If You Dare

The violent shaking of the car rattled the boy’s body, throwing him side to side. Each impact of his body against on the side and back of the seat painted his skin in mottled red blotches. He tried to steady himself with his hands by moving them about in air and hoping to grasp onto anything that would cease the repetitive fiery outbursts of pain. However the thick black material that was tightly secured over his eyes and beginning to cut into the skin made this an almost impossible task.

The boy let out a deflated sigh, his head hung low and his body was left at will to the forces of the car. His raven black locks where so thick with dirt and grease that they did not fall with the downward movement of his head instead they stood tall and untamed, sticking out at wild angles. His body began to move about again, there was little that would hold him in place, he was deathly thin. His alabaster skin stretched over the bones that it concealed so tightly it appeared to be threatening to tear at any moment.

Unknowing what to do with his hands he allowed his frail fingers to toy with the silver ring that hung from a chain around his neck. He used his blunt dirty fingernails to trace the minuscule inscription engraved into the tarnished metal. M.W. It was almost a methodical and automatic movement now to trace those two letters. However torturous on his soul he always seemed to fall into a troublesome reminiscence. The images and emotions where always the same, all ignited by this simple movement of nail against metal and it never failed to leave him with the same nostalgic longing for the days before this nightmare began.

-X-

“Gee! Gee! Watch this!,” a young dusty blonde boy ran in circles around a slightly larger black haired boy.
“Gee! Come on! Play!,” the blonde begged for his brother to join in his bodily acting out of the movements of an aeroplane. The elder let out a small chuckle watching his brother spin and whoosh around making vibrating noises with his lips and had his arms held out to the side to re-create the wings of a plane.
The blonde stopped his plane movements and pouted, grumpy with his brother for refusing to join in his high speed-high altitude adventure.
“You’re no fun Gee…”
“You want to play a game Mikey?” a dastardly smile etched onto the elder’s face.
The little boy’s face lit up with excitement and happiness, “YES! Yes please!”
“Alright it’s called, RUN!”
“Run? Why is it called ru-,” the older stopped the boy from speaking by attacking his small body with tickles.
“Gee! Gee! No! Stop!” the boy’s high pitched giggle echoed in between the trees.
“I told you to run, not my fault you didn’t listen,” he smiled releasing his brother from his grasp.

The raven haired boy got to his feet pulling his brother with him. He helped Mikey dust the dirt from his jeans and fixed up his shirt that had been crinkled from the tickles. Mikey beamed at his older brother and wrapped his arms around his waist nuzzling his face into his stomach due to the height difference.
“Thanks Gee, love you.”
“I love you too Mikey.”
“Boys! Inside now!” A shrill cry escaped the open window of the house behind the pair.
The elder took hold of Mikey’s hand and led him into the house, sitting him down at the kitchen table. Two plates appeared before them each holding a sandwich and a biscuit.
“Thanks Ma,” he smiled at his mother who placed a small kiss on each boy’s cheek.
“Fanks Mah,” Mikey spoke with a mouthful of bread.
“Michael, no talking with your mouth full,” the salt and pepper haired woman scolded.
“Sorry Ma,” Mikey apologised his mouth now free of any food substance.
The woman just chuckled and placed a light kiss on the youngers forehead then smiling down at him, “finish your lunch Mikey.”

The two brothers sat in silence finishing off the last few bites of their sandwiches. The woman leaned against the counter sipping on a glass of icy lemonade watching her two sons. A light breeze fluttered in through the open window causing a few locks of stray to fall and obstruct her vision. By the time she had moved the hairs from her eyes the two boys had already disappeared from the kitchen. She let out a small sigh and began to busy herself with cleaning the plates that were left behind.

Mikey ran through the empty halls towards the door leading out into the garden. His brother was close on his heel nearly catching him a few times. Both their giggles echoed off the pale white walls and rippled through the mostly empty house. Together they burst out the door stumbling and landing on the soft dewy grass. Mikey landed on his brother and curled into a ball from hysterics. The elder struggled to keep a straight face and burst into laughter alongside his brother.

Screaming cut through their laughter. Silencing them. The elder sat up, pushing his brother off his body is the process. Mikey looked up at his brother, fear evident in his small innocent eyes.
“Gee, what was that?,” he asked tugging on his brothers arm.
“I don’t know Mikey, wait here I’ll go check.”
“No! I don’t want to wait by myself.”
“Mikey please.”
“No Gee, I’m coming with you.”
He let out a defeated sigh before pulling himself and the smaller boy to their feet. He grabbed hold of his brothers hand tightly and held him close.
“Stay next to me Mikey alright? Don’t let go of my hand, promise?”
“I promise Gee.”

