Her Dark Sins

by T R Tells

  I furrowed my brows and scrutinized this woman. Doctor, or not, there was no reason why she knew me.

  “Yeah, who are you? How do you know my name?”

  She chuckled, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. It seemed fake, almost plastic, as if there was some kind of mask she put up.

  “It’s Doctor Alina Mulgrave. I’m lead Scientist of the Omega Institute and the head doctor of Genesis Angelstone Hospital.”

  The woman stretched out her arm, and I looked down at her manicured hand. I hesitantly reached out and grabbed it, she gripped back in response. It was callous and frigid to the touch.

  She let my hand go, but her smile never left her face.

  “How’ve you been holding up since your last visit?” There was a gleam in her eyes that I couldn’t quite pinpoint, as if she knew my secret.

  “Uh, just, normal, really. You know, school and stuff. I’ve been healthy since.” It wasn’t a lie, with my abilities came a slow healing factor and certain immunities. I hadn’t even realized the pain in my jaw and tongue was gone.

  She tilted her head and hummed as if she was discerning whether or not I was telling the truth.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked a question to get her off my back. “B-But, how is Alessander doing?”

  Dr. Mulgrave turned her head to Alessander, where his parents stood now.

  “Like I told the Drakes, Alessander’s condition has been stable these last couple of months and he’s been doing better than we expected. As for the bullet? It missed all his vital organs and arteries, as if something had been shielding him. The rest of his body has been slowly trying to ‘reshape’ him back to normal. It’s quite miraculous, really. 90% of people don’t often survive the way he has, and with a fast recovery like this, he may even be able to walk after his coma. Which again, would have taken months of physical therapy to regain such movement.”

  I sucked in a breath and nodded. This is good, then. It doesn’t matter how Alessander recovers, but if it’s as quick as she’s saying, then he should be waking up soon.

  “Now if you will excuse me, I have to go check on other patients.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Drake said goodbye to her, but she gave me one last look before she left, as if she expected us to meet again.

  As soon as Dr. Mulgrave left, Alessander’s parents came up to me.

  “We should go home, at least for the night,” Mrs. Drake said. “I know you want to spend some time with him.”

  We exchanged hugs and kisses before they went home, leaving me alone with Alessander.

  I closed the door to the hospital room and slowly approached his bedside. I watched the EKG monitor as it beeped steadily, then looked at Alessander. I carefully sat on the side of the bed and reached out to grab his hand.

  A sob crawled up my throat, and my grip tightened. “Alessander, can you hear me? I-I don’t know if you can, but… If you are in there, I want you to know how much I miss you. Things have been stagnant without you, and there’s so much I want to tell you about school, and… “

  I paused, rubbing my thumb across the back of his palm, before looking back up at his still face.

  “...What’s been happening in the last few months?” I sniffed and wiped my eyes with my fingers. “I-I don’t know how you’ll take it, maybe you’ll be paranoid and worried but… somehow I know that you’ll be proud that I’m helping people. I know I’m probably not making a difference doing what I’m doing. Still, there are those out there that are suffering, and if I can make them forget or even get rid of their negativity, then I think what I’m doing is good.”

  There wasn’t any response, but it did feel good to speak to him, even if he wasn’t fully present. I’d been keeping this secret to myself, and it was starting to build-up inside.

  Alessander’s hand flinched, and his grip tightened around mine. My eyes widened, and my heart leapt in my chest. I looked down at our intertwined hands.

  My phone started ringing from my pocket, stealing my focus. It was my friend, Mahogany, face-timing me.

  In my haste, I’d forgotten to tell Trey and Mahogany about the news. I knew that they —especially Trey who hadn’t taken his friend’s shooting well, would’ve loved to know that there was a possibility he would be awake.

  I answered on the third ring, and a video came on the screen. A girl with curly dark brown hair and golden brown skin was in her room, leaning her back on the headboard.

  “Hey, Moa, what’s up?”

  Her small smile created dimples, but the light in her eyes quickly faded, and she frowned.

