Focal Enemy | ✔

Atonement (the action of making amends for a sin i.e. murder)

No matter how dark the sky, it could never have matched the colour of Theodore’s soul. It must have been as black and as cold and as demonic as the devil’s himself.

He dove the knife deeper into the man’s skin. The blade didn’t need much persuading, but then it become a talent of Theodore’s – to drive a knife into someone’s body without much thought or effort. Like a painter was talented at his painting or a football player was good at playing football, Theodore’s talent was stabbing, and he wasn’t a bad shot either.

“I’ll tell you where it is,” cried the man, squeezing his eyes closed as his body become riddled with overwhelming pain. “I’ll give it to you myself. Don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me. My son... Don’t do this, for my son’s sake.”

Theodore’s eyes flittered to the picture on the mantelpiece of a young boy, no older than six or seven, who resembled the man. For a moment, he considered drawing the knife from the man’s stomach, but he had his orders, and he intended to complete them.

“Please,” begged the man, whimpering. “Take what you want. Give it to him. Please, don-don’t leave a boy fatherless. Don’t kill me.”

The knife was immediately drawn out of the man’s body. Theodore stood over him, overcome with the similarities that he was about to create between the little boy and himself.

But, he could not stop.

“I-I am sorry.”

And, with that, Theodore plunged the knife into the man’s heart, knowing very well what he had done.

#

“Why are we running?”

Charlie was huffing and puffing like the wolf from The Three Little Pigs. Theodore pushed himself forward, almost leaving brother behind. He could feel the wind through his hair and his laces flapping on his feet and the world was his. He was finally free.

“Hurry up!” shouted Theodore.

“But, where are we going?” whined Charlie. “Sean and Wendy will be back in a hour! We need to go home!”

“I haven’t got a home!”

Theodore stopped, spinning to face his brother. Heaviness hid in his breath.

“We have got a home, Theo.” Charlie spoke soft, almost sympathetically. “You need to start letting Sean and Wendy into your life. They’re good people. They’re good parents.”

“Fuck you, Charlie! We only have one set of parents and they’re dead – all because of me!” Theodore brushed his hand through his hair, turning to stare at his reflection in the café window. He was like his father in many ways. “I don’t want Wendy and Sean to bring me up,” he admitted. “I’d rather run away. That’s what I’m doing now. I killed our mum and dad, but I won’t betray them by replacing them with other people, and neither will you.”

There was not one bit of understanding in Charlie’s eyes. He looked at Theodore like he was some kind of animal - a bad one, a spiteful one. Theodore knew he was, but he was going to make amends for what he had done. He vowed to cherish the memory of his parents and never replace them.

“Theo, you’re being stupid.” Charlie folded his arms. “Come on, we’re going back.”

Theodore clenched his fists.

“Go, then, but I’m not coming with you. I’d rather sleep on a bench.”

Charlie huffed. “Fine, we won’t go back, but if I die, you’re the person I’m blaming.”