Trembling Power: Chapter Three

Lalia found herself back in her room as the sounds of crying continued. Her mother had sent her there, trying to explain to her what had happened.

"Lalia, honey, listen to me. You see Mace over there?" Mrs. Bandie had extended a nervous hand in the dead boy's direction. Lalia selected innocent eyes and nodded slightly.

"Yes, Momma."

"Mace, honey...he's not asleep. I'm... afraid your... brother has passed away. We called the police and they're on there way over. Your father inspected him, honey. It looks like he choked on a few crackers."

Her mother had put a hand on Lalia's shoulder, and brought the ten year old into an embrace. The mascara was smearing onto the girl's light brown hair. Lalia, being her mother's baby, she hugged her mother back. Burying her nose into the crook of Allisia's neck, she fake sniffled a bit.

I can't seem to feel sympathy, Lalia thought. As she thought this, another family member entered the house.

It was then that the front door opened yet again. A teenager waddled in, car keys in hand. He was unaware of the situation so he meandered over to the kitchen in need of a snack. Nathan Bandie meant well--truly, he did. Unfortuantley the young man could never get his act together and actually get a job. His minor accomplishments were shadowed by young Mace's proud doings. Nathan thought nothing of this. Little did he know this took up a lot of Lalia's thinking.

"Hey, Momma," Lalia said, pulling back, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "Who's going to tell Nathan? I-I-I mean Mace was his brother." Lalia cringed a bit when she used the past tense. It made her look like the bad guy. I need to fix that...

Her mom gave her a look, one perfectly, plucked eyebrow raised. Her green eyes looked into Lalia's soul with so much saddeness. "Fine, you tell... Nathan..."

Lalia got up from her bed and raced to the kitchen, again, zipping past every family photo on the hallway's walls. She just wanted to see Nathan.

She could see the pudgy, blotchy face of Nathan so vividly in her mind. He would be crying and vulnerable. A giant, teary-eyed teddy bear that was lazy but strong. Lalia loved him more than anyone and she wanted to see his reaction. As she neared the kitchen she heard a long moan erupt from the teddy bear. Another stab of guilt shot through the troubled girl. The guilt felt like a blunt knife was stabbed into her stomach. She had caused the reaction, she had made Nathan upset.

No, no, no, no Nathan should be happy, not sad, happy. The young girl walked into the kitchen. The gleaming plaster on the walls distracted her, it almost made a face. The light was playing tricks on Lalia's eyes, she knew it. The sunken eyed monster was not there, glaring back at her with bared teeth.

Nathan was leaning over Mace, his brown hair tucked behind his ears. A few strands falling onto his face. If she could see his brown eyes, they would be wet with sorrowful tears.

*****

The sky painted itself grey the next morning, using the wisps of mourning clouds to stroke the colors more deeply. Lalia was only looking at that sky, wondering why it existed. She wondered why she existed. Nathan had selected a black tux and sorrowful face frozen in time. The day was moving slowly along, melting from the tears that were being shed by hundreds of people . Lalia then stared at a black coffin that caught her reflection. It revealed a confused girl who felt nothing.

She wasn't sure why she was bewildered. She knew a lot, just not why she murdered him in cold blood. Her hands began to quiver, so she had them play with her teddy bear purse. The brown teddy bear purse Mace gave her. Immediately she felt sick. The barrette that was resting on her hair was something that Mace gave her, the chap stick that was in the purse, Mace gave her. Heck, even the black socks she was wearing were hand-me-downs from her deceased brother.

Lalia couldn't take it anymore. All of those reminders…Just then her vibrating hands shot thoughts into her mind. You had to do this, Lilia. There was no other way. Mace was rude to you. He only gave you those things because your parents made him be kind to you. Deep down he thought of you as an annoying little brat with no potential. Don’t feel remorse or pain.

Feel victory.

What scared Lilia even more was that the voice inside her head was not her own.