Page 57 of How to Entice a Fiend

“Sometimes I just want to fucking kill you,” he says as he throws me into that black box the chains are connected to and slams the lid shut.

“No, no, no,” I plead as I claw at the metal walls. I can feel the tips of my fingers turning bloody from it, my nails ripping back.

I can hear Abel leave but I sense my brother still outside of it.

“I’ll get you out.”

“Please run,” I beg. “Please. Please run.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“He’s trying to make me kill you.”

“You’d never kill me.”

“I can’t control myself. He did something to me. I can’t… you don’t understand. He’s not human, Tomás. You saw how fast he moved. He’s not natural and he’s made me into a monster. Please listen to me.”

I can hear him pulling and banging against the box, but for the first time, I realize that maybe being locked in here is best if my brother is out there.

Hours stretch on into days as the madness slowly takes me. I’m not even sure how much longer I can live like this.

“Ender, talk to me,” Tomás begs. “Ender, please… talk to me.”

I don’t know how to find the words.

“Ender, please.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

“Why are you apologizing? There’s nothing for you to apologize about. This man is fucked up. He’s a monster.”

“I’m so sorry,” I repeat. Maybe if I could kill myself it’d solve everything. But would he take my brother in my place?

It’s almost as if Abel is reading my thoughts because he returns.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I say, my voice growing desperate.

“Move aside,” Abel orders, and I hear Tomás jerk back with a cry. Did he hurt him? Did he touch him?

Rage eats inside of me.

“Do you want out now?” Abel asks as he opens the box and light spills in. I don’t want it; I want to stay in the darkness.

“Please, stop hurting him. Please let him go with me. I beg you,” Tomás says.

Abel just chuckles as he walks to the end of the room where he will sit and wait like he did last time.

Tomás reaches in for me, but I curl up tighter.

“No, don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me.”

My sweet brother, trying to help me, trying to save me, and I’m so close to destroying him.

“Come on. I’ll get you out. Come on,” he urges.

“Ender, give in to your nature. This is what you were meant to do. Stop fighting it.” Abel’s mocking voice surrounds me.

Darkness is eating at me as I can smell blood drifting down to me.

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