  “Hira, are you crying? Is this a bad time?” Mahogany asked, concerned. She was always looking out for people.

  I shook my head, wiping my eyes. “No. No. It’s fine, I was visiting the hospital because Alessander showed signs of waking up. I’m sorry I didn’t message you, I was sort of in shock the whole time. Actually, I kind of still am.”

  Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she gasped, squealing happily. “Are you serious? Do you know when? Did he do anything to show that he was awake? Oh, gosh, and I called interrupting you, I’m sorry.”

  I grinned. Mahogany always felt like a bother when, honestly, she was anything but.

  “You’re fine, Moa. The doctor said he was lucky to be alive when most people have a very slim chance of surviving the initial gunshot… He just grabbed my hand before you called.”

  “C-Can I— can I see him?” she asked after a moment.

  I flipped the camera screen, revealing Alessander’s current condition. Mahogany covered her mouth, holding back either a startled cry or a happy cheer. She began sniffling and blinking free the tears that threatened to escape.

  I turned the camera back around.

  “I know, I had the same feeling,” I said, knowing it would take her time to process things.

  “Mahogany!” the sound of a man’s booming voice erupted from my phone speakers. Heavy footsteps approached, and the door to her room slammed open. “Didn’t you hear me?”

  I recognized the man’s voice as Mahogany’s father, Arthur. I could only see the bottom half of his body, but I could recognize him anywhere. He resembled a trucker, wearing a red plaid shirt, and faded blue jeans,

  “I’m just talking to my friend. Can I just have five more minutes, please? My friend might be—"

  “I don’t give a fuck about your friends. You will do what I say now, or else.”

  My throat tightened as Arthur King walked away from the camera, and I had to watch as the tears fell down my friend’s cheeks. Arthur and Regina King were Mahogany’s adoptive parents, but they were assholes that abused her. She always had marks on her arms and never liked to wear anything that showed her skin, but Trey and I knew.

  We always tried to get her to say something, but they were manipulative liars that made up stories about how she was depressed and would cut herself. While that might’ve been true in some instances, it was because they were the cause. Her reasons for why she failed school was because she always had to stay home due to bruises they didn’t want to explain.

  She never made her parents upset again.

  “Moa… “I tried to comfort her.

  “I-I’m sorry, Hira, I have to go make dinner.”

  “Should I come over? You know I can get my brother—"

  Her eyes widened, and she half jumped in the air. “No! You’ll just make things worse—J-Just be there for Alessander and give him a hug for me.” She hung up before I could say goodnight.

  I stared at the dark screen of my phone. My stomach started to do flips, but this time accompanied by emptiness in my gut. I prayed she would be okay.

  I looked back to Alessander, watching him as he lay there in bed. He wouldn’t have been happy about Mahogany’s mistreatment either; she was like a little sister to him.

  I texted Uncle Garvy to tell him I’d be staying with Alessander until my mother got here. I didn’t want to leave his side for anything unless I absolutely had to.
/>   He texted me back after a moment.

  Uncle Garvy: Stay safe, Kiddo.

  I placed my phone back in my pocket, and as much as I didn’t want to, I let Alessander’s hand go so I could close the curtains in the hospital room for the night.

  My fingers grabbed the edges of the periwinkle fabric to pull them closed, when an odd sensation at the back of my mind tingled. I touched my neck, where it was uncomfortably warm. I had never experienced something like that before. Then, I noticed someone on the lower level of the parking lot.

  The figure was a girl around my age with a deep tan complexion, and she was staring at me. I couldn’t quite discern her exact facial appearance, but her hair was dirty-blonde with pink and blue highlights.

  However, the one thing that caught me off guard was her eyes that illuminated in the darkness; they were violet—precisely like mine.

  “What the—" I whispered. I leaned closer to the glass, but a car had passed in front of her, and after it drove by, the girl was gone.

  I frowned. There was no way I imagined that, right? At that moment, I guessed I needed some sleep. I’d been dealing with enough things, and R&R was much needed. Shutting the curtains, I returned to Alessander’s beside with a small sigh. I carefully l climbed beside him, laid down, and snuggled close to his body with my hands in his.

