Chapter II – Brotherly departure
I couldn’t really sleep that night. Too many thoughts twirled and danced in my head. Nelya was studying at her desk, her will to go on unwavering.
“Good morning.” I muttered, getting out of bed myself. Then, I looked around...Milo wasn’t anywhere. “Where’s Milo?”
“I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I woke up.” She shrugged. “I’ve already had breakfast. Help yourself.”
The dining hall was empty, but at the same time it had 2/3rds of the remaining people that lived there. Annaliese and Erika ate their breakfasts silently. Cléa looked at me and smiled bitterly, my plate already on the table. A soft, fresh cake with fruits on top. Delicious.
“Hey, Lillya.” Annaliese suddenly said after I sat in front of my food. She smiled at me.
“Where’s the others?” I asked her.
The witch, after her puzzling behavior of yesterday, asked me to take care of Vance and Gale, making it look like they left the house. As soon as I didn’t see them around, I started to worry.
“William is in his room. Gale and Vance are packing up...they’re leaving tomorrow morning. William doesn’t know it...but I gave them enough money to start fresh. Don’t tell him, please.”
“Why do you have access to dad’s money? Isn’t William the eldest?”
“Yes, he is. But he’s going to leave us after summer. There’s no point in making him hold the money” She replied. “Without him, I have the inheritance.
"So now you're basically our mom."
“Well…” she hesitated, an anxious sigh as she adverted her gaze. “I-I’ll do my best.”
Cléa rubbed her shoulders with her hands, her dark hair making a contrast with Annaliese’s golden ones. “You still have us. Your faithful servants. I do not doubt that most of us are here for money, but I know that some of us are here because we are also all grateful to this family, and we want to keep it together as much as we can.”
Annaliese smiled at her, nodding. “Thank you.”
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Gale and Vance didn’t eat with us that evening, mainly because William was still furious about their decision.
I didn’t blame them, honestly. They probably were the two that were the most sane in the whole family, since they were trying to escape.
As usual, late in the night after Nelya fell asleep, I got out to carry out my duty.
I wasn’t scared or sad anymore. I was used to it.
I walked to Gale’s room first, knocking gently. He opened the door right away, a book in his hand as her stared down at me. His golden hair shone with the soft lamp on the bedside table.
I could hear the shower running inside his bathroom. Someone was there with him.
“Lillya? Do you need something?” He asked me, puzzled.
“Can I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Hm…” he looked back with his eyes. “No. Sorry. I’m a bit tired.”
“Gale...come on. I’m not stupid.” I giggled, “I already know someone is in the shower. And I know it’s a maid.”
He blushed immediately.
The witch was right once more...Gale was having a relationship with one of the maids. Though she didn’t tell me who she was.
I wasn’t against that. It was better than incest. Way better. A bit scandalous...but fair.
“Alright, you little detective.” He chuckled, ruffling my hair. “Come in.”
He closed the door behind us and sat on his bed with a curious look, placing the book away. “What’s up?” He asked, fixing his long hair.
I sat beside him on the bed, just like I did with Rosie. I grabbed the book and read a random line.
“What is life? a tale that is told;
What is life? a frenzy extreme,
A shadow of things that seem;
And the greatest good is but small,
That all life is a dream to all,
And that dreams themselves are a dream.”
As soon as I read those lines, I felt...pain. Pain, sadness...anger.
Somehow, I knew what they meant, and I wanted to read more.
“It’s a complicate book for someone like you.” He giggled, grabbing it back. “So, what were you saying?”
I looked at him again.
A nice man, loved by women, loved by people. He had such a bright future ahead of him...being the perfect person he was.
“I wanted to show you something before you go.” I muttered.
I had to bring him away from the maid. She would have seen or heard me killing him. I couldn’t afford that. It had to look like he left with Vance and he was still alive.
“What is it?”
“It’s out in the backyard. A secret I had been keeping for a long time. I wanted to tell everyone when I was older but, since you’re leaving forever...I want to show you now.”
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“Lillya, it’s almost midnight. I’ll see it tomorrow morning, okay?” He sighed.
“No! I won’t wake up in time!” I tugged his sleeve.
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She tugged my sleeve insistently. Why was she so stubborn?
I didn’t want to leave Lillya and Nelya alone with William, but I also didn’t want to die. Vance and I decided to leave that place as soon as possible, as it was cursed.
And then, as soon as death came to my mind, something inside me clicked.
I suddenly understood.
I suddenly saw death in those ruby-red, innocent eyes.
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His expression changed abruptly. He stood up, walking backward towards the door...locking it.
"Lillya...can you tell me what are you going to show me?"
"I..."
‘’Prepare to fight.’’
Adrenaline immediately kicked in, flowing through my blood. I stood up and grabbed the lamp, turning it off to avoid fires before throwing it. The moonlight was my only ally.
Unfortunately, Gale was tall and strong. He charged at me before I could even swing my arm, slamming my body against the window hard, cracking the glass. He pinned me tightly, looking at the bathroom door.
“STEELIA! HELP! STEELIAAA!” He screamed. “You fucking psychopath! I KNEW THEY WEREN’T SUICIDES! YOU KILLED THEM!”
