What's in the Drawing?

I'm bored. I look up at the window at the second floor where I know Annalouie is currently at. I saw him during breakfast and lunch today but other than that, he hasn't come out of that room. During Saturday, I reckon, Annalouie always meets with two different women and they locked themselves in the room.

On mornings, the woman who comes by is young and pretty. She was once introduced to me. Her name's Minerva. She had an angelic voice. I once heard her singing in the room where she stayed with Annalouie while the latter played the piano. However, when Annalouie saw me at the door, he suddenly stopped playing.

Minerva then closed the door, making me really upset. What's the big idea if I just peep a little? It's not like he's playing really well. He frequently stops and faltering on the notes and so Minerva also keeps repeating from the start. Hmmph!

On the afternoon, like right now, Annalouie meets with another woman. I found out she's called Dr. Spencer. She's a bit old and looking strict. She reminds me of the disciplinary teacher at school who always brings a ruler to swat misbehaving children although Dr. Spencer has no ruler and definitely not a teacher.

I also crept during their meeting once although I can't hear a word they're discussing. They looked serious as they talked and I even caught Annalouie crying. The woman tried pacifying him but he only rushed out of the room. When he saw me by the door, Annalouie suddenly held onto me to my surprise.

That very same time, daddy came home, picking up Annalouie and taking him into his room. He didn't come down for dinner that night. The following day, he looked like he's back to his old self. He showed me his tepid smile and followed me everywhere. I continued ignoring him which he only responded with a smile.

"Dr. Webber!" A young lady comes rushing to the garden where mommy and daddy are having an afternoon tea while I play at the side.

She's one of the servants in the mansion. I know her name's Tammy. She wears a worried expression and her lips are ghostly pale. She's wringing her apron as she approaches daddy's direction.

"What happened?" Dad asks with a frown.

"Um, Dr. Spencer wishes to speak with you inside."

Daddy abruptly stands as if there's an emergency or something. His face looks grim as he starts towards the house. Mom and I follow after him. I look at my mother and notice the same worried frown on her face. What's going on?

"Natalie, is everything alright?" Dad asks Dr. Spencer as soon as he enters the house.

My eyes fly up to the silent second floor when I didn't see Annalouie in the living room. Dr. Spencer takes a deep breath, inclining her head towards us. Dad also looks around and his eyes settle on me. He looks at mom but she only nods her head.

"It's alright. You can tell us." Dad urges the doctor.

"He's finally talked." Dr. Spencer starts but quickly stops her words. "I mean, not really talk but he showed me something which might be the reason to his behavior."

"What is it?"

The doctor picks up a large paper draped on the couch behind her. As soon as she shows it to us, I can quickly tell it's Annalouie's drawing. I frown at it. This drawing has different colors but the red dominates it. There's also black, a little white and gray and the rest of the colors in the wheel. I don't understand it.

However, when I look at mom and dad, they start crying. Huh? I look at the drawing again but still can't get what it is. What's in the drawing? Dad, as if drained of energy, slumps to the couch and buries his face into his hands to weep. Mom joins him and weeps as well.

"He saw it and it may have affected him psychologically and emotionally." Dr. Spencer continues, dropping the drawing to the coffee table. "He's made a lot of it, in fact. Didn't he try showing it to you?"

"N-no. I mean I know he likes to draw but he never showed them to me. Besides, I wasn't quite sure that he saw it. Just suspected when he's stopped talking, became detached and sad after the incident. I thought..." Daddy answers in between sobs. "I thought he just missed her. I didn't know. I didn't know."

“We are doctors, Louise. Sure we work to heal people. But we shouldn't forget that our household needs our healing hands first before we can help others outside our home."

"We understand, Dr. Spencer." Mom agrees while rubbing daddys back soothingly.

“It seems drawing is his outlet so you have to support him with it. He's even very good at it, isn't he? Let him continue to draw. One day when he's grown up, he will eventually find closure and hopefully get treated. After all, time heals wounds as they say.”

"Yes, yes!" My mother says eagerly. "We will make sure that Annalouie's interest will be provided well."

The doctor nods. "Also, avoid giving him too much pressure to anything. Whether academically or to his personal endeavors, take what he's only willing to give." Dr. Spencer walks and stands before me, making my heart leap in my chest in nervousness. "You must be Axel?"

"Y-yes..." I say and swallow hard.

The doctor only smiles at me before ruffling my hair. Any other day, I would've enjoyed the attention but I feel like I did something wrong and Dr. Spencer knows about it. Did Annalouie tell her what I've been doing to him when nobody's looking? I bite my lip and drop my gaze from the old woman, feeling guilty and afraid for myself.

The following day, I purposefully wait for Annalouie to get out of his room. I won't let him rat me out to Dr. Spencer and to daddy or to anyone else! I know he said something to the old woman, I felt it from the way the doctor looked at me yesterday.

“Annalouie!" I call out when he's walked out of his room.

"Axel?" Annalouie's green eyes sparkle in excitement.

"Don't Axel me! You told Dr. Spencer, didn't you?" I ask accusingly.

"Told what?" He frowns, his smile vanishing.

"Don't play dumb. I know you told her about what I did to you! You're asking for her sympathy and later on rat me out to daddy!"

“Not understand, Axel..." He wildly shakes his head.

"Shut up! You really want me out of this house! You want me to appear bad to daddy's eyes so that I and my mommy leave this house!"

"No!" He exclaims, running towards my direction and throwing himself at me. "No leave! No leave!”

I'm shocked by this uncharacteristic behavior as I grip his arms that are now tightly wrapped around my waist which has me staggering back towards the stairs. I gasp. He's going to push me! Annalouie wants to harm me! Before that can even happen, I quickly wrench his arms from my body before turning around so that he's the one standing near the stairs.

"Don't touch me! Get your hands off of me!" I scream while trying to pull his arms away.

"No! No! No leave! No!” He chants repeatedly, not willing to let go of my waist.

In our little squabble, we eventually reach the top of the stairs. Just in time the door to the master's bedroom opens and daddy appears with a frown. To my surprise, I push Annalouie so hard, not wanting daddy to witness us fighting.

"What's going on to the both of you?" He asks in his booming voice before his eyes widen in fear. "Stop! It's dangerous!"

I watch as daddy runs towards us but it's already too late. Annalouie's feet slip off from the first rung, pulling me with him down the wide, curving staircase. Annalouie's arms finally unfasten from my body and the world I see begins to go upside down.

I feel the impact to my bottoms when I land on them first before rolling to the side, hitting my head to the detailed banister a few times, then continue rolling down still just right after Annalouie. I close my eyes tight. When I open them again, I'm already lying on the marbled floor at the living room.

I feel dizzy and my vision is blurry. Annalouie lies on his stomach beside me. His eyes are closed and he has a pillow of blood underneath him. Voices. Loud voices, screaming both our names echo around, penetrating my consciousness but I can't understand anything anymore. I close my eyes and sleep.

I wake up after some time but I still feel dizzy. I hear my mommy's voice calling my name but I can't somehow respond. I roll my head to the side, making me nauseous that I moan. I blink a couple of times to clear my vision and saw Annalouie lying beside me.

He's still sleeping. His head is wrapped in white cloth. I want to check my own head but I can't move. Somethings on my hand. In my hand. I try clenching my fist and then finally realize what it is. Annalouie's holding my hand. Although he's sleeping, his hold is tight around me. I grip him back and return to sleep.

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