Horror Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Slavery through Protection ❯ Problem ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The necklace she held between her pale, chubby fingers glistened in the cool light of the afternoon.
Kit's attention was drawn to it as it sparkled beneathe the sun, and he couldn't resist the urge to get up from the bench upon which he'd been sitting, stroll over to the semi-frozen sandbox, kneel down, and take a look. Blonde curls obstructed a small, full heart-shaped face, and large, baby blue eyes peeked out from beneathe a tousled mess of bangs. Annabelle looked up at him with curiosity before her eyes dropped back to the necklace. Kit took it from her with little resistance, and held it up to the fading light as the sun gradually dipped beyond the dead and dying trees in the park.

It was finley crafted and in the shape of a diamond. There was no diaomond, but ruby red studs set in the intricatley woven threads of gold around the frame.The chain itself was thin, and the item felt light in the boys hand. He wasn't a fool though, and could tell that it was made with care. And that the gold was real.
Annabelle began to fuss though, and so he reluctantly handed back her discovery. Scooping up the child, Kit pulled her close to his chest. His breath was visible in the air, and Annabelle's nose was red, as were her cheeks. She was quite bundled up, but the material she had been dressed in was made of poor material, and thin on top of that.
Their apartment wasn't far, perhaps ten minutes if he walked fast enough, and he could have her inside and warm within the half hour.

Soothing his younger sister as he walked, Kit managed to forget about the necklace. It was the least of his worries as he trudged his way to the small apartment that they shared with their mother. The suite was empty when he got there, and although he wasn't surprised, the sixteen-year-old couldn't help but be dissapointed. Their welfare check was due sometime this week, and he had hoped that his mother hadn't been home while they had been out, and found it in the mail box. That would mean he would have to use up the money from his paper route to pay for the bills. Again.

It wasn't that he minded helping, he corrected himself, as he began to snap the buttons from sisters coat loose. No, it was more that he needed that money for other things. Like groceries, and new clothes for Annabelle. He had long ago learned to be indepent of their mother, and had taken it upon himself since dropping out of seventh grade, to look after his sister. Their mother had been an acoholic, but after a scare with a social worker, had gone to several AA meetings and was now free of any drink. Except maybe water, or coffee, which is what she had started to consume since quitting.

Annabelle coughed, and Kit slipped his hand under her bangs. Her skin was warm despite having just come in from the cold, and along with glassy eyes and a runny nose, she was trembling. Nothing more than a cold, he hoped, as he helped her out of her boots. He tossed her winter garments onto their tattered couch, and pulled her up once more into his arms.

"Are you hungry, Annabelle?" he asked lovingly, as she rubbed her eyes. Relief washed over him as she nodded slightly, and he moved into the cramped kitchen to set her down on the counter. Appetite was good. As he rummaged through the cupboards to find something suiteable for a three-year-old to eat, there was a loud knock at the door. He jumped, and gingerly held the back of his head after smacking it into the open cupboard door. Casting a wary glance to his sister, he muttered 'stay put', and hurried to the door and yanked it open. His mother stood there, a brown paper bag under each arm. She looked flush from the cold, and pushed her way inside once there was a chance to step inside the suite.

"What is she doing on the counter?" she asked dubiously, as she set the bags on their rickety kitchen table. "It's dangerous for her, Kit, put her down on the floor."

Kit silently reasoned it was probably safer to stay on the counter, but he argued not, and complied to his mother's request. Annabelle sniffed, and Kit grabbed some paper towel from over the sink. Kneeling down, he helped the young girl blow and then whipe her nose for good measure, before he deposited it into the trashcan.
Their mother watched the exchange, eyes travelling from Kit to Annabelle, before she shook her head. "Kit, get her into her bath while I put these groceries away. Does she have a cold? She looks like she has a cold. You didn't take her outside like that, I hope?"

Kit grimaced as his barely-there mother chastised him on how to look after her daughter, before taking the girls little hand in his. Shaking his head, he lead Annabelle to the bathroom, where he helped her out of her clothes. Running some warm water into the tub, he managed to squeeze the remnants of the small bottle of bubble bath into the water, and soon the girl was giggling amidst a mountain of soap. Running his fingers through her thick hair tenderly, Kit washed her back and arms as she played, nattering away in the gibberish she was still growing out of.

"Where is my treasure?" she asked without warning, and turned expectant eyes to Kit. He blinked, his mind not registerring the question, before a flash of ruby fluttered through his memory. With a soft exclamation, he stood up. Drying his hands off on his jeans, he stumbled into the living room. He recieved an unamused look from his flustered looking mother as she was stuffing their groceries into the cupboards and fridge, and after fishing around the pockets of Annabelle's coat, the boy's fingers curled around a slender chain. Yanking it out with a casual stretch, Kit meandered back to the kitchen counter.