“Ngh…!” I grabbed his face with my small hand, pushing my thumb in his eye.
“FUCK! AAGHH!!!” He screamed, letting me go and wailing.
I rushed to the floor and grabbed the gas lamp again, ready to hit his head.
But then, the bathroom’s door opened. Steelia looked at the scene horrified, only in her underwear. The bathroom’s light illuminating me and Gale.
“SHE MURDERED THEM ALL! She tried to kill me!” He shouted, pointing his finger at me. “Help me! Call the police, tell everyone!”
I grabbed Steelias arm right before she could unlock the door and run out. “No!” I pulled her away, hitting her face with the lamp. She fell on the floor, moaning in pain.
Gale tried to grasp my arm, but I dodged towards the door, blocking his path.
We breathed heavily as he held Steelia in his arm, unconscious. He pressed his back against the window, unsure of what to do.
He was far from the rest of the members of this house. The servants were all on the other side, in a totally different floor. Nelya, Annaliese and Erika were right below us...but the pavement was made of pure, hard marble. His voice would have never reached anyone.
The only chance was Vance – who slept right in the next room.
“VANCE!” He screamed. “VANCE! WAKE UP!"
Cold air brushed my skin as I pushed the two out of the window. The glass was already broken, so I just had to give them a nice, fierce push.
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It happened in an instant. As soon as I blinked, I found myself flying without a foothold.
I looked at my dear, cute sister as she smiled triumphantly.
Why?
Why did she do all this?
I will never know, for I have reached death before discovering the truth.
One thing I will never forget, though...is that smile.
She looked relieved, not happy. She wasn’t glad we were all dying. She was relieved...as if we were harming her.
Where did we go wrong? Did we go wrong at all in the first place?
Questions, questions, questions. As I reached the end with my beloved clung to my arms, I asked questions to God.
“Why?” I moved my mouth in silence, before hitting the cold, hard ground below.
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His body made an ugly sound as he hit the ground. Dead on impact. Luckily, no blood gushed out.
The door behind me moved abruptly, the lock keeping it in place.
I carefully turned the knob, Vance stormed in as soon as he could, breathing heavily. I locked the door again, and the sound made him turn around.
“L-Lillya? What the heck?” He widened his eyes. “No...don’t tell me…”
I shrugged, hugging him dearly. “I'm sorry, dear brother.”
“W-Where is Gale?! Where the fuck is he!?” He pushed me away, panic kicking in.
I plainly pointed towards the window. He rushed over, freezing in place as soon as he saw his body.
And then...with a gentle push…
“I’m sorry.”
He fell as well, hitting the hard ground right beside him. He didn’t even scream...he was too shocked.
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Steelia moaned in pain, trying to stand up and failing. A small wheeze came out instead of a clean breath, since her lungs were crushed by the fall even though she was protected by Gale’s body.
We looked at each other for some time.
Then, she spoke.
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m5k1udod6bglugqqg9tqj/artist_missile228-a-lot-of-particles-depth-of-field-best-quality-illus-s-110290202.png?rlkey=lrgn8meod5flcmeyk6upivmhg&st=27gzidj0&raw=1]
“You are a...monster…!”
Her words...stung.
I looked at my own hands, drenched by the rain as I stood there, in front of the three people I have murdered without batting an eye, with a peaceful smile on my face.
Before I could realize it...pain, sadness, anger and everything else that came with that book I've read was gone.
“Yes. You’re right.” I muttered, my hands falling to my sides. “I became a monster.”
“Y-You were such a...*cough*! Such a sweet, little girl…” she cried quietly, unable to scream for help. “Why? What did this family do to you? Why did you kill them?”
As her answer got into my brain, the answer started to form.
‘’Because I had no choice’’?
‘’Because I feared punishment’’?
‘’Because the witch forced me’’?
No.
Somehow, I couldn’t find these answers fitting.
I simply crouched, caressing Steelia’s wet hair gently. She looked in my eyes with loath.
“I’m sorry.” I said. “You won’t have to suffer anymore.”
And so, I broke her neck with a swift movements of both my arms seamlessly...as if I was born with a talent for killing.
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After a long time, I managed to pull all the bodies far in the woods. Apparently, the witch removed that weird spell that made me faint after crossing the gates.
I didn’t even dig holes of any sort. I just dragged them far enough.
I stared at the pile one last time. I was wet, my whole body soaked with filth.
“Huh…?”
Then, I saw something moving from the corner of my eye. I looked up immediately, fearing that someone may have seen me.
It was Milo.
“Milo…!” I exclaimed, stretching my hand towards him. “Here you are! We’re have you been, hm?” I smiled at him.
But he sat there, in the mud. A faint glow wrapping his white fur, untouched by the rain.
He didn’t meow happily, nor he walked towards me. I immediately realize and stopped longing for him with my hand, as my smile became a bitter one.
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vf3w8p1yw73qoafk7ywy3/artist_missile228-a-lot-of-particles-depth-of-field-best-quality-illus-s-675119572.png?rlkey=znd4h1go2nfzd5nq86q2t4dlb&st=tq9kc564&raw=1]
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t save you.”
A faint voice came out from his position, the young voice of a little boy.
Before I could speak back, he stood up and turned around, disappearing through the darkness of the night.