《And So It Starts》


 Part 1: A Hinderance to Recovery - Day 1

    Dear Reaper,


    I would first like to congratulate you on your excellent work and praise your marvelous abilities. What has happened, of course I''m sure, you are already aware, is that my mother has left Earth. She died from an unexpected, yet well-deserved death, along with her stupid sister who "couldn''t live without her". Fools the both of them are. They both got what they deserved for leaving my father in such a state... Anyway, I thought I might tell you what pleasant set of events preceded her coming to you.


    It is a bit of a long story so I hope you do not mind it too much. I know this story by heart as my father recalls it often. It all started when my father, Emery, was just nine years old...


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Emery! Come downstairs-we want you to meet someone!", his mother called from the living room.


    Curious to see who had come, Emery dashed down the stairs, leaving behind the superhero action figures he had been playing with before. Sitting in the living room with his mother and father sat a lady. She looked pretty young and had a huge smile on her face. He couldn''t help but notice though that her smile didn''t quite reach her eyes, as if she were hiding something.


    His father was the first to break the awkward silence that had befallen the room,


    "This is Tabitha-


    -and she will be your new nanny," his mother finished abruptly.


    I apologize for cutting the story short but I must go to sleep as a terrible headache has come over me. I shall do my best to finish tomorrow.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 2

    I shall now continue my tale. I am well-rested and fit as a corpse. So here goes...


    Nanny...Emery knew the meaning of the word as he knew the meaning of many words being a very competent child. What he was confused about was why he needed a nanny when both of his parents were home whenever he needed them and he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.


    "You''re probably wondering why you need a nanny...," his mother started, glancing at his father who nodded knowingly before finishing for her,


    "It''s not that we don''t trust you to handle yourself it''s just that...well... we''re leaving and-


    "You''re leaving?", Emery interrupted with a shocked whisper.


    His parents looked at him sadly, both slowly nodding.


    "We both got transferred to Switzerland to be part of the in-depth studies unit in the lab bud, I''m sorry," his father says sadly


    "It''s fine, for how long?", Emery asked dully.


    "Five years-


    "FIVE YEARS?!" Emery exclaimed, cutting his mother off with tears pool in his brown eyes.


    His mother, seeing the tears, seemed to snap and burst out sobbing with his father rubbing her back.


    "Don''t cry dear, we''ll visit every so often, it''ll be like we never even left,"


    Through all of this commotion, Tabitha was still sitting, still as a statue on the couch with her creepy smile still plastered on her pretty face. Emery, slightly grossed out by his mother''s unsightly tears, turned to look at this Tabitha character. She was tall, he could tell by her long legs. She had lengthy auburn hair, it was down and pooling next to her hips on the couch. Her complexion was the deepest orange Emery had ever seen on a human being in person (he hadn''t seen many people in his life as he never left his house but from what he knew, this was a fake tan). She had piercing gray eyes, a long straight nose, and thin straight lips that, at the moment, were stretched to their fullest extent, exposing her large white teeth and creating an all-around creepy picture.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Hey there buddy," Tabitha drew out the last word with her deep voice.


    Emery was slightly surprised that this monster of a girl was talking to him when he couldn''t remember implying in anyway that she could do so.


    "Hello," he responded with a small voice, doing his best to maintain his ground.


    Tabitha, taking his response as some sort of assurance, got up from the large brown couch she was sitting on. She walked past the still frazzled parents and over to where Emery was standing and reached her hand out with the obvious intention of a handshake. Emery did not move a muscle as he did not want anything to do with this lady.


    His parents seemed to be getting themselves together as the sounds of his mother''s cries had ceased and his father was talking to her in hushed tones. Both of his parents turned to look at him and Tabitha. Both strangers were caught in a staring contest that did not seem like it would end anytime soon. Tabitha had put her hand back to her side and was simply standing there looking at Emery as he looked back at her.


    "Oh honey look at them getting along already," his mother hand her hands over heart as if she had just witnessed the most heartwarming occurrence.


    Tabitha turned to look at the awed couple with that same creepy smile,


    "I think so! Maybe we can do a little test trial. You guys go on a date or something and I''ll stay here and spend the rest of the day with Emery!"


    Emery felt his blood run cold because he knew his daft parents would agree and leave him with Tabitha. He started to shake his head in protest when Tabitha grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug, making his parents coo with glee.


    "That sounds like a wonderful idea Tabitha! Alright dear let''s go out to that new Italian place we saw down the block and maybe go for a walk afterwards. Emery, be on your best behavior and have fun," his father clapped his hands together smiling and grabbing his wife''s hand, leading her to the door...


    That''s where I would like to stop today good sir as it is getting quite late but I will pick it up tomorrow.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 3

    I''m back and I deeply apologize for the wait. I shall continue the story from where I left off...


    Once his parents had left, Emery gave a nod to Tabitha and started heading back up the stairs to continue playing with his action figures but was stopped by a manicured hand on his shoulder. Tabitha was grinning at him with her hand on his shoulder.


    "Hey bud, let''s have some fun!" Tabitha was practically shaking with excitement.


    Emery stared at her as if she had gone completely mad, which was possible considering how abnormal she appeared. Slightly shaken, he slowly descended the stairs again, wary.


    Tabitha, with astonishing speed, darted forward and grabbed him into a tight hug, the second of the day. She spun him once before setting him down on the ground again. When their eyes met again, it was like Emery was seeing a new person. The Tabitha he had initially seen was suddenly gone and in her place was a human. The creepy smile she had originally donned had been replaced with a soft, seemingly caring grin.


    A bit at ease, Emery grinned back at her, he suddenly had hope for his upcoming future with his new nanny.


    "Would you like to come up to my room to play?" Emery asked, suddenly willing to be friends.


    Tabitha nodded eagerly,


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    "That sounds awesome! Let me just grab my bag and I''ll meet you up there."


    Excited, Emery turned and dashed up the stairs. In his haste, he failed to notice the small empty syringe that Tabitha was slipping into her large purse that was sitting on the floor near the sofa.


    Grabbing her bag, Tabitha smirked to herself as she ascended the staircase. She came upon Emery''s bedroom with its door wide open and stepped in, only to cry out in pain.


    The cause of her pain was a toy brick beneath her socked feet. Reaching down, Tabitha picked up the brick and tossed it aside with irritation. She could hear soft giggles.


    Emery had watched the whole scene unfold and found it absolutely hilarious although he tried his best to keep from laughing too loud as he did not want to hurt the feelings of his new friend.


    Tabitha walked over to where Emery was having his giggling fit beneath the window and began to tickle him. Emery, being an only child his whole life with deranged parents, had never been tickled by anyone and was pleasantly surprised by this new feeling.


    "What is that? What are you doing?" Emery gasped out between laughs.


    "Haven''t you ever been tickled Em?" Tabitha replied, momentarily ceasing her actions.


    Emery had heard of tickling before but he had never thought of being tickled himself. He shook his head at her with a small smile, he liked that they were already having fun and that Tabitha had given him a nickname. He had never had a nickname before, he had only had sickly-sweet pet names given to him by his parents.


    Tabitha was no dimwit, she could see that Emery was warming up to her and fast. The only reason she took the job was because she had seen the boy peaking his exquisite head out of his bedroom window. Tabitha felt that in all of her 19 years of living, she had never seen such a treasure. She loved him. She had to have him. She had a plan. A plan that would make him hers...


    My hand is beginning to cramp so I shall continue tomorrow my friend, sorry.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 4

    I have recovered from my unfortunate hand cramping so I will continue where I left off, I hope I haven''t been a bore so far...


    It was late at night when Emery''s parents returned from their outing to see their son and prepare to leave.


    After gathering all of their packed things and hauling them to a shuttle that pulled up to the house, Emery''s parents said their goodbyes to their only son and headed off. They had no idea that their son''s life was going to be a little less than the perfect they had wanted.


    Taking matters into his own hands, Emery showed Tabitha to the guest room where she would be staying for the next five years.


    For the next few months everything was fine. Tabitha and Emery spent all of their time together except for the few hours during the week when Emery had tutoring since he was homeschooled. Emery fully trusted Tabitha because he no one else and she had not given him any reasons not to trust her.


    This was until that day of his 14th birthday. That day his parents had promised to come back but they had cancelled last minute. Emery was not too upset by this because he had Tabitha to keep him company. Tabitha was extremely happy that Emery''s parents would not be coming but she did her best to keep her feelings hidden.


    To surprise him, she had a cake and some balloons delivered to the house. The two of them enjoyed a little party of their own, seeing as they knew nobody else.


    Tabitha couldn''t control herself, she was bubbling with excitement. She told Emery to go wait in his room, that she had another special gift for him. Once he had gone up, Tabitha went over her plans in her head. She knew exactly what she wanted to do but it was risky. She had hope that Emery wouldn''t try to blab to his parents but one can never be too sure.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Emery didn''t know what was coming but he assumed it was something good if it was coming from Tabitha. But, despite his trust for her, when she climbed the stairs and entered his room, he glimpsed a flash of the first Tabitha he had seen. The eerie grin was shining down on him and he started to feel a bit nervous. As Tabitha approached the bed he was sitting on, he scolded himself for being afraid of his friend when she only wanted to give him a surprise.