  Someone grabbed me by the shoulder and gently shook me awake. I groaned, turning to see a figure standing behind me. The first thing I was met with was my mother’s hazel eyes, filled with worry. Her lips stretched into a thin smile.

  I kicked my legs off the hospital bed, then looked over to where Alessander was still lying unconscious.

  My throat and eyes burned as I turned away from him, standing up to face my mother.

  “Come here, baby,” she whispered and pulled me into a hug.

  I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head into her chest, letting the tears flow. My mother gently patted my head.

  We stayed this way until the tears on my cheeks had dried.

  She pulled me away from her chest and brushed my hair from my eyes. She didn’t say that ‘everything would be okay’ or ‘you’ll be fine.’ She didn’t sugarcoat what was really happening. Instead:

  “Let’s go home.”

  My mother started to lead me away from the room. Still, I turned to look back at Alessander lying motionless in bed.

  I love you, I thought, hoping that Alessander would be able to sense my love and encouragement, that he would see this through, and we would be together again.

  .

  Chapter Three

  My alarm ringing at 7:15 AM almost gave me a heart attack. Groaning, Igrabbed my phone from underneath my pillow to disarm it.

  Whoever said putting The Walking Dead theme music as an alarm was an idiot (oh wait, that was me).

  I groggily pulled off the lilac comforter and swung my legs out of bed, scrunching my toes in the purple carpet underneath my feet. I really wish it was a Saturday instead of Thursday because I did not feel like going anywhere. The feeling of waking up with Alessander, only for him to not wake up with me, hurt more than when I fought a Fiend.

  Trudging to my dresser, I grabbed my bathroom caddy . There were pictures in there, along with my make-up, jewelry, and hair care products.

  I looked at the picture of my family. My dad was there, and I smiled, whispering, "Love you, Daddy." I air-kissed the picture. I looked at the photo beside Alessander and me. We were at the arcade for my sixteenth birthday, my heart tightened in my chest.

  I turned away, leaving my room.

  The bathroom was across from my room, but I noticed that it was closed and the lights were on. I groaned and banged on the door with my knuckles, hard. I could hear the shower running.

  "Come on, Omari, I need to get in there!"

  I heard chuckling over the water. "As if I never had to wait for you when you spent hours in here."

  Gosh, I need my own bathroom.

  The doorbell rang, and my mother shouted from the kitchen, "Hira, can you get the door? I'm cooking right now."

  "Okay, Mom!"

  I left my caddy hanging on the bathroom door and my towel on the banister, heading down the wooden steps. Walking into the open area of the dining room, I could see my mother at the stove, and the smell of bacon wafted up my nose, making me drool. I opened the door.

  Outside was a girl with one half of her bleached blonde hair shaved. She had light-tanned skin and dark brown eyes that had a heavy mascara underneath.

  "... Nikki." I said, unenthusiastically. Omari's baby mother was literally an existential leech. It wasn't the fact that she had neck tattoos or a nose ring (and whatever else her clothes were hiding). It was because she was the bitch that trapped my brother by getting pregnant after she had cheated on him.

  The only good thing that came out of their 'relationship' was their one-year old son, my nephew, AJ.

  "Hee-Yah!" he exclaimed happily when he turned to look at me. He had the chubbiest little cheeks when he smiled, and his small arms stretched out to me. "Up, peas!"

  I reached for him and kissed the mesh of his curly hair. He giggled and started playing with mine.

  Nikki sighed. Her arms were crossed and she had the expression of someone with a cork jabbed up her ass.

  "Yeah, so, where's Omari?"

  I narrowed my eyes at her, wanting God in heaven to strike her down. Just remember, Hira, you wouldn't look good in an orange jumpsuit.

  "He's in the bathroom, you know, because he has work," I sarcastically said, hesitating before asking, "Do you want to come in?"

