A week had passed since Bella's rescue, and only one day since she returned home from the hospital. While she was still in poor health, she was finally well enough to return to more familiar surroundings. Her arms were bruised and scraped, her neck was wrapped to protect the open wounds, and she wasn't her usual bubbly self. Something much darker was taking over her. Hallucinations plagued her since her rescue, with the voices of her captors echoing inside her head for hours at a time. She couldn't seem to come back to reality as her mind kept screaming she was in danger even when she wasn't. In fact, even a slight touch became painful to her. She was a walking disaster who posed a danger to herself and those around her.
The woman spent most of her hospital stay sedated for attacking a nurse who attempted to start her IV. The nurse sustained an eye injury as well as a bite to the shoulder but fortunately would make a full recovery. In such a great deal of relief, she was happy to finally return home after being away for so long. The haze she had been in was finally lifting from her, a sense of normalcy returning to her demeanor though she was not the same person she had been.
In an attempt to find food, she wandered from her room for the first time, struggling to stay upright as she did so. She was so thankful for the silence, positive that she had been left alone to her own devices. She didn't want to explain herself to her parents; her reasoning for going to the slums was too complicated for them to understand. She had endangered the lives of many people, but when it came down to it, she just wished they had left her to die. As a result, she had to live with the scars left behind by her stupid mistake, and her mind had become so damaged she wasn't certain things could ever be normal again.
As she entered the kitchen, her eyes immediately went to the front door. Staring at it as if she were ready to make another break for it, to go back to the slums...maybe she would find Ettie there this time. Half-dressed, half-dead, she looked like a mess, but that wouldn't stop her from going to the door and opening it. Walking out into the hallway, her eyes fixed on the elevator at the end of the hallway, she wanted to run towards it but her feet refused to move. "It shouldn't be this hard..."
[Tw:Death]
He had no words he could use to describe the sheer terror that plagued him when news of his little sister missing came to him at the Barracks. Even the gut wrenching experience of the first time he saw and combatted an Infected paled in comparison. Despite having to face what he assumed to be the full wretchedness of the world everyday for seven long years, it never occured to Alex that his own family could ever be vulnerable.
In his lifetime, rarely had he ever met eye to eye with his own father but a part of him subconsciously believed that no other place was safer than the home provided by his Dad. And yet, when his sister went missing, Alex was forced to reconsider.
Against his own pledge to never use his family's influence, Alex pulled strings so that he could get out of his duties to pour all of his focus on finding her. He was desperate to find Bella to the point that he thought it reasonable to raze the whole of Stronghold to the ground just to find her. And he would've done so, had it not been for his older brother who reined him in.
And when she was found, Alex begrudgingly realized he and his Dad had many things in common. It was a startling and gruesome way to find out how easy it was to break his own vows and that no man could hold against his cold fury. Where the guilt of turning into a monster no different than an Infected for taking that many lives should've eaten him alive by now, Alex found it easy to shove that guilt into a box and toss it away. For as long as it ensured Bella was back, none of that mattered
Alex had no fondness for the other members of this family but he knew he would turn the world upside down just for his little sister. Thus, he stayed home for the whole duration of Bella's recovery, and when she was released from the hospital, he was there too.
Despite being within the confines of the Geoff residence, a place probably more secured than most, he couldn't rest easy without doing what he had drilled himself to do for the past seven years. As such, he stalked around the living quarters, making sure that the integrity of the security of the area was intact. He had just finished his perimeter check and thought of getting himself a drink when he found her leaning heavily against the wall of the kitchen.
"Bels?“ Alex did not want to startle her but her name slipped past his lips as soon as his eyes found her. He then approached her slowly but stopped short of reaching out to her, thinking that she might not welcome his touch. "Bels, can I help you? What do you need?" He spoke gently as his voice filled with pain at the sight of her worn out figure.
There was still hope for her, for she could return to where she was held in the slums, and find the ones who had brought her into this state, and make them pay for their actions. Bella was a kind soul who would never hurt a fly, she loved most of the people she had encountered and did her best to help those in need when she could which left her wondering what she had done to deserve such horrible treatment. Only steps away from freedom, she thought of what could be and what has already been done, but her feet refused to budge from their position.
She began to cry in frustration as her mind became overwhelmed with all that was going on and the inability to push herself out of it. Hearing her name snapped her back to reality and soon she turned to face her brother, Alex, the one person in the world she felt she could tell anything to. ” I thought everyone had left.”, she said her voice as soft and sweet as ever. She loved Alex, he was her rock throughout her childhood, sure they picked at each other and teased one another but at the end of the day he would always be her favorite.
Bella quickly brought her hands up and wiped away her tears as she didn’t want to seem like a silly little child crying over something as insignificant as being unable to open a door. His offer of help did nothing to soothe her as she instantly felt her stomach knot up, the voices that had lurked in the back of her mind started quietly chiming in about her situation. ” You can help me go outside. I’d like to go for a walk.”, she lied knowing damn well she was going to bolt as soon as she hit the outside world. ” Please.”, she threw in a nice please before giving him the best puppy dog eyes she could manage. Bella knew she was in no shape to be going anywhere but that wasn't going to stop her from trying.
Her eyes were fixed on Alex for the longest while the voices began to grow louder and louder until she finally snapped, ” STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!”, she yelled out her hands moving to her ears though that did nothing to help drown out the voices. ” We need to go now. We need to go outside, fresh air, sunshine, something, just help me get outside.I can’t be locked up in here.”, she grew a little frantic her hands lowering from her ears as she tried to calm, forcing a smile.