    Tabitha sensed Emery''s nervousness but she didn''t care. She had a plan and this was a mere step that had to be completed. She sat down next to Emery and began her short rehearsed speech,


    "So Emery, you''ve finally reached your second year as a teenager. Do you know what that means?"


    Emery was slightly confused by this question but nonetheless responded,


    "I think so. It means that I''m becoming a man right?"


    Tabitha nodded,


    "My surprise is a little lesson. I''m going to teach you some things that''ll help you be the best man around!"


    Being the best man sounded great in Emery''s head so he nodded enthusiastically,


    "Teach me teach me! I want to be the best of the best!" He exclaimed.


    "Alrighty then. But I have a big rule, do you think you can follow it?" Tabitha responded lowly.


    Emery did his best to put on a mature, serious-looking face,


    "I know I can do it,"


    "Here is the rule: You can''t tell anybody about what we do. Understand?"


    Emery nodded again, he assumed it was to be a secret so that no one could beat him at being the best man. He had no idea that by making this promise he would be endangering himself for the next few years...


    I apologize for always having to end so abruptly but my other family members are distracting me with their incessant yapping. I will be sure to continue tomorrow.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 5

    I''m back and I have cooled down. My family has gone grocery shopping so I am alone. I shall continue as promised...


    Emery was still perched on the bed, waiting for his lesson when Tabitha suddenly hugged him. He was used to her sudden hugs by now so he raised his arms to return the hug. He was feeling happier and happier. He was so happy that he could barely see or think straight. So happy that he didn''t notice the small syringe clattering to the floor. Tabitha''s surprise "lesson" was forgotten as was just about everything else. The last thing Emery remembered before falling asleep was a pair of hands, sliding up and down his body, touching places they probably shouldn''t have.


    When Emery woke up he knew something was wrong but he couldn''t pinpoint what it was. He felt wronged but in what way he had not a clue. When he stepped out of his bed his body ached. Assuming it was because he slept wrong, Emery went to take a shower. When removing his day-clothes which he had slept in, he noticed strange marks on his body. There were bruises spotted randomly all over him. He must have fallen out of bed, he thought. He stepped into the shower and washed away what he believed was just fatigue.


    Once his shower was finished, Emery dressed himself and headed downstairs. Tabitha was already down there, making breakfast for him.


    She noticed his presence while she was turned toward the stove and called out,


    "Good morning kiddo, just making some pancakes for you,"


    Emery was surprised at how hungry he was and sat down to wait for his food. He finished his plate of pancakes in no time. He was happy again.


    Tabitha watched the ten year old with a smile on her face. She watched as his head began to droop and his eyelids fluttering shut. Walking over, she picked him up and carried him to her room.


    Last night had been wonderful. The feel of his warmth, the taste of his skin, they were all delightful. She lay the boy down on her bed and reached into the dresser drawer next to it. From it she pulled out a Polaroid camera. After taking her fill of pictures, she scanned them and chose her favorite, labeling it "the morning after". Tabitha gathered the rest of the photos and put them in a box she kept locked up in her closet. They were a nice addition to the other photos she had in there.


    She walked back over to her bed and picked Emery up once again.


    Now something was wrong with Tabitha. She was crazy. So crazy that she appeared normal. But in reality she was a twisted wicked girl. She held no remorse for anything she did.


    She carried Emery to the top of the staircase and tossed him. He tumbled down the stairs, hard.


    Emery woke up at the feeling of pain. He slowly pulled himself up from the ground, wincing. He looked around for Tabitha but could not see her so he called out for her,


    "Tabitha! Where are you? I need help!"


    Tabitha was still waiting upstairs and listened to his calls as if they were music. She finished writing the last sentence in her diary before responding,


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "I''m coming Emery!"she smirked at her acting skills before heading downstairs.


    Cooing, she bent down and helped up Emery who was still in a state of confusion. He didn''t remember anything besides getting out of bed and now waking up on the floor.


    "Oh poor Emery! You have bruises all over you! Be more careful so you don''t fall down the stairs next time," Tabitha said, clicking her tongue.


    She took him over to the couch and sat him down and brought out the checkerboard they liked to play with.


    Emery''s face lit up at the sight of the board and he moved forward to set up the pieces. He forgot about his fall and bruises as he immersed himself in the game. Emery always won each game he played with Tabitha and his familiar wins relaxed him.


    After playing a few games, Emery went to the study room to complete his Saturday homework that he had received from his tutor previously. He enjoyed his studies just as much as he enjoyed playing checkers.


    When Monday came, Emery sat for his lessons with his tutor. He was dressed as he usually was, casually. That day he had opted for a short-sleeved pink polo and some denim shorts. His tutor was not particularly fond of the boy because she was not particularly fond of anyone but today she noticed something peculiar about him. The tutor, Mrs. Tigglework or Mrs. T as Emery called her, noticed the bruises lining his arms and legs and at first regarded them as the result of rough-housing. When she noticed the bruises on the boy''s neck, her suspicion rose. She knew the boy had no friends so there was virtually no way the bruises could have come from simple play. Mrs. T knew the boy was not rough as other boys his age so bruises were out of the ordinary.


    The door to the study room was closed but there was a large sound proof window in it. Tabitha was peering through the window as she always did and picked up on what Mrs. T was seeing. Tabitha knew that the middle-aged woman was smart, too smart. This made her nervous because if the pieces were to be put together, her doings would be uncovered. She couldn''t be discovered. Not yet. Not before the plan was complete.


    Tabitha pulled out her cellphone. It was a dull pink flip-phone with a thinning silver ring with a frayed hot pink rabbit''s foot attached to it. Opening her phone, she scrolled through her contacts until she found who she was looking for,


    "Hello? I need a teensy favor," she was whispering into her phone for the hours leading to the end of Emery''s tutoring.


    Meanwhile, Mrs. Tigglework decided to take the bait and ask about the bruises,


    "So Emery I noticed that you''re sporting quite a few bruises," she said bluntly.


    Emery had almost forgotten about the bruises and glanced at his arms and legs before replying,


    "It''s nothing. I was just so tired that I ended up falling down the stairs the other day," he said dismissively.


    Now Mrs. Tigglework was really suspicious because Emery was not clumsy. Her mind began to drift to the only person the boy made contact with besides herself; Tabitha. From the moment Mrs. T had met Tabitha until now, she had always been skeptical. The vibe Tabitha gave off was just generally off-putting. When Emery''s class ended she ushered him out of the study room for a snack and went over to talk to the nanny.


    "Tabitha dear, did Emery really fall down the stairs?"


    Tabitha was visibly paler after the question was asked but she did her best to respond calmly.


    "Oh yes he fell...he can be so clumsy at times," she said with a smile.


    Mrs. T''s face hardened around her seemingly everlasting frown and she nodded before turning and saying her goodbyes to Emery and heading out the door. The tutor noticed the paling in Tabitha''s face. She knew something deep was going on but she was unsure of what exactly it could be. Once she had gotten outside, Mrs. T sent a text to her husband. The text read: Watch out for Emery. Tabitha is dangerous. Don''t let the snake win.


    Tabitha watched Mrs. T leave through the window. She wouldn''t let anything come between her and Emery. He was hers and she would have him. Forever...


    Please tell me that I haven''t scared you off with my story. I would hate to put you off. My father has been bothering me about my sense of fashion. He says I should cut my hair because it reaches the middle of back now but I''ve found comfort in its length.


    That aside, I am incredibly irritable at the moment so I will continue tomorrow, ta-ta for now sir.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 6

    I''m not feeling as irritable today and I''m ready to carry on. Please excuse my absence...


    The next day when Emery went into the study room to begin his lessons he was surprised to see a stranger sitting at the desk that was usually occupied by Mrs. Tigglework. Confused, he backed out of the room slowly and called for Tabitha.


    "Tabitha who is that? Where''s Mrs. Tigglework?" He asked her.


    Tabitha put on a melancholy expression as one might put a tablecloth on a table,


    "I''m sorry to tell you this Emery but Mrs. Tigglework passed away last night."


    Emery was shocked. Mrs. T was the only tutor he had ever known despite their lack of closeness. He was unsure whether he was upset because he barely knew her. He responded to Tabitha calmly,


    "That''s too bad,"


    "Yes, it is quite unfortunate. The lady in the study room will be your new tutor, Trina" Tabitha told him.


    Emery did not care that much that his tutor was changed but he could not help but wonder what had caused her death. The lady had seemed perfectly healthy before her death but perhaps his perception of healthiness was off. His curiosity got the best of him so he asked his nanny,


    "How did Mrs. T die? Was she sick?"


    Tabitha could not help but smile at this. The poor boy knew nothing. Emery was so innocent, she loved that about him.


    "I think it was just old age kiddo," she lied easily.


    Emery knew that people died from old age often but he also knew that his tutor was not that old. It was from this information that Emery began to feel offput. He suddenly knew that something was going on. He knew that the something was not to be celebrated but he didn''t know what it was.


    "Oh," he replied with a small nod.


    Ending their little exchange, Emery went back into the study room to begin his work with Trina.


    Trina was totally different than Mrs. T. For one, she was far younger. Trina seemed to be in her early twenties whereas Mrs. T was middle-aged. Trina had short mahogany curls that paired well with her olive skin tone. She had large hazel eyes that seemed to take in everything surrounding her. She appeared to be of average size but what stood out were the bulging muscles of her arms. Emery''s nervousness increased when he noticed the obvious coiled strength that Trina possessed. Her small button nose and round face paired with her frowning plump lips gave her the appearance of some sort of hybrid bulldog.


