Christopher White's left eye resembled an artist's palette, the skin around it a conflation of colors; sickly purple fading into muddled yellow into flaring red. The swelling had dissipated with the help of some embrocation his mother supplied him with, as well as a bag of frozen peas. Although the bruise, gifted to him by his brother Andy, was healing, it still looked tender and painful.
Shortly before Andy had given his younger brother the black eye, he had initiated a dangerous dalliance with a rather beautiful girl who smelled like petrichor and daisies and whose name was as soft and delicate as the petals of a tea rose. Underneath her earthy and seemingly pleasant smell, though, Christopher could pick up a nauseatingly sour, spicy sweetness …show more content…
He chose to do it one evening when Andy was sitting on the doorstep, staring down the sunset. The light was shifting over his face, casting odd shadows that made him appear gaunt and sick. In a way, Christopher supposed he was.
Quietly, lowered himself beside his older sibling and cleared his throat. Andy turned to face him, and he nearly jumped out of his own skin from what he saw. The shadows had actually hidden most of the ashenness of his features; his eyes were heavily lidded, with deep purple bags underneath; the angles of his jaw poked at his skin like knives trying to rip their way out of a burlap sack; his eyes looked vacant and devoid of life. Christopher let out a depairing little moan, his throat thick with grief, completely forgetting what he was originally going to say.
"What did she do to you?" His voice was a hoarse whisper. Andy just stared. After what felt like an eternity, Christopher tried to get up, but Andy grabbed his hand and pulled him back down again. "Ah, man, you're giving me the fuckin' jumps, let me go!" He groaned, trying to yank his hand away, his stomach clenching into a tight knot of nerves that didn't loosen until his brother averted his gaze. For someone who looked so frail, Andy was as strong as
Shortly before Andy had given his younger brother the black eye, he had initiated a dangerous dalliance with a rather beautiful girl who smelled like petrichor and daisies and whose name was as soft and delicate as the petals of a tea rose. Underneath her earthy and seemingly pleasant smell, though, Christopher could pick up a nauseatingly sour, spicy sweetness …show more content…
He chose to do it one evening when Andy was sitting on the doorstep, staring down the sunset. The light was shifting over his face, casting odd shadows that made him appear gaunt and sick. In a way, Christopher supposed he was.
Quietly, lowered himself beside his older sibling and cleared his throat. Andy turned to face him, and he nearly jumped out of his own skin from what he saw. The shadows had actually hidden most of the ashenness of his features; his eyes were heavily lidded, with deep purple bags underneath; the angles of his jaw poked at his skin like knives trying to rip their way out of a burlap sack; his eyes looked vacant and devoid of life. Christopher let out a depairing little moan, his throat thick with grief, completely forgetting what he was originally going to say.
"What did she do to you?" His voice was a hoarse whisper. Andy just stared. After what felt like an eternity, Christopher tried to get up, but Andy grabbed his hand and pulled him back down again. "Ah, man, you're giving me the fuckin' jumps, let me go!" He groaned, trying to yank his hand away, his stomach clenching into a tight knot of nerves that didn't loosen until his brother averted his gaze. For someone who looked so frail, Andy was as strong as