Open Mic Night

Welcome to Tuesday’s Open Mic Night 🙂 Tonight, I’m going to share a scene that introduces David, Emma’s estranged brother. We learn a little about their history and relationship – which isn’t very healthy at all.

This portion of the story occurs a little later on when Emma starts coming to terms with reality – well, everyone else’s reality and not so much her own. It’s revealed that her brother was instrumental in getting Emma committed….

David was like everyone’s evil twin.
Whatever your thoughts, his were the opposite – and worse.
He was a 6ft minion of the devil himself.
I despised him.
For what he did to us after our dad left. For abandoning our mum at her darkest time.
For leaving two young girls without a father figure.
I hadn’t seen him in over 2 years so when Rose told me he called The Pines…..what business did he have getting involved? Why the hell did Adam call him in the first place?
But if I wanted to leave The Pines, I had to make peace with whatever the hell happened between Adam and I.
If Adam was actually alive, I had to figure out why on earth I ended up in this institution.
I waited for my brother in the garden. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing him at all.
He was late, which is not surprising seeing as he’s a selfish f**ker.
I didn’t get up.
‘Emma, how are you?’ He looked down at me, his mousy blonde hair moving with the wind. He had a slight grin on his face. Was he mocking me?
‘Don’t bullshit with me David,’
‘Ok’. He sat next to me. ‘I’ll let you talk,’
I kept silent. It was after a minute he spoke.
‘Why did you want to see me, Emma?’
I looked away, resisting the urge to tear every single hair on his head out with my fingers. ‘You called The Pines, didn’t you?’
‘What? This is why you asked to see me?’
‘What’s wrong with that? I have a right to know,’
‘Yeah but have you heard of a telephone? I was getting ready to go to Hawaii with Bella,”
‘Who the f**k is Bella?!’ Anger levels were rising slowly.
‘Bella is my girlfriend – why does that matter to you?’ He shook his head, exasperated. ‘What do you want Emma?’
‘I want to know why the f**k you called The Pines and committed me! I know Adam phoned you that night!’
He was silent for a moment. Watched me calmly. ‘We both know you need medical attention,’ He stood. ‘I have to go. My flight leaves tonight,’
‘You’re a coward David. No wonder you left us,’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘You heard me,’
‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this,’
I shot him a look. ‘You can’t believe it? Really?’
‘Looking after you wasn’t my responsibility. You were 15 when dad left, Rosey was 12. What the hell was I supposed to do?’
‘You weren’t obligated to DO anything, David. But the fact that you left so soon after dad……’ I couldn’t finish the sentence. If he didn’t understand by now he would never get it. ‘Just go,’
For a moment, it looked like he was showing a slither of remorse. But then the devil spoke to him again and the absent look in his eyes returned.
‘I gotta go Emmy, I’ll see you later,’ was all he said before he turned and walked away.