Series Wednesday: Family game night Page 9

Percy made it clear to me and my family that he will let us know where he stands the next family game night. He will either be with me or with them. My stomach turns at the thought of this. I wait at Chance’s house to see if Percy is going to show up.  Chance holds me in his arms. “Are you going to tell me what is weighing so heavy on you?” I know I can’t tell him the truth but how much I wish I could.  “Just got into a fight with the robots and they are trying to drag Percy into it.”  Chance pulls me into him tighter. “Percy would never side with the robots over you. You know how much Percy loves you. I think you’re over reacting.” I try to turn around to hit him. “I am not over reacting.” I tell him. I look down at my phone and it’s midnight. Percy has made his choice and it was to stand with them. I don’t want to stay here at Chance’s tonight. I want to make sure Percy is okay. I hope he didn’t side with them because he felt like he had to. I start to get up and get my stuff. “You’re not staying the night??” Chance asks. “Nope I need to check on Percy. I need to make sure the robots don’t change him.” Chance grabs my arm. “Cahira I think you should go talk to him but I think you should think about what you’re going to say to him first. Even if you’re coming from a loving place you can come off the wrong way at times.” I stop and just listen to Chance, I know he is right but I just want to be with my little brother and make sure he is okay. "Cahira what if you say the wrong thing and change the relationship between you two?" Chance asks me. I drop my stuff on the floor. "Fine I'll stay the night and think about it." Chance smiles at me. "I think you're doing the right thing." I lay down next to Chance as he wraps his arms around me. "Did you hear about that guy, Enrique?" I roll around and look at Chance. "No, probably because I don't care to hear anything about him. I roasted him in auto class last week." Chance eye brows lift. "You will not feel so good about that after you hear this. His mom just went back to jail. She tried to rob the corner store." I feel kind of bad for him but it's not like I know him all that well. "Wow! that sucks." I can't imagine what he feels no wonder he keeps to himself, his life is probably full of secrets something I can relate to. 

I wake up first thing in the morning to rush home. As I start to grab my stuff Chance wakes up. "Cahira it is 6AM." I look at him. "I know I am sorry I just need to get home and talk to Percy."  I continue to grab my stuff to take off. "Cahira remember to try and see things from his point of view and think before you speak." Chance says as he rolls over. "I will don't worry." I say as I head out the door. I get on my motorcycle to head home.  I try not to speed but I can't help it. I just want to get home to Percy. I open the front door to see my mother sitting on the stairs with a cup of coffee.  Great she wants to gloat about how he picked them. "You win. Where is Percy? He could have at least slept here last night."  My mother says to me as she looks past me. "What do you mean? Percy never came to Chance's last night. You won." I tell my mother. She looks scared. "Cahira this isn't a time for jokes. Percy never came home after school." We both just look at each other for a second. "I am not joking he never showed up at Chance's. Maybe he snuck into his room." I start to head up the stairs to Percy's room with my mother not far behind me. I open his door to find his bed unslept in.  "DAD, GRACE!" I scream. My mother walks into the room and checks his closet. "What are you doing?" I ask her. "I am making sure he didn't run away.  “My mother says as she starts to open his dressers. All of his clothes are in the closet and dressers. Grace comes running into his room. "What are you screaming for?" She says as she starts to look around his room and see our mother. "Percy is missing." I explain to Grace. I walk out of the room to try and control my emotions as I start to think of where he could be. My dad is walking down the hall way toward me. "Dad" I yell as I run up to him. My dad picks me up into his arms as I break down crying. "We pushed him too hard to make a choice and now he is gone." I cry out. "Wait, what are you talking about Cahira?" My dad says as he puts me down. "Percy is gone. Mother thinks he ran away or something but all of his stuff is here. He didn't show up to Chance's last night." My dad walks past me into Percy's room. He looks at my mother and Grace who are both standing there very confused looking. "Grace the game room, set it to stealth." My dad says as he looks around. "Are you serious right now? Percy is missing and your concern about the game room!" I yell at my dad as Grace runs down to the game room. "Yes Cahira because cops are going to be in the house after we call them about Percy missing." My mother walks over to my dad and wraps her arms around him. "He is just a little boy, what if he is just hiding out at friend house?" She says with actual emotion. "We need to call the cops as we call Percy's friends. Let’s go." My dad says as he goes to get his phone.

