Page 2 of Blade

“Yeah, well, I’m older than you, so I can do what I want. Besides, your mom smokes,” I shot back.

She stiffened and stared down at her food. Then she lifted her gaze back to me and swallowed hard. “It’s gross,” she whispered.

“Hmpf,” I grunted before I got up and cleaned up the mess. I shut the light off in the kitchen as we headed to the living room.

“Don’t shut it off!” she cried out, a look of panic in her wide-eyed gaze.

“We’re not going to be in there,” I replied as I shot her a look that said I didn’t understand why she wanted to leave lights on in a room we were done in.

“Don’t shut it off,” she repeated in a whisper. “I don’t like the dark.”

“Why?” I asked in disbelief. She wasn’t a baby. I mean, she was out digging in trash cans for things to read, for fuck’s sake. That was pretty bold.

She wouldn’t answer. She simply sat there staring at me like I kicked her puppy.

“Fine,” I finally said with a sigh. “What time does your mom usually get home?” It was well and dark by then.

She shrugged.

I shook my head and walked over to the magazine she had gotten from my trash. “Let’s sit down and read this.”

Considering she hadn’t been to school in quite some time, she was quite a good reader. I found out that it was math, science, and history that she was lacking in.

By ten o’clock at night, I had her go to bed, then I locked the door on her crappy trailer and started to walk home. I’d crossed the road right before a car turned the corner, nearly blinding me with its headlights. It almost hit me as it passed, and I flipped them off as I watched them keep driving.

I paused when the car pulled into Sage’s driveway and parked. A man and the scrawny woman got out. I could hear them from where I stood in the dark night shadows.

“You can sleep in Sage’s room with her. Just remember the rules.”

“I told you I understood,” the man snapped.

In Sage’s room with her?Then I watched in confusion as he handed her what looked like cash, then they walked into the trailer. Something about it seemed weird and alarms were going off in the back of my head.

I didn’t see Sage again for three days. When I did, she was even quieter than before. But after a little while, she seemed to relax and be more like her old self.

It was late Friday afternoon when I saw her mom leaving the trailer. She walked to the corner and a fancy black car picked her up.

With a grin, I took advantage of her being gone and jogged down to Sage’s house and banged on the door. I’d stopped on my way home from my after-school job and grabbed some workbooks at the dollar store.

When she cautiously opened the door, I pulled them out of my backpack.

“I got something for us to work on,” I explained as her eyes lit up at the cheap books.

Her huge grin made every penny worth it.

So, between school and working for my buddy’s dad, I taught her what I could. I mean, I wasn’t a dang teacher, but I figured I was better than nothing.

And that’s how Sage became the little sister I never knew I wanted. At the time, I had no idea she’d turn into my lifeline.

“Suitebergamasque,L.75:III.ClairdeLune”—AliceSaraOtt

As the man hanging from the rafters sniveled like a baby, I made quite the production of sharpening my blade. I was especially proud of this one. I’d spent countless hours ensuring every minute detail was perfect. The handle was carved to specifically fit my hand. The Damascus blade was razor sharp and precision forged. In my opinion, it was a masterpiece.

“Honestly, I would’ve rather turned all the dogs you werefighting loose on you,” I pleasantly announced. The scrape of the blade on the sharpening stone was the only sound in the old shack at the back of the property. “But that wouldn’t be fair to the dogs.”

“Fuck you,” the older man spat in a moment of bravery. The vehemence with which he said it caused him to lose his footing, and for a little while, he swung from the rafter. He was finally able to regain his balance and stood on the tips of his toes again. His calves had to be killing him by then. I chuckled softly at the perverse pleasure I received from his pain and discomfort.

Suite No. 3 in D played softly in the background from my Bluetooth speaker. There were times when I listened to some hard shit when I was working. This time, I was in the mood for something soothing. My emotions were already too intense with this one. I needed to keep myself from turning into the animal that lurked under the surface of my skin.

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