The Shrink Program

PART FIVE

{Vain}

-Nine years ago-

I was not sulking.

To the odd stranger walking through the small park by the lake, it might look like the small pale boy sitting silently alone in the bushes might be sulking.

But I wasn't.

I was just... Holding still so that I wouldn't scare off the Butterflies... For purely scientific reasons...

And I had to do it alone because some people... Not thinking of anyone in particular here... Just didn't have the patience for this sort of thing...

And I wasn't jealous either.

No, I couldn't care less if someone would rather swim across a dangerous, miserable, cold lake and sit on a rock until she got bored, instead of staying with me and doing something that was... I don't know... Safe.

God forbid anyone would want to do anything safe every once and while...

Doesn't matter.

She'll do her thing, and I will do mine.

It's fine.

... And, even if I had stayed and tried to explain, she wouldn't listen.

She would stare at the bruises on my arms and look guilty and try to ask me questions and get herself involved and...

Hurt.

If I told her, she would go and get herself hurt.

Or, even more likely, I'll lose my temper and hurt her feelings... Again...

Which is why I'm here.

Not sulking.

It was only when I felt my teeth beginning to ache with the force with which I was clenching them, that I admitted to myself that it was time to stop trying to convince myself that I was calm... And actually, focus on being calm.

Forcing my body to relax, I made myself take a slow breath outwards, releasing the coil of frustration inside of me.

It came out in a deceptively calm sigh, no outwards signs of the inner turmoil showing as I sat watching the blue butterfly. The small creature sat lazily batting its wings inside the jar I held in my lap.

Though I had caught it ages ago, achieving my purpose for coming here in the first place, I still couldn't bring myself to leave the park.

....because I was... maybe... probably... sulking.

It was likely because of this that I didn't notice that the butterfly wasn't the only thing being stalked.

I never heard him approach, had no idea he was there. Not until he spoke in my ear.

"How interesting."

I yelped in terror as large hands suddenly grabbed me from behind and I was abruptly lifted into the air.

Very uncomfortably high up.

Still covered in leaves and reeling from my sudden assent, I couldn't react as my assailant carried me like a trophy, away from my bushes and across the park to where someone else was sitting behind a tree.

"Brother dearest!" The voice from behind me called. "Look what I found!"

"Put it back."