Fan Fiction ❯ Family ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
AN: Mine. These boys, the situations and the contents are mine. If you want to borrow, you may, but point me in the direction of the finished product.

~*~

The smell of burning wood and flesh toyed at his nostrils, rolling and mixing in the cool night air. He inhaled, a rush of oxygen to his lungs, the charred smoke imprinting itself on the back of his throat. Firelight reflected in his normally calm brown eyes. His malicious expression combined with the glow of his eyes, turning his small frame into an apparition of pure evil. A slight chuckle worked its way past his lips, just the barest of sounds to compliment the sight. A moment passed, the flames dying down a bit, and he turned away from the warmth of the building. As he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, sirens followed him, stopping when they saw his handiwork. The police were awestruck, dumbfounded. One recovered more quickly than the rest and radioed the fire department. Unnoticed by all was him, returning for his coat. The sleeves were now black, the color working its way up to the shoulders. He'd stood a little too close when lighting the first exit, up at roof. Sighing, he ripped them from the white whole of the jacket, discarding them in a dumpster on his way home. He hated sleeves anyway.

Home now consisted of a strip of otherwise unclaimed street near the former sight of the grocery store. They'd stayed in their parent's house as long as was possible, choosing to leave when food began to run out and the police were coming by frequently. It had hurt Tamasine to leave the security of their house behind- he'd never been one to explore what the world had to offer. The worlds described in his novels held more for him than anything in the physical realm could. Except his brother. All along, no matter how he pushed, Tomo wouldn't leave him alone. Everywhere, there'd been that shadow- his twin, his mirror and opposite. In a way, he'd been grateful for the attention. It was more than their useless parents had ever given him, other than the usual praise for his grades. He'd excelled in everything they threw at him but physical education. The first time he heard the name of the class, he thought it would be something akin to anatomy, but instead he was forced into shorts and made to run, to exercise, to get sweaty with twenty other boys. The only educational part of the course was seeing and comparing the naked bodies in the shower.

Physical education was where Tomo really shone. It was the only class that he didn't need tutoring for, and he loved it. The one place he surpassed his brother.

Thoughts of their previous life toyed with the young boy's mind as he walked the streets toward the squalor they lived in.

__

Tomo was asleep. His body relaxed, face showing none of the burden that now staggered his brother's steps. A shadow fell over his blanket covered frame.

"They can't hurt you now. Never again."

Tamasine curled around his brother protectively. The shorter boy stirred in his sleep and breathed deeply. In his dreams, the world burned.