(Warning:Slight gore)
The sight of you makes me tremble, makes my toes curl, even your smile frightens me and I don't feel safe.
My stomach aches, and I feel my body collapse, not trying to be rude but there is just something about you.
I don't understand why but something deep in my soul knows, something in my brain, some neurological source that tells me to be careful.
When you smile, I know it's fake because the rot in your teeth says otherwise. You claim it's white but I can see your body filled with mould. Microorganisms crawling in your body like its a hive as you come closer to me.
Then you see me shivering, the ice in my blood growing colder as you pretend to mean well but I know you don't. I know the things you've said, and done and the bodies you lay to rest as you cry at night pretending it's nothing.
Once in a time you were just a child as well but now you rot inside a well in your brain. Oh, how you would love to ask for help, but then your complex would fall apart and your friends wouldn't like you anymore. But did they ever like you and were you ever a person to them to begin with? For they never saw the child in you only the demon you brought out as you got older, the people you scared, and tortured inside.
Which part of you slightly enjoyed but the other part of you looked in my eyes and knew it was wrong. Knew that it gave people chest pain as you walked around pants half down, and teeth nearly falling out. You knew how you looked like a monster yet you stopped questioning it after a while. And began to embrace the monster that everyone else portrayed you as because you know no one will fix you. No one will come for you and no one will ever save that child that is stuck in that well.
Leo took a bite of the ripe tomato, peeling off the skin like it was flesh as Johnathan watched him sink his teeth further into the fruit-vegetable like it meant nothing to him at all. Like it was a simple rabbit that had become his snack and was unfortunate enough to be in his sight. It made Johnathan shiver and the tremble was quickly noticed by Leo who made it an effort to stare at them as he finished.
"Did you want some?" He asked with a rather crawl-up-your-spine voice and Johnathan quickly shook their head, "No, thank you in fact I rather don't like tomatoes."
"You don't like tomatoes!?" Regina screamed with disbelief, "In a farmer's town like this one, it's rich in tomatoes and you don't like them!?"
"Uh…" Johnathan gulped, "That won't be a problem will it it?"
Regina pushed her hip to the side and put a finger on her cheek, "I guess not, I could always make Duck with a side of Squash soup and bread. The bread is already done though, made it this morning."
"I like-"
"I like Squash," Leo stated, and Johnathan squeezed their hands tight, "Anything else but Squash?"
"Not Squash either? Fine not my favorite but I guess carrot soup."
"Carrot soup?"
"Yes!" Regina pointed, "And I'm not making any changes unless you're allergic."
"I'm not allergic." Johnathan turned to Leo who had a rather stoic face, "I am fine with that."
Leo plopped his sharp nails onto his face and ran a line down it making Johnathan clench their teeth.
"Great!"
Regina turned to the kitchen and cracked her knuckles, "Good, then we are all in agreement." She quickly eyed Leo and snapped her fingers, "Enough with that." She wet a towel and gave it to Leo with a sympathetic sigh. "You don't have to eat the soup if you want, you can always just have the duck."
He put a hand on hers and glanced up at her, "If you made it, then I know it's good so I will eat it."
She smiled and gave him a pat on the back, twirling some of his midnight hair before heading back to the kitchen.
"Thank you, truly, Leo."
She washed her hands and turned to the carrots and then the duck, "I will make sure to leave a large portion of duck for you." She winked turning to Johnathan, "Johnny dear, since you are so picky why don't you come help me make this soup how you like it."
"I don't really-"
"Johhny."
Johnathan wanted to pout but instead stood up and joined her in the kitchen, washing their hands and turning to the raw carrots.
"You got a kn-"
"Here you go!" Regina passed them a rather sharp knife, sharp enough to make a decent cut on someone, but not enough to do real damage.
Regina looked at them as they took it and saw how firm they held the end, pointing the sharp end to the sky and proceeding to smash it into the cutting board.
Regina didn't flinch but instead raised a brow at their odd gesture and Johnathan caught onto it, "Oh, I don't usually cut things too often but I like to see it stick onto the board. The stillness is so precise, that I can not help but admire it."
"Alright." Regina stated, starting to season her defeathered chicken, as Leo played with his nails, "Careful, Johnathan, you wouldn't want to get hurt playing with something you're not properly trained with."
Johnathan swallowed dryly, "I know, I'm careful, just let me cook, I'll be alright, no need to worry."
"I'm not, trust me."
"Alright, alright let's cool it, the tension in this room is higher than the temperature of this lukewarm chicken, and I am not for it."
She pointed at them both as she threw some spices in the bowl, "Don't let your salty auras affect the way the food comes out, we all got to eat this lunch you know."
"Our aura or whatever is not going to affect the food, what we season it with will."
"No." Regina put her hands on the bowl, "It is not just the seasoning, it's the way you feel when you make it as well. I know because I have experienced it."