Settling In

His new room, Will noticed as he entered was a lot bigger than either one that he’d had at either Auntie Joe’s, or his old home, with a good view out of the window to the large expanse of farm fields that stretched for miles in every direction. And yet he hated it. He hated how it wasn’t his, not really. Sure, he could unpack his stuff and try to set it up like in his old room, but it wouldn’t be the same.

Will slumped down on the large bed, and looked around without seeing anything.

“Settling in?”

Will looked up to see his Mum standing in the doorway. Why was she trying to act like this was all normal, like they were on some little holiday rather than what it really was, the absolute last refuge for them. “Yeah this was my room when I was your age.”

Seeming to sense that he wasn’t in the mood to be lied too anymore, Alicia decided to elaborate.

“I know you don’t like that we keep moving around William. But it just wasn’t safe at your Aunt’s anymore.” Alicia said.

“Why don’t you tell that to Jack.” Will asked, he could handle the moving, he didn’t like it, but he could handle it. But it was the constant lying, the constant pretending that their Dad wasn’t a complete monster. “Why can’t you just tell him the truth?”

Alicia didn’t immediately respond. Which annoyed Will even more. He’d been expected to grow up way too fast. But now here was his Mum still trying to live like a child.

“I don’t like doing it. But whilst I am, I’m also allowing him to have a Dad. Not a psychopathic monster that…” Alicia caught hold of herself, at the scared look on Will’s face. Slowly she managed to regain control of her temper. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk about him that way.”

Will didn’t say anything, he knew what his Dad was, he’d been on the receiving end of his abusive behaviour before.

“Mum.” Will said tentatively as he took out his phone. “Dad has been texting me again. Trying to find out where we are.”

As Will handed over his phone, he watched as his Mum looked at the message, her eyes narrowing as she scrolled upwards. His phone buzzed again, the assault from his Dad trying to find them continuing on.

“Tomorrow I’ll buy you and your brother new phones. And we can… we can start to rebuild our lives here.” Alicia said as she handed the phone back to Will. “Not that I have to tell you. But don’t respond.”

Will however was not in the mood to be comforted.

“Until you decide that this place isn’t safe and we have to start all over again someplace else.” Will retorted.

Alicia couldn’t agree with that, but she couldn’t.

“Well yes.” Alicia said as she sat herself on the bed next to Will. “But this place is different. Your Uncle will be here round the clock, at least until wedding season starts in the spring.”

Will didn’t move, he could still see a floor in the plan. “He doesn’t exactly seem in much of a helping mood at the moment.”

But before Alicia could respond to the objection. From his own room, Jack shouted.

“Mum. I can’t find my Switch?!”

Despite herself, Alicia smiled, smiled at her youngest son’s innocence to everything that was happening. And also wishing that a missing game console was the top of her worries.

“I’m coming!” Alicia shouted back at Jack. Then as she got up, and walked to the door, before turning back to Will, who was not smiling. “I will tell him why we keep moving. Not yet, but I will before the spring.”

Later that night, whilst Jack was up in his room, Will wasted no time in taking control of the remote for the TV and began flicking through channels. If he was forced to stay here, then he was going to at least enjoy himself. After all, it wouldn’t be long until his Dad found them here and dragged them back home.

Luke, who had been content with what had been on the TV before his nephew came and hijacked it. Was not pleased with this turn of events. He had not signed up for this when he’d agreed to let them stay.

“Pick a channel and stick with it kid.” Luke said as he tried not to throw up from the nausea caused by the rapid flicking images.

“Isn’t there anything good on?” Will asked lounging on the sofa, whilst flicking through the channels at lightning speed, hardly stopping on each one before moving not the next.

“Yeah it’s called going up to your room and watching your TV.” Luke replied, annoyed. His head was aching from the constant channel changes on his TV. Twenty-four hours ago, he’d had this whole place all to himself. Now he was sharing it with his sister and his bratty nephews.

“Why don’t you have Sky?” Will asked turning off the TV, and throwing the remote down onto the sofa. “We had Sky back at Aunt Joe’s.”

“Oh, my apologies. Is the private and free hotel not up to your standards, sir?” Luke said and grabbing hold of the remote and flicked the TV back on.

Will threw up his hands. “Gee, sorry.”

Before Luke could respond, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Getting it out, he saw the one person he didn’t want to hear from calling him. “Great.” Luke grumbled as he glowered down at the screen. “Just perfect.”

“Who is it?” Alicia asked, blissfully unaware as she scrolled through her own phone feed.

Luke looked at her apologetically, then answered into the phone. “Hello Oliver.”

Alicia’s face drained of colour. Will also looked up at his Dad’s name being used. He had never believed his Mum’s assurances that they were really safe here. But even he’d hoped that they would have remained undiscovered for longer than twelve hours.

“Yes. Everything is fine here.” Luke said, then looked over at Alicia who was jabbing furiously at him. Quickly he put the phone on mute. “What?” Luke asked in an undertone.

“Don’t tell him we’re here.” Alicia said, also as quietly as possible, despite the fact that the phone was on mute.

Luke rolled his eyes, and took the phone off silent. As much as he was annoyed for his sis and her brats coming over unannounced and uninvited. He wasn’t that much of a dick. He had never liked Alicia’s partner, never. And his feelings had not changed in the past two decades since he’d first been introduced to Oliver Evans. A big man with small dick syndrome if ever there was one.

