Marcus
I didn't go to school.
I got in the car just after
sunrise and drove without really thinking, muscle memory taking over while my
brain stayed between numb and wrecked.
By the time I parked, the sky
was still pale with early morning light.
The cliff was quiet.
It always was this early, that
was why we liked it.
Me, Noah and Riley had been
coming here for years- after bad exams, stupid fights, birthdays, breakups,
days when life felt too big and we needed somewhere to breath.
It overlooked half the town.
The sea stretched out
endlessly below, grey- blue and restless, waves crashing against the rocks hard
enough to mist into the air.
Usually, it calmed me.
Today, it just made me feel
small.
I sat on the hood of my car,
hands shoved into my pockets, staring out at nothing.
The wind was sharp enough to
sting, but I barely felt it.
My head was too loud.
Seven years.
The number kept circling back.
Seven years of birthdays.
Family dinners. School mornings. Ella stealing my hoodies and pretending she
didn't.
Seven years of being someone I
wasn't.
Or maybe… I was both.
The thought made my chest
ache.
I dragged a hand down my face
and shut my eyes.
The truth should've made
things clearer.
Instead, I felt split down the
middle.
Marcus.
Rocco.
One life built on borrowed
grief.
Another life I couldn't
remember.
I let out a shaky breath. For
the first time in years, I had no idea who I was.
"You know, when people skip
school, the goal is usually not to park in the most obvious place possible."
I stiffened at the voice.
Noah.
I turned just enough to see
him climbing over the fence, Riley right behind him with her arms crossed.
Of course they'd find me.
"How'd you know I was here."
"We tracked your location,"
Noah said casually.
Riley smacked his arm. "We did
not," she said, then looked at me. "Your
Mom called. She was worried."
That made something twist in
my chest.
Even now, after everything.
I looked away. "I'm fine."
"Liar," Riley said instantly.
Normally, I would've argued
but today, I didn't have the energy.
That was enough to wipe the
teasing look off both their faces.
Noah came closer, hands in his
pockets.
"Marcus. We know something is
wrong, you've been acting strange for a while man, we aren't going to take
'fine' for an answer anymore."
I shook my head. "Don't."
"Don't what?" Riley asked
softly.
"Don't do that thing where you
act like you can fix this."
My voice cracked on the last
word and I hated myself for it.
Because now they both knew.
This wasn't just me being
moody or weird.
This was me falling apart.
Riley stepped forward first.
"Then don't let us fix it,"
she said quietly. "Just let us be here with you."
That was enough to snap
everything I had been holding together.
I covered my face with my
hands before I could stop it and suddenly I couldn't breath.
A broken sound escaped me,
humiliating and sharp. Riley moved her arms around me before I could tell her
not to.
I hated how badly I needed
that.
Noah sat beside me on the hood
without saying anything for a second.
For a while, all they did was
let me fall apart.
Somehow that made it worse.
Because it meant I didn't have
to pretend anymore.
When I finally pulled myself
together enough to breath normally again, I wiped at my face and let out a
bitter laugh.
"This is embarrassing."
Noah snorted. "You've had
uglier breakdowns."
Riley shot him a look.
"What princess? I'm trying to
lighten the mood."
It worked, annoyingly enough.
A weak laugh slipped out of my
and just like that, the knot in my chest loosened- just enough.
I looked out at the sea.
Then I told them everything.
The dreams, the bracelets, the demons, Callie, Rocco, my parents' confession,
the truth about Marcus.
I told them until my throat
hurt and there was nothing left to say.
When I finished, the silence
felt different this time.
Noah was the first to speak.
"Well," he said slowly, "that
is… a lot."
Despite everything, I huffed
out a laugh.
"Yeah."
Riley wiped at her eyes and
looked at me.
"You're still you."
I frowned slightly.
"How are you so sure?" she
looked offended.
"Marcus, you cried because
your mom cried during that dog movie when we were thirteen."
Noah nodded solemnly. "And you
still refuse to admit pineapple on pizza is disgusting."
"That's because it isn't."
"There he is," Noah muttered'
A weight felt like it had been
lifted off my shoulder.
Riley squeezed my hand.
"You don't have to figure out
who Rocco is today," she said. "You're allowed to just be Marcus for a while."
That hit harder than I
expected.
I let myself believe her.
By the time I got home, the
sky had turned orange.
The house looked warm again.
Normal even.
Mom was in the kitchen when I
walked in.
She looked up, worry flashing
across her face before softening when she saw me.
"You're back." I nodded.
For a second, neither of us
moved.
Then I crossed the room and
hugged her.
She froze in surprise.
Then held me so tightly it
almost hurt.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly
into her shoulder.
"For what?"
"For making you cry."
She pulled back just enough to
look at me. Her eyes were already glossy again.
"oh, Honey."
I let out a breath.
"I don't blame you or dad," I
say honestly. "Not for… any of it."
That broke her but in a softer
way.
She cupped my face like she
used to when I was little.
"You have no idea how much I
needed to hear that."
I swallowed hard, but gave her
a small smile.
Then I glanced around.
"Where's Ella?"
"At Mia's," Mom said.
"Sleepover."
Relief flickered through me.
But then a sudden unease slid
through me.
The smell of something foul
entered my nose.
I look down at the bracelet
but it looked normal.
I decided to let it go.
That night, I woke up to
smoke.
Not strong but enough to pull
me out of sleep with my heart already racing.
For a second, I didn't move.
Because something about it
felt horribly familiar.
Not just the smell but also
the fear.
Like I'd already lived this
moment once before.
My chest tightened as I flung
the covers off and stumbled out of bed.
No.
Not again.
The hallway was dark and the
house felt too silent.
"Mom?" I called softly.
Nothing.
My pulse pounded harder.
I started down the stairs-
And stopped.
The front room was lit by the
weak orange flicker of fire.
Not a blaze. Just curtains
catching near the window. Smoke curling through the air.
And in the middle of the room-
My parents.
My breath left me.
They were on the floor.
Still.. too still.
There was no blood everywhere.
No chaos.
Just two terrible, impossible
absences in the center of their chests.
Like something had passed
straight through and taken what mattered most.
My knees gave out.
No.
No no no-
A sharp ringing filled my
ears.
The smoke, the heat, the same
feeling-
Suddenly crashed into me all
at once.
I realized then that this
wasn't the first time I'd lost everything.