(From Fruits, Holland’s thought process; ⚠️Mentions of cannibalism⚠️)

I am the chef, the cook, the angel of death who comes to serve delicious plates of stew and vegetables to my love.

I see my work as a necessary part of Thomas’ life. My Tommy always hungers for more than the average human diet. He craves for the fruit of his kind, and I give it to him.

My parents don’t suspect anything. They’re too busy with other things to notice their middle son sneaking off at night, reading random cookbooks, or failing in his subjects.

I suppose that their both ashamed of me, a bastard child. My mother hates me because I’m not hers and my father ignores me because he feels ashamed.

I don’t care for either of them anyway, neither my two half-siblings. They all are just ripe fruits waiting to be picked and peeled.

My oldest half-sister, Finny, is on to me. Once, while she was visiting on a college break, she saw me and Thomas watching television together on the couch.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Holland.” She had said, eyes narrowing in what I think was suspicion.

I had ignored her and she went away moments later.

Surprisingly, she did not report to the parents about it. That’s the only thing I like about my half-sister.

**She knows how to mind her business.**

But then the next time she came over, after dinner and all, she had asked me in my room, “So what’s the deal with your boyfriend? Isn’t he that guy who was seen eating raw meat that one year in 5th grade?”

“So?” I had replied.

“I don’t wanna tell Mom and Dad, but I just don’t think that he’s someone to hang around.”

“He loves me, and I love him, so piss off and go back to your college life, Finny.”

Finny was quiet for a moment and laughed. “You have to be an absolute fool to believe that!” She sighed. “Man, Holland, I’m really worried about you, but do what you want to do. That boy’s just probably using you.”

Then she left the next day.

Of course he’s using me. I _want_ him to use me. He deems me useful, not just an ornament to be ignored and forgotten. Thomas loves me; he loves what I can do.

That’s all that matters.

I can’t wait until the day he smells the fruit that stands around me. Until the day he asks me to help him with four more dishes.

***

(🙃Thanks for reading and have a great day!)