Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Fifty-Four

a/n: matt is trying to worry without doing it himself. cuz he's stupid. you'll see.

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"I can't keep doing this. I thought that if we... if we took the pills that things would get better. Balister and Ellie came out fine..."

"I know, Ilaen. I'm so sorry... I thought that... I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault, Apelles."

I looked around the doorjamb as my parents looked at my new baby brother. Why were they so sad? I was so happy to have him!

"Do... do you want to try again?"

"No... This has to stop. If we keep going, we'll make ourselves crazy, and then what? We'll stop here and just... I'm going to stop forever."

"Apelles..."

"I can't do this anymore!" my dad yelled, making me jump from his sudden outburst.

The baby began to cry and Mom reached in, holding him close. My baby brother... Dad leaned back on the dresser, his face in his hands.

"Rupert will be my last child. I can't do this anymore, Ilaen. Watching them leave, having to be okay that they are... It's the Normal ones that get you... make you think things are fine..."

"I know how hard it is. I know that you have had more than me, but I understand it all the same."

"It's because of me he ended up like this! If it wasn't for what I am!"

Mom put her hand on Dad's cheek and looked at him tenderly.

"A, Matthew isn't your fault... He's mine."

"Ilaen..."

"I'm the one that was susceptible to twins."

Dad sighed and pulled her to him, hugging her.

"I guess we could go on for days about how we both caused Matt's existence but that would make the kids unhappy and leave us bitter. I've had too many for my tastes taken from me. You're welcome to keep going, but I'm going to keep Tradding. Matthew is our son, from both of us, and knowing that is enough. Rupert will just be my last swell."

"Are you sure? Is that what you really want?"

"It will keep me from going insane and help me focus on what I need to do to keep our kids safe. It's a dangerous game we're playing, love."

Mom looked down at Matt. "I'll play it until I die. I know we will never win it, but for their sakes... I'll play this dangerous game."

Dad smiled. "Me too..."

"Daddy?" Dad turned to me, but his face was suddenly all bruised and broken, bloody. "Dad?"

"Don't worry son, we'll play the game until we die. Your mom kept her promise and so will I. I'll play the game until I die."

"That's right, honey." A gargled voice said and I looked over at where my mother was supposed to be.

A bloated green and bloody corpse was standing there, when it splattered onto the floor, the foot that was missing causing the fall. It started crawling to me, leaving juices on the floor behind it.

"I played the game, Ramey. I did it for you and for Matt. If it wasn't for you two, maybe I could have played it for a little longer."

"I- I'm so sorry!"