This Is What You Are (Needs Editing)

A New Start?

When I wake up again the following morning, I feel the warm glow of the summer sun beating down gently on my face; my snow-white skin is illuminated brilliantly and warm to the touch. Despite feeling calmer in myself, my chest is still pulsating with that familiar pain. From the other side of my door, I hear mum talking with someone, a man presumably, given how deep the other voice is. Maybe it's her son? I didn't realise he was already on his way... Curiosity now bubbling inside me, I change out of my pyjamas and into a shirt and some jeans and step out onto the landing to eavsedrop on their conversation.

As soon as I step out onto the landing, it's as if I've stepped on a landmine, as their once pleasant conversation has turned into a screaming match to the death. I don't know what caused them to start screaming at each other, but surely it could wait until later in the day? Eight o'clock in the morning seems a bit early for a deathmatch. I guess this is why mum decided to live in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine the level of disruption this would cause to any neighbours. I peer over the banister rail to see that she's talking to a strangely beautiful young man, clearly much older than I am, with the same dusty coloured hair she has. As I gaze at him with intense curiosity, he looks up the stairs and he smiles at me. Why is he smiling? Is he expecting some sort of reaction? Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I don't know how.

The young man beckons me down the stairs with his right hand, and I reluctantly climb down the stairs. His face hasn't changed; he's looking at me with that exact same smile, as if he's trying to tell me something. But that's what they did too. And they were all monsters. How can he be any different? As I come closer, I notice under his arm- just on his wrist- is a scar. I wonder what happened to him; it's not the only one either, there are a few. He sees me staring at his wrist, and he lowers his hand. Now standing at the bottom of the stairs, mum leaves us, and the man comes down to my level.
"Carrol adopted you, right? That makes us brothers." I don't reply; I simply stare at him, my eyes piercing into him like icy knives. "M-my name's Leo." He adds, babbling like an idiot in the clumsy silence. I end his suffering.
"Winter." He holds out his hand again. I shake it loosely, taking yet another short glance at his arm.
"Listen, Carrol's asked me to talk to you, so help me out here?" I let out a short, frustrated sigh. I knew she'd have something to do with this.
"Fine." I reply flatly. "We can go to my room." His face stretches into a smile once again.
"Thanks, little brother." He chants happily, and he makes his way up the stairs. As I skulk behind him in his shadow, I roll my eyes at him. I'm not his brother.