The Dark of the Core

Succumbing

The rain poured down noisily around her onto the pathway along with the blood from her palms. People were running past her eager to find shelter. However, her mind was completely detached from her body. Her feet continued taking steps in front of her but she did not care where they were leading her. The lower part of her body was aching badly as she tried to ignore it. Never before had Skye taken her step-family’s words to heart yet this time Heather’s words rang true. Every drop of rain that fell on her made her feel even more miserable. She had no right to continue living. She was a murderer and a failure.

Skye knew now why Annabelle kept telling her that her own parents hated the sight of her and abandoned her. Her parents must have known what a failure she would be when she grew up and decided to throw her away before it was too late. Her eyes fell on the cars on the road. It would be so simple to just walk in front of one and say goodbye to the world. Her mind was telling her to go but her feet continued walking. Why couldn’t she do it? Why did it seem as if every time she wanted to kill herself, something was holding her back? She had long subjected to the idea of death and found it welcoming. Yet it seemed as if her body was against her death. She glanced downwards again and just followed her feet.

Finally her feet came to a stop and she looked up around her blankly. She was now in a deserted alleyway at the back of some pub. The sound of cars and the splashing of feet could no longer be heard. Skye walked up to the brick wall just a few feet in front of her and placed a fist on it. The small little action caused the anger in her to jump. She bumped her fist a little harder against the wall and felt the anger push through. Soon she was screaming at the top of her lungs and thrashing around. Her hands, head and fists came in contact with the wall numerous times but she did not stop. Tears rolled down her cheeks and mingled with the rain and blood. Her glasses fell onto the floor with a clang and broke.

The feeling at the pit of her stomach that she had been trying to control was pushing its way up. Skye closed her eyes tightly resisting against it when suddenly a hand clasped onto her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and a growl escaped her as she turned around. There was a man holding a half-empty beer bottle swaying from side to side. He had the ugliest smirk on his face as he observed her from head to toe then up again. He said something that Skye could not hear. She was losing the will to resist against the growing urge. When the drunkard grabbed her around the waist from behind, she lost all control. She turned around with a predatory gleam in her crimson eyes and lips pulled back in a snarl. Her mind was no longer her own.

***

Students were just bustling in through the entrance to St. Andrews when Devin and Vince both spotted a worried Faith. She had her cell phone clutched in both hands to her chest and was looking around frantically. The two boys looked at each other and Devin shrugged as they made their way to the girl.

“Good morning, Faith.” Vince called out cheerfully as they stopped just a few feet away. However, the response they got from Faith was unexpected. 

“Does it look like a good morning?” She hissed while glaring at both of them. Devin had to bite back a laugh at the reaction on his brother’s face. He placed a hand on Vince’s shoulder and shook his head amused. 

“Where is Skye?” Devin asked trying to keep from sounding too eager. At his question, her expression softened and became concerned. It only lasted for a few seconds before the glare came back. 

“Why do you want to know?” She snapped turning her eyes away. Suddenly Faith’s eyes lit up ever so slightly as she spotted something over Devin’s shoulder and quickly rushed past them.

The two boys turned and saw her running up to Alex who seemed a bit taken aback. As they made their way to their friend, they could hear Faith talking to Alex frantically. 

“Alex, did Skye come with you?” Faith asked looking around as if Skye would just appear. Devin saw a flash of concern in Alex’s eyes but it disappeared as soon as it came. Again he wondered what Skye’s relationship with Alex was. 

“How the hell am I supposed to know where she is? I am not her guardian.” He said with a scoff while hoisting his bag higher up his shoulder. Devin could not help the low growl that came from his chest though Vince was the only one to hear it. His brother turned to him in concern but Devin just brushed it off.

Faith’s face fell slightly before she straightened herself and looked at Alex angrily. “You are the most selfish jerk I’ve ever known! It does not matter if you are her guardian or not, you are still her fiancé!” She exclaimed surprising both Devin and Vince. 

Alex quickly looked around and roughly placed a hand over Faith’s mouth. “Shut it! No one is supposed to know that.” He hissed still looking around him to make sure no one was paying attention. Faith glared at him with her eyes before biting down hard on his hand causing him to jump back with a yelp. Alex opened his mouth to speak but after glancing around he stopped. Finally he left with a death glare at Faith.

Devin watched as his brother stepped up to comfort a trembling Faith. His own mind however was rolling over the new information he had just gathered: Skye was Alex’s fiancée. That explains why he had a part to play in her memories. Devin knew now that he could no longer be civil to Alex without trying to kill him. He did not realize that he was shaking until Vince’s hand clamped down on his shoulder firmly. His brother’s eyes were full of concern and questions, questions he did not wish to answer at the moment. Devin turned to Faith as he shrugged Vince’s hand off. 

“Can you not contact her?” He asked surprised at the harshness in his voice. 

