Chapter Four: Lull

"Hugo?" I ask. Henry starts laughing manically, again. It sends chills down my spine and still, he doesn't answer. I look into his eyes, but I can sense no humanity inside him. I don't know how I've never realised this before, but there is something truly horrifying about him. He's mentally ill - psychopathic, maybe.

"Damn, Charlie, you should know our good friend Hugo. He's the one that killed dad. Why don't you come down and say hi?" Henry finally answers. Once again, my heart beats fast. I look to William, and all the colour seems to have drained from his face. He looks mortified.

"No. Erm, not right now, Henry. I mean, we went grocery shopping. We should probably sort it out now." I say, stalling for time.

"Suit yourselves, guys. I'm just saying. They might not live very long. Oh, what time is it?" Henry asks. I pull out my phone, and in too much shock to say anything, show him the time. "Almost 6pm. Alright. Well, I have a date later, with Nancy, don't wait up. I'll leave around half six."

The voices start whispering again. Louder, louder, louder still. It's deafening. I sit down on the floor quickly and try to block everything out. But for some reason, Satan begins to praise me.

He tells me to be strong, that this is for the best. I don't know who to trust anymore. It's all in my head, but it feels so real.

No one in the world knows about what goes on in my head, besides my brothers. If I tell anyone, they'll say I'm schizophrenic.

It was Henry that encouraged my delusion that Satan was talking to me in the first place - he messed with my mind.

I don't know what to believe anymore.

This summer is going to be bad. There is no way that it is going to end well. My eldest brother is going to kill at least two people - as if our parents dying wasn't too much death for a six month period. I desperately want to go out tonight. I think there's a party happening at Sophie's friends house.

William seems like he needs to go out and have a good time, let his hair down. Maybe, if he's lucky, Isaac will be there. I begin to text Sophie, but glance up at Will. He glares at me and walks out. I don't bother to stop him, primarily because I can't bear to fall out with my siblings, and I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure I have this feeling in my gut that I have done something to anger him. The house is oddly quiet. The voices seem to have died down, now, and I feel better. Slightly. I send my text to Sophie and patiently await her reply.

"At Klaudia's house. U want the add?" Sophie texts back, almost instantly. I smile, and wait a few seconds before replying.

"Yes please" I reply. I call Will down. Summer parties are the best. Might as well make the most of it, and get as drunk as possible before September rolls around again.

He sighs loudly at me. "What?" I try and think of a way to word the sentence so he actually wants to come.

"Do you want to leave the house?" I ask. He nods. "Okay," I reply, "well there's a party. We should go."

My phone goes off, and I have the address. "What are we gonna do about Henry? Charlie, we can't just leave him to... to - to kill."

"Why not? I mean, think about it. Aren't these people getting what they deserve?" I try and explain how it is fair, that he should do it. But I don't even know what I believe anymore.

"I know that you believe it's wrong," he says.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." I say, grabbing a jacket and walking out the door. "Who cares? It's not our problem, and he won't get caught. Just pretend this never happened. Just imagine that we're two normal siblings, going to a bad house party at some girls house who probably hates me." Will looks oddly at me. "It's Klaudia. We have never conversed, but somehow, she seems to dislike me."