"Did the check come today?"

"Yes, and I bought mostly groceries with it so that we'll have plenty to eat. You know what that means."

Kit nodded, understanding that his money was expected to pay the bills this month. Technically, he wasn't allowed to earn more than one hundred dollars per paycheck because of their current living conditions, but after years of saving up, Kit had a reliable source of money if they ever needed an extra dollar. Or three hundred.

"Is it safe to leave her alone in the tub? That's irresponsible."

Kit left, returning to the bathroom, a dull ache, anger in his chest, accompanying him, but surpressed. He sank back onto his knees beside the tub, and turned his palm up to his sister so that she could see why he left. Her eyes sparkled as she snatched the necklace from him, and holding it up to gaze at it under the harsh flourescent light of the bathroom, giggled excitedly.

"Will you put it on me after my bath?"

"Of course, Anna." Kit replied, a soft smile touching his lips.

A pale face with dark, clouded green eyes. Purple rings, as if he hadn't slept in weeks, which he hadn't, adorned his lower lids, and Kit's dark hair was a tousled mess of unkept strands. His lean, almost too-skinny frame was wearing the same sweater and jeans from the day before, and the only thing that pulled him away from his dazed scrutiny in the mirror was the crying from the living room.

Annabelle was sick. And she wasn't getting any better. Her fair complexion had become sickly, her healthy chubby physique had thinned to unhealthy no matter how much she ate, and she wasn't sleeping properly. Dark rimms circled her eyes too, and all she ever managed to do now was cry and fuss. The frequent absence of Kit's mother for the past three weeks was taking it's toll on him, and he was running out of options. They couldn't afford health care, and he didn't want to risk taking her to the doctor. He was concerned though, and held her skinny body close to his, rocking it back and forth. Singing to her in a raspy voice, he smoothed back her hair, ran his fingers over her cheeks and lips. Tried to sooth her with soft touches and a gentle embrace.

For the passed last month it had managed to lull her into an almost sleep-like state, but it was not working this time. She kicked and cried, writhed in his grasp, until finally he let go and placed her on the couch. Her little fingers scrabbled over the worn surface, and she chewed on one of her hands and continued to cry.
He didn't know what to do; what could he do? He was about to get up and call an ambulance--something, he couldn't stand to see her suffering anymore, when the deadbolt to their door clicked. His hand froze over the phone, and looking over as the door swung open, his mother stumbled in, and behind her, a tall man stepped followed.

Goosebumps rose along hs arms beneathe the material of his sweater, and Kit was instantly afraid. He was pale, not fair; an unetheral tone to his skin, and his eyes shone an ice blue. His hair was dark, and long. Pulled back however, into an elegant looking ponytail. It hung between his shoulderblades no doubt, and the fitted, tailored suit he wore beneathe a stylish coat showed wealth and sophistication. A lawyer maybe?

"Kit," his mother snapped in an impatient voice. Drawn out of his thoughts, Kit tore his gaze away from the man and stared at his mother.

"This is Doctor Nikoli Volkavitch. He's here to help Anabelle."

Hand falling away from the phone, Kit shot an apprehensive look to his squriming sister, before stepping back from the doorway.

"We can't afford a doctor." he said alloud, realizing now why this man looked so well-groomed. It didn't explain why he was shivering, though.

"Dr. Volkavitch said he wants to help her free of charge."

The gratefulness dripping from his mother's voice made Kit's head spin, and he leaned on the wall that led down the short hallway to the room he shared with Annabelle. Free of charge, he would make her better? He found that hard to believe. There had to be some sort of alterior motive. Automatically cynical, Kit's jaw grew firm, as did his gaze. He swallowed the agitation caused by this mans presence, and standing taller than he hoped he was, looked sharply at the doctor.

"Did he say that, did he write it down? How do you know he's not going to charge you afterwards? Some sort of.. secret tax."

His voiced faltered.
The man smiled.

"Don't be rediculous, Kit! Dr. Volkavitch wouldn't do that. He's sincere."

Kit bit his tongue, and walked back to Annabelle. Slipping an arm around her frail back, he helped her sit up. She coughed once, twice, and struggled to untangle her hair from her necklace. He helped her pull away the strands of hair from the difficult pattern in the chain, and Kit looked up when the man inhaled sharply. His eyes were fixed on her throat. No, her necklace, and he stepped forward, before letting his hand rest on Kit's shoulder. He froze, and without warning, a jolt of electricity raced up along his nerves and down his spine. He blinked once, twice, and then chanced a look to Annabelle before staring up at the man. He was no longer looking at Annabelle or the necklace. Instead, his eyes were focused on him. And, Kit knew then that he had felt it too.