[Tw:Death]
If he had the power to, Alex would've given everything to turn back time. He would've done more to ensure such tragedy didn't befall Bella. No matter how many years have passed, he still saw her as the snobbish little girl who almost always tried to get on his nerves back when they were kids. Right now, he could still see that little girl, although now she looks distraught and anxious and terribly hurt. As if there were unseen shadows chasing after her.
More than anything, Alex wanted to take his little sister within his arms, hold her tight and try to reassure her that everything would be alright. And yet, he knew the point was moot. First, it was very likely that she did not want to be touched by anyone. Second, she had already experienced for herself a part of the cruelty of the world, and no amount of wishing on his part could erase that.
"Okay... okay, I can help you go outside." He did his best to make his gruff voice sound soothing. Alex hurt to see that she hurt, and the ache felt almost physical as his gut twisted painfully. Had she told him she wanted to burn the Stronghold to the ground, he would've agreed to it too. He would've readily done anything just to help her be okay.
He approached his little sister cautiously, both hands presented before him to show her to enable her to see that she controls the situation. Alex almost had her within reach when she suddenly screamed and it took all of his will to not just grab her and hold her.
"Alright, Bels. As you wish..let me just, let me hold you okay? I'll carry you? It's easier to go outside that way." He crouched down to look the young woman in the eyes, sapphire meeting sapphire as he sought her express permission. After it was given, he gently put his arms around her back and under her knees, carrying her against his chest in a princess-carry.
Jaw clenched, Alex carried his little sister towards the gardens where the soft grass wouldn't hurt her bare feet and there was enough space for her to breathe. "Is here okay Bels? Or do you want me to bring you somewhere else?" TagIsabella Geoff
She nodded when he asked to carry her granting him permission though the very moment his skin contacted hers the regret set in. It felt like her body was on fire, a seethe leaving her as she tried to contain just how much in pain she was, she struggled to stay still tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. ” This is fine Alex.” , she said as she wiggled free from his arms her hands brushing over her own skin doing whatever she could to try to get the pain to stop. She took in a deep breath of fresh air, the sun beaming down on her skin only highlighted just how damaged she was but the warmth felt so nice.
Closing her eyes, she basked in the warmth for a moment before turning her attention back to her brother, she had so much she wanted to ask him, but she struggled to force the words out. She stared at him for the longest before finally uttering only a few words. ” Does everyone hate me?” It was an honest question, she knew she had put a lot of people in danger when they had to drop their typical duties to come and find her, she couldn’t imagine their father was very happy with her at this point either.
” Why are things so horrible over there?”, she asked with doe eyes over there obviously referring to the slums. Her entire life had been spent in the safety of the inner walls, she had a great life…but that obviously wasn’t the case for everyone. She knew her brothers and her father knew what it was like over there and even beyond that…but why had things been allowed to get in such a state? ” Are they all terrible? I just wanted help getting home…”, she began to trail off a little as she reflected on exactly where things had gone wrong. ” Has Ettie come to see me yet?” , the entire reason she had left and went to the slums was because of her friend Ettie, he was leaving and she was damn sure that her going into the slums by herself would make him stay…maybe it had worked.
He had been young and stupid once, and thus knew what it felt like to be stabbed. Yet that couldn't possibly hold a candle against what he felt right this moment. There was more pain in seeing his little sister who used to be so bright and happy turn into a fragile shell of who she used to be. And the fact that this was caused by other people made him seethe, enough to wish to unearth the corpses of those responsible so that he could kill them again.
Don't get him wrong. As much as possible, Alex always takes the path of least violence. It was just that, whenever his little sister was involved, he was bound to see red.
Inhaling sharply to keep his emotions in check, he watched Bella take in the fresh air and some sun. To be honest, she looked sickly pale to him and he would've had her bake under the sun more often, if only she allowed him to.
He was woken from his short reverie when the other asked something which shook his very core "Come on, Bels. Nobody hates you." He did his best to sound soothing and convincing, despite the anger that brewed in his veins. Who would even dare hate her?
When her questions veered to topics Alex would rather not discuss, he clucked his tongue, growing quiet as he considered how to answer. "It's because of the screwed system. People with money and connections fare better than the rest....and those people... people at the bottom of the food chain could be quite vicious when they're greedy. But they aren't all that bad." He stated after much thought. "However, those people you met... they can't hurt you again, Bels. You're safe here."
Although he enjoys the benefits of being born with privilege, Alex wasn't blind to the truths of their society. And as much as he could and with the position he earned, he tries to close that gap, even if it's only contained within his team. He doesn't aim for a higher position to change the crooked system. He's not an idealistic idiot. But he does his best with what he could, without compromising his own sanity, safety and position. Hypocritical yes, but it does makes him sleep well knowing he's a little bit better than his snobbish parents.
He tried and failed to control his expression and it contorted in such a way that showed his seething anger. "That bastard better go to hell. He's no longer welcome here." He hissed between gritted teeth. Alex knew the reason his little sister put herself in danger was for that runaway idiot.
"Bels, I love you, but you gotta stop looking for a person who doesn't even think of you with the same regard as you do him."
Posted 08-15-2021, 10:38 AM
This post was last modified: 08-15-2021, 10:51 AM by Isabella Geoff
Consequences
