The Psycho Is Innocent | ꪜ

Bonus Chapter: Dead

         Ariel smirked. He was covering up his tracks. She trekked past his room, down the stairs and into the kitchen where she placed everything into the sink, leaving it for tomorrow. However, before she could retreat to her room, a burst of warmth enveloped every inch of her body. She felt a hand on her shoulder and soon a wet sensation in her ear. "Oh my god, Adrien! Did you just give me a wet Willy!? How old are you, ten?" She spat as she rubbed the spit out of her ear with the end of her shirt

         Adrien doubled over and laughed obnoxiously, "what? I saw the opportunity so I took it." She shoved his face away, unable to withstand the stench of his marijuana-riddled breath. "You disgust me. When are you going back to school? We're tired of having you here." Ariel seethed as she began to exit the kitchen with him in tow behind her. Once they travelled up the stairs, he wrapped his hand around her arm and tugged her into his tight embrace.

           However, this wasn't a loving embrace. This was Adrien projecting his anger and superiority onto someone he knew would never bow down to him. Once their faces were inches away from one another, Ariel scoffed. "What the hell happened to you? You went to college and then came back a completely different person." Two years ago, before Adrien left for college he truly was a different person.

          Although he and Ariel would have their quarrels and disagreements much like any other sibling: they still had immense love for one another. Adrien was Ariel's half-brother from her father's side. But despite that, neither of the two ever looked at the other as if they were any less. That is until he left home and came back as a depressed drug abuser who had zero regard for anyone except himself. Although he was only here for vacation, Ariel felt as if his stay was far too long.

           Adrien was no longer the brother she knew and loved. He wasn't the brother who taught her how to ride her bike, nor was he the brother who placed a toy crown onto her head and declared her queen of the siblings. He wasn't the brother who would wrap his arms around her waist and all she'd feel was love. He was now her enemy. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ariel."

          Ariel cocked her head to the side as if silently asking him, "seriously?" She then sunk her sharp nails into his arm, forcing his grip to loosen. Adrien hissed in pain and retracted his hands quickly, allowing Ariel to slip away. However, now enraged by what had just happened, he outstretched his hand towards her and shoved Ariel into the wall. She cried out in distress as a ripple of pain surged through her head.

           Once Ariel had shifted onto her back, Adrien cocooned her with his arms, his now dilated dark pupils burning a hole through her eyes. "You know I hate it when people walk away when I'm talking to them." It's the fact that it was true was that pissed her off. Even before his personality did a 180 Adrien had always despised when people blatantly ignored him. However, he was never aggressive, just assertive. Ariel's lips quirked upwards into a sneer, "or what? You bastard."

         Unbeknownst to Ariel, Adrien knew her like the back of his hand. Not in a normal sibling way, but in a way where he could read beneath her abnormalities ever since the day she came onto this earth. He knew his sister would not be swayed by his threats because she simply did not fear him nor anyone. But truly, she did have one fear: the fear of losing her doll. "Or, I'll make Adele pay for you being a brat." Much like he expected, the expression on her face contorted.

          What had been a mirror of nonchalance was replaced by Ariel's clenched jaw, dilated pupils and a soulless glare, "you touch Adele, Adrien and I will forget that we share the same blood. I swear on her life that my face will be the last thing you see before I snuff the light out of your drug-decaying body." She whispered. Her voice had dipped into an unrecognizable base as if she had been possessed. However, Adrien did not care.

           He pushed himself off the wall and began to saunter towards Ariel's room where Adele was fast asleep. However, that night Adrien truly did not plan to hurt his sister. He just wanted to hit Ariel where it hurt. But as she watched him etch closer and closer towards the room: she snapped. Ariel enclosed her hand around Adrien's shirt and flung him across the hallway, sending him crashing onto the floor.

          He cradled his pounding head in his hands and fought to climb back onto his feet, "I'm gonna kill you, Ariel!" He growled under his breath. Ariel–realizing what she had just done–pivoted on her heels to run away seeing as she would much rather not have a confrontation with someone twice her size. However, she could not get away from him in time. Adrien's arms wrapped around her from behind and he hoisted her off the ground. "Put me down!" Ariel screamed as she thrashed against his vice grip.

           "Adrien put me down!" Even as she punched, bite, scratched, he still wouldn't let up. "Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this!?" She cried out in anger as he dragged her down the hallway. Ariel did not fear the unknown but she did know that if something were to happen to her no one would be there to protect Adele. "Because, Ariel, I own you!" Knowing now that her brother was way past the turning point, Ariel lowered her head, gathered herself then pulled her head back up quickly.

          Adrien screamed as Ariel's head slammed into his nose. His grip loosened and she wiggled out of his arms. Adrien tumbled on his feet with one hand outstretched and the other cradling his bloody face. "Ariel!" He cried out in a deep muffled voice. The more he moved, the closer he etched towards the railing. Once his back was pressed against it, Ariel cornered him. "Tell me, is it the drugs? Is it the liquor? Do you hate me?" She questioned curiously.

           Adrien's venomous glare burnt through her eyes, "you're so rotten, Adrien. If I leave you here, you'll make all the other fruits in the basket rotten. It'll only be a matter of time till you ruin Adele. . .till you ruin me." Adrien shook his head vigorously as his trembling hand wavered at her face, "n-no you're already rotten, Ariel. You think I don't see you? You think I don't see that lifeless look in your eyes?" Ariel's head cocked. She fought the urge to keep her laughter at bay. She thought he was just a drug fanatic ranting to save himself.

         "You're way gone, Adrien. Only you can save yourself now," he staggered on his feet but managed to stand upright despite the pain ravaging through his body. Once he had a grip on the railing, he said: "if I'm gonna go down, Ariel. I'll make sure Adele comes with me, so in the end, you'll have no one to play with." Neither Ariel nor Adrien had expected her to make it across the hallway as fast as she did. But by the time she stood at his feet and by the time her hands were pressed against his chest that was the least of their problems.

           Everything moved in slow motion: Adrien's fingers unwinding from around the polished wood railings, his hands now flailing at his side as he tipped over, losing his grip on the only thing keeping him standing upright. His eyes flew open, his lips parted as a scream forced its way up to his constricted throat. Ariel peered down at her brother as he went flying off the railing. Her soulless eyes burnt a hole right through what seemed to have been just a flicker of the brother she once missed.

          But it was too late. The moment his body went crashing into the glass centre table beneath them and his hand went limp at his side as blood pooled beneath his crumpled form: Ariel's humanity was gone. She stared down at her brother's body as the light slowly began to wither away. She never moved from her spot even when the sound of Adele's voice wavered down the hallway nor when the sound of her parent's vehicle rolled into the driveway.

            Ariel never moved even when they climbed through the door and was met by a horrific sight that sent them both wailing in the air like banshees. As Ariel leaned against the railing and her eyes met those of the people who brought her into the world then those of her brother, all she knew was that. . .
  
          The fire was out.

For good.

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