Blood and Water

Scraping. Like metal against rock. The sound repeated mercilessly, over and over again. When it finally stopped, another sound like something light and metallic being set on a definitely metal tray. The following silence chilled the heart, and sent rottenness through the bones.

“Blood is thicker than water.”

They could not see. Only hear. And feel. At this exact moment, they felt only numbness in their arms from bindings suspending them above their head. And an intense, prey-like fear from the cold, disgusted voice.

“You know, I just can’t stand that phrase.” 

Another metallic sound. This time, the distinctive whiff of scissors through the air. These, too, repeated far too many times before being set upon the tray. 

“Although, it isn’t the phrase, or is it a saying? Eh–” a loud plonk now, making them shudder “–it’s just, ever since I learned the…hmm…”

The voice made a deep sigh, followed by several small taps on the tray.

  “When I think about it, it’s really three things I hate about it.

  The longer they were awake, the more numbness gave way to a pulsing, resonate pain, centralized at the back of their head.

“One: What people say it means. ‘Blood’ and ‘Water’ are people, of course, and it’s a matter of perspective which people are which things. Most say ‘Blood’ means family and ‘Water’ means friends–or really, I guess it could mean everyone besides family. And you know what they say?”

Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was the Dark. But they swore they felt a shift in the air. And the cold, merciless bite of a blade against their throat. 

“Family over everything. Family, no matter what.”

The cut was shallow. Merely a test of sharpness. Still, blood trickled down as they thrashed against the binds, heart beating so fast they thought it might burst.

“That bleeds into Two: What people use it to justify. If it’s ‘Family over everything’, they reason, then stick to family–no matter what they do. Or who they do it to. Uncle touched you? It’s fine. Daddy beats you? Get over it. Mommy spends every, waking, moment molding you into her perfect, little–argh!”

A loud crash, everything spilling unto the floor. The voice breathed irregularly as its owner quietly set everything back up. 

“That–” calmer now “–brings us to Three: What it really means. It really puts it into perspective when you hear this, so I need you to pay attention. People have been misquoting this phrase–misusing this saying–for years!”

Their panic reached a zenith, then to feel like new equilibrium as their heart’s incessant racing shook every cavern of their body. There was now only the pain, ever-throbbing.

“‘The Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the Water of the Womb’.”

Another hanging silence. Like the voice, or its owner, wanted the words to sink in.

“Do you have any idea what that means? It’s completely different than anything any of us imagined! A ‘covenant’–a bond, a promise, a thing made between two or more people by choice–is ‘thicker’–of more significance, of greater consequence–than the ‘water of the womb’–things we’re born into and forced to accommodate.”

Something like clicking, followed by the tell-tale sound of flame, blooming to life sent fresh waves of terror through their being. The voice sighed. 

“Why am I wasting my time? You don’t care. No one does.”

They held their breath as silence took it, while the throb threatened to send them back to unconsciousness. The electric buzz of what was probably, terrifyingly, a drill woke them–unquestionably. 

“Give me a scream we can both feel.