Sick Like Me

Illusion's heart pounded in her chest as she stood her ground, facing her brother's ferocity head-on. She had expected his anger, his dismissal of his sweet and naive sister, but nothing could have prepared her for the sheer brutality of his attack. For just a moment, her silver orbs rounded in wonderment, taking in the picturesque sight of his incoming attack. She would commit it to memory.

The impact of his shoulder against her chest sent shockwaves of pain radiating through her body, stealing the breath from her lungs. She stumbled backward, her vision swimming as she fought to regain her footing. He was so much larger than her, he all but sent her flying back. Yet, before she could even recover, Cadaver was upon her again, his jaws snapping dangerously close to her neck. The slate blue girl’s heart still thrummed, but fear was nonexistent within her ethereal form. Instinct kicked in then, driving Illusion to fight back with all the ferocity she could muster. With a hiss of defiance, she tried to twist her body, to narrowly avoid his bite; to deny him the ease of a clean takedown. In that same motion, she lashed out with her claws, aiming to rake them across his chest in a bid to fend him off.

“You think you can silence me with violence?” She spat, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and amusement. Disbelief in her gaze, coupled with the twisted sense of delight she felt settling upon her features. Her mask was shattered, crumbled away – she felt hollow save for the giddiness that was filling her to the brim. “You're wrong, Cadaver. I won't be silenced. Not by you, not by anyone.” Confidence oozed from the delicate chime of her voice, reckless in the face of her enraged brother. Despite the searing pain coursing through her body, Illusion refused to back down. She would not allow her brother to trample over her, to diminish her worth with his cruelty. And she discovered something else at that moment. She finally had it. She had his full, undivided attention.

illu