Faith just shook her head staring at the ground. “I’ve tried but I get no response.” 

Vince looked between the two of them and could see the worry in their eyes. The one that surprised him the most though was Devin. Why is Devin so concerned about this girl…? Who exactly is she…? He quickly plastered his usual smile on his face while throwing his arm around Devin then Faith. 

“You two worry too much! School just hardly started. She could turn up at any time of the day.” He said nodding his head to reassure them. 

Faith shook her head and stepped out of his arm. “Skye is never late to school. She is only ever early.” She said before turning her back on them and running down the hallway.

For the rest of the day, Devin was utterly distracted. He could not pay attention in class and every few minutes would just make an excuse to get out. In truth, he ran to the class that he knew Skye would have at that time of day to see if she was there. When he walked past the classroom and found that the only empty seat belonged to Skye, he would return to his own class with a heavy heart. During the classes he had with his brother, Vince kept giving him concerned and knowing looks. This continued until school finished.

The two boys were just walking out of their last class when they saw Faith again. Her eyes were swollen and red and her cheeks had tear stains on them. When they approached her, she looked up at them and relief clouded her face for a second before changing to panic. 

“Skye did not appear for the whole day and I still can’t get in touch with her!” She exclaimed, her voice reaching a high pitch. 

Vince sighed from beside Devin. “Have you considered perhaps she’s sick or has a headache?” He asked to which Faith shook her head soundly. 

“Even if she was sick or has a headache, she would always come to school. Skye will never want to be left alone at home.” She said and Devin understood exactly what she meant. Cayleb…

From beside him, Vince had a confused expression and Devin quickly spoke up before he could any anything. 

“We’ll find her.” He blurted out causing both Vince and Faith to look at him. He gave his brother a look for him to shut up and agree. 

Vince chuckled lightly under his breath before shrugging. “Do you have Skye’s home address?” After a few moments, Faith finally snapped out of the phase she was in and nodded quickly before taking out a small notepad and pen from her bag. She then proceeded to write on the page. When she finished, she glanced up at Devin briefly before sighing and wrote something else on the page.

“The address and my phone number are on there.” Faith explained as she tore the page out and handed it to Devin eyeing him suspiciously, not noticing the way Vince’s eyes seem to bulge out. “If you find anything out, I want to hear about it first thing you understand?” She asked sharply. 

After seeing Devin’s curt nod she slumped slightly. “Please...you have to find her.” Faith said as her voice was softer now and she seemed close to tears. Devin could only nod in reply while Vince patted Faith’s shoulder in a comforting manner.

“Don’t worry about it too much. We’ll find her.” Vince said with a smile as he glanced at Devin. Faith sniffed slightly before nodding. She looked at both Devin and Vince for a few moments then she walked away. The rain had now stopped, though the clouds had not disappeared indicating there’ll be another downpour. Devin looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. 

“Shall we go to the house first?” Vince asked surprising Devin. He had not expected his brother to want to come along. 

“You don’t have to come, Vince, if you don’t want to. I’m more than capable of finding her on my own.” He replied tucking the piece of paper into the pocket of his pants.

Vince scoffed and pulled out his car keys. “How are you going to get there? By running?” He asked and paused while dangling the keys in front of Devin who was frowning. “I don’t doubt your speed, dear brother, but you must know it is still day. People will be able to see you blur here and there.” Vince finished with a smirk knowing Devin had no way out. Devin sighed in frustration and walked towards the car park. Without a word, he entered the front seat of the car while Vince got into the driver’s seat chuckling.

After ten minutes of driving, the car pulled up in front of a two story mansion. The district itself was full of the same type of mansions but Devin knew only the rich and wealthy could afford a house like that. He took out the piece of paper in his pocket to double check the address was right. 

From beside him, Vince let out a playful growl. “Do you doubt my sense of direction?” He asked causing Devin’s mouth to twitch upward slightly. 

“Everyone in our family knows how bad you are with directions, Vince.” Devin said chuckling softly at Vince’s reaction. 

“I’m going to get you back Devinkins, you just wait.” He mumbled under his breath. Devin shook his head in amusement as he rapped on the door of the house. After a few silent moments he heard rushed footsteps coming down stairs before the door opened.

“Alex, I knew-”

Heather stopped mid-sentence when she saw that it was not Alex who was standing in front of her. She recognized the two guys as the ones that Alex had invited to Mizuya yesterday night. She quickly composed herself and struck a pose. 

“Hello, how may I help you two?” She asked while running her hand up and down the side of the door she was leaning on, not realizing she was wearing her wedding ring.

Vince turned to look at Devin who was trying his best not to show the disgust he felt on his face and almost cracked up laughing. He quickly coughed to hide it up. He remained silent knowing Devin would be the one to speak. 