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    Beside her chilling outer appearance, something else stood out to Emery. Trina watched him the way that Tabitha did. At first he took it as her somehow wanting to be protective of her new student but as time progressed he came to realize that wasn''t the case.


    On afternoon, after lessons, Emery was retiring to the kitchen for a snack when Tabitha called out to him,


    "Trina''s spending the night today! Isn''t that great?"


    Emery did not think it was great, he had grown to dislike Trina. He was wary of the way she looked at him. She looked at him like Tabitha did. Her eyes followed his every move and when he did anything like sneeze or cough or stretch she seemed to shiver. Before and after every sentence she said, she licked her lips, which made Emery shiver in disgust.


    When Tabitha told him that his tutor was spending the night he panicked,


    "Well what if she doesn''t like it here or she misses home or-


    Tabitha cut him off,


    "Don''t worry about it bud, we''re all friends here,"


    That was that, Trina, who hadn''t even left, came out of the study room with bags Emery hadn''t noticed during his lesson. He was confused as to why his tutor needed four bags when she was only staying one night but he didn''t question it.


    After getting him settled in bed, Tabitha retreated to her room with Trina. Even though they had said they were going to bed, he could hear them murmuring throughout the night.


    Tabitha called him to the kitchen to make an announcement early in the morning; she said it was very important. It was after the announcement that Emery knew his life would never be the same,


    "Trina is moving in with us until further notice! Isn''t that great?"


    Emery''s body drained of all blood when he heard the news. It wasn''t great. It wasn''t great at all. He wanted to run away. But he knew there would be nowhere for him to go. He wanted to call his parents but he knew they wouldn''t answer him. He knew he was alone and no one would save him from the upcoming nightmare.


    At that moment Trina decided to enter the kitchen, she looked at Tabitha and they seemed to communicate some hidden message. She then looked at Emery, her face showed apology, her eyes showed triumph. The combination did not seem well-paired and gave Emery shivers.


    Everyday was filled with Tabitha and Trina. They chattered nonstop and he saw them 24/7, there was no escape. This continued and it seemed like there would be no alternance in Emery''s everyday life pattern until one fateful day.


    A phone call. That was it. A phone call was all it took to change the Emery forever. He went from a lonely 14-year-old to a teen broken without hope for repair. He knew he would never forget the contents of that call.


    "Hello?"


    I am again apologizing for cutting the story short. My family is still pestering me; they say I am not eating enough and that I should go outside for some fresh air. I don''t want to leave the comfort of my artificial air but I am going to go find a tree in the backyard to hide in. Salutations good sir.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 7

    I am currently writing to you from the highest branch in a huge tree I found in our backyard. My family is sitting at the foot of the tree. I heard my brother say that they would wait because I had to come down at some point. Foolish humans...


    "Hello?"


    Tabitha had picked up the home phone and walked away, heading for her bedroom.


    Emery wanted to know what was going on so he went to his own room and picked up his blue telephone. He made sure not to make any noise as he listened to the conversation,


    "Yes, I am Emery''s nanny. My name is Tabitha Tart and I''ve been here for over a year," Tabitha''s voice rattled out.


    An unfamiliar male voice responded,


    "I''m sorry to inform you...Mr. and Mrs. Guillon have been in an accident..."


    "An accident? What kind? Are they alright?"somehow, Tabitha''s questions did not sound genuine.


    There was a pause.


    "The car they were in collided with another on the highway.... unfortunately they both died on their way to the hospital"


    Emery was frozen. He slowly lowered the phone. Emery had never been particularly close to his parents but that didn''t change the fact that they were his parents. They were his only life support before Tabitha. Despite this, Emery was not sad. He did not shed a single tear over the news of his parents'' death. He was just numb. He had already been feeling lost because of his new living situation; with this added on there was nothing at all left to hope for...except his own death.


    Tabitha never mentioned his parents'' death, he had no idea whether or not she knew that he knew. He didn''t care. Emery went on with each day routinely. He did his best to limit contact with his nanny and his tutor and did extra studies online for fun. Before his 15th birthday, February 14th, he had applied for, tested for, and revived, his high school diploma. He had used the backup credit card his parents had given him for his fifth birthday and a fake identity to register for his classes.


    With all the extra studying Emery had been doing, his mind had matured quickly. He was far more intelligent than the average 15-year-old boy and his senses and general perception were sharper. With his new mind, 15-year-old Emery was bored of his life and wanted something new. He began planning; he wanted to start earning money so that he could escape but he had to do so secretly. Emery somehow knew that Tabitha would try to prevent him from leaving. He was surprised she had stayed after his parents death, with no flowing income, he wondered what sustained her financially.


    In all his time knowing Tabitha, Emery had never once suspected her love for him. He was oblivious to many signs even with his sharp mind. Emery did not doubt his nanny''s intentions until the day of his 16th birthday. He had been feeling even more awkward around his nanny because he had recently started going through puberty. He had told her about his....becoming a man when she asked him why he was washing his pajama pants by hand in his bathtub. Once he told her she had frozen, nodded, then briskly shuffled to her room where he heard her quietly conversing with Trina yet again.


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    That night, both Tabitha and Trina had come to tuck him in. They cooed over him and said he was really a man now, being a teenager. Tabitha gave him a mug of hot chocolate and a cookie that she made herself, and Trina gave him a tight hug before they both left the room. Emery was not in the best mood that night and consequently wasn''t very hungry but he didn''t want to make the girls upset. He peeked at his door before quickly grabbing the food and tiptoeing to the door in his room leading to the bathroom. He took a bite of the cookie and then dropped it in the toilet and poured the hot chocolate in as well after taking a sip of it.


    Emery was about flush everything away when he noticed something disturbing, the toilet water was not just swimming with cookie crumbs and hot chocolate. In the water lay many tiny colorful specks. He wasn''t sure what they were and tried to rack his mind when he heard shuffling. He quickly shut the lid of the toilet and flushed. He then tiptoed back to his bed and slipped in but felt something. He shifted his covers and saw a small syringe. It was only half full and there was a bit of blood on the tip. There was something written on the side he and vowed to check it out the next morning. He darted into his closet and tucked the syringe into the pocket of his raincoat before returning to his bed. He was making himself comfortable in bed by wiggling around but suddenly his limbs began failing him. He was awake but he couldn''t move.


    Just then, the door handle began to jiggle. Emery closed his eyes and feigned sleep as the footsteps of Tabitha and Trina entered his room. He tried to crack his eyes open to peek but he couldn''t move his eyelids. He was terrified and hoped it was all a bad dream. Alas, it was not a dream as he felt hands slipping into his pajamas. He felt lips and hot breath all over his body and then they stopped. Tabitha''s voice rang out first,


    "I call going first,"


    Trina responded with a sigh,


    "Fine...I don''t care just do it"


    Suddenly hands roughly pulled off his pajama bottoms and briefs at once. What happened next Emery could only describe as "wrong".


    At some point, Emery had fallen asleep. He woke up feeling refreshed yet unclean. His clothes weren''t out of place, there wasn''t a drop of sweat on his body but his mind felt horribly filthy.


    For some reason Emery felt as though he needed to die. That he needed to end his life right then and cleanse the Earth of his presence.


    After finally working up the courage to exit his bed, Emery slowly made his way to the kitchen where he saw his nanny and his tutor awaiting him at the kitchen table. They both looked unnaturally content.


    Tabitha spoke first,


    "Have a nice night bud?"


    Emery knew he probably shouldn''t let on what he had seen and felt so he lied,


    "It was great¡ªI slept like a baby"


    Emery pretended not to notice the sighs of relief. He knew they weren''t because they were glad he slept well.


    There was an awkward pause until Trina decided to make an announcement,


    "I''m sorry to say this¡ªI''m going to be leaving today"


    A bit of hope leaked into Emery''s heart hearing this and he looked at his tutor in surprise. Tabitha seemed just as surprised as he was. She looked at Trina in confusion.


    Trina seemed to drink in the heavy atmosphere and she smirked. Without saying a word she walked over to the front door where a duffle bag was waiting, opened it, and headed out.


    Tabitha looked at Emery and he looked back at her, unsure how to react. Tabitha wordlessly headed back up the stairs and slammed her door.


    A few hours later, Tabitha reappeared. Emery had been completing a complex puzzle on his own in the living room when Tabitha bluntly announced that she would also be leaving. She then proceeded to drag her three large suitcases down the stairs and out the front door to an awaiting shuttle.


    Once the front door shut Emery looked around. He couldn''t really process all that had happened in the span of a few days¡ªhe was lost.


    That is where will end for today. There is nothing wrong with me but I feel like shouldn''t simply reel everything out at once. Until tomorrow.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 8

    I apologize if you think this story is gaunt. I plan on continuing because you deserve to know the rest. I shall now proceed...


    At some point, Emery had fallen asleep. When he awoke, the reality of his situation properly dawned on him. Despite the weight of the previous events, Emery neglected to panic. He was calm. His maturity and lack of affection towards virtually anyone allowed him to quickly move on.


