When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
where my demons hide
- Demons, Imagine Dragons

26| Mason
Mason looked down at his palm. He remembered everything, every single detail of that night, when everything went wrong. When he was suddenly pushed to the light from his darkness. He was blinded and he didn't like what he saw.
He saw Mallory, drunk, weak and helpless, out of her mind.
He saw his best friend, right by her side, ignoring her.
He saw himself doing nothing about it for so long.
"Mason," Evelyn whispered almost. The dim light from refrigerator could do nothing to eradicate the darkness. It only made Evelyn's dried tear trails conspicuous.
"Mallory was never a mama's kid." Mason said," She was quite rebellious and always did everything Mom told her not to."
"Great!Then we'd best friends!" Evelyn exclaimed. Mason smiled a little.
"No, I mean it. She and Mom, never got along. My mom was everything about healthy lifestyles, rules and regulations. Mallory was, "I'd just follow my heart." " Mason said.
"That's why I said we'd best friend," Evelyn nodded.
"She gave mom a lot of trouble always. But whenever mom tried to scold her she'd hide behind dad. Mallory and Dad always shared a special bond. They were like best friends." Mason said smiling.
"And let me guess, you were the perfect Mama's boy." Evelyn said smiling and later on rolling her eyes.
"Kind of." Mason shrugged. "Mom never complained about me, so maybe."
Evelyn laughed a little and patted on Mason's shoulder.
"Hey!" Mason ducked, "You are making fun of me."
"Whoa, how?" Evelyn said biting her lips and then laughing.
"Stop it," Mason said.
"Let's continue our story." Evelyn said making her face devoid of emotions sitting straight.
"Whatever, Mallory never did anything too bad. She knew her limits always. She might be the social butterfly, the party loving girl, she might be a little air-headed, but she never crossed her limits. Until Mom and Dad died." Mason said. The lump in his throat made it hard for him to pronounce any syllable. But he continued.
"It was just like any other day. Mom and Mallory again had a fight because the night before Mallory stayed at Diana's and she didn't tell Mom beforehand.
"I tried to talk to Mal like I always do. I tried to make her understand that Mom was worried but she said, Mom was always trying to control her and not letting her live freely.
"However, then I told her about something I had been planning for a while. That week Mom and Dad had been working very hard for a new product launch. So I wanted them to finally have a vacation so they can stay away from all this office stress. I bought air tickets for them, flight to Miami.
"Mallory asked me if I was going to hand them off the tickets that day. I said yes and the flight was the very day and it will be quite a surprise to them. She said nothing. I told her to go with me so we can hand the ticket to them together. She said it was my idea and left the house.
"I was disappointed but I had no choice. So I did it myself. I handed them the tickets. Mom and Dad was quite surprised. Dad was really excited about it though Mom protested. At afternoon they left for their flight."
Silence reigned between them. Mason didn't say anything else for a long time.He didn't know how to.
"And they never came back." Mason said staring into the darkness. "They died in a car crash before they could even make it to the airport."
Evelyn squeezed his hand and Mason shivered. It took him moments to breathe out the heaviness.
"After that, I guess, everything stopped for us." Mason said looking down. "I locked myself out from anyone. So did she. We were stuck."
"But life goes on. So it did. I returned to school. Everyone keep coming to me and Mallory with their sincerest sympathy, fake sympathy and what not. Mom and Dad, they were important persons of the town, so almost everybody knew about it."
"Anyways, after the accident, me and Mallory, we grew apart. I didn't see it coming. I knew we should've been there for each other and somehow it didn't happen. She locked me out, just like I did to myself. We never really talked about it. In fact, we rarely talked."
"Even when, Carolina took our custody, we didn't talk about it." Mason said, "Mallory kind of ignored me throughout the whole time."
"At first, I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I knew she was grieving and so was I. We were going through the same stuff. Then, I was angry. I didn't want to do anything about it. If she thought I didn't exist, why would I?" Mason looked away. "That was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. So I started trying to reach out for her, to talk to her, to let her know that I was there for her."
Evelyn sighed.
"But maybe I was too late." Mason inhaled.
"It was almost 15 days after their death. I was out of town, I was here. When I went back, I found my house full of people partying, singing, dancing and whatnot. I didn't know what was going on. So I went to Mal. She ignored me as always."
