Confounded Experiment

Dropping his bag and readying the shower, Kage left the door slightly ajar to the bathroom. At this time Lisa was hastily studying for an exam she had forgotten about.

With the water running, Kage opened up the medicine cabinet. Inside were a multitude of medicines for his sister. He took the single bottle from the top shelf along with a needle. Inside the bottle were three lonely red and white pills. Soon they would be gone, forcing Kage to resupply. Some days he wondered what they did to aid him.

Maybe if he stopped taking them, he would feel some warmth from the sun.

Then again, it's best to not go against the doctor's orders.

Quickly, he scooped one up and flung it down his throat, swallowing. His attention was now placed on the needle.

It shone so brilliantly with the light from the bulb gracing across its metal surface. Grinning ear to ear, the needle stood ready for whatever task Kage would command of it. Testing the sharpness of the needle he softly applied the tip to the pad of his index finger.

No puncture.

He then pushed slightly on the needle.

Still nothing.

Increasing his strength, a droplet of red burst out like a squeezed pimple. Kage put the needle down on the counter. He was bewitched by the blood on his finger. The incision had not hurt at all, nor did it provide relief like Daniel claimed.

'Maybe the incision has to be greater.'

Extending his tongue, Kage licked the blood from his finger and suckled on the cut for a minute ceasing its flow. He then took the needle once more, this time the tip was placed on the palm of his hand.

Just enough pressure was applied causing the blood to spew out like before. However, the needle was dragged along unlike prior where it stood stationary after the cut. Fluid leaked from the crevice that was being created by the needle. It rolled from his palm onto his wrist then dripped into the sink.

The cutting neither eased his stress nor brought any euphoria to him. Kage thought for a moment that he had done it wrong, but he realized what else could there be to the process.

"That's disappointing." Kage muttered to himself.

'CREEEAAAAKKK!'

Kage's gaze jumped to the door. In its frame stood Lisa covered in the shadow of her brother. The girl's eyes were wide and pulsating. The pupils were clouded in what Kage understood to be fear. She had stumbled on her brother doing something wicked.

Hand still dripping with blood, Kage asked Lisa, "Do you wish for a glass of water?" Instinctively raising the cup by his cut hand. The usual fake smirk spread across his lips piercing the mere unnaturalness of the scene into Lisa further.

But the cut was not the reason she was stunned. It added to her shock and shivering but could not be the main cause.

"W-Why… Why aren't you wearing your contacts?" The red eyes had caught Lisa off guard. It was as if she was looking at an alternate reality's version of herself.

Tears welled in her eyes while her body failed to overcome the situation. His very likeness ached deep within her core. The eyes and scars on his body all corrupted her mind. Worst of all was the smile.

Fire and dust mixed with flakes of blood. This was the world Lisa truly lived in. She looked back into Kage's eyes, seeing only her worst.

Lisa's head fell back while her body collapsed backwards. Drool running from her bottom lip.

Kage peered uninterested. He washed the needle then his hand. Using gauze and bandage tape he sealed the wound on his hand. Without a thought to the contrary, Kage slung Lisa over his shoulder and laid her on top of her bed.

Its color was hot pink. The same went for the other items in her room. From her agenda to nail polish, it was all the same. Kage would sneer at the display but stifled the noise.

He shouldn't judge his sister. A good brother never judges a sister's choices. Maybe he should give her some advice? Kage decided that after training tomorrow he would buy some things of a variety of colors for her.

Before he shut the door, he saw that Lisa was still shivering. Tucking her into bed he made sure to turn on the bedside heater. Some saliva still leaked from her mouth. He wiped it away, slowly, with the sleeve of his shirt.

Taking a step back, Kage surveyed her body. It was no longer quivering, and the drool had stopped. She was back to normal.

But what had made her that way?

Was it the cutting?

Is that a weird thing to do?

'Maybe most people don't find relief from it?'

That must be it.

He shouldn't do it again.

In the end, Daniel was wrong. All Kage needed to do was apologize in the morning for scaring her. Everything will go back to as they were beforehand.

Kage shut her door not before he could whisper, "Good night, Lisa." Leaving her in the cold embrace of darkness, but to her this was the preferred option.

She had awakened from her unconscious state and witnessed her brother's affection. Her hands pulled the covers over her face hiding from the noise of her brother marching off to sleep.

Even though she knew he loved her, fear is an indistinguishable thing that eats away at a person for the rest of their life. Lisa knew that by the morning's sun she had to become normal again. All the practice put into her own mask rivaled Kage's own. However, today it had fallen for a brief moment.

"How much longer must this go on for?" she thought.

"Mom, Dad...?"

Lisa fell asleep that night, tears streaming down her cheeks while the howl of wind beat against the window.