Chapter 34: Death.
Three Months Later:
The sun kissed his body as he turned around in the comfortable bed that welcomed him for the past three months, he groans at the light assaulting his eyes and flutters them open to be met with the same scenery.
His single bed faced the glass windows that had an open view on the garden and the forest surrounding it. The small cottage always smelt of Remington's homemade bread in the mornings, making him salivate and rush to stand up with his ruffled hair.
He reaches for the door in his disoriented state, yawning and stretching as he takes the squeaky stairs to the kitchen on the first floor.
Three months went by, he never felt more at home than these days, at first, he was reluctant about staying in the cottage but after Remington introduced him to Ezekiel, Elliott, grandma Lou and Mama Jane, he couldn't help himself but want to live his dream of having a family around him.
He learned during his first week that they were all humans, except Mama Jane, she was a witch but unlike any witch he met before, she was kind, loving and very accepting if humans which is the reason why she had adopted three from home shelters; Ezekiel, he first child, Elliot the troublemaker and Remington, the youngest but also the smartest.
She says that she always saw something in them, potential that exceeded their human form or lack of superpowers. She isolated them from the external world to provide them with a peaceful environment that would help them thrive and explore nature.
She was also the first to help him when Remington brought him there for the first time, making him blue vervain pills so the others couldn't track him and training him to separate his reality from others.
Everyday, before sunrise, she would take him deep into the forest, teaching him how to meditate, connect with the Earth and build roots with it. At first, he was skeptical, but eventually it started working, the hallucinations were less and less scary, he could still see and hear things but he had the ability to control their hold on him. He'd wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and sweating but she knew exactly how to handle him, giving him herbal tea and a small enchantement to knock him out like a baby.
During their meditation sessions, she would always repeat the same thing :
"Your soul is who you are and you are more than you think. When a piece of you breaks, you rebuild it."
How is supposed to rebuild something he didn't know that existed? Something he can neither see or touch. It was practically impossible, yet she kept insisting that he could do it.
She had too much faith in him, for once someone believed in him and his abilities which made him hang on, just for her.
"Mama exhausted you yesterday?" Remi laughed from the inside of the kitchen as a sleepy Milo walked in.
Ezekiel was sitting there, reading a book about history as usual, he doesn't care to look up from his book when Milo flopped in the seat next to him.
"All of this training..." He sighs, smacking his head against the table. "It's working I guess? But I'm either gonna die from how hard it is or from the hallucinations."
"Don't exaggerate, Mama knows what she's doing!" Remi smacks him on the head and he hums before looking at Ezekiel.
"Don't you get bored from reading about witch history?" Milo whines as he comes face to face with the cover.
"Don't you get bored from whining all day long?" The hazel eyed boy mutters without giving Milo any attention.
"What's so fascinating about witches anyway?" Milo insists and he knew he shouldn't have when Ezekiel took off his glasses and put down the book.
"Maybe the fact that they talk less?" Ezekiel, who was fascinated by the warlocks' community glances at Milo, hoping to shut him up but he had another thing.
"I'm obviously more experienced to tell and they definitely talk a lot. Ever wondered why witch rhymes with bitch? It's because they are!" He points his fingers at him and Ezekiel slaps it away.
"Go wash your face." He goes back to his book, deciding to ignore the annoying creature besides him.
For Ezekiel, Milo's addition to their small family was unpredictable and not very much needed. He grew up with Remi and Elliot and he would lay his life down for them. At first, he was very reluctant to accept him as a member of their family, but eventually, he got used to his annoying self and him whining about everything. Eventough, he'd rather hang himself than admit it out loud.
Milo rolls his eyes and turns to Remi, giving her his best puppy eyes, knowing all too well how easy she'd fall for it.
"When will breakfast be ready?" He pleads, causing Ezekiel to roll his eyes again.
"You heard the eldest, not before you go and freshen up!" She smiles at him, ruffles his hair and goes back to check on her very delicious breads.
The way that the household worked was according to a task list. Each individual has different chores assigned on different days, for example when Remi makes breakfast, Ezekiel cleans the common space and Elliot does the laundry while Milo and Mama Jane do most of the work at the barn.
Each one was responsible for their respective rooms, yet Grandma Lou was the only one not assigned to any tasks. They rarely saw her either, as she'd mostly seclude herself in her room in the attic and never show up, unless it was something necessary.
During his entire stay, Milo never heard her talking to him or any of the kids, they seemed to respect her a lot, because whenever she entered a room, everyone goes silent and stands to make way for her.
Even Mama Jane, she looked up to her and consulted her about almost everything, as if she were some kind of mentor or spiritual guide, yet Milo never dared to ask.
Before he stands up to leave for the bathroom, Remington rushes behind him to give him one of the Blue Vervain pills, that keep him off the radar from the others and he rolls his eyes.