    For weeks, Emery lived alone. He fed himself, bathed himself, entertained himself. He didn''t need anyone. He didn''t want anyone. Life was nutritiously dull until one day a knock on the door yanked Emery from his mental stupor. He glanced at the door in confusion. No one ever visited his house, even when his nanny was around.Feeling as if he had nothing left to lose, Emery went to open his front door. The person behind it seemed familiar but he couldn''t put his finger on who it was.The person at the door was a man who looked a bit on the older side. He had close-cropped brown hair with patches of gray on the sides. The man was slightly tanned and freckled as if he spent a lot of time outdoors and his complexion matched his dark blue eyes.


    "Do you need something?" Emery asked the man outside.


    The man seemed relieved just by looking at Emery''s face. He seemed to take in the average height teen with dark blonde wavy hair reaching his shoulders. He seemed to be looking straight through the amber eyes that fit into the pale face. The man''s gaze flitted over the dark brows, the small pointed nose, the reddish pout.


    "I''ve come to basically be your knight in shining armor," the man said with a smile.


    Emery blinked once then began to close the door. The man sensed his disinterest and stuck out his foot to stop the door.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Wait! I know all about what''s happened to you," the unnamed man flustered.


    "Who are you?" Emery was curious as to why a stranger had shown up at his humble abode.


    "My name is Stuart Tiggelwork, husband of your old tutor,"the man, Stuart, responded.


    Emery suddenly received flashbacks to the days he spent with his old tutor. It was only once that Emery had seen the man, when he had visited for a family dinner that he''d had with his parents.


    He had noticed that day that the man looked a bit off, like he knew too much.


    A bit wary, Emery asked the man why he had come to which he responded,


    "I''m going to live here with you,"


    "No you''re not,"


    "I actually am,"


    "You aren''t,"


    Their argument lasted for longer than it should have and was ended by Stuart calmly grabbing his small suitcase which he had cleverly hidden behind a bush at the front door and walked inside the house. Emery just looked at him with mild surprise but general defeat because, in his mind, there was nothing left to lose.


    Following their mini squabble, Stuart made his way up to Tabitha''s old room and commenced making himself at home. While looking around the room he decided to be a snoop and opened all of the drawers, looked through the closet, peaked under the bed, and felt the walls. He wanted to see if there was anything Emery''s former nanny had to hide and if he could use the leftovers as evidence.


    After hours of searching, Stuart was ready to give up and walked to the door but paused when something interesting caught his eye: the full-length mirror hanging on the wall, which he had passed. The mirror was crooked¡ªan unusual flaw in an otherwise perfect-looking house. Putting his snooping abilities to good use, he pushed the frame until it cleanly popped off the wall. A rough hole obviously made by some sort of blunt force lay behind. A small box. Seemingly a disposable fast food box was wedged neatly in the hole, surrounded by shredded insulation and rubble. Gingerly, Stuart reached in, grasped the box, and drew it out. When he opened it, the situation became clear....


    I wasn''t going to stop here but my brother''s friend has come over to the house and they are upstairs making various unholy questionable noises. Until tomorrow!


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 9

    I have returned. My father gave my brother a long lecture about nonsense which I have not a care for. Let me resume...


    What seemed like an endless amount of polaroids slipped from the box. Pictures of Trina and Tabitha but mostly pictures of Emery. Obscene pictures. Emery in the nude. The two vultures of women devouring the boy. Eerie smiles painted the faces of the women. They posed with Emery''s nude body with syringes and blue pills in-between their teeth. They model his body with cookies on his chest and they were pouring milk down his body. Emery was seemingly unconscious in every photo. His body was lifeless. The lifelessness of his body in the photos mirrored the lifelessness in Emery''s eyes now.


    Stuart was enraged but not surprised. He had suspected such evil after hearing his wife''s observation of bruises and fatigue Emery had been exhibiting. The proof of the events that had transpired was stifling. He was unsure of whether the boy knew of this misfortune in detail and was hiding it from the world and himself or if he was clueless to the fact. Deciding that keeping the information from the boy any longer may do more harm than good, Stuart gathered up the polaroids, placing them back in the box. He then slowly headed downstairs where Emery was sitting on the couch with a blank stare. A stare of resignation.


    Stuart cautiously approached the boy in hopes of conversing about the situation. He sat down next to Emery, box in hand. He opened the box and pulled out the stack of photos. Emery seemed to break out of his trance for a moment as his eyes scanned the photos before him. Flashbacks of the bruises and tired nights and the cookies and the syringes and the hugs and sugary smiles overwhelmed him. Emery began to tremble, the truth was beginning to crack through to him.


    ¡§Where did you get this?" his voiced wavered as he asked Stuart the question.


    "It was in the wall¡ªbehind the mirror in your nanny''s room," he replied, solemnly.


    Emery had no idea how to react. He still felt lost. He wasn''t stupid so he understood very clearly what had happened to him. He knew that he had been touched. he knew that he had been violated. He was upset yet he did not care. There was nothing he could do about it. It wasn''t like he could magically turn back time and reverse what had happened to him.


    Stuart watched him carefully, guarding his expression so as to avoid disturbing the boy any more. He wanted to let the boy know that he wasn''t alone, that he would help him.


    "You know, I''d do anything to help you kid," he told him.


    Emery heard the man but he wasn''t convinced. It seemed like everyone he showed any sort of attachment to, needed up leaving¡ªincluding himself.


    He had never even met, let alone seen, his outer family. He had never left his house. He had had a tutor who taught him since he could talk. He had a private doctor who would come to check up on him as well as a dentist. He cut his own hair and his parents had bought his clothing. Luckily, he was able to modify his father''s old clothing to make a new wardrobe for himself when he grew. He had the internet to teach him everything he didn''t know. Emery often felt like he didnt even belong on Earth seeing as he had never set foot on it.


    After that day Emery did everything he could to avoid bringing up the past although it was hard to do seeing as it had happened to him. Every step he took brought an unwanted memory to him. Stuart did what he could to stand in as a parental figure as he hoped from the start but with broken genius boy like Emery, it appeared more that he was just piggybacking off of the boy and filching on his life. The house they lived in had been payed off and the bills were directly connected to Emery''s parents'' bank account which didn''t seem to be running dry anytime soon. Stuart went day in and day out with Emery yet they only exchanged words for brief things like greetings and Emery requesting groceries. Stuart noticed that Emery spent large amounts of time in the basement. He went down and stayed down for several hours at a time. Stuart, in order to maintain the privacy of the boy, never asked about or dared to venture down into the basement.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Around three years passed before any real occurrences were able to pull Emery and Stuart out of their dragging routine.


    A knock on the door.


    Emery had heard it first but did not care enough to get up from his place on the couch to open it. He was slightly wary because it appeared that whenever he opened doors, he released burdens. Stuart saw that the boy had no intention of getting up to open the door so he sighed and got up from the kitchen table and went to open the door.


    Not matter how clich¨¦ it seemed, there, on the doorstep, sat a blanket covered basket. Whines and soft cries rose up from the basket as Stuart looked around to see if anyone was around. Deciding that no one would end up coming, Stuart pulled down the blanket, only to be shocked.


    Rats he thought.


    There were rats in the basket. Squirming, whining rats. Huge rats. They were tearing at something between them in the basket. The thing was twitching and looked like a fleshy bloody lump of something. Stuart thought that perhaps the lump was a baby and braced himself, reaching in to grab it. One glimpse at the thing he had grabbed made him quickly toss it overhand into the street. The rats dove over to it, consequently resulting in both the thing and the rats getting run over and smashed to paste on the road.


    The thing they were feasting on had been a cat. A hairless cat that the rats had been joyously enjoying. Stuart looked back down at the basket. A note was stuck to the side. He gingerly plucked it off and unfolded it, reading it.


    "Hey baby boy. Here''s more baby boys. They''re yours. Pudding and Lemon are their names. Don''t think we''re lying. They''re yours. See ya soon baby. xxoxoxooxoxoxox Tab and Tri"


    Stuart''s heart dropped. The note said that there were babies but he saw no babies. He decided that it was probably some sick joke so he turned to go back inside when he felt a tug on his pant leg. Stuart looked down to see two kids. One had long blonde wavy hair and gray eyes and the other had shorter curls and hazel eyes. Forgetting about the note, Stuart crouched down in front of them,


    "Hello there. Where are your parents kiddos," he said lightly, with a smile.


    The kids stared with big blinking eyes for several moments before speaking. The grey-eyed child was the one to speak first,


    "Mommas said dat we going live with daddy now," it said.


    The other child nodded while Stuart looked at them in confusion,


    "Who is your father?" he asked.


    The hazel-eyed child spoke up this time, excited to be relevant,


    "Emuhwee!" it exclaimed.


    Emery. The must have said Emery he thought. There was no way. Emery had been living in the same house his whole life and had never really interacted with anyone let alone sleep with someone. Stuarts mind strayed back to the note. Here''s more baby boys.


    "Are you Pudding and Lemon?" he asked them carefully.


    The kids nodded¡ªthe hazel-eyed one more rapidly than the other. He ushered the children inside the house, being outside with them for so long was making him nervous. Emery watched the group as they walked in. He had heard everything and was waiting to see how things played out.


    Stuart motioned for the kids to sit on the living room couch but as soon as their eyes landed on Emery, they rushed to go and sit on his lap.


    Emery was frozen. He had never experienced such physical contact let alone any in the past few years. He looked up at Stuart for help as the kids snuggled themselves into his body.


    Stuart was too focused on getting answers to help,


    "So where are your mommas kiddos?" he asked the happy children.