"Bryan told me, maybe it was her way of moving on. She was moving on, so maybe I should let her do whatever she liked." Mason said.
"Bryan?" Evelyn asked in surprise.
Mason nodded. "So I let her. I let her have parties in our house. And so did Carolina. Carolina gave her all the freedom she wanted from the start, because I told her. What I didn't know was, I was digging my own grave." Mason snickered.
"Getting what Mallory wanted, she didn't stop. She started going out almost everyday, partying, dancing, drinking. And her grades dropped. She got detentions." Mason said.
"And I reached out for her again. I tried to talk to her. Whenever I tried, she shut the door on my face. When I tried to catch her at school, she would create a scene. It was like she had sworn, she would not talk to me. Then I started following her wherever I can. I told my friends to keep an eye on her. I talked To Carolina, I talked to Mady and Ethan. Mallory was still doing whatever she wanted."
"One day, I heard her saying Carol that it was her life, her choice and people should keep their nose out of her business."
"Why did she keep ignoring you? Was she angry?" Evelyn asked.
"She never told anything to anyone. Not even Rita, her best friend."
"And I was so done. There was this party on one Friday night. I knew she was there. I thought of every single possible ways to corner her there. So I went to that party.
It was already too late when I reached there. The party had kind of died down. People were already drunk and passed out, some were even sleeping. And I kept searching for her. Rooms after rooms. I couldn't find her. It was a nightmare."
"But I did find her after half an hour of searching. In a room, drunk, laughing on the floor, out of her mind," Mason said with his throats constricted.
Evelyn grasped on his hand holding her breathe.
"With packets of drugs." Mason gulped the lump in his throat away.
"Oh god," Evelyn whispered out.
"But you know who else did I found in the same room?" Mason's voice raised up without him knowing. "My so called advice giving best friend."
"Bryan.'' Evelyn filled in.
"Passed out and lying in the bed right behind Mallory." Mason was breathing heavily. "He knew it. He saw her. Yet he did nothing. Maybe because he was the one who got her there in the first place."
Mason closed his palm so tight that his nails dug on his skin making it bleed.
"I picked Mallory up. She was blabbering and hitting me. I got her home." Mason said. "And that was it for me. I had had enough, didn't I? I locked her in her room. When she woke up in the morning, she knew I knew. "
"Carolina was as dumbstruck as ever. She didn't even know what to do. She didn't sign up for this shit. But Mal was my sister and so I made all the arrangements. I had already looked for rehabilitation centres around. I want her to be away, away from all from all of this. I found one in London. I chose it and I told Mal. She didn't say anything."
"Everything happened so fast and before I knew she was already gone. Mal left without a word." Mason said.
"And since then we haven't talked." Mason said. "She never picked up my phone, never answered my letters. Nothing. She didn't respond to anyone who wanted to contact her. She cut me off like I mean nothing to her. Maybe I don't mean anything to her."
Mason looked away. He glanced outside the window. It was dark outside. There was no moon tonight.
Evelyn sat there in silence and Mason dreaded whatever she would say.
"And all this time, I kept thinking how you could be such a possessive big brother that you sent your sister away just because she liked your best friend. Part of me never could believe it. So I wanted to hear your version of the story and it was quite different from what I have heard in school."
Mason snickered, "Oh yes, they have many juicy stories about my sister and my best friend and me."
"But I know better than that now." Evelyn pressed her lips together and gave Mason an assuring look. Facing him, Evelyn said, "But I am not going to lie to you saying that you took the best decision by sending her off to somewhere, out of the country."
Mason nodded.
"I guess, she needed your support more than anything." Evelyn stated. Mason nodded.
"I know I didn't do the best thing." Mason sighed. " Sending my twin sister away to somewhere far I felt like I am getting rid of a part of myself. She is my only family. And I couldn't keep her with me."
Evelyn placed a hand on his face and Mason glanced at her. " Hey. I know you tried. What happened had happened. Now what you can do is look forward and try to solve it. I am sure one day she will pick up the damn phone."
"I didn't try my best. I locked myself up when I should have been by her side." Mason shook his head.