“No thanks, we’re looking for Skye.” Devin said curtly trying to process his thoughts. If Heather was married and Alex was engaged to Skye…why does it seem as if the two of them are dating…? His mind thought back to the night before, when Alex and Heather were both unable to keep their hands off each other.

Immediately Heather’s expression changed to one of irritation and anger. “She’s not in.” Her answer was curt but it gave a lot away. She was jealous of Skye. Devin realized this at the same time that Vince did. The two brothers exchanged a look before Vince stepped forward. He locked eyes with Heather and Devin saw her body straighten up. He could not help but roll his eyes knowing Vince was using his hypnotic power. 

“Are you sure that she is not home?” Vince asked as his voice lowered considerably. It made Heather shudder slightly causing the smirk on Vince’s face to widen. She nodded her head in reply. 

“She hasn’t been home the whole day after the argument.” At this piece of information, Devin turned his attention back to her with a frown. Vince must have been thinking the same thing for he asked the question Devin was asking in his own head. 

“What argument?”

Heather then went on to tell them exactly what her mother, Annabelle and herself had said to Skye. Telling her how she was a failure and no one loved her. After hearing this, Devin felt the anger rise within him and he clenched his fists tightly when a growl sounded. Devin looked around confused as he did not make the noise though he wanted to, then his eyes landed on his brother who seemed to be struggling for control. He quickly stepped forward and placed a hand on Vince’s shoulder just like what his brother had done for him before. This calmed Vince down drastically and allowed Heather to be released from his spell. She was trembling in fear and immediately shut the door in their faces.

Without a word, Devin grabbed Vince’s arm and started running away. It took several moments for Vince’s breathing to quiet down. When he finally was calm, he turned to Devin with a wry grin as they stopped outside a huge house. 

“I’m always going on about your lack of self-control when I’m the one with the issue.” 

Devin gave a small laugh and clapped Vince on the back softly. “We all slip up sometimes, Vincy. Some more than others.” He said, smirking at Vince’s reaction to the nickname he used. 

Vince shook his head and sighed. “I have no idea why I felt the way I did. It was like a sudden urge to protect Skye from harm though she was not even there.” His brother said clearly agitated. 

Devin nodded his head. He knew that feeling though it was stronger for him for some unknown reason. To him it was more than just protecting her. “I feel the same…” He replied and silence passed between the two.

“Are you two going to stay out there all night?”

The two boys turned their eyes up and saw a man looking down at them from the balcony on the second floor. He had black short hair and violet eyes. The man eluded an aura of authority and confidence as he spoke. 

Vince and Devin both exchanged a look before smirking. “Yes, dad.” They both called out teasingly and entered the house.

The man was standing in the living room waiting for them with the television on though at low volume. “Are you both alright?” 

Vince laughed and threw himself on the couch. “Absolutely fine, dad.” He said while Devin stared at his brother disapprovingly. 

“What about you, Devin?” The man asked as he took a few steps towards Devin who kept his eyes down in respect. 

“All is well with us, Eavis.” He replied causing the older man to sigh quietly. Even though Eavis had asked both Vince and Devin to call him ‘father’ as a pretense, Devin was the only one to refuse saying it was disrespectful. 

“Hey Boss, check this out.” Vince called while he turned up the volume as the other two men turned towards the television. The picture on the screen had the headline: Drunkard mauled by wild animal?

“There have been reports of a potentially dangerous beast on the loose, after a man was found brutally killed outside of a pub in Sydney’s CBD. Crossing over to Rachel Helms LIVE at the scene. Rachel, how is the situation?”

The scene changed to show a lady with long brown wavy hair holding a microphone.

“As you can see from the large crowd behind me, the situation has riled up the locals. Parents and families are scared stiff of what this could mean. The police and paramedics have all arrived at the scene just a few hours ago when the body was first discovered. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for them to move the body as it is too…undone.”

The woman’s voice quivered slightly but she quickly composed herself as she faded off the screen.

WARNING: The following images are not recommended for young viewers under the age of eighteen.

The screen then showed picture after picture of the maimed body though it was censored in some parts. There were long and deep scratches which could only be caused by very sharp nails. On some parts of the body, large bite marks could be seen. The last image which was made up of smaller images put together showed the whole body. Devin was just able to catch a sight of it before Eavis turned the television off. The one thing he saw clearly was that the man had been castrated.

Eavis’s brow creased in worry as Vince moved from the couch to stand beside him. “That does not look like the work of some ‘beast’.” He said and a quiet understanding passed between the three men. 

Suddenly Devin’s eyes widened and he looked to Vince with a panicked expression. “She is still out there.” He said trying to keep his fear at bay. Eavis and Vince both looked at him in confusion before realization dawned on Vince’s face. The two boys stared at each other then ran out of the house just as thunder rumbled in the skies. Eavis looked after them in confusion wondering who and what had gotten the boys so anxious.