Series Wednesday: Family game night page 8

           Percy and I walk up the hill. "So are you going to tell me about your first family game night? Or are we going to have to walk another 5 miles?" Percy says jokingly. "Well you know Chance?" I ask Percy. "Yeah your boyfriend I think I know him." I am not sure how to tell Percy this. "Chance is my best friend and not really my boyfriend. I am not his type you see Chance is into guys. He even fell in love once, with this horrible guy. The guy treated Chance like crap and broke his heart. Well I told Grace about it because that was before I realized Grace is just mother’s eyes and ears." Percy stops walking. "Wait Chance is gay???" I nod yes. "Wow that explains so much about him. But why would you pretend to be his girlfriend. I get why he would pretend but you I don't get. “No one beside Grace and my mother know about Chance and they never asked me why. So I have never had to explain it out loud before. "It’s simple I come from a family of serial killers. So anyone who would want to get close to me would ask questions. Or dad and mother would try to see if anyone I date would be like them. There are just too many factors with dating an outsider that I didn't want to deal with." Percy and I sit under a tree to rest for a while. "That sounds pretty lonely to me. I am sorry Cahira." Percy is so empathetic to my feelings there is no way he is going to take their side.  "So are you going to tell me what happened on your first family game night?" Percy asks. I got so side tracked I forgot the original question. "Right where was I??? Oh yeah, so I told Grace about how much I hated him for hurting Chance. I still remember walking into the game room for the first time and seeing all the different surgical instruments and thinking that I was going to undergo surgery or something. That when they wheeled him out in front of me. I was so confused at first.  I still remember the look on Grace’s face as she handed me a hunting knife and told me to have fun. I freaked out and cut him free. I told them I didn't understand how they could do this to another human being. Dad came up behind him so fast I didn't even have a second to blink.  The wire was so thin it slice his head clean off. I was traumatized for a long time after that. I told dad that I wanted nothing to do with that part of their lives but somehow to them that meant I had nothing to do with any part of their lives. "Percy put his head on my shoulder. “Well that explains a lot of my childhood questions. Is that when mom started taking you to the brain doctor?"  Percy asks putting all the pieces together. "Yes that when she took me to the brain doctor, turns out dad, Grace and mother all share a unique quantity. Apart of their brains are more active than mine.  We think that is the part that makes them super smart and organized. Well and you know the part that makes them want to kill."  I look at Percy to see if maybe I can see what he is thinking by the look on his face.
                Percy hasn't said anything in a while. "Do you think mom will take me to get my head scanned?" Percy asks me. "Yeah if you don't want to kill she will. Is that what you're saying?" I ask him with excitement. "No I am not saying that at all. I am just asking if she would take me. Maybe then I will know how I feel." Percy seems more lost then I or Grace ever was. I never thought about him not knowing where he stood. I always thought this was black and white, but the look on Percy face is making me feel different.  "If I decide not to kill will our family treat me like they treat you?" Percy has a fear in his voice. "I don't know." I tell him. "What if I decide to kill how will you treat me?" It hurts my heart to hear him even consider their life. I take a deep breath I want to make sure what comes out of my mouth next won’t push Percy away from me. “Percy I don’t think I could ever be toward you like I am towards them.” I am not sure what else to say to him. He just looks away. “Can we start to head home?” Percy asks me. I nod yes. We get up and start to head back to my motorcycle. Percy doesn’t say anything the whole walk back to the motorcycle. “Percy I don’t want you to ever feel like I don’t love you or I won’t be there for you.” Percy grabs the helmet off the bike. “Why keep their secret if you're so against it????? OR why not stop them?” Percy asks me. “Foster care doesn’t sound like fun, plus I didn’t want to be separated from you or Grace. Even worse I don’t want Grace to spend the rest of her life in jail. I love you guys and dad.  I don’t know how I also feel about it. I don’t know if Grace and dad could be blamed for how their brain is wired. Mother on the other hand is just evil.” Percy looks at me. “I can understand where you are coming from. Thanks for telling me your side of it all. I know you, mom and dad want to know what I am thinking and feeling right now but I can’t right now. I need time to process everything.” Percy puts the helmet on and gets on the back of my bike.

Poems: dead nightmares

Nightmares of you dead scare me.

I wake screaming for Peace.

A peace you never knew.

I would never wish this pain for you.

I wish you could find silence from the lies.

The drugs fills your mind, changing you inside.

You lie to yourself and I.

As long as the drug fuel your life.

There is no hope for you in site.

I love you so.

The best friend know one will every know.

The side of you I see alone. 

