUIN ME AND MY SISTER'S LIVES! I CAN'T STAND YOU AND YOUR STUPID-"

I could feel my face form a nasty frown, reflecting the intensity of my mood.

"WORDS! Y'KNOW WHAT, WE COULD GET ALONG JUST AS FINE ON OUR OWN!"

My once calm hands curled into outraged fists, forming half-crescent moons in my vulnerable palms.

"OH, SHUT IT!"

"You probably want me gone, don't you?!" he screamed in an attempt to top my volume, but I was already out of control.

"YEAH, WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE AND SEE WHERE IT GETS YOU-"

"LUCKY ME TO HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH A BROTHER LIKE YOU!"

"SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN AND I WILL-"

"Eddie..?"

I whirled around, my chest rapidly rising and falling. A childish huff escaped my lips, drawn from anger. My face was flushed as if it were stained a light red.

All at once, my face softened at the sight of a small girl's sleepy face. She weakly raised a hand to rub her eye.

A doll hung limply from the crook of her arm, content to be in its owner's grasp.

"H-hey.." I breathed out gently, and started towards her.

"What's going on?" she inquired, only to find that there would be no answer.

Or maybe she already knew.

I ask a lot of questions too.

And I already know the answer. But maybe that isn't what I'm searching for.