Current...Past...Sin...Alexander...Forum...Notes...Survey...D-land

Destructive Memories
2004-03-18 - 9:46 p.m.

While Lex joined Marc on the main level to talk about the LeNoir family, Christine showed me upstairs to talk with Theodore. Outside his bedroom, Christine asked me to wait outside a moment so she could check on Theodore.

Soon after, she reemerged from the room stating that Theodore was out of the bath and ready to receive company.

When I entered, he was sitting on his bed in a long, white robe, his hair still wet and matted from the bath water.

The moment Theodore saw me, his eyes turned distant, and it looked as if he could fall off the bed any moment.

"Teddy?" Christine asked, rushing to him, "Are you alright?"

Theodore suddenly 'snapped' back into awareness, then bit his lip and nodded. I could clearly tell that the 'childhood' part of himself had reemerged when he saw me.

Christine sat behind him and began gently brushing out the tangles in his hair while a maid gently wrapped his ankle snugly in strips of cloth. After the maid finished, she excused herself and exited the room.

"I'm hungry�" Theodore groaned, his voice childish. "I want dessert."

"Teddy, this is what happens when you run off for no good reason," Christine said gently, finishing up his hair.

"But I didn't want to. It was Paul," Theodore corrected.

"Teddy, don't say such things," Christine chided. "There is no one named Paul and you are Teddy."

"I'm not Teddy; I'm Dominic," Theodore stated matter-of-factly.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

He looked confused. "I live here with Chrissy."

"Who is Chrissy to you?"

"Teddy's sister."

"Where's Teddy?" I questioned.

Theodore looked confused. "I don't know� where did he go?" He suddenly panicked. "You know where he is, right? Is he alright?"

Christine looked at Theodore in utmost distress. "Teddy, you're right here. Please stop acting like this."

"I'm not Teddy," Theodore retorted.

"Teddy--"

"I'm not Teddy!" he insisted firmly. "Where is he? Do you know where he is?"

I interrupted, "It's alright. He's downstairs with Marc; don't worry." This seemed to soothe him a little. "Christine, perhaps you could go find something for Dominic to eat?" I really wanted to figure out the rest of Theodore's predicament, but I knew I would find out nothing while Christine was in the room.

"Al-alright," Christine agreed, rising from the bed, then exited the room. Theodore's gaze followed her out.

"Hey," I said, regaining his attention. "My name's Sindor. Call me 'Sin.'"

"Who are you?" he asked curiously. "Oh� you were outside, weren't you?"

"Yes," I replied. "One of my dear friends is a LeNoir, so we are only visiting for a short while to see other members of his family. We're really from New Orleans."

"Oh, I've always wanted to visit there," Theodore answered with awe. "But Marc is really nice. All the LeNoirs are. If it weren't for him, Teddy'd be� well, I don't know�"

"What would have happened to Teddy?" I asked. "Was someone hurting him?"

"Well� Christine doesn't like me to talk about it�" he said softly.

"Is it that bad?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, tense suddenly. "It was when Teddy tried to protect Christine from his Papa. I can't say it. I can't say what happened."

"�would you like me to know?" I questioned.

"I don't know�" Theodore answered, considering. "What if something bad happens if I tell? What if he finds out? I can't say it."

"Never will anything ill happen to you when I am with you, I swear it," I promised. "There is a way for me to know without you saying a word."

"How?" he asked.

"I can do magick. I can read your thoughts if you let me," I explained. "But don't tell Christine my secret, alright?"

"Alright," he agreed. "But� why do you want to know?"

"I want to help Teddy if I can," I stated sincerely.

"Don't tell Teddy what's happened, though," he spoke gravely. "He doesn't remember because we remember for him. He can be happy when he doesn't remember."

"Maybe I can help you, then," I replied. "Will you let me do that?"

He thought for another moment, then nodded meekly. I looked cautiously into his mind.

Never in my most terrifying nightmares could I have imagined what horrors had overtaken Theodore. I saw a plethora of insults, hits, smacks, punches, and a myriad of other painful dealings--punishments for no cause at all. I saw Theodore as a child, beaten, degraded, raped, broken--I couldn't fathom the cruelty of Theodore's father.

I felt a blood tear slowly slip down my cheek.

"Hey, Sin, you're bleeding," Theodore stated, concerned. "What's wrong?"

I pulled myself out of my daze and quickly wiped the tear away with the back of my hand. "It's� it's nothing�" I lied, still in shock from what I had seen. I buried my face in my hands, trying to suppress further tears. Seeing what happened to Theodore made me recall incidents with my own uncle first, his cruelty towards Henmi and myself, despite never being physical, still remained painfully vivid in my mind. Next, memories of Soterius entered my mind, pushing me further to tears.

Just then, Christine reentered the room with a tray holding cherry tarts sprinkled with a powdery sugar and a pot of warm tea. I glanced at Theodore, who nearly beamed, the childhood part of him excited about the sweets.

Christine hesitated as she entered. "Monsieur Arnon, are you alright?"

Standing up, I spoke quickly, "I'm terribly grateful that you've let my friend and I visit your lovely home. I've just remembered something urgent that I must attend to. Please tell Alexander that I've gone to our lodging when he is finished talking with Marc, will you? Tell him to come find me." Without waiting for a response, I walked urgently out of the room, still fearing my blood tears would fall. I stepped down the stairs and exited from the front door.

I nearly ran back to the boathouse. I was still remembering everything that happened the night Soterius whisked me away. I felt extremely dirty all of a sudden.

Entering the boathouse, I finally felt my tears fall. I sat down on the wood floor, my face buried in my hands again. I wanted to help Theodore, but how could I? I who had been in a similar situation could not even help myself. I didn't know what to do.

My tears continued falling as I waited for Alexander.

*All the rights to Sindor (the graphics and text included) belong to Leah Jenner. No reproduction or republication without written permission.