Listeners

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As the sun rose, harsh streaks of golden reflected of the car roof, the vehicle strayed outside a neighbourhood where early birds chirped away on their branches. With windows half rolled down, Leo inhaled the outside air which endowed in undertones of freshly sprouted dewy greens, a sentence persistently swirled his mind.

"I think I want to kill my parents today."

A sentence spat with such innocence and naivety, something so gruelling was said just an hour ago on this beautiful day.

"Fin boy, you know where your house is right? Can you help bring your sister back home? I'll be busy after this."

Leo spoke emotionlessly as he stared straight into the rear view mirror. Fin only lowered his eyelids as he sat idly beside Fiona in the backseat, hands entangled with each other.

"Yeah, of course I can Mr Leo."

A gentle smile reached Leo's face, "Haha that's good,"

There was a moment of utter silence and hesitation between the three people who sat in the car. Everyone knew what they had to do, but just nobody made a move yet. Leo held a brooding face as he slid a pack of cigarettes out his pockets.

Huff and Puffs, it was the only brand he smoked.

Whipping out a lighter from his pocket, his thumb had rose, ready to flick an ignition when a sudden small hand had grabbed onto it desperately.

"Please stop smoking Mr Leo, I told you many times it's bad for you!"

Fiona gripped onto Leo's fingers tightly, glistening beads rested on her waterline as she scolded the adult man with pouty lips.

"...Haha, alright Fiona." Leo unwillingly surrendered before the the lighter had disappeared back into his pocket, the piece of cancer still idling between his fingers.

"...Do we have to leave you Mr Leo?"

A change in tone, Fiona's voice had suddenly broke. Leo could hear the small whimpers which accompanied her sentence, as the waterfall she had held back behind her eyelids the whole ride had finally burst.

"Can't we just kill them and come back to you? I don't want to leave you,"

Fiona pleaded with a tear stained face, Leo noticed her brother had also started to silently weep in the corner of the car seat. He heaved out an apologetic smile, rough fingers caressing and wiping of the tears that ceaselessly dropped onto his shoulders.

"You know you can't do that princess. If you come back to me after you complete your mission, the bad energy is going to follow and kill me. You don't want me to die, do you?"

A few sniffs followed before Fin had replied in place of his sister,

"Sniff, sniff...nooooo..."

"Awww, come here."

Small arms had warped around Leo's back, as tears and snot stained his shoulders. He inhaled the comforting baby smell that exuded within the embrace, it carried heavy tinges of warmth and comfort that reminded you of sunny smiles.

An embrace so warm it could melt anyone on the spot, yet a thin chilling frost separated Leo from the two angels who sobbed violently around his arms.

.

.

Sighhhh

It was the car seat's turn as Leo melted into it's cushioning embrace. His gaze followed the two kids who had long kissed him farewells as they slowly disappeared into the neighbourhood.