Chapter 106

Olivia

In the dim light of Alvin's house, we waited. It was an agonizing stretch of time, as seconds stretched into minutes, and the minutes into what felt like an eternity.

Alvin lay on the couch, unconscious and vulnerable. The fierce beast from earlier was gone, replaced with the human I had known all my life. Yet, the image of his transformation was etched into my mind, an undeniable truth.

Nathan sent Angela and Levi away. We wanted Alvin to wake up and only see the two of us, people who he used to trust more than anyone else. And now, we sat alone in Alvin’s dark living room, waiting for him to wake up from his sedative.

Alvin’s house was a mess. Empty beer bottles lay on almost every surface. The fridge was completely empty. There was hardly any furniture aside from a run-down couch, a folding table, and a television.

I imagined poor Alvin sitting in this house all alone with no one to talk to and nothing to do. No wonder he started to go stir crazy. This was enough to drive anyone mad.

“Olivia…” Nathan's voice snapped me from my thoughts, his eyes full of concern. But I barely noticed him, and didn’t lift my gaze from where Alvin lay on the couch.

All of my attention was on Alvin, his still and pale form the only thing that mattered to me at that moment. “Hey. Olivia.”

I finally lifted my stony gaze to meet Nathan’s. His face was soft, apologetic.

“Yes?” I murmured.

Nathan sighed and sank down onto the floor next to me. “I want you to be prepared… If he wakes up, he might not want to see us. In fact, it’s most likely that he won’t want to see us, and he’ll be angry. Are you prepared for that?”

I nodded. “I am,” I murmured. But I wasn’t. Not really. I drew my knees up to my chest and hugged them, watching intently as Alvin’s chest slowly rose and fell.

Instinctively, I leaned my head on Nathan’s shoulder. He didn’t reciprocate the gesture, but he didn’t move away, either. I needed that small bit of comfort at that moment, and I didn’t care about our agreement to keep ourselves apart. Not as long as our best friend, the final piece to our trio, lay stiffly on the couch in front of us with a missing hand.

And then, after what felt like an eternity, Alvin’s eyelids began to twitch. I jerked my head up from Nathan’s shoulder and scrambled to my feet, where I held my breath while my heart was pounding harder than ever in my chest.

As his eyes flickered open, they met mine, and for a moment, I saw the friend I'd grown up with. There was a softness there beneath it all, and I swore that I saw the flicker of something that looked like a smile come across his lips. He wasn’t a monster. He was my friend.

“Olivia…” Alvin’s voice was a croak, a whisper. His eyes softened. I smiled, blinking back tears.

But the moment was fleeting. As the reality of his situation dawned on him, his eyes widened in horror. In an attempt to turn away from us, he groaned, wincing at the effort.

“Alvin…” My voice was a shaky whisper as I reached out to him, hand hovering over his arm. I wanted to reassure him, to let him know he wasn’t alone.

But he growled at me, a sound so primal it sent a chill down my spine. “Go away, Olivia. I’ll only hurt you. I don’t deserve anyone’s kindness anymore.”

His words pierced me like a physical blow. I snatched my hand away instinctively, as though he would bite me. Seeing Alvin like this, so broken and defeated, was worse than any monstrous transformation.

“Alvin, please,” I pleaded, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Talk to me. Talk to us. We’re your friends.”

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. He turned to me, his face a mask of cold hostility.

“I said, go away,” he snarled. “Get out of here. Both of you.”

I shook my head, unable to settle on such a dark ending. “Alvin, I won’t—”

Before I could finish Alvin stood, having already regained his strength. He towered over me, no longer a small and sad man, but tall and menacing. His shadow coated me like a thick blanket, pierced only by his striking eyes, which glowed yellow out of anger.

“Get out, Olivia.”

Just as the words left his lips, Nathan intervened, stepping between us.

“Back off, Alvin.”

Alvin’s yellow eyes slid over to Nathan. His fists were clenched, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “You too, Nathan,” Alvin growled. “Get out. Or else—”

I barely had time to register what was happening when Nathan’s fist suddenly connected with Alvin's face, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

“No!” I cried out, rushing towards Alvin. “He wasn’t going to hurt me!”

“You don’t know that, Olivia,” Nathan said, grabbing me by the shoulder and pulling me away before I could reach our friend. “He’s dangerous.”

Alvin was quick to get up, a trickle of blood smeared on his lower lip. He wiped it away, his eyes meeting Nathan's with pure contempt.

“Get out, both of you. And never come back.”

“Alvin,” I choked out, tears now freely flowing down my cheeks. But it was as if he didn't hear me. He turned away, his body language a clear signal he wanted us gone.

I felt Nathan's hand wrap around mine, pulling me towards the door. I resisted, not ready to leave, not ready to abandon Alvin. But Nathan was relentless, and soon we were outside, the door slamming shut behind us.

“I can’t believe this,” I sobbed, my voice a shaky whisper. “I just...I can’t believe this.”

Nathan remained silent, his grip on my hand the only comforting presence. I felt him squeeze my hand gently, a silent promise that he was there for me.

As we walked away from Alvin’s house, I couldn’t help but look back. Despite everything, Alvin was still my friend. I knew he was hurting, lost, and confused, and all I wanted to do was help him.

But right now, he didn’t want our help. He had made that painfully clear. All I could do was hope that he’d find his way, that he’d realize we were here for him, ready to support him through this.

Despite the tears blurring my vision, I continued to look back at the house until it was just a speck in the distance, and then, it was gone.

The night was cold, and with every step away from Alvin's house, the chill seemed to seep deeper into my bones. The world had taken on a harsh reality that was new, daunting, and lonesome, but I knew I had to face it.

For Alvin, for us, for everything to make sense again.

In the silent night, Nathan and I walked away. We left behind a piece of our past, a part of us, with the hope that it wasn’t a permanent goodbye.

As we walked, the street lights seemed to become even more dim, casting long, solemn shadows that felt eerily appropriate for the heartbreaking end of the night.