" You are going to. Now. You learned something from this mistake. It counts. You are also a teenager just like her. Stop blaming yourself." Evelyn said almost in a order like voice.
Mason looked at her. Evelyn broke into fits of laughter.
"It sounds quite funny coming from me, eh? Because I never did it myself. It is actually easier said than done. At the end of the day, we are all a bunch of stupid human being." Evelyn said.
"Yep, I agree with that." Mason said.
"That is why I always want to space travel. I wanna meet aliens who might not be as stupid as us." Evelyn suggested.
"Take me with you when you go. I am eager to leave this earth as well." Mason said making small circles on her wrist.
"Nope, nope. It will be a secret mission of NASA. I can't just let anyone know." Evelyn gave a look.
"So I am just, "anyone"?" Mason asked with his eyes boring into hers. It was more than a question he wanted the answer to. He wanted to know in terms of things where they stood, if anything had changed in this last two months. If he meant anything to her.
"You kept the fridge open for too long. That is not right." Evelyn said pointing to the fridge behind her. Mason sighed.
"Yes, right. I didn't want to wake Mady up when I am stealing her cakes." Mason stood up from his tool and walked to the fridge. He saw his phone on the counter. Maybe he could use it for light after he closed the door. He stood in front of the fridge and closed the door. The room plunged into complete darkness.
Mason turned and he could not tell where was Evelyn or where was his phone or anything. He blinked a few times so his eyes could adjust to the dark.
"You are not just anyone," Evelyn said suddenly.
Mason wasn't expecting her to say anything on this matter.
"You are becoming someone who I don't want to rid of as of now." She said sitting where she was. In the dark, Mason could make out her silhouette across the table.
It was not the answer he was expecting. Mason didn't know what he was expecting. But what he heard was more than enough. After everything, Evelyn knew about him she still said that. Her words meant something. It was enough for Mason's emotion to roll into waves.
Mason just wanted a touch, a touch from someone to whom he meant something, who would not judge him like people around him, who would not pity him like them, to whom he was whoever he was and that person didn't care. Evelyn didn't care.
Mason took his steps carefully and crossed the distance between them.His feet made contact with a tool and he gripped on the side of the table finally reaching where he was before. Evelyn was sitting on the tool right in front of him. He could tell she was looking right at him.
Mason reached out for her hand. Maybe Evelyn did too because he held her hand right in the middle. He brushed his thumb on her fingertips, soft and warm.
"I am here," Evelyn whispered.
Every shackle in his heart broke and turned into a storm of emotion he was not aware of raging. But it was there. He didn't know how to handle. Mason wanted to breakfree. He wanted to press his lips on her right there, right then and uncage this storm.
Mason couldn't do it. He couldn't ruin everything right after he knew it was there. He could not take one step ahead of her and risk losing her when finally they stood at the same place. Mason could not let his emotion get better of him.
"You will be fine. Someday everything will be fine. I don't know when but this will pass, for me and for you. I might not be the most hopeful person but I hope too." Evelyn said and Mason could tell she was giving him a reassuring smile.
It was like someone had knocked the breathe out of his lungs and with each and every passing second, his heart was beating louder.
"You are too silent." Evelyn said placing a hand on his shoulder. Mason gulped.
So he went for the safest option. Mason hugged her tight and Evelyn did hug back without hesitating. Mason rested his chin on her head. They didn't pull right away, untill someone spoke.
"Who's there?"
"Oh no." Mason pulled back.
Evelyn was smiling. "I think we are in trouble." Mason said.
Evelyn stood up silently.
"Actually not we," Evelyn said walking backwards. "It is you, who's in trouble."
Then she turned and made a small run towards her room.
"Wait,what-"
"Mason, is that you?"This time it was undoubtedly Mady.
"You didn't just left me here right after I thought-" Mason mumbled. Then he smiled.
Keep running, Evelyn. I will catch you soon.
~~~
Author's note: I don't update on Mondays. But I did. So I will again update on Thursday. I am actually looking forward to write it all so that I can finish this book soon. In approximately what, two months, I suppose I will be too busy with school. So I want to finish writing all of it before that and I will keep publishing. I am trying here.
Personally I love this song and this chapter too. What about you?
See ya on Thursday :)