Hold Me Close: Khalil Pollux
Drip.......drip.......drip......drip. The water from the faucet had been dripping at 37 bpm. The kids that did leave it had been gone for a long time now. They were older than me, by maybe a few years tops. I knew they knew my brothers, I have seen the pictures...but that doesn't explain why I am here. Why am I sitting here, chained to the wall of a two-story wood shed? I felt nauseous, and as if I was about to pass out. My clothes were dirtied, blood stains, dirt, food, and what I hoped wasn't urine. My memories were blurred...but so was my vision, I could barely see my two small hands in front of my face. The inside of the shed looked empty, besides a running sink, a wardrobe, and me of course. I was sitting on the second floor, in which a narrow wooden staircase descended down, but it didn't seem like I would use it anytime soon. I lost count of the days somewhere after 57, and there was no clock in sight. Just the blank blue-grey walls, and the cold white tiled floors.
I hear footsteps of an adolescent as they climb the stairs, and when they make it to the top I recognize them. A male. Every memory I have ever had that was bad, started with a male. This one in particular I knew, but I couldn't remember how. I can't get a clear image of him, but I know he is definitely older. Everything goes silent and all I hear is the hum of tinnitus. But before I black out, all I hear is-
"Oh crap, he's seizing."
My eyes flustered opened revealing I was not in a shed, but my bed...Not one, but two of my brothers sat in my room. One on my bed, to the side of me and the other on the floor. I was relieved to see the midnight blue comforter and not tattered clothing covering my legs. When I lifted the comforter, I saw my left ankle covered in a wrap of some sort. Above that, I was wearing white shorts stained by some red liquid.
"Be honest with me Khalil Pollux, have you been taking your meds?" My dear third eldest brother Khai, who we also considered the family Harley Quinn, held a now troubled face. Khai was 5'11, a ladies man, thin but not at the same time, and had a very free personality. Seeing him mad at me and my actions was a little off. A more physical description would be saying he looked more hispanic than anyone in the family. We were all mixed, but Khai carried more of our mom's Cuban and Korean traits. Except for the green eyes, only one person has those.
"Yes, I have not. But what exactly happened?" He stands up, and walks out of the room before I can even get an honest explanation. The last thing I remember was walking down stairs because my Mother had called me.
"Khalil." I look to my right side and find my brother Khailino sitting down and clearly mad.
"Look I know, but I honestly can't remember what happened."
"Well do." He glares at me and I notice he was tearing up. His name was Khailino, Nino for short, he was the only one with these green eyes. His eyes now held many emotions, he didn't talk much so I knew he wouldn't express them.
"What the hell happened?! Why are you and Khai so upset?!" He looks away from me and I know his feelings are hurt. I've only seen Nino cry once, that was last year."I won't know if you don't tell me."
He walks out and I'm left by myself, aches and pain came from every part of me. It felt as if I had been out for more than a day and when I checked my phone it says today was August 15, I was supposed to leave for boarding school tomorrow. I don't remember what day I had passed out, or whatever happened, but I needed to pack my bags. After taking care of hygiene stuff, I facetime my mother.
"Khalil Pollux, are you just now waking up?" I nod and she props the camera up so that I can see her fully dressed, sitting in front of a vanity."Are you ready for school tomorrow?"
"Please don't make me go mother." She laughs and I frown. My parents were both 38, same my dad being only a day older than my mom. My mom, Heidi Kordulla, was a Cuban-Korean daddie's girl from Florida. She was a goddess in my eyes, with her natural curves and flawless appearance. She has perfect natural light tan skin, complimentary to her knee length natural straight hair. My mom also had sharp features; a nose that slightly curved up at the end, green eyes, and lips that were perfect. Which I understand everyone sees their mom as a queen, but come on, this woman could be Aphrodite herself.
Right now she wore a slick bun with a left side part and three bobbie pins.. She was applying lip gloss and it seemed that was the only make-up she wore. I knew she didn't like full faced make up, but I expected more. Her eyes were slightly slanted, but full at the same time. I watch her apply eye liner and she doesn't say anything.
"We went over this, one semester. I want you to at least experience that."
"What if they all make fun of me because I'm the owner's son? Or because I'm small?" She laughs again, this time revealing white teeth and turning to her left.
