The Anthes Stigma

II: Revelation

"How...Why..." I muttered, staring at Hunter's back profile in hopes of finding answers. A wet droplet slid down my cheek and slipped between my lips, causing my taste buds to explode with saltiness. Another fell into the palm of my hand, then another, and another.

"I...I don't know how to tell you. This was a mistake..."

In hysterics, I threw my head back and wrapped my arms around myself, rocking back and forth. "Goddamit, Hunter! There's no going back! What's happened has happened!" I spat. I tugged at my matted black hair and scrunched it up against my face to make everything seem smaller, to make myself seem smaller.

"Ellie..." he said in a low, hard tone. "They were murdered. Shot straight through the heart. Both of them."

"What?" I said breathlessly. "B-But how? Why?"

"Apparently they were into dangerous business behind our backs," he replied in a clipped tone. I held out my trembling hands in front of me and squeezed them together. They were cold as ice. The fears that I kept dormant all this time had been correct after all. In less than 24 hours, my world had turned upside down.

"Why..." I drifted off, my vision glazed over.

"Don't act surprised Ellie. You knew they had secrets kept away from us. We both did. It was only a silent agreement that none of us spoke of it, or rather, never given the answers. And here we are now. Orphans with parents murdered by who the hell knows."

"No, why did they hide things from us. Why. We are their children," I muttered. Betrayal stabbed at my chest for the lies that they had fed us. But the most prominent emotion that flowed in every vein of my being was anger. It raged inside of me, waiting to be unleashed. I wanted to kill the people who had stolen my parents' lives, Hunter's life, my life, and our family.

An ear-piercing scream escaped my mouth as I pounded my fists against the wooden floor, followed by uncontrolled tears.

Hunter kneeled beside me and pulled my head to his shoulder, crying silently alongside me. My entire life was spinning away from my grasp. I had no control, no answers.

Time passed. It could have been minutes or it could have been hours. But both our tears had dried. We were now each other's anchors and sources of support. There was no one out there anymore. The instant news leaked out into town, there would only be sympathetic gazes from friends, teachers, enemies. At least we were able to keep the house that held our fondest memories as a family.

I remembered Maddie's text from earlier today and laughed humorlessly to myself. Oh how things can change in such a short amount of time.

I didn't think they were people who would be easily hated. Hated to the point of murder. But then again, they never told Hunter and me anything about their lives. They could have been a part of the CIA for all we know.

The phone in the kitchen began ringing, cutting into the tensioned silence that had settled inside the house. Hunter and I simultaneously stiffened, both of us fearful of what we would hear on the other end of the line. Would it be additional information on our parents? Or would it be a friend, a neighbor, or even advertisement?

It rang once, twice. I glanced at Hunter and nodded slightly. "I'll get it." With great effort, I pushed myself up with my knees when a hand gripped onto my elbow. I looked down and into Hunter's blood shot-eyes. His expression was hard as stone. Before I knew it, we were both walking into the kitchen together, our shoulders pressed against each other.

Once I retrieved the phone, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, although Hunter's presence did give me some sense of comfort and security. My eyes drifted to the luminous green light that reflected off the oven near me. It read 7:42. My eyebrows scrunched together. Well, that's an inconvenient time to call someone.