Reaper

Chapter 3

His mom kept him home two additional days while his black eye healed. He took the time to study the pearl. He kept it propped up on some socks that kept it from rolling off of the furniture. Sometimes more of the white appeared but it mostly stayed dark grey and smoky.

Sometimes the swirls would move faster or slower depending on what he was doing. If he clenched it in his fist, threw it, spun it, it was almost as if he was agitating it. He found if he hummed to it or cradled it in his hands the swirls seemed to be at peace. He still couldn’t fathom what it was or why it was hidden in that man’s body.

He had tried to research it online, but the internet had given him all kinds of whacked out answers, none of them he felt were correct. From alien eggs to a way to smuggle drugs. He shook his head hopelessly until there was a knock on his door, “come in.”

He didn’t bother to hide it, his parents didn’t seem to be able to see it at all. It caused them alarm that he might be hallucinating, his mother had tried to question him already. He stared at what looked like an empty nest of socks to his parents. There was a soft sigh and he moved his eyes to see Braydon.

“Hey, little brother. Mom’s worried about ya. You okay?” Braydon came and sat on his bed. He was the golden high school quarterback back in his day and that image never left him. He looked like a beefier version of his mom with short silver hair. He was handsome and Kouzen found it irritating the way girls often threw themselves at him shamelessly.

“Yeah, I’m fine…. Do you see it?” Kouzen motioned at the pearl sitting on his desk. Braydon walked over and stared at the socks a moment before looking to him as if trying to figure out what to say, “f**k, Braydon! I’m not crazy! It’s right there!”

“Calm down, describe it to me,” Braydon knelt down, eye level with the nest of socks.

“It fits in my palm. It’s dark like thunderstorm clouds and sometimes it’s like sunshine pokes through them. It just swirls around and around like it’s alive or something. I don’t know what it is or why no one else can see it,” Kouzen ground the words out getting more and more flustered.

“Does it do anything else?” Braydon tipped his head gaze towards his little brother. Kouzen deadpanned at him and Braydon shrugged.

“No, just sits in my hands,” Kouzen finally answered, folding his arms on top of his desk and resting his chin down. He was eye level with the pearl now too.

“Have you tried…like… talking to it or anything,” He approached it carefully. Kouzen could feel he was trying not to make him sound insane. When he didn’t answer, Braydon blew soft air at the socks. Kouzen watched the smoke swirl in response and tilted his head. Braydon’s brow furrowed before focusing back on the socks, “Hey little pearl. You’re giving my brother a tough time and believe me, he’s got enough going on without you hanging out here. Why don’t you just get out of here?”

The pearl reacted to every word and breath that hit it. Kouzen perked up, watching him interact with it, “You really can’t see it? You aren’t all playing a joke on me? Because it’s reacting to you, I think your voice makes it calm.”

“I’m glad I could bring it some calmness then,” Braydon’s smile lit up his face. That i***t thought Kouzen thought he was talking about calming him and Kouzen grumbled. Braydon’s smile fell before looking thoughtfully at the socks. A clawed finger poked at the empty air he saw and Kouzen watched in fascination that his finger went right through it.

“This is pissing me off!” Kouzen didn’t scream but it was loud enough it knocked Braydon on his ass in surprise. He stood up and the darkness covered him again. He panicked, looking at Braydon who was frozen in terror. The terror was like a drug to him, he wanted to make him even more scared.

“Hey, hey Kouzen. Calm down, okay? f**k,” Braydon scooted away to the wall. Kouzen paced towards him, the darkness feeding off of his brother. He tore himself away, that wasn’t fair to Braydon, he just wanted to be a good brother and help.

The pearl began making gurgling noises and he walked back, scooping it up to hold it to his ear. Braydon’s eyes got big like saucers, watching him closely. He couldn’t focus on his brother trying to talk to him anymore, he listened and the pearl spoke to him, demanding to be released. He held it to his eye next, trying to see what exactly was talking to him.

The pearl flashed and the man from the room appeared before him. Events of his life flashed around the two of them, most of the events bad. Stealing, murdering, cheating, lying… Kouzen glowered at him as the scenes faded. “You were a pretty f****d up guy. I hope you went to hell.”