"Didn't you register him under my last name?" I hear my dad say a few inaudible words and my mom turns back."They won't know unless you tell them. I bet the Coaches will only say your first last name, Kordulla."
"Do you happen to know why Khai and Nino are mad at me?" Her face doesn't drop but she turns and stares at me for a few moments.
"Well, I heard you had a seizure, but no. Have you been taking your medications?" I nod and she sighs before grabbing my dad's phone. I notice the case, an image of the whole family. I was at the far right, we always took photos from eldest to youngest."I will set you an appointment to see your doctor."
"Alright, what are you and father doing?"
"Going out to take care of some business. Your schedule is already taken care of by the way."
"Wait, please tell me you didn'-"
"I did. So I need to go but you should get your suitcases ready. And don't forget you cello and accessories." She hangs up and I frown before turning my phone off. I knew she would do this, knowing my mom. I haven't played my cello since my birthday last year.
I walk over to my closet and change into better clothes; baby blue shorts and a pastel pink cardigan. I put on pastel pink crocs and decided this was the most comfortable I would get. I grab my three suitcases, and start packing. Khai nor Nino checked on me, they were the only siblings here, the others already left for school and college. I don't eat or take any sort of medicine until I finish, but when I go to look for my brothers, they were gone.
All seven of my cellos were stored in the music room, except this one. I had got mad last year and hid him. He was now propped up on his stand. I didn't like what my mom was doing but reluctantly I grab my old music binders and add them in with the rest of my stuff. C had a blue grey hard case, my somewhat favorite. After I finished getting him packed, my shoe suit case, and my clothes I grab the keys to my tree house and walked out to see my dogs in the woods.
Our estate was built in the coastal area of Oregon, luckily with a radius of at least 40 miles of woods. The back off the house lead to a cliff about 500 meters away. There was a small beach at the bottom, and an entry to a cave system I'm pretty sure the world doesn't know about. My treehouse was made of wood and was but around these moon stone boulders. My dogs lived here, it was insulated, had automatic feeders, and allowed them to hang with the nature animals.
"King? Duchess?" I jump back when I accidentally almost step on Nike, my one and only Yorkie. He was small like me, except I was 5'0. Which really hurts, my family are all giants, 5'8 being the shortest.
I hold my dog and cuddle him, Nike was the last insult I got from my eldest brother.
"Here, you don't like gifts, but this one needs to me opened now." At first I think of shaking the blue box, but instead I untie the ribbon and open it. A small dog, black and brown runt more specifically. It could fit in my small hands, and I wasn't sure if it was malnourished or just small.
"No."
"Khalil, he's small just like you. And the runt. I believe he has potential though. Even the runts come out with a chance."
"What do I name him?" Khai raises his left hand, holding some sort of shoe. The checkmark meant it was of the brand Nike.
"I'm going to kill Nino as soon as I-"
"Nike." I earn weird looks from Khai and Khristian smiles before petting me on my head.
"After the goddess, and not the shoe brand right baby?"
"One, he's going to grow up being weird if you let him do stuff like this! Naming dogs after shoes and stuff."
"Five be quiet."
"Where are Lucas and Makari? I told Shi and Ten to tell them be here by now."
"Well we can't have a complete rainbow without them so they all need to hurry." One was in all orange and Five was in all red. They were referring to the colors we all were assigned for this pride parade celebration. I don't know these others boys really, but I do know that Shi was pink, Lucas was blue, and Makari was purple. I myself was green. Emerald green. I love blue more but since Ten was yellow, I wanted to stand by him.
"Sorry, Lucas was driving."
" I actually follow the laws."
"A little rebellion wouldn't hurt." All I could make out were their colors, purple and blue. Their faces and appearance were blurred.
"Nike...I came to say bye to everyone but when you see them tell them for me. I have to go." I set him down and make my way back to my house. I walk around front and find Khai and Nino sitting on Khailino's car.
"You ready?" I check the time and it's already 6 pm. I walk inside and sit on our white sofas, ignoring them. If they didn't wanna tell me what I needed to know then I didn't want to talk to them.
I pull out my phone and start texting my mom. Somewhere in between our convo I hear a loud noise and find Khai pushing my suitcase down the stairs, his expression clearly mad. He stood at the top of the grand stair case on the left set. After pushing the suitcases down, he carries my cello with him as he walks.
"Be outside in 10 or it burns."
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