Disguises of Envy
My breathing comes out in short shallow breaths, my lungs heaving, gasping for the cool night air. I continue to push myself to run the last few blocks, to escape from the dreadful voices in my head. The buildings around me pass in a blur; the bright city lights invading my vision. I take in the sounds around me, the soft chirping of crickets, the leaves rustling from the cool breeze, and the sound of a siren a little further down the road. I suck in a sharp breath and swiftly slow down, coming to a slow walk.
I gently tug on my hoodie to hide the side of my face and put my hands inside my pockets. Not before long the police car passes by, I keep my head looking straight at the horizon line, so it doesn’t look suspicious. I walk up the front steps to my house; when I notice a dead deer hanging on one of the limbs on the tree. I walk towards the tree and gently rub the deers’ fur, it feels rough and prickly against my hand. I pull back my hand and smile to myself loving the metallic smell coming from the animal. I quietly sing to my myself, “Are you, are you coming to the tree,
they strung up a man they say who murdered three,
strange things did happen here no stranger would it be, if we met at midnight in the hanging tree.”
I slowly push the door ajar, the creaking of the door being pushed instantly sends a shiver down my spine. I observe all of the rooms inside the house but not seeing anything out of the ordinary. I listen from the stairwell, wondering if my brother is home or not. I did see his red bmw in the driveway but there are times when his car is here but he isn’t home. I rest my left hand on the railing as I climb up the steps to steady myself. I listen outside my brother’s door when I hear a soft cry from inside his room. I quickly open the door thinking to see my brother skinning an animal alive for tonight’s dinner but instead I find him skinning a live human. She’s down on her knees her back towards him while he sits in a three- legged chair.
Her hands are bound behind her back and duct tape is wrapped tightly around her head and mouth. He slowly cuts down her back with the karda knife that has been in our family for generations, the blood moving at a rapid pace going down her back staining the laminate wood flooring. “Hey, Holden. Can I help?” Holden looks back at me, and quickly relaxes his shoulders releasing the tension, and moves his hand in a come forward motion. I oblige, standing right beside him.
He hands me the knife and with shaking fingers I receive it and slowly put it on her back and slowly cut down, she stays completely still, not making a sound. I take count of her breathing her heart rate beating at a close to eighty beats per minute. My brother sits in a nearby chair keeping his eyes on me the entire time as he sits. I look at him for reassurance to make sure that I am doing it correctly. He nods his head, “You’re doing great keep going.” I nod my head and continue making cuts down her back and across making sure that the incisions intersect making the cuts deeper.
I look back at him when I notice a bulge in his pants. “You should probably get that fixed.” I nod my head towards his pants. “And what do you suppose I should do.” I smirk, and look down at her back loving mine and Holden’s art. “Anastasia?” Coming out from being deep in thought I glance at him keeping my face hidden from any snide remarks, “You can do what you want, I don’t care.” I shoot him a wink, and turn back to my art. I cut 3 inches into her skin making her whimper, knowing that my brother gets off on people’s pain.
After some time Holden walks into the bathroom connected to his room and cleans himself up. He walks back in and takes a look at my work. “Where did you find her?” He puts his hand into his pockets and sits back down in the chair from before, “Well let’s see, she needed a ride so I gave her one.” I ignore him and walk away from her going over to my brother I press my hand on his shoulder since I am unable to reach his six foot five frame. “Are you planning on killing her?” A look of shock crosses his features with a glint of pride in his eyes, telling me more than I need to know.
“Besides it’s not like anyone’s going to miss her she’s a prostitute simple as that. Anyways, why are you whispering I gave her some meds so she won’t be able to communicate with us but she will oblige to anything we say. It’s almost like she’s a computer that I programmed myself. I had given her scopolamine that is supposed to help with motion sickness and nausea but instead I am using it for personal gain.” He jumps up and down with a broad smile on his face.
“We will keep her body intact and dress her in a royal blue dress, with her makeup done, and her arms will be placed on the bottom of her stomach with a bouquet of carnations for which they symbolize pride and beauty. Pride, well we both take pride in the cuts on her back, and beauty for what we have done to her is saving her from Hell. She will be with Brahma soon.” I take his word for it, if it is in her best interest then it is. I was taught to never question authority, and because he is my older brother and guardian I can’t but not only that I don’t see a need to. I believe him, I think that his reasons are accurate. “If you think so then I will do it.” He nods his head showing that he accepts my offer. He goes to his closet and pulls out a gun, he doesn’t check to see if it is loaded or not he just aims it at the girl and BANG! I look down at my chest and look at the girl, and finally I look at my brother the gun pointed in my direction. I slowly drop down on my knees and fall to the brother. The last thing I remember my brother saying is, “I’m sorry but it had to be this way.” There wasn’t any remorse in his voice. “I love you Anastasia, goodbye.” My heart stops, my eyes are open staring at the laminate floor. No longer blinking, no longer moving. I will never get to see the sun again, I will never get to see Holden’s smile.
Holden’s POV
I pick up Anastasia and lay her on my bed, I dress her in the royal blue dress, do her makeup, and give her the flowers that I picked out just for her; the cornations. After I am finished decorating her body for the carnival. I bring her outside and tie the rope around her neck and hang her on the limb of the tree. She will never be able to hurt me again or Briar, the girl in my room with her hands bound behind her back. Almost everything that I told my sister, Anastasia was partly truth, yes I did pick up Briar because she needed a ride, but the meds that I gave Briar was false. Instead I had given her something so she couldn’t feel the pain. I go upstairs to Briar, my sweet Briar. I unbound her and remove the tape off her mouth. She rubs her lips with her index finger to ease the slight soreness and she takes my hand and looks up at me. “Is she gone?” I nod my head, she smiles kisses me on the cheek and goes to lay down on my bed. She snuggles underneath the blanket now she is safe and sound, with me where she belongs. Everything I did today was because of Briar. So she and I can both live a life without feeling frightened or looking behind our backs every five seconds. “Are you going to join me?” I look at Briar and nod my head letting her know that I will be there in just a moment. I smile to myself thinking about my now perfect life and the love that I have for the precious girl lying in my bed.
