OBSESSIVE

them.

this next sabotage was meticulously
planned, for i was not strong enough,
nor was he desperate enough for me to
coax him out of that preposterous relationship.

they didn't look good together,
rather they clashed the way
a standalone rose does admist
cunning weeds. or blood against
flannel white school shirts.

god, i'd rip every weed out of
your way, beautiful rose. i'd crush
them underfoot. ruin them in the
palm of my hand...

my plan began as soon as i
entered my house, and seeing
my brother perched against
the kitchen table in a heated
debate with my father, i could
not think of a better time.

quickly, i rolled up my sleeve,
and scored jagged nail marks
into my flesh. i repeated it
vigorously until the scores were
deep and threatening to bleed,
raw, red and angry.

arranging my face into an
expression of a withdrawn melancholia,
i dragged myself into that room.

they both immediately stopped,
bombarding me with queries.

"what's wrong?"

i glanced up at my brother,
pleading in my posture.

"i'm worried about skye."

"why?" my brother coaxed.

"she's getting bullied, but i'm
not strong enough to do anything.
i tried, but look, at my arm."

i rolled my sleeve up even further, exposing
the ferocity of my self mutilization.

"he did this to me. he clawed at me.
and hauled punches into my stomach."

my father groaned in agony,
like it pained him to imagine.

my brother looked over to him,
before nodding.

"who is it?"

"i can't tell you. he'll hurt skye.
he's already using her. she wants
it to stop-"

"look, you need to tell me!
i won't let him hurt you again,
or skye."

i feigned fear, until my father
interjected.

"you'll be doing the right thing,
telling your brother, son. he'll sort
the jerk out."

my brother nodded enthusiastically,
grinning at me and cracking his
knuckles.

and with
a faux quivering voice spoke,

"his name is kieran."