The two boys walked together. Their steps almost synched in time with one another. They entered the house. Another scream. The youngers grip tightened almost cutting the circulation in his brothers hand. Together they tip-toed down the hallway, avoiding the floorboards that creaked. Another scream. The older motioned for his brother to stay silent by placing a finger over his lips. They reached the kitchen. Neither dared to take the first step. The raven haired boy poked his head through crack in the doorway peering at the scene. Red. Everywhere. Everything. Red. Another scream. Then shouting. Male voices. Obscenities. Profanities. His body jolted backward. Hysterics ignited. He knocked into Mikey hitting his nose with his elbow. Mikey squealed in pain while blood began to gush out. The boy froze. There was silence.
Suddenly the door was ripped off its hinge. Both boys screamed. The scene was now visible. Red. Blood. Coating every inch of the kitchen. Their mother slumped over in the centre of the room. A pool of crimson surrounding her mutilated body.

Mikey began to wail and sob, crying out for his mother, but never letting go of the older boy. The elder gripped tighter onto his brother, tears cascaded down his pale cheeks, he wanted so badly to join his brothers pained cries, but he couldn’t.

A figure appeared in the doorway blocking the view of the kitchen. Burly and large, dirty and rough, he appeared to be male, but not human. His skin had a striking ripple of silver run through it when he moved. And his eyes, a piercing black that stared down at both boys.
The older only cared for one thing; his brothers safety.

“Mikey, let go of my hand,” he growled through clenched teeth.
“But Gee you said not too,” Mikey sniffled.
“Let. Go.”
“But Gee-“
“LET GO!”

Mikey released his small hand from his brothers and began to cry again. The man moved an inch. He eyes the youngster whose snotty face was red and puffy from tears. A sickly grin formed on his face. He lunged toward the small boy. His brother sensing the man’s movement shoved Mikey over allowing the man’s grip to land on his shoulder rather than his brothers.
“Mikey run!” He yelled as he was pulled backward. The boy lay on the ground crying as he watched his brother be pulled away by this foreign man.
“MIKEY! RUN!”

Mikey shot to his feet and his brother watched as he ran down the hallway and dashed out the back door. Never once looking back. He watched his brothers small body disappear into the outside world. And then his world went black.

-X-

His body jolted upright as the car screeched to a halt. He blinked a few times before remembering the cloth over his eyes. He heard the grunt of a male as the door next to him was swung open and he was pulled from the car. He landed on the ground with a dull thud.
Pine needles and dirt stuck into his calloused hands. The smell of wood and earth infiltrating his nostrils. A forest. They were in a forest this time. A nice house in the forest. Pleasant. He didn’t dare let himself smile at the thought of living practically within nature, but his mind was alight with joy. No more smoggy cities and filthy basements, just fresh air and open spaces.

“Get up!” a gruff voice demanded.

He began to shuffle to his feet when a hand gripped onto his hair and pulled him up involuntarily. The cloth was removed. The lurid light burned his eyes and he squinted trying to ease the fiery sting. He gained his vision slowly and gasped a little at what he saw. A house. A mansion really. Victorian era, dark almost black wood and black tile, with a turret to the side. It was slightly dilapidated and looked like the classic haunted house, but it could not be denied that is was beautiful in a distorted way.

“Stop gawking and start bringing in my things!” the man barked at the boy before storming off into the house.

The boy stared for just a moment longer to appreciate the grandeur he was viewing. The trees seemed to perfectly line the house, surrounding it in a perfect circle and looming over it, their limbs reaching out to grasp at the house.

He sighed and began to shuffle to the back of the car to unpack his owners’ things. There was box upon box all full of items that he would spend many an hour cleaning and dusting, only to be beaten for not doing it properly, and so he would do it again. He wrapped his frail hands around the first of many and began to lift it when a voice hit his ears. He’d never heard another voice other than his owners’ in years. He stopped and slowed his breathing so he could hear it better.
“Frankie! Stop running! I can’t keep up with you!”
“Oh come on Mikey, we’re nearly there just a little farther!”

Notes

hey guys, I am back and so stoked to be starting a new story! I have big plans for this one, and updates will hopefully be once a week with nice long chapters! So enjoy and do tell me what you think, constructive criticism is most welcome! x