LJ Idol Season 9, Week 28: The Copernican Principle
Li stood at the threshold of his home, his long, thin nose wrinkling at the scent of iron filling the air. His heart thumped erratically against his ribs, his mouth going dry at the eerie stillness of the living room. Toys were scattered all over the floor, blocks lined in a row, just like Timmy would have done, except --
Except it was past bedtime, and the toys were still out. His wife, Ashley, would have picked them up by now -- it was part of the bedtime routine; the whole process of getting Timmy to go to bed without complaint. So why were the toys still out?
Li swallowed, raking his fingers through his long, dark hair, dragging it back and out of his eyes. He pulled it up, loosely threading the hair tie into place as he remained at the front door. It had closed softly behind him what had seemed to be hours ago, though he knew only a few moments had passed. His stomach lodged itself in his throat.
“Ash?” he called out, his voice thankfully steady as he made his first trembling step deeper into the living room. The pungent scent of iron surrounded him, seeping into his skin as it weighed him down.
“She isn’t home.”
Li didn’t turn towards the voice -- he didn’t need to, not with the way his chest restricted and tightened around his heart and lungs. “Jordy,” he said with a stout nod of his head. His jaw tightened as he uttered the name, and he forced a smile across his lips despite himself. “How’d you find me?”
“Mother told me where you’d been hiding,” Jordine said, stepping into the faint light of the living room. Her dark face was covered in shadows, and splattered with something else. “Living with the humans? Really, Li?”
“Better than living in the sea,” he managed, gravel taking the strength out of his voice. “We can walk on land just as well as them. There’s no need for us to stay in the oceans --”
“You’re Hooban, how dare you say that!” Jordine spat, throwing her arm back. Something flashed in the dim light, landing against the living room wall and sticking out of it. A knife, Li realized, his eyes widening. “How dare you swim away from your homewaters! From me!”
“I had no choice!” Li cried, hands pulling in close to his chest. “Mother wanted me gone -- she thought I was the one keeping you from the throne. She was going to kill me, Jordy, I couldn’t -- I couldn’t let her...”
Jordine snorted, crossing her arms over her chest and striding towards Li, toes pointed as she stepped over the blocks. “You’re coming with me,” she said, her rough, wet hands taking hold of him. “You have nothing left here, now.”
The smell of rust multiplied. The wetness on Jordine’s hands slick, yet sticky. Li’s stomach plummeted to the floor, tears welling in his eyes. “What did you do to my family?” he whispered, wrenching his arms away from Jordine only to grip her bare arms. “What did you do to them?” he repeated, his voice cracking.
“They weren’t needed.” She remained relaxed under his touch as half of her face twitched into a semblance of a smile. Her gaze drifted to the knife plunged into the wall, then back to Li. She moved out from under his quivering grip, her long fingers cupping his cheek and leaving a tacky residue on his skin. “You can come home now, brother. I’ve disposed of the King. There is nothing standing in our way.”
Li sputtered, backing away from his sister as a chill consumed him. “I’m not going back -- my family --”
“Is dead,” she finished for him.
He stared at her, her black eyes devoid of any emotion. The splatters on her cheeks seemed to brighten, turning red as she stepped further into the light and closer to the knife. His jaw went slack and tears rolled down his face. “I’m not going back.”
Sirens howled in the distance. Li tensed, noticing the smirk lifting the right corner of Jordine’s lips as her fingers curled around the handle of the knife. “My world doesn’t revolve around you anymore, Jordy --”
“I know,” she said. Her free hand, which was coated with blood, reached out for him, pulling him close to her. Her fingers stained his shirt, her naked form pressing against him as she slid the flat edge of the blade up his chest and to the hollow of his throat. “I will make myself your world, again.”
Except it was past bedtime, and the toys were still out. His wife, Ashley, would have picked them up by now -- it was part of the bedtime routine; the whole process of getting Timmy to go to bed without complaint. So why were the toys still out?
Li swallowed, raking his fingers through his long, dark hair, dragging it back and out of his eyes. He pulled it up, loosely threading the hair tie into place as he remained at the front door. It had closed softly behind him what had seemed to be hours ago, though he knew only a few moments had passed. His stomach lodged itself in his throat.
“Ash?” he called out, his voice thankfully steady as he made his first trembling step deeper into the living room. The pungent scent of iron surrounded him, seeping into his skin as it weighed him down.
“She isn’t home.”
Li didn’t turn towards the voice -- he didn’t need to, not with the way his chest restricted and tightened around his heart and lungs. “Jordy,” he said with a stout nod of his head. His jaw tightened as he uttered the name, and he forced a smile across his lips despite himself. “How’d you find me?”
“Mother told me where you’d been hiding,” Jordine said, stepping into the faint light of the living room. Her dark face was covered in shadows, and splattered with something else. “Living with the humans? Really, Li?”
“Better than living in the sea,” he managed, gravel taking the strength out of his voice. “We can walk on land just as well as them. There’s no need for us to stay in the oceans --”
“You’re Hooban, how dare you say that!” Jordine spat, throwing her arm back. Something flashed in the dim light, landing against the living room wall and sticking out of it. A knife, Li realized, his eyes widening. “How dare you swim away from your homewaters! From me!”
“I had no choice!” Li cried, hands pulling in close to his chest. “Mother wanted me gone -- she thought I was the one keeping you from the throne. She was going to kill me, Jordy, I couldn’t -- I couldn’t let her...”
Jordine snorted, crossing her arms over her chest and striding towards Li, toes pointed as she stepped over the blocks. “You’re coming with me,” she said, her rough, wet hands taking hold of him. “You have nothing left here, now.”
The smell of rust multiplied. The wetness on Jordine’s hands slick, yet sticky. Li’s stomach plummeted to the floor, tears welling in his eyes. “What did you do to my family?” he whispered, wrenching his arms away from Jordine only to grip her bare arms. “What did you do to them?” he repeated, his voice cracking.
“They weren’t needed.” She remained relaxed under his touch as half of her face twitched into a semblance of a smile. Her gaze drifted to the knife plunged into the wall, then back to Li. She moved out from under his quivering grip, her long fingers cupping his cheek and leaving a tacky residue on his skin. “You can come home now, brother. I’ve disposed of the King. There is nothing standing in our way.”
Li sputtered, backing away from his sister as a chill consumed him. “I’m not going back -- my family --”
“Is dead,” she finished for him.
He stared at her, her black eyes devoid of any emotion. The splatters on her cheeks seemed to brighten, turning red as she stepped further into the light and closer to the knife. His jaw went slack and tears rolled down his face. “I’m not going back.”
Sirens howled in the distance. Li tensed, noticing the smirk lifting the right corner of Jordine’s lips as her fingers curled around the handle of the knife. “My world doesn’t revolve around you anymore, Jordy --”
“I know,” she said. Her free hand, which was coated with blood, reached out for him, pulling him close to her. Her fingers stained his shirt, her naked form pressing against him as she slid the flat edge of the blade up his chest and to the hollow of his throat. “I will make myself your world, again.”