"You say she has been healthy before this?" he asked, dropping his hand. Even through his sweater, Kit could feel the fingers running down along his arm.
He tried not to shudder, and instead, lifted Annabelle up. Her head lolled, and his mother stepped forward, hands oustretched before thinking better, and retracting them back to her sides. She nodded in response, before biting her lip.

"She isn't eating properly, she rarely sleeps, and she's so cold all of the time."

He rubbed his chin a moment, before turning to Kit's mother. "I think she'll have to be hospitalized, just for a few days. For close observation."

Kit's mother faltered a moment, and her eyes darted between Kit and then Annabelle, and he knew what she was thinking. Regardless of whether or not this Dr. Volkavitch was willing to give his services for free, the hospitals certainly weren't going to take her in without charge. A war was going on inside of his mother, and then Kit swallowed.

"We don't have the insurance or the money to pay for something like that," he said, hoping he sounded more mature then he felt. "even my savings wouldn't be enough for anything more than a trip to see the doctor."

"We can arrange something," was his cool reply, and Kit grew unnerved with the way his eyes lingered on his face. "But for now, let's not worry about a price. We should take her. Do you have a vehicle?"

My mother shook her head, and Kit's face flushed. He nodded in understanding then clapped his hands together. "Very well. We will go in my car. Your son should stay here, in case someone calls."

Nodding eagerly, the woman hurried down the hall to get Annabelles coat. Kit ran his fingers through his mussed hair, before swaying on his feet. He quickly righted himself, but not before the other man caught sight of him.

"Not sleeping well?"

His voice was low, cool. It was different from the way he had spoken to his mother. It was... seductive, almost.

"No," Kit replied, shaking his head. "Annabelle... she cries alot. I try to help her to sleep, but it doesn't do any good."

"Isn't that you mother's job?" He sounded amused, curious more than he did concerned.

"No, she isn't ... she's not around often," he replied, trying to form his words carefully. "She's looking for a good job so that we can get off of welfare."

"I see."

Nothing more was said on that topic, and they were silent as his mother returned and began to fuss with Annabelle. More so struggle, as she refused to put her jacket on. Once it was on however, she lifted her into her arms, and turned towards the door. Casting a look over to Kit, she said nothing before leaving. He watched her leave with his baby sister, before looking warily up at the other man.

"You'll really take care of her?"

"Of course I will," the man nodded, before tapping his chin with a long, slender finger. "But..."

"But what?" Kit snapped irritably, the surpressed anger from his mother coming to the surface. "You said you'd help her free of charge!"

"I changed my mind," he replied thoughtfully, not preturbed at all by Kit's irritation. He stepped closer, and Kit found himself drawn up into the gaze of a pair of steely blue eyes. He couldn't blink, couldn't move, and panick welled up inside of him as a pair of cool fingers wandered up his arm and slipped under the shaggy mess that was his hair. They rested just beneathe his jaw, and he was painfully aware of the pulse that beat strongly beneathe the mans digits.

"There will be a price, if you'd like to ensure your sisters good health. Permenant good health, anyway."
"What's ... that?" Kit asked carefully, his lips trembling. "I can't afford anything like that--I don't have enough money to--"
"Shh," Nikoli responded, and brought his other hand up to press a thumb to his lips. He ran it along his lower lip, before shaking his head. He stepped closer, and Kit's head fell back. It was entirely involuntary, and he felt extremley vulnerable with his exposed throat. He didn't know why he couldn't move, and his eyelids began to grow heavy as warm breath whispered along his jugular vein.

"You can afford the price, I assure you," he breathed, and Kit's skin exploded into goosebumps. "whether you pay it is up to you."

"What--do you want?" Kit managed to breathe out, his eyelids fluttering like mad as lips rested on the spot where the mans fingers had been only moments ago. He surprised himself by surpressing a groan as the pressure their grew, and his knees nearly buckled, before Nikoli pulled back. A twisted smile was on his face, and if it weren't for the fact that Kit began to fall, he would have been disturbed by the exrpression.

"You."


--

I know it moves fast.
But I like getting to the good stuff. Fuck casualties.
Oh yeah, I also know there are a lot of spelling mistakes.

Sorry.

Review this if you've read this far.
I hate it when people read and just leave.

Thanks. : ]