    The grey-eyed one glanced at the hazel-eyed kid before answering,


    "Well mamma Tabs put us in a bag and den we come to dis house so uh uhm I don really know,"


    Stuart was surprised at how much the kid was talking when it looked like it was barely old enough to walk. The kids turned away from him and the grey-eyed one patted Emery on the chest appreciatively,


    "Daddy," he said.


    At the name, Emery looked up at Stuart even more shocked and confused than he was before. For the first time in years, he opened his mouth to talk to someone who wasn''t Stuart,


    "What do you mean, Daddy?" he asked lowly.


    "I mean you Daddy!" the kid replied, giggling.


    "Well who are you?" Emery shot back.


    "I''m Lemon!" the hazel-eyed kid shouts.


    "And I''m Pudding," the grey-eyed kid says quietly, shyly hiding behind his flaxen tresses.


    Uncharacteristically, Emery grinned. He didn''t care where the kids came from or whether or not they were really his. He just wanted to love them as they loved him. He hated the idea of them being stripped of their childhood as he had been...


    This was probably quite a revelation, correct? The story of how I came to live with my father is now revealed. I shall continue a bit from here as there is more that you should know. My childhood was riddled with less-than-desirable occurrences. Until the next day.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Day 10

    I shall continue. Please note that I will continue referring to myself in third person. No more nonsense filler needed today as I am ready to delve right in...


    The first month, Stuart worked on the logistics and was able to get a doctor to come and collect the necessary data to see if Emery was the father. The results proved Emery as the father and also, surprisingly, showed that the kids'' mothers were different: Tabitha for Pudding and Trina for Lemon although they were born on the same day.


    Two more years passed before any real questions were asked about the situation. Emery had been serving as the boys'' personal tutor and due to their intellectual proficiency, they progressed up to the fifth grade quickly. All was well until one of their nosy neighbors decided to check up on them for the first time in over a decade.


    A knock on the door.


    "I''LL GET IT!" both Pudding and Lemon shout at the first time, rushing over themselves to get to the front door.


    Lemon makes it to the door first and forgoes checking to see who it is in the window before yanking the door open. An older lady stood there with a scrutinizing expression. She looked down at the blonde boys who were panting with red faces and frowned. She hadn''t known anyone lived in this house anymore. Until recently, the last she had heard of was the supposedly barren couple who had died about five years ago.


    Not hearing anything, Stuart and Emery strode over to the door. The appearance of the two men shocked the lady even more and her eyebrows rose.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Who are you?" she asked.


    "Well who are you?"retorted Pudding before anyone else could.


    The lady scoffed, clutching her small handbag tighter as she again frowned down at the boy.


    "I am Meribel Ignatius and I have lived in this neighborhood for the past 40 years and I have never seen any of you before," she rushed out.


    "I am Stuart Tigglework and this Emery Guillon and his sons: Pudding and Lemon," Stuart calmly replied.


    "Guillon? Like the Guillons?" Meribel exclaimed.


    "Yes. My parents were Mr. and Mrs. Guillon," Emery spoke up, slightly confused.


    "But they had no children!" Meribel blubbered.


    "Obviously they did¡ª


    "This makes no sense! I will find out the meaning of this if it is the last thing I do!" she continued to shriek.


    "Listen lady, I am Emery Guillon and that''s that," Emery decided to cut in.


    Meribel stared at him, seeming to take in his features, mentally comparing him to his parents. Apparently fed up, the lady quickly spun around and began to cross the street to go gossip with one of their other neighbors.


    Before she can cross, she is hit.


    She is hit by large moving truck that was going too fast to stop anyway. Emery, Stuart, and the boys looked at the mess before them in shock for a moments before going back inside. Stuart, picked up the phone and called Animal Control to request cleanup for roadkill and the family continued on with the day.


    Things were again falling into a routine, the normalcy that they had adopted lasted for about seven more years. The boys were sufficient enough to do their studies on their own as Emery had done and the 12 year olds were working on their sophomore year of highschool. 28-year-old Emery had long since finished his first two degrees and his doctorate in something he still refuses to tell anyone. Stuart spent his days collecting as much data as he could about Tabitha and Trina because he was determined to crush them as brutally as possible for their crimes...


    Goodnight.


    Your waiting recipient,


    Pudding

 Part 2: The Beginning of a Continuation - Pudding

    4 years later...


    Pudding


    Such a life is not to be desired. I hate my life. I wish I could go to sleep and never wake up. Each day a rose dies in the garden of my mind. I can''t stand¡ª


    "PUDDING!"


    Why does my idiot brother always have to interrupt when I''m in the middle of an internal ranting session.


    "What do you want HEATHEN!" I shout back in response.


    I hear nothing after my outburst and thus begrudgingly drag myself out of my pensive stupor and climb down from the tree I am perched in. As I am walking towards the porch door, through the window I can see my little brother lounging on the kitchen table like the peasant he is. I pull the door open and stand in the doorway with my arms crossed, my journal tucked in the waistband of my pants. My brother doesn''t react to me entering so I obnoxiously clear my throat. At the noise he sits up on the table and turns to look at me,


    "Did you need something?"


    I''m using all my willpower to stop myself from exterminating him,


    "You called my name, doofus,"


    "Did I?"


    "You did,"


    "I am failing to recall¡ª


    "I''ll kill you you fu¡ª


    "Ah ah ah I''ll tell dad if you hit me again~"


    I am breathing heavily because I want to lay my brother to rest but I know that my father will have my ass if I try it. I take a few deep breaths before approaching my brother as calmly as I can. He watches me with a brow raised as I climb up onto the table with him and wrap my arms around his torso. His large body tenses beneath my slight one and he hesitates before reaching his arms up to hug me back. Uncle Stuart says that I can overcome my anger by replacing it with love so I try to hug my annoyance for my brother away.


    Things are seemingly getting better and the atmosphere feels lighter until... he burps. My left eye twitches and I snap¡ªbringing my arms up to his neck and turning our brotherly embrace into a hug of death. He gasps as my arms tighten and I am feeling triumphant and I swear I can feel the life leaving his body and let out a hysterical giggle. I hate how feminine my laugh sounds so I try to convert it into a manly chuckle and it seems to be sounding more masculine when I feel water on my face.


    I spring off the table and land deftly on the balls of my feet, crouched low with a faint hissing escaping from my teeth. I look up to identify the source of the evil spray and see my father standing before me with a spray bottle in hand. He shakes his head with his usual blank expression on his face before speaking,


    "Pudding what have I told you about trying to kill your brother?"


    I try to remember exactly what I''d been told about trying to execute my horrid sibling but all I can think of is what I''ve told myself,


    "Do it quickly so that you won''t get caught?"


    "No, I told you not to do it, ever. You are not to harm family," he sighed.


    "But he harmed me first!" I complained.


    "False," cut in Lemon.


    I look at him and if I had not been grabbed by my father I would have stabbed my fingers into his eyes and mutilated his smug face,


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Just shut up Lemon! You''re such an annoying piece of shi¡ª


    "That''s enough of that Pudding. Lemon have you been annoying your brother again? You know he''s older than you and you must respect him as such," father was still holding me.


    Lemon still looked smug but began grumbling when father told him to respect me as older,


    "He''s only a week older than me and he looks like a little girl I don''t see why¡ª


    "Fuck off about my looks, at least I don''t have a tiny di¡ª


    "Language Pudding. That is enough from both of you. I''m tired of this fighting. From today on, you guys need to act like real brothers and to ensure this, you''ll be sharing everything for the next month¡ª


    "Sharing?!"


    "Why?!"


    "While you guys were here fighting, Uncle Stuart and I put your things in Pudding''s room since it''s bigger. You''ll share his bed too,"


    I cannot accept this. My disgusting little brother, in my room, touching my things?! No this will not work at all and I refuse,


    "It''s a no from me,"


    "Pudding you can''t say no¡ª


    "I quite clearly just did¡ª


    "It is also a no from me," Lemon says.


    Father looked between the both of us before sighing and shouting for Uncle Stuart to come. Uncle Stuart bumbles down the stairs with his old self and engages in a whispered conversation with my father. The two men nod at each other once before father starts moving toward the stairs with me in his arms and Uncle Stuart grabs Lemon and we thus commence a strange shuffle up the stairs to my room where we are dumped. We all stand in silence until Uncle Stuart speaks,


    "We''re locking y''all in here for the rest of the day. Talk to each other and enjoy each other''s company. You''ll be eating dinner in here too," he begins to turn around when he swivels back with a smirk on his face,


    "Y''all will also be sharing the shower tonight¡ª


    "Absolutely not¡ª


    "I would never¡ª


    "A shower with this sweaty mammoth? I would rather die¡ª


    "I wouldn''t want to shower with a little princess like you anyway¡ª


    "It''s settled then. Enjoy your night boys," father ended our less-than-chummy banter.


    Once the door closes, Lemon has the nerve to look at me and smile. I cross my arms and stalk over to my vanity and pick up a fuzzy gray scrunchie to tie my waist length hair. I hear the squeal before I register it,


    "AAH RAT RAT RAT RATRATRATRAT AHH AH AAH!" my imbecile brother is shouting at the the most ear-piercing volume known to man.


    "There is no rat," I inform him.


    "Then what is that?!" Lemon points to the wrist that the scrunchie is on.


    "This is a scrunchie for my hair you toad," I roll my eyes.


