68 Mrs. Catherine (2/2)
”After that, I brought him home the day later-” Julian paused, looking at Gradis to make sure she was awake and continuing when he locked eyes with her attentive eyes, ”We came home the way I told you earlier and Matheio was kinda depressed, but I fixed that and tried to find a way for him to get along with dad.”
”Which was…” Gradis prompted.
”The PJ,” Julian sighed.
He regretted that action, so much that we wished he could go back in time to erase it. But… he knew even if he went back in time, he wouldn't change it. Because if he didn't do that, he would've never known how broken Matheio had gotten and it would have hit them later, in a worse state.
”It was a few days after Matheio came home and I went shopping with father, a rare event that I had taken advantage of. But not to my surprise, it turned out I was the one doing the shopping, while father double-checked the department store and mall's state, since it was under his name,” Julian recalled, ”In the end, I managed to get father to mindlessly pick up a PJ for Matheio, and to my surprise at that time, it was the exact style father would have worn to sleep. Except with a price-tag a few hundred less than his and in a tinier size that was perfect for Matheio.”
He took a breath before continuing, ”the meltdown happened a few hours before his bedtime as we tried out his new clothes. When I brought it out, he did an excited squeal and nothing was wrong. He was simply excited to try on something father bought for him. But then...I put it on him and ushered him to a mirror to look at how well it fit him.”
Julian flinched, remembering Matheio's reaction. ”Nothing happened at first. He just stood and stared for a second then whispered to take it off. When I didn't reply he start yelling and screaming, his fingers clawing at the sleeves of the PJ in an attempt to take it off.”
”'TAKE IT OFF ME PLEASE!!'” Matheio shrieked, his hands scratching his arms violently, leaving marks on his skin.
”'MATHEIO! WHAT ARE YOU- STOP IT!!'” Julian yelled, attempting to help Matheio but he was pushed away.
Matheio shook vigorously, pulling at the buttons of the shirt and then yanking the neckline of the top of his PJ.
”'TAKE IT OFFFF!!!'” He screamed, tears rushing down his face uncontrollably.
He pulled on his pants, yanking them off quickly and scratching his legs to get the feeling of the bland clothing off him. Blood ran down his little leg from a cut he gave himself with his uncut nails.
”'HOLD STILL!'” Julian commanded, grabbing Matheio firmly by the shoulder and pulling him into his embrace, restraining him in his big arms, then pulling the PJ shirt over Matheio's head.
”'IT'S OFF!'” Julian screamed, shaking Matheio.
Matheio shivered, his eyes dulled and hazy as his hands twitched, restrained by Julian against the urge to claw himself until every surface the PJ touched, bled.
”He looked...dead,” Julian muttered, the cold word, stung his lips.