  "No," her voice was even icier than the October wind outside. You see, Mom? This is what I get for being nice! She pulled her leather jacket closer to her body. I couldn't see what she had underneath. From the fishnet tights she was wearing, it was probably something revealing so she could easily screw around.

  "Well, can you tell him I need to see him? It's important," she snapped at me.

  I wondered what could be so important.

  "Did you bring a diaper bag, at least?" I asked, not paying her any attention. I bobbed AJ up and down on my hip as he played in my hair, studying it intently.

  Nikki made a disgusted face. "Don't you have one?"

  I had the urge to smack her, but my mother appeared before I could act on it.

  "Obviously, but it's pretty irresponsible of you not to bring one, anyway," I snapped.

  "Hira, why don't you get AJ's coat off and have him sit in the living room? Food is almost done."

  You're lucky, bitch.

  Nikki and I glared at one another. I was glad that she knew I didn't like her. Now, if only my mother would kick her to the curb.

  I walked into the living room adjacent from the kitchen and sat AJ down on the couch, taking off his North Face coat.

  "—How about it, Nikki? I just made breakfast."

  "Nah, I need to be somewhere. He'll have to watch AJ double days, I'll be busy." She turned around and left our front porch.

  I snorted. Yeah, in someone's bed. I removed AJ's coat and kissed his cheeks. He giggled, and his dark brown eyes, like Omari's, brightened.

  "I'm going to have to try braiding your hair, huh, AJ? Mommy can't do anything right, she can't even remember to bring your diaper bag."

  My mother came into the living room and stretched out her arms so she could take AJ.

  "Can't you be nicer, Hira?

  I rolled my eyes and handed AJ to her, who eagerly reached out to his grandmother.

  "Mom, really? I love AJ, but she just threw him at Omari like he was a shopping list, all so she could probably see some guy or go to some party."

  My mother teased AJ's hair and kissed his forehead. "Well, I'd rather she drop him off here than take him to that tattoo place or that bar. I’ll take him with me to work. I've already arranged things at the Tribune with my boss in case things like this happened."

  My mother jutted her chin toward the stairwell. "Go use my bathroom
so you can eat and won't be late for school."

  I jumped up from the couch and climbed up the steps to my mother's room.

  ***

  We pulled up in front of the gate that surrounded Silverleaf Coast Academy. It was a brick building that had been renovated a few years ago when the Board of Education opened the high school to those in the ninth grade. Even the track and football field beside the building had fresh tar on the ground.

  Students were standing on the front lawn of the school, talking in various groups as they waited for their friends.

  "Thanks, Mom," I said and kissed her on the cheek, then leaned in the backseat to kiss AJ on the nose. He smiled, blowing spit bubbles.

  "Oh, and Hira," she said as I was closing the door. Peering back in, I saw she had a solemn expression, eyes filled with concern. "If you need anything, just call me."

  "Okay, Mom," I said and grinned. I closed the car door, and she drove off after a few seconds.

  The moment I stepped through the gates and walked down the path, a heavy pressure settled on my shoulders. It wasn't because someone was watching me, but because small purple and blue clouds were hovering above people's heads, indicating negative emotions.

  Teenagers were almost always susceptible to Apathy because of their stressful lifestyles. Garvy had even joked once that's where 'teenage angst' probably came from. Still, there wasn't a strong enough 'aura' (or traumatic event) to make that person's negative state manifest a Fiend.

  It was probably where the Apathy Current came from.

  I headed for the metal detectors and waited in line for my bags to be checked. There was a sudden commotion of cackling and jostling, causing me to turn around. Two guys, Brodi and Jett, pushing and mocking a boy that was smaller than them. He looked like he was in the tenth grade.

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes. I hated bullies, and Brodi and Jett were the worst. It didn't help that Brodi was a football player, and also had charisma. Despite his crude behavior behind doors, his popularity was always able to get him and Jett out of trouble.

  Well, damn them if they thought I was going to sit by and watch. "Why don't you leave him alone?" I yelled.

  They stopped what they were doing and looked up at me.