    Lemon continues to stare at my wrist warily and I decided to take action by leaping toward him. My movement was enough to startle him hard enough to knock him onto the floor. I use my manly chuckle to relish in my win. My brother looks up at me and I notice his bottom lip starting to quiver. I immediately feel a small, tiny, itty bitty, minuscule twinge of guilt as his eyes fill with tears. I don''t want to get into any more trouble for upsetting my brother so I wrap my arms around his giant self for the second time today. He grabs me desperately and sniffles like a baby. We are sitting like that for at least an hour because we had fallen asleep. We only awoke when father and Uncle Stuart opened the door and gave us a tray with dinner on it.


    I stare at the dinner in disgust. On the tray were two hamburger steaks, a bowl of brown rice, broccoli, and a pot of gravy. I almost turned away from the tray until I peeped a small box with a familiar ensigns on it. I snatched it before anyone else could and opened it. Lo and behold, the box contained a small key lime tart and raspberry roll cake. I am about to dig in when father snatches the box out of my hands. I gape at him in disbelief, my hands left in the position of grasping the precious treasure.


    "No dessert until you eat your dinner¡ª


    "Yeah you can fuck off with that," I cut him off while snatching the box back.


    My brother is staring at the box longingly and I know he wants a taste of the dessert but I''m not about to share. I quickly use raise my right hand and proceed to lick all of my fingers. Everyone is staring at me as I do so, confusion on their faces. Once my fingers are coated in my saliva I dig them into the pastries. I squeeze and knead the pastries until they become a sugary mess then push the box towards my brother. He recoils in disgust and father and Uncle Stuart do the same when I offer the box to them.


    Satisfied with my work I grab a spoon off the tray and walk over to the bed. I lay back in the pillows and begin to enjoy my food. I can feel that I''m being stared at but I care not and thus continue eating in peace while my grumbling brother sits in a chair to begin eating the dinner from the tray. Father sighs and shakes his head and Uncle Stuart looks at me in disapproval before they both leave. I hear the door lock behind them and roll my eyes, chewing contentedly.


    I''m about to finish the last bite of spooned dessert and it''s halfway chewed when I feel a vice-like grip on my jaw.


    Annoyed I look up to see my brother staring at my mouth. He seems to waver for a second before boldly saying,


    "I want to taste"

 Lemon

    Lemon


    "I want to taste," I say, lowly.


    Fuck why did I say that?


    Pudding is looking up at me with confusion in his grey eyes. His beautiful eyes.


    "You want to taste...what?" my brother asked slowly.


    You


    "What? Me?!" Pudding looked panicked.


    Did I say that out loud?


    "Yeah you did fucktard," Pudding was scowling at me.


    "U-uh uhm I meant to say the dessert! I want to taste the dessert yeah uhm," I tried to save myself.


    "Well I ate it all already, loser," Pudding grinned and started to lay back, seemingly about to nap.


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    Before he could fully lay down, I grabbed his face with both hands. He opened his eyes wide in shock.  I had a split second to think and before Pudding could spew the inevitable curse my lips were on his.


    I''m kissing him.


    I''m kissing. My brother.


    But for some reason, I don''t care.


    I tried to deepen the kiss but he started to push against my chest with his dainty hands.


    I snatched both hands and held them above his head with one of mine.


    I slowly trailed my free hand down his side, to his soft waist, then to the small of his back.


    My movements made him let out a gasp. I took that as an opportunity to  deepen the kiss. My tongue slipping into his warm mouth. I let my tongue explore the sweetness on his tongue.


    I got my taste alright. And it was delicious.


    I guess Pudding decided enough was enough and brought his knee up sharply, catching me in the stomach. I released him and rolled over onto my back next to him. I heard him breathing heavily. Turning my head slightly, I took in the scene before me. A flushed Pudding who was letting out hot breaths. Face sweaty and lips swollen. A scowl painted on his pretty face but turmoil dancing in his grey eyes. But the icing on the cake. The thing that made me almost lose control again.


    The little dark stain on the front of his slightly tented pants.


    Suddenly, I''ve got another treat I want to taste.

 Pudding

    Pudding


    What. The. Actual. Fuck.


    He kissed me. He fucking kissed me!


    We''re brothers. That''s wrong. Disgusting.


    But why...


    Why do I want more?


    Why am I hard? This is so embarrassing. To get hard in front of my brother. So hard that precum is leaking from my dick. I hate it here what the fuck is wrong with me.


    I can feel Lemon''s eyes on me while I''m panting like a damn wet dog. I can''t look at him. I won''t look at him. I know if I so much as glance at him, I''ll need him on me. I can already hear myself begging him to help me release.


    Make me cum is what I would say if I was insane.


    "Okay," I hear a breathy response from Lemon.


    "Okay, what?" I ask, still looking up at the ceiling.


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    "I''ll make you cum," he says and I feel the bed shift as he sits up on his knees.


    I guess I said that out loud which confirms that I am indeed insane


    "I don''t know if you''re insane but I''m definitely going to drive you crazy right now," Lemon sounded excited, way too excited.


    I didn''t have the chance to respond before his lips were on mine again. I felt his hand shove its way down my pants and begin palming me roughly.


    I couldn''t stop the moan that left my lips as he fondled my hard dick.


    Suddenly my pants were ripped clean off my body along with my briefs. I shivered at the slight cold but I''m warmed right up when a hot mouth engulfs my cock.


    A choked gasp left my mouth as I felt Lemon''s lips against my balls and fair pubes. His throat was sucking my cock and I felt like I would cum at any second.


    He began bobbing his head up and down and brought one hand up to jerk me and the other to caress my balls at the same time.


    I can''t take it anymore. I can feel the heat bubbling inside me.


    "L-lemon...I-I I''m gonna I''m gonna," I started, out of breath.


    Hearing me, he started to speed up, sucking harder and faster, making my hips buck on their own.


    I barely felt the cum leave me as the orgasm racked my body. I trembled as Lemon continued to suck on my sensitive dick like his life depended on it.


    When he finally released me with a wet pop, my dick was tinted red and twitching.


    He kept watching it as if waiting for something more to happen.


    "More," Lemon muttered.


    More


    "No, it''s finished I''m done," I told him breathlessly.


    "More," he said firmly.


    And with that, his mouth was on me again.


    I must have come at least two more times before I was welcomed by slumber.

 Emery

    Emery


    *Age 16*


    Empty.


    There¡¯s nothing left for me. There¡¯s nothing left in me.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Nothing.


    Each day that passes is not even a blur. There is no color. No light.


    All I see is shadows. All I hear is whispers.


    No day goes by when I don¡¯t remember.


    Those piercing eyes. Their hands. The hot, poisonous breaths.


    Those witches. I can''t even bear to say their names.


    They stole my childhood. They stole my happiness.


    I will never have any purpose in my life except to rot in the memories of what happened to me.


    Until¡­


    The clouds smothering my sun suddenly parted.


    Stuart Tigglework stood at the door.

 Emery

    Emery


    ¡°A plan?¡± Stuart had not dropped his look of confusion, how could he? It¡¯s not like he can read my mind.


    ¡°Yes, a plan,¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t this plan involve, like, the police?¡± Stuart is looking more frustrated than confused.


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    ¡°No it cannot. Sit down and I¡¯ll explain it,¡± I tell him, starting to get impatient. I was excited to tell him what I wanted to do.


    ¡°So...No one really knows I exist right? Besides like my doctor and my dentist. But they were sworn to secrecy by my parents. If they ever peeped I could deal with them anywa-¡±


    ¡°Deal with them how?!¡± Stuart cut me off.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up Stuart. I haven¡¯t finished. So I could deal with them if I needed to. I don¡¯t want to just put those witches in jail,¡± I stop to let a dramatic pause put Stuart on edge.


    ¡°I want to make them suffer,¡± I had a full smile on my face now.

 Stuart

    Stuart


    I was in prison when I heard the news of my wife¡¯s death. I got a call from Tabitha, the nanny of the kid my wife was tutoring,


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, your wife just died,¡± her voice sounded like a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Sickly sweet with a sharp undertone.


    ¡°How did she die?¡± I asked the girl.


    ¡°Old age it seems like,¡± Tabitha lied. I knew the bitch was lying because my Allison was only 40. Old age my ass. It was hearing this that made me start doubting Tabitha¡¯s sincerity. Then, my guard decided that I was behaving enough and that I was probably suffering since my wife was dead, and gave me my personal cell phone. I rarely contacted anyone before I was sent to prison so I wasn¡¯t expecting any missed calls or anything. I was just grateful to be able to go through my pictures of Allison. But, something caught my eye. A text notification. It read: ¡°Tabitha is dangerous. Don¡¯t let the snake win.¡±


    Allison rarely messaged me, she would just call occasionally so I knew this was a serious warning. I wanted to do something, anything. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about my dead wife. About why she really  died.


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    Regarding her being dead, I was not too upset. Allison Tigglework was my tutor in high school. I was failing calculus senior year and my parents suggested I study with her as she was our next door neighbor. She was known as a kind of genius and was studying teaching or something as well as math in college. One thing led to another, and Allison and I started dating. She was kind, funny, super intelligent, and best of all, a freak in the sheets. That was, until she got older. As she aged, she became more focused on work, more uptight and boring. At a point we decided it would be best to open our relationship. We were more friends than lovers at home. We enjoyed each other¡¯s presence but we didn¡¯t have sex. I don¡¯t know if she was having sex with other people. But I was definitely sleeping with other women. What can I say? I¡¯m not that old, I still have stamina.


