I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

His heart is on its last legs, and his skin bruises with a flick.
“Dad?” Neo is familiar with the red tints clouding his father’s vision.
He swings his arm past Neo, pulling C up by his collar.
“Dad, no! Please!” Neo begs, whimpering. Sony and Hikari try to
step forward, but C waves them away.
“Please don’t hurt him,” Neo cries. He grabs at the hem of his
father’s coat, his fingers trembling. “Dad, take my books, take
everything, just leave him alone, please–”
“Quiet!” Neo’s dad yells, the arm that isn’t holding C, raised, like an
ax threatening to fall. Neo flinches hard, hiding his face.
“Touch him again,” C bites, reaching for breath. “Do it. Give me a
reason.”
Neo’s dad turns around, presumably to grab Neo and show C
exactly who’s in charge. Hikari and Sony let out a second’s scream
when he does. Because instead of grabbing Neo, he’s met with me.
On reflex, Neo’s dad reaches over my shoulder to push me aside,
but I don’t budge.
The room goes silent. An uneasiness rises in Neo’s father from his
stomach to his face.
“I know it’s odd, I’m stronger than I look,” I say, holding the chair’s
back behind me, bridging a barrier.
Neo’s dad looks at me the way everyone does when they get that
funny feeling in their gut. That they know me. That they’ve met me
before. That I somehow have more power than I seem to from afar.
I can feel his lungs. I can feel his heart racing as the stunned look on
his face gradually fades back into anger.