Each day, he manages to forget about them, yet the pill hour comes to remind him of what they did. His bonding time with them prevented him from seeing the facts but they were very bad to him.
From Toby who marked him without his consent, to London who treated him like shit and never apologized for it, and Malcolm who never asked for his opinion on wether he wanted to be with him or not.
Then you have Arrow who destroyed him, the one who caused all his pain and nightmare, and Victor who lied saying he'd protect him just to treat him like shit after he saved his husband's life twice.
None of them respected him and he was too blinded by them to notice it, too intoxicated by their constant drama and issues to notice his own.
To notice how violated and hurt he felt from all the betrayal going around. He pushed his feelings far too deep inside, as part of his survival instinct but now that he was away from them, his hatred only grew towards them.
His humanity which they despised so much was the thing he was fighting to save right now, and he was glad they weren't there to prevent him from making any progress. Although, his bond with Toby was making it harder each day, alongside the nightmares, he would have the occasional wet dreams that indicated that he was in heat.
He would do everything to go through that period, from picturing Toby and London taking him in all positions to Malcolm's hands all over his body. He'd masturbate during all of his free time and some more, leaving him drained and exhausted but once it passed each month, he'd feel violated and dirty.
He didn't want any of it, he didn't ask to be thrown in their drama and there, he was forced to yearn for them and his skin would burn at the mere thought of them.
He hated his vulnerability, how helpless they made him feel and he would do anything to get rid of it. Anything except going back to them.
He looks at his reflection in the mirror after he had brushed his teeth and washed his face. Recently, he started eating less and less, the bones on his face were showing. His wet fingertips gently raise to ghost over his face.
He could barely recognize the reflection in the mirror, he wondered if Abby and his brothers would recognize him if they saw him but the memory of them brought that pain back to his chest, he wanted to go and see them, check up on them and tell them he was doing alright but Mama Jane wouldn't allow it, she was right, he could probably get caught if he goes to them. All she could do, was send Elliot to check if they were doing well and bring Milo some pictures.
He was more than grateful for that.
He opens the tap once again, filling his palms with water to splash his face but as he reaches for the soap, he freezes, making eye contact with the same man who has been hunting his nightmares and hallucinations for weeks.
He got used to him eventually.
"What do you want Krystal?" Milo sighs and takes the bar of soap to create foam on his hands.
Yes, Krystal, that was the name Milo decided to give his hunting demon, a very bloodied man with a an axe stuck to his head, he seemed very ghostly, his clothes were all dirty and torn, his face was hidden behind white rolls like a mummy, which was very creepy the first time he saw him, especially with all the blood and the bad smell, but eventually, he knew it couldn't do anything but scare him... And make him lose his appetite.
"Death." The soap bar slips through Milo's fingers and falls into the sink as the man disappears into clouds after whispering that word into his ear.
"Fuck!" He groans, slamming the sink and falling to his knees.
It was exhausting, he was tired from crying, from hiding and anticipating the next hallucinations, from wondering if they were just hallucinations if they felt so real.
He was tired from overthinking every little thing about his miserable existence and fearing the day the five supernaturals show up at his door to take him. Tired of not being able to sleep because that's where the nightmares hit the strongest, of his heartbeat accelerating and his stomach crunching in fear.
His life was crumbling down, he didn't even have a reason to fight for anymore. His brothers seemed to be doing just fine without him, Abby was the same since he left, the husbands probably forgot about him by now and he was just a burden to this family.
The hallucinations were right all along, he was alone, he is alone and will forever be. The night terror and the creepy kids playing around him all day long were probably the only company he'd ever have.
Death
Loneliness
Those were the only words the hallucinations said.
"We aren't hallucinations!" The man appears again, putting his hand on Milo's shoulder, making him flinch away and put his back against the sink.
"Y... Your hand is warm!" Milo stutters with bulging eyes as he watches the man's every move.
"Because our two realities are becoming one." He tilts his head to the source of the voice and the little girl from the rooftop is on the bathtub, smiling at him with her creepy eyes.
"You should just join us..." She shrugs and the man nods silently.
"Death." The man in the mirror who now became very real repeats.
Then, as the man is about to touch him, Milo screams bloody murder, his voice piercing through the ears of everyone in the house.
He reached the second stage of his fall.
-
Published: June 24th, 2021.
Edited: not yet.
For anyone who doesn't get it, Milo lost his anchor and his soul is dissociating from the reality little by little.
By the end of the chapter, he reached the second stage, he doesn't just see and hallucinate, he is practically drifting to different realities, which is why he could feel their touch warm and their voices are clearer.
I will be explaining more about the stages in the next chapter, as for now, don't forget to vote and tell me what you think of the story so far!