    I met Emery once before prison. I had been invited to a family dinner. Thanksgiving. His parents didn¡¯t like too many people being in their home but allied me to come since I was Allison''s husband. When I saw the kid he looked pretty normal. Except for his eyes. His eyes were like foggy windows. I knew there was something behind them. Some secret. Some story. But I couldn¡¯t quite tell what it was.


    Emery definitely noticed me reading him but I couldn¡¯t help but stare. It was so peculiar how he looked ordinary on the outside but gave off a strange aura. A dark one¡­


    The vibe Emery gave off was similar to the one my son gave off. Not only were their auras similar, they also looked alike. My son had problems that I didn¡¯t understand and doctors couldn¡¯t diagnose. He was a brilliant kid, smart, athletic, social.


    But he had two kinda big flaws.


    He was a sadist and a pathological liar.


    His problems led to one of the hardest things I ever had to do.


    Something that put me in prison...

 Stuart

    I was in prison for 10 years. I was in my eighth year when my wife died. She was all I had left, even if we didn¡¯t sleep together. I learned later on that my house was being sold since no one would be there to care for it. I knew I would have nothing to do, nowhere to live when I got out of prison. But I remembered Emery. The poor peculiar kid who was supposed to be stuck in a house with the dangerous Tabitha.


    The last year I spent in prison I vowed everyday that I would save him. I had no idea what Tabitha had done or was going to do but I knew that Emery needed saving.


    When I got out of prison, I went to the holding place where they put my belongings from my sold house. Luckily I had a little suitcase. I quickly shoved the few clothes I had in the case and gathered what else I could,


    I didn¡¯t have much money but I had enough to pay for a taxi. There was a place I needed to go. A place that I had memorized the address for years ago.


    Emery¡¯s house.


    When I got to the house, it looked the same as it did over a decade ago when I had first met the boy. In my mind he was still just a little boy. Small and inquisitive. However when the door opened, I saw a teen. A boy nonetheless. But far bigger and more mature than I was expecting. Emery was sort of...pretty, I would say. He looked like some sort of princess. A damsel in distress. Except he wasn¡¯t in distress. He was cold-faced. So...a damsel who¡¯s depressed maybe?


    I was relieved to see him in one piece. Supposedly unharmed. I had to argue with him a bit for him to let me stay there but eventually I was in. At the time, I did not think anything of the implications that would come with a grown man like myself barging into and forcing habitation in the house of a minor. All I thought about was being there for Emery and helping him.


    We talked a bit before I started snooping in his house. To look for answers. I was curious about why I didn¡¯t see his parents or his nanny.


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    ¡°Emery,¡± I started, hesitantly.


    The boy looked at me with those cold amber eyes, still standing near the door. He let out a sigh before responding,


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, where are your parents and Tabitha?¡±


    ¡°My parents...dead. Tabitha...gone,¡± he spoke softly, he had lowered his eyes to the floor.


    When had his parents died? Also Tabitha? When had she left? I realized that not only had I pushed my way into the house of a minor. I had pushed my way into the house of an orphan living alone. I suddenly felt like it was very wrong for me to be there. But even though I felt uncomfortable, I still had a mission.


    ¡°Oh...okay,¡± I say, and turn, heading up the stairs. I wanted to find some evidence of whatever evil Tabitha had done.


    I came to a room that looked like it must be Tabitha¡¯s. It was lightly decorated with boy band posters on the wall and pink flowers painted around the closet and door frame. It was also the only room with the door closed.


    I got to work. I looked through every inch of that damn room, hoping to come across something. He looked up and down, side to side, back and forth, over and over again for hours. Nothing.


    Until, I saw that the full-length mirror on the was shifted ever so slightly. I was angry at myself for not noticing the crooked mirror earlier. In prison the other inmates and I used to hide things behind mirrors and pictures all the time.


    I hastily popped the mirror off the wall and that¡¯s when I found the photos. So many photos. Photos of horrific things that I hadn¡¯t even imagined would befall Emery.


    I decided at that moment that I would do everything to make those bitches pay for what they¡¯d done. The first step was telling Emery what I found. Then I planned to call the police. After showing Emery the photos I could see a million thoughts racing through his head. I could feel the anguish radiating off of him.


    I had to do something now. I took my phone out of my pocket and started dialing 9-1-1 when Emery snatched my phone fast as light. Damn is that kid fast. I looked at him in confusion and he stared back, eerily calm. He explained that he had a plan. A plan to make the bitches suffer.


    A part of me wanted to use my authority as an adult to just call the police anyway but a bigger part of me was thrilled. I was glad he brought it up first. I wanted to make them suffer too. But, I wasn¡¯t sure I knew how to go about it. Emery definitely did. He had a plan that was simple in a way. Simple but dark. Violent and cunning. Risky. If we were caught it could easily look like it was all my idea. I mean, Emery¡¯s just a kid. I¡¯m a grown man who is also a convicted-felon.


    I liked his plan. I wanted to participate. But I wondered what such a twisted idea would do to the mind of a young boy if carried out...

 ??? POV

    Emery told me this time would come. He told me to be ready because I wouldn¡¯t get a warning. To be honest, I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m almost as scared as when he first showed me it. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it though, so it¡¯s probably in my best interest to just pack my bags and get to work¡­


    I met Emery when I was 13, a year before I was murdered. He was 15 and had the kind of face that definitely convinced adults of his innocence but one that I saw right through. I could tell he was a psycho from the start. A psycho that was made because of a toxic environment probably. None of my business though.


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    Back then, I was a paperboy even though not one person in our neighborhood read the paper. I randomly decided that day to go up to the front door instead of just throwing the paper. Emery opened the door, slowly looked me up and down, and then leaned in and said to me what I will never forget.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re special, like me. We¡¯ll meet again one day¡­make sure you come when I call,¡±


    And then, he presented it

 Emery

    It has always been inside of me. I can feel it. My parents could feel it. They felt it.


    For years my parents tried to hide me from the world. They knew something was off but had no way to fight it.


    Powerful. I was so so powerful. I get more powerful everyday. I can feel it growing by the moment. I know that soon, I can set it free. It will punish anyone and everyone I ask. My power has grown but my control has as well. Soon¡­blood¡­blood¡­blood...gone.


    I remember the first time my parents realized I was different. They invited a little boy from down the street over to play. They wanted me to have a childhood friend to grow up with since they had no plans to have more kids. His name was Reiji but I don¡¯t know who his parents were or his last name. Just Reiji. I came downstairs because I could feel an unfamiliar life force in my house. There he sat, on my couch. Brown hair, hazel eyes, pale. Reiji¡¯s gaze was¡­strange. It felt like he was memorizing every breath I took, every bit of motion. I felt like he could read my mind.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask him, skeptical of this child. I never thought of myself as a child so in my mind, he was a kid and I was, I guess, an adult of sorts.


    ¡°My name is Reiji!¡± He seemed excited to hear my voice, like he thought I was a mute.


    ¡°Age¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your age. How old are you, kid¡± I lost my patience quickly. The boy¡¯s eyes began to water,


    ¡°I-I¡¯m si-sikth. I-I-I mean si-x six,¡± he was blubbering, obviously frightened by my cold tone.


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    ¡°Come here,¡± I beckon him over with my hand. My parents were watching warily on the side. My mother is wringing her hands and glancing back and forth.


    Reiji approaches me and I place my hands on his small shoulders and stare into his eyes. He meets my gaze with his teary one. We stand still like that for a while.  A minute passes. Then two. Then all of a sudden, Reiji begins to shake slightly. He¡¯s almost vibrating as he struggles to keep the eye contact. Then, time seems to stop as Reiji¡¯s eyes roll back into his head. He continues to shake and I continue to hold him. I have no idea what¡¯s happening to him but I know it¡¯s because of me. My dad swoops in and snatches Reiji from me, too late though. The boy had dropped to the floor and was twitching. Twitch¡­twitch¡­then he is still.


    I¡¯m not too sure what happened after that but I do remember my dad taking Reiji out and my mom just crying softly, retreating to the kitchen. I was terrified, frankly. I had a feeling that I had made some kind of mark on him that would be important later. But, I thought I would never see him again, not alive at least. I thought that scary moment was the last time I would ever encounter someone close to my age. Until that day.


    I really hadn¡¯t seen much of anyone but my tutor and nanny for years. I had given up hope of ever talking to anyone again. I had a plan, yes. But I could do it alone. I was going to do it alone. I don¡¯t need this world. I never needed anyone. I can eliminate all¨C


    I heard someone at the door. I rushed to be the one to open it before Tabitha could, practically tripping over myself. I could feel that it was him before I saw him. Reiji stood there, a newspaper in hand. I gave him a onceover and told him simply that he was special and that I¡¯d need him later. I think he could sense my urgency without me saying too much.


    Then, like I¡¯d done just a few years prior, I locked him into my gaze. I could feel my power start to seep out, wrap around his now far taller frame. I can¡¯t even imagine what it looked like to him because he went white as a sheet. He trembled slightly but then calmed down as he appeared to accept what I was giving him. As I stared at him, I realized his eyes did not hold the recognition I expected them to have. He still had a perceptive gaze but this time, he looked at me like a stranger. It was like this was the first time he had ever seen me.


