Parallels

December 24, 2043
Just Before Midnight
Outside Nikkala Residence
Nikki's Perfect Small Town
Finland

What was he doing here? What was he thinking? What was-

Did he really think that- that she'd just come running back if he- if he bought flowers and- brought a present? Did he really think she'd would- that she'd just- that she'd even bother-

The gift had ended up poorly wrapped, no matter how meticulous he had tried to be. His hands had started shaking as he thought of what he was planning to do, and as the nineteen year old stood at the edge of the sidewalk, gazing up at the familiar structure. The gift was held carefully in one hand, the other was curled around the item in his pant's pocket.

His pocket was burning again.

If she was- The moment she- He was going to do it. He was going to. It didn't matter if it was out of nowhere and it didn't matter if she- if she- if she didn't-

He couldn't live with not doing it.

Jaw clenching, the boy strode forward, steps hurried as if he were afraid the ground would suck him up. In reality, he was terrified that the slightest hesitation would bring his doubts crashing back, and he would leave again.

His heart stuttered and stopped as he reached the front door. Suddenly, everything was different. He sniffed the air suspiciously, his eyes narrowing as he placed the gift carefully on the porch, pressing a hand to the already ajar door.

What was-

The scents in the house were dormant, nothing out of the ordinary. The stink of alcohol from the living room was overpowering, and that was why he continued on. After a quick stop outside to grab the present he was back, sliding the door closed and glancing around. He could tell already that her father was already passed out in the livingroom - celebrating this holiday as he did most other days, it would seem - and her mother...

"Kallie-"

The voice was a whimper, the call of a desperate woman. Brock was headed there before he could think, pausing in the door of the room the voice had come from. His eyes swept the familiar room, taking in all the absences, each missing belonging like another stab at his heart.

"YOU!" He barely ducked fast enough, the thrown shoe coming unexpectedly. His eyes returned to the woman. She was crazed, drunker than he'd ever seen her - had he seen her at all - blond hair tussed and tangled, tears still streaking from her eyes. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

"My-?" He ducked the next shoe, back tracking into the hallway as the woman staggered toward him. Suddenly, Brock was terrified. What could of-

"SHE'S GONE BECAUSE- BECAUSE- YOU!" The woman screeched around her alcohol. She had a low tolerance, and by the strength of the scent of alcohol hanging around her, she'd drank enough to rival her husband. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY! I HOPE YOU- I HOPE-"

He had to hit the ground to escape the lamp thrown at him, too completely horrified to rationalize the woman's words. She might as well have been Kallie herself. "Where-?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" The woman screeched. "I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW I DON'T-" Another thing came hurtling toward him, and he had to scramble to get out of the way of the next projectile. To his surprize, she came flying after it, a screech of 'no!' hanging in the air before the sound of breaking glass reached his ears.

Falling to her knees, the blond quickly pawed through the glass to get to the picture. He didn't have to look to know which picture. The fallen Nikkala matriarch was whimpering their names. both of their names.

"...My babies..."

Holding the picture close, she seemed to remember Brock, turning to looking at him sharply with eyes filled with so much hatred that the boy instinctively tried to shrink farther away. "You." She nearly growled. She rose slowly, and Brock scrambled to stand as well, his brain completely scattered. "You will not do this to her." She took a step forward, one hand still holding the picture to her chest, the other pointing straight at him, each sharp gesticulation like a gunshot. "She Will NOT BE LIKE ME!"

He ran.

He stumbled as his feet hit the sidewalk, not stopping until he was deep into the wilderness, his breaths coming in panicked pants. What was- How- He didn't- hadn't-

Wiping his arm across his eyes, he reached into his pocket.

Suddenly, he realized that his pocket had not burned for the longest time.

Frantically he outturned both pockets, then started searching the ground.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No! I couldn't have-"

It was gone.

He'd lost it.

He'd lost Kallie.