Chapter 12:
These Are Just the Games We Play
Three days later…
Christophe hasn’t been home since Monday. Alias thought. I know that I probably shouldn’t worry, mom isn’t and Alex isn’t. He thought through gym class. “Alias, where’s Christophe?” she asked. They had been on pretty even terms recently and treating each other like decent human beings but she was off too.
“I-I don’t know,” He said not intending on sounding as nervous as he did.
“Wait? So it’s not just me…he just vanished?” Amethyst said sounding confused.
“Yeah but he didn’t tell anyone he was leaving or where…the last person he talked to was you, what did he say?” Alias asked.
She blushed, “Uh definitely nothing about leaving”.
Great now I really have no clue, mom isn’t worried ‘cause Christophe’s just him. He leaves and adventures for a day or so but he always warns us. He thought.
“Relax Ali, your brother just forgot, it’s happened before,” he could hear his mother’s voice echo in his head. But although as sweet as his mother was, she was absentminded at best and ever optimistic. “But there’s something different this time, he didn’t just forget….something happened to him” he remembered some more.
“Don’t be silly Ali, but then that’s just you, so protective over everyone you come into contact with, sweet boy you are Alias, If only you could trust a bit,” She would say right before ruffling his hair.
“I don’t like this school,” Alex said when he ran to meet him after final bell.
“Why is that?” Alias said with a laugh.
“Why do I have to wear this stupid uniform? And why are the eighth graders bigger than the juniors in your school? And why am I getting picked on and flirted with nonstop?” Alex said in one breath.
“Cause your in middle school, they probably got left back, cause you’re the new foreign kid,” Alias said with a laugh. “And as for the flirting, I don’t know I guess American girls like the accent, but as for your face…they’re all blind,” Alias joked.
“Hey, you’re not so pretty either!” Alex yelled as they walked toward the bus stop. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket…Christophe
Watch out for yourself, Alexander and Amethyst
Christophe where r u?
Romania
What!!! U got, how, when and why?
Uh three days ago…got kidnapped, u know y
Get outta there? how are you texting me?
Cant…found my phone…you guys are nxt be careful
What?
Alias.Their getting revenge, the ones broke our window, The ones that took Leah. They want us all.
Just, where are u and how can I get there?
I DON’T KNOW!!! I got kidnapped, I was sleep and then I woke up being strangled
What do I need to do for now.
Keep Alexander safe. The safest of the three of you is you Alias. They want Alex cause of leah and Jewel cause even if we haven’t seen it, she’s lethal
I’ll do what I can, are you okay?
I-I’m bleeding from my shoulder blades…kind of a lot
I can find you!!! Is that your definition of okay!!? Bleeding to death?!
If you come toward me it leads them to you. Which leaves you, Jewel and Alex unprotected targets
But Christophe…
You don’t get it Alias. Id rather die then have my little brothers and my girlfriend die cause of me. So what if they tried to cut off my wings, your still my baby brother.
Should I tell mom and dad?
No, I can handle this. Look Alias, theyre going to get the three of you sometime this week but I just wanted you all to be prepared for it, okay?
Uh huh
I got to go before the guards wake back up cause it nighttime here, okay? Goodnight
Night
“What happened to Christophe?” Alex asked automatically. Alias nearly threw the phone at Alex’s head. What is it with this year? I was just getting used to school and the awkward love hate triangle thing and this has to happen? My brother is bleeding from his back and I can’t help, even though he hasn’t said it, all the people that we all care about are most likely in very, very imminent danger. He thought. He almost forgot that Alex was there until his Lucid and at that moment very innocent looking eyes met with Alias’s amber and green eyes as he said,
“Were gonna die…because of me aren’t we? I just blew it, even on our second chance didn’t I?”
Never that, never ever, not going to happen, Alias thought. Not your fault. What you were doing on any system of moral was the right thing to do. No matter what epic degree of hell it seems like we’re coping with at any given time, Alexander. It isn’t your fault. He thought. He couldn’t understand why exactly he couldn’t say any of this out loud but it didn’t seem to matter much at all because Alex seemed to have understood because he smiled and looked thankful for the unsaid words. I always knew that Alex was my little brother and looked more like a ten year old then a twelve year old but I guess since I’m near him so much I don’t see how young he looks till he seems so vulnerable, and I’m glad that I’m actually helping my brother, cause usually kindness and other such sweet things get hoisted on to Christophe’s shoulders. Alias tried not to cringe at the thought of some random people trying to slice through the bone that his brother wings sprouted from.
“Were going to deal with this, one way or another, got it?” Alias said as he rubbed his shoulder blade.
“Uh huh,” Alex said timidly trying not to say too much.
It wasn’t much help to hope that nothing would happen because Alias knew damn well it was useless. He also knew that his parents would find out, being part of council and all. But he had to trust his brothers word, if he said that he could deal, that means that they would all need to learn how to deal to. H e didn’t know how Amethyst would do, but even if he hated the fact, she was lethal and dangerous, it was a given, but how was this all going to play out?
It was two days later now Saturday night, almost 11:50 at night. He was half asleep but stuck with images of what could be happening to his older brother. Then there was a strangled noise and silence. Before He could flinch, look, or attempt to fight back his could feel his body being immobilized.
“wh- the hell?” Alias said but his speech was becoming slurred and his vision blurry.
“Even if you try to scream, I’ll shove this box cutter so deep in you spinal cord you’ll stop”. That was the last thing he heard before everything went scary dark. Midnight….was for entrance into what seemed a lot like hell.