The man turned as if to start screaming at him but the floor opened up with flames and he fell down through the hole. He heard his voice hollering until he was too far gone to hear. The shroud faded and Kouzen looked around, realizing the pearl was gone. This only left him with more questions.

Questions he really didn’t have time to start asking himself as Braydon jumped to his feet and wrapped him up in his arms like a security blanket, “What the actual f**k, Kou? Are you okay?! Did that blob hurt you?”

“I am that blob, thank you!” Kouzen shot back, pushing him away. Braydon just stared at him, jaw slack. Their father rushed in, looking at his boys with a wild look in his eye. Braydon spoke nonsense for a moment straight but his dad seemed to understand what had happened from what he could make out of the conversation. Nick looked at Kouzen, worry on his face before removing Braydon from the room.

He felt like s**t, watching his grown brother have to be escorted out of the room. Braydon was 14 years older than him, he was strong, he was resilient… maybe not always the smartest but he never deserved what just happened. The look his dad had on his face didn’t sit well with him either, like maybe he’d have to consider doing something to keep him in control.

His dad came back moments later, sitting on the bed just like Braydon had. He stared at Kouzen, unsure on what exactly to do or say. His head dipped down, chin resting above his chest as he stared at the floor, “I didn’t mean to do that. Honest.”

“I know you didn’t. You wouldn’t hurt your brothers,” it was said more like he was convincing himself. Of course he wouldn’t want to hurt his brothers. They were good brothers. Braydon protective of his family, Benji effeminate and loving just like their mother. Neither of them ever treated him any differently, even if he knew his horns had occasionally been something they tiptoed around.

“Dad, I’m serious. Please believe me. I’m still… Kouzen. I love this family,” He choked a little on the words, emotion catching in his throat. He felt like a little boy again, standing in front of his father. He wasn’t a normal child, he liked to rip his toys apart slowly. His mom noticed and called his dad in, toy limbs were everywhere, torsos left with their heads. His dad didn’t chastise him, just stood in front of him as tears leaked down his face while he took in the situation.

“Kouzen,” His voice was calm, just as it always was. He sighed heavily, a hand running through his thick black hair. He looked around the room like he’d see those same toys and then looked at his son. Kouzen felt his heart drop, he wasn’t sure what his dad was thinking but it wasn’t the same understanding gaze he normally gave him.

No other words were spoken, Nick stood and wrapped him up in a hug. Kouzen gripped tightly to him, shaking like a leaf in the breeze of a hurricane. His dad rubbed his back and he felt an odd relief, he still loved him. It was stupid to think he didn’t, he was his son. He didn’t know how to fix the situation. His mom had told him once his dad was a fixer and this must be hard for him.

A soft tap on the door and they both turned, his mother coming into view, “Kou-kou? You okay sweetie?”

His parents had a silent conversation, his mother’s claws tapping together hesitantly before sweet green eyes landed on him. Loving arms wrapped around him from the other side and a soft kiss was placed on his cheek. His parents wrapped him up with their feelings for him and he swallowed thickly, all his doubts about them loving him going up in smoke just like his pearl.

He blinked and looked around quickly and frowned, both parents looking to each other before focusing on him with an unasked question, “My pearl. My pearl is gone.”

They both seemed relieved but he shook his head, his forehead creasing as he remembered the events, “It’s probably for the best. Probably a result of your change, your mind created the pearl and now that you’re okay again it’s gone.”

He looked at his mom, brilliant except in this case, “No. I think… I think it was a soul. I took that guy’s soul from his body and I just released him. Oh gods, dad, I think I sent him to hell!”

His parents looked exasperated again, but they didn’t understand. How could they if they couldn’t even see the pearl. He wondered if Braydon had seen anything, he would have to let his brother relax a little before he approached him. He didn’t want to see the fear on him again and he felt like right now was probably a bad time.

Once they were sure he was okay, they both left the room leaving him to himself again. His mom told him dinner would be ready soon and his dad gave him one last worried glance before shutting his door quietly. He could hear them murmuring all the way to the stairs, he couldn’t make the words out which was probably on purpose. They were talking about him is what that meant, but he at least knew they loved him, so he wouldn’t let it bother him that much. It wasn’t the first time they’d talk about him quietly between themselves and it probably wouldn’t be the last.