    Why? Had what happened when he was kid really wiped his memory? No matter. He sees me now. Reiji is a part of my plan and I do not plan to let him go anytime soon¡­

 Lemon

    My ear itches. It feels like the itchiness is going as deep as my brain. I want¡­something. I think I need to go. Dad says to never open the door but I think I need to do that right now. Right now. Right now.


    My feet are taking me to the door but my brain is a mess of resistance and acceptance. I open the door and, to my surprise, someone is outside. At the bottom of the stairs stands a woman. She stares at me in what looks like confusion. I feel like I know her but that can¡¯t be true, I don¡¯t know anyone. The woman starts on her way up the stairs and I begin to feel nervous. The closer she gets, the more I realize how freaking tall she is in comparison to me. I think she¡¯s around six feet and three inches or so. Just tall. She steps right up to me and looks down slightly to make eye contact,


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± she asks. Part of me was hurt for some reason. Why am I offended that she needs to ask who I am? It¡¯s not like we know one another,


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    ¡°My dad says I¡¯m not supposed to talk to strangers so bye,¡± I knew I should not be talking this long with a stranger but I was intrigued. The woman was obviously about to say something when dad came up behind me. He was so quiet I might not have noticed him if he hadn¡¯t tapped me on my shoulder. Dad stared at the foreign person a bit too long for my comfort. When he finally spoke, he sounded calm,


    ¡°How can I help you ma¡¯am?¡±


    The woman smirked a bit,


    ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯m here to fulfill my duty¡±


    I watched as my dad¡¯s eyes furrowed before he gasped softly and called out to her. I honestly wasn¡¯t really paying attention after dad seemed to recognize her¡ªboring grown-up stuff. I went back inside to give them some privacy to talk. Who was that woman? Why do I feel like I know her? And what was it she said she was here for? Duty?

 Rachelle

    It¡¯s working. It¡¯s really working!


    That day I met Emery, after he presented it, his strange power, something in me changed. Him revealing his power unlocked a different one in me. The power I had felt from him back then felt evil, blood-thirsty, chaos-inducing, dark. My own power has its own problems, yes. It¡¯s bloodlust, heavy on the lust . Arousal and attraction is what strengthens me. I knew Emery would be the most susceptible to my charm as soon as I saw this new adult him. He looks so pretty, touch-starved, he needed this. He needs me.


    I knew lust gave me power a year after I met Emery. I was a highschooler and seducing all of my classmates, babysitters, tutors, just about anyone I could get my hands on. It wasn¡¯t too bad honestly, I was just very popular. I never really let anyone touch me even though I seduced them first. Until her.


    I met her in Switzerland. I decided to study abroad because I hated my dad. He was young and stupid. He wasn¡¯t a real dad to me. He gave me no freedom while at the same time not caring about me at all. My dad was just so nonchalant. Always. Unless he was angry. Then, all hell broke loose. I decided to teach him a lesson when I was 14¡­


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    I went to a shady little clinic down a random alley in the neighborhood and simply asked them,


    ¡°Amputate my foot and give it to me¡±


    They didn¡¯t ask any questions, gave me a suspicious drug to knock me out, and I woke up with my foot nicely bound and wooden peg in its stead. Like a pirate! I was giddy because I had a plan to make my silly dad pay. I spent the last month gathering acid. I don¡¯t know what kind of acid it was but it was acid so it works. I filled a trash can with it. I sent an anonymous tip to the cops. I did everything in my power to make him angry. He screamed,


    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you you little punk!¡± Then he pushed me.


    And that was it.


    The cops heard his shout from down the street. I knew they were coming and dropped my amputated foot in the acid and hobbled into my getaway car that I¡¯d hired on a sketchy marketing site. By the time the cops got there, what they saw was an angry-looking man and a tub of acid with a foot bobbing in it. The idiot cops and judge barely even considered a full investigation. Verdict, he murdered me.


    So? Jail time~

 Rachelle

    Dad told mom that I was studying abroad while he was in jail. She thought it was just some long program that was in a remote area and that¡¯s why I never contacted her and never came home. My poor mom, I know she missed not me but having a kid to take care of. I think she was like teaching some kid in our neighborhood or something back in the states while I was gone  so that probably fulfilled her motherly desires or whatever.  In reality, I was only studying in Switzerland for two years. That¡¯s where I met her. My first and last girlfriend. Rachel.


    She and I were dating for two months and had sex all the time. But, little did I know that the more I had sex with just her, I was poisoning her with my power. I remember that day. We were doing it as usual but it felt different. I was taking something from her. Our energies were mixing in a wicked way. Then, her hands were around my neck and mine were in her hair. We kept fucking of course, but we were also trying to tear each other apart. We had both developed an inhuman strength and resistance to pain I suppose. At some point my fingers made contact with something soft. Her eyes. I remember them smearing between my digits as I kept pumping in and out of her, fingers now hooked in her eye sockets. Unseeing, she reached down, and took hold of my leg and began to pull. I couldn¡¯t feel the pain but I knew I¡¯d lose the leg if she continued so I released her face and just, well, tore off her hands.


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    Poor Rachel. She survived but she was in bad shape. I took her to the local clinic I had gone to when I amputated my foot. They checked her out and roughly patched her up. We stayed there for about a week since they needed to find something to replace her hands. I thought that was the end of it but no. Rachel had a scar from me that I never even anticipated. Never considered since I was a kid myself really. I looked down at my injured girlfriend, tried to read the expression on her bandaged face.


    ¡°Rachel?¡± I said hesitantly.


    ¡°I know I should be upset but I¡¯m excited!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll have my eyes,¡± she smiled, a full one with all her teeth showing.


    Rachel. She was pregnant.

 Emery

    Rachelle¡¯s lips were on mine and her hands were on my waist, pulling me impossibly close to her. I feel her heat wrap around me and another heat grow within me. I try to take control and dig my hands into her silky hair but she draws back a bit, leaving my hands falling dumbly at my sides. She took what I tried to do a step further. I feel pressure on my scalp as she uses one hand to pull my head back, fisting my hair firmly but not painfully. With my neck exposed I feel more vulnerable and I can¡¯t help but begin to shift a bit. Rachelle ignores my hesitance and dives into my neck.


    At first it was just sweet kisses but it quickly progresses and I briefly wonder if she was a vampire in her past life. I know her intense sucking on my Adam''s apple and collarbone is gonna leave deep hickeys but I let her continue to devour me. I make another feeble attempt to touch her but Rachelle is too quick, she grabs both of my hands and holds them above my head. She leans in and presses our groins together. I was a bit thrown off by feeling her girth against my own but moaned nonetheless. Rachelle begins grinding against me slowly. My cock is twitching like crazy and I feel precum seep through my boxers. My face flames at the thought of her seeing me act like a little slut but I continue to whimper and moan at her touch.


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    ¡°How do you feel, Ems,¡± Rachelle purred.


    I bucked my hips hearing her voice. Her giving me a nickname feels almost more intimate than feeling her up against my body.


    ¡°I f-fee-feelll goo-mmf,¡± Rachelle cuts me off with another kiss. Her tongue dives into my mouth, caressing my own.


    My mind goes blank as I let myself fall into a haze of pleasure¡­

 Rachelle

    Poor Emery. I know his resolve is fading. He¡¯s starting to forget why he called me here, the original reason we went up the stairs. To be honest, I¡¯m only having a little fun with him. I won¡¯t hurt him. Not yet. I¡¯m not even sure I can hurt him. I¡¯ve been holding him for a while but I don¡¯t get that strange sensation that I had with Rachel. His power must be strong enough to protect him from my poisons.


    I look down at the blonde in my arms. A writhing little thing. Face flushed. Filthy moans spilling from his soft lips. What a cutie. I wanna gobble him up but not right now. We have work to do. I sigh as I step back, leaving him panting.


    ¡°Gotta snap out of it, Ems. We got shit to do,¡± I smile softly at him. Emery does what I assume he thinks is a seductive smirk,


    ¡°Yeah, I wanna do you you hot-


    -that¡¯s enough hun. I¡¯m serious,¡± I cut him off before he can embarrass himself further.


    Emery deflates a bit and looks away, abashed. I ignore his shy look and sit near the foot of the bed. How the fuck do I even start?


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    ¡°You remember what you told me all those years ago? That I¡¯m special? Like you.¡±


    ¡°Of course I remember. Seeing you again now, I was right. You¡¯re perfect,¡± Emery was doing that analyzing stare again.


    ¡°I came to you because I felt like it was time. No one said anything to me but I felt it,¡± I can feel my energy, my it coming to the surface. There¡¯s a tingling in my hands and neck. I look down to see my fingers slowly turning black. It looks like ink staining its way to the center of my palms. I glance at Emery to find him already staring back, brows furrowed. He walks over to me and grabs my left hand in both of his. As soon as we make contact, he flinches.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why is your skin turning black like thi-¡± Emery chokes, his neck turning a bloody burgundy color. His eyes roll back and the whites disappear. Slowly, Emery begins rising into the air levitating a few feet above the ground. I watch as his legs hang limp and his back arches slightly. He opens his mouth but the voice that comes out is not his. It doesn¡¯t sound like Emery, it doesn¡¯t really sound like anything. There were words but the sound felt like waves going through me. It was the same feeling I had that brought me to Emery today.