“What was that Oliver. I didn’t catch your last sentence?” Luke asked, his face gaining redder and redder. “What? No, I haven’t seen little miss prissy perfect.” Dodging the pillow that was lobbed at his head, he continued the conversation. “Yes. Of course, I’ll let you know if they show up here.”

Luke hung up the phone, on the sofa, Will let out a sigh of relief as he headed back to his room, half tempted to pack up already.

“Asshole.” Luke said as he pocketed the phone. Then he looked over at his sister. “How bad did it get?”

Alicia face, still pale white, looked up. And Luke didn’t need an answer. It was plastered all over her face.

“Bad. He’d beat me, almost every night. When he was done, he’d turn what was left of his anger on Will.” Alicia said. It felt good to finally get it off her chest. Back at her sister’s she’d not spoken about what Oliver had done, and it had become an unwritten rule between her and Joe that they wouldn’t talk about it.

“He beat him?” Luke asked, finally getting an insight into his Nephew’s issues.

“Yeah. Started when he lost his paper-round when he was thirteen. The news agent closed up, no biggie I stupidly thought, loads of places were closing. And honestly I was surprised that they had been even offering paper-rounds to begin with.” Alicia replied, though not telling Luke that Will had gotten the job specifically to get out of the house and away from his Father. “But Oliver. He never listened to that reason. He always believed that Will must have done something wrong. So, whenever he felt like Will wasn’t pulling his weight. He’d make sure that he’d get a whopping, as he’d call it.”

“His weight?” Luke asked incredulous. “He’s fifteen, and still in school.”

“Yep. That’s why Will’s acting out so much. Having to grow up too quickly and move about the country so that Oliver can’t find us, all whilst keeping up the facade for his younger brother that their Dad isn’t a complete monster. It takes a toll on him.”

“Surprised he didn’t run away before you did.” Luke said, that’s what he would have done, either that or slit the bastard’s throat whilst he slept. No court would have convicted him if he done that probably.

“He was going too. He told me.” Alicia replied smiling. “That’s when I decided to leave. That way, I could keep an eye on him, and make sure that Jackson also got out of there too before Oliver decided that he wasn’t pulling his weight either.”

“Jesus.” Luke slumped further down in his seat. His thoughts about watching the TV were now gone from his minds.

Suddenly from upstairs, a high pitch scream broke the conversation.

Alicia looked up. And then darted up the stairs, Luke not far behind. Will for his part did not run. Instead staying put in the living room.

Alicia rammed open the door to her younger son’s new room, to see Jackson pointing at the large window.

“There was a man out there!” Jack shouted as he continued to stare into the glass. “I saw him. He had his face against the window! He kept asking to be let in!”

Alicia held Jack tightly at this. Whilst giving furtive glances at the window.

“What happened?” Luke asked as he came rushing into the room. Alicia was already there, holding tightly onto Jack’s neck.

“Someone. At the window.” Jack said gasping slightly from his Mum’s tight embrace.

Luke rushed over to the window and peered out at the street below.

Nothing was there. The street seemed completely disturbed. Moreover, they were on the first floor. Whoever had been at the window, if there had been someone, Luke still wasn’t sure on that, would have needed a ladder to even reach it.

“Stay here.” Luke said as he rushed back down the stairs, grabbing his phone as he did so. But when he went to use its torch, he found it out of battery.

“What’s going on?” It was Will, he’d come out of the living room and was looking up the stairs.

“Good kid. Come with me.” Luke said as he reached open the front door and headed out into the darkness.

After a moment, where Will could only gape at what was happening, he managed to regain his nerves, and follow his uncle out onto the front garden.

In the daylight, it had appeared like one among many to Will. Maybe slightly more unkempt, but other than that, a simple front lawn. Now at night though, it had a quality that had not been present before. Chaos. The trees that had been quiet in the daylight now hung over them, blocking out the stars and moonlight. The grass felt harder now compared to before. And he even though he saw the bright eyes and heard the noisy movements of animals, probably rodents in the hedges.

“Got your phone on you kid?” Luke asked as he stared down at Will, who nodded. “Good get the torch on and scan it around the ground for me.”

Will obliged, the light from his phone illuminating the ground around them. It looked completely normal. Nothing there to show that it had been disturbed at all as far as either of them could tell.

“Damn it.” Luke said as he looked around. “How active is your brother’s imagination, Will?”

Will only shrugged. But only because he knew that Jack didn’t really have one. It was kind of eerie in a way. His little brother had always been literal, almost on the verge of being blunt. He also knew that Jack could not tell a lie to save his life. He always knew what was right and what was wrong. And there could be no middle ground.

“Well.” Luke said as he stroked what stubble he had. “If there was someone out here, then they must have left in a hurry.”

“A peeping tom isn’t going to hang about though.” Will interjected. “And how’d he get up to the window?”

“Yeah. Could have climbed the wall. It’s difficult sure. But not impossible.” Luke had made the climb before, as had both his sisters. But that was because they knew the house. Knew where all holes and breaks in the wall were. It was a tried route up. And for a stranger to do it, at night more importantly, seemed very unlikely.

Luke looked around his front garden. Trying to find any other evidence to back up his younger nephew’s story. But as he scanned, his eyes gradually fell on The Lodge, The Murder House as they’d called it as kids, was sitting on its hill and looking down on them.

All its lights were on.