The brilliant mind lost at sea. 

So as I dream out my fear of what will come of you.

I pray you find your way

And hope you really get to live some day.

Series Wednesday: Family Game night Page 7

     "Grace who was your first kill?” Grace instantly smiles as she turn away from me and turns toward Percy. “My first kill was a teacher believe it or not? He was my math teacher Mr. Richardson. He was a horrible man who gave me a B when I clearly deserved an A. So mom and dad lined him up as my first kill. I couldn’t get a B that was just unacceptable. So I strung him up and bleed him out for 2 days.” Grace looked so happy talking about it. “Two days?” Percy asks “We didn’t want to let her? However we had no choice Grace can be very persuasive.” My mom says proudly as she walks over and hugs my sister. “You both disgust me.” I couldn’t help but say. Percy and my dad just looked at me. “Jealous of our closeness?” my mom replies to me in a snippy way. “No one would be jealous of anyone who is close to you ice queen.” I say as I take a step back but try to pretend I am not afraid of getting slapped in the face. My mother steps toward me but my dad stops her by grabbing her arm. “You are losing your patience, I don’t care for it.” My dad says to my mother. She instantly calms down. “How did you guys meet? I mean is the story you told us as kids true?” Percy asks. My parents told us that they met on a blind date and instantly fell in love. “Yes we met on a blind date although we did leave out some details. You know like we were both just your common serial killers until we became a power couple.”  My mother says as she looks into my dad’s eyes before kissing him. I can’t help but want to throw something at them.  "Serial killers???" Percy asks. "That's a story for another time. I think we shared enough for one day. How do you feel about it Percy?" My dad asks as my mom and his eyes lock in on Percy. "I am still processing." Percy said as he starts to get up. He smiles and starts to head up stairs. "Processing is good."  My mother says as she looks at my dad. I can't help but roll my eyes at them.

                I am laying in my bed sketching out some modifications I want to do to my motorcycle, the sun light from my bay window makes this time of day perfect for this. It's been a few days since Percy found out about our family being serial killers, he hasn't spoken much to any of us and I am worried about him. I hear a knock at my door, I look up and there is Percy so I put my sketch book down. "Can we talk?" Percy asks me.  "Sure thing, come on in." Percy walks in and closes the door behind him. He lies on my bed looking at the ceiling. "Did you ever kill anyone?"  Percy asks. "With them like that no I replied.  However; when I was little before the coma I did. The whole incident was considered an accident but I remember it very differently."  Percy's head turns toward me very quickly. "The kid who broke his neck falling out of the tree house?" Percy asks "Yup. I remember it clearly but it was like it was someone else’s memories." I explain. "Tell me the whole story."  I knew one day I would have to tell Percy about what happened but I never thought I would be this chocked up for words. "Well you see there was a neighborhood boy who used to like to touch the other children. He was older than me and Grace, mom and dad never really let him play in our yard but one day he invited Grace to play with him. Grace refused and when she did he tried to drag her into his yard.  So I invited him to play in the tree house. He let Grace go and followed me all the way up to the top. I hugged him and kissed him on the check he didn’t even feel me put the rope around his throat , when I kicked his legs out from under him he slide right off the top of the tree house and hung there for a little bit. But when I realized that the rope would leave marks around his throat I untied the rope from the tree after swinging him a bit. He hit the ground and I heard the snap.  I climb down from the tree house and untied the rope from his neck and went for a snack. It was dad who saw his dead body in the back yard. When dad asked me what had happened I told him that he crossed Grace so I killed him. Dad told me to say I was playing in the front with Grace all day if anyone asked. He called the cops and told them he broke into our yard and must have fallen. The cops bought it and we never really spoken of it again until I woke up from my coma.  I felt horrible about what I had done.  "Just thinking about that day makes me sad inside.  "Wow, I had no idea. I don't know what to say Cahira. I don't mean to be rude but what happened on your first family game night???" I look at Percy and know it is time to talk about my first experience.  "Before I tell you this story how about we get out of the house." Percy Jumps off of my bed and grab my extra helmet

Series Wednesday: Family game night Page 6

“I was 17 when I killed for the first time. I had a high school sweetheart her name is not important we had a son together. I never got a chance to meet him; she gave him up the day he was born. I never got a chance to hold my son or even see him. I really wanted him. I told her I would find a way to take care of them both. She agreed for us to be a family.” My dad stopped talking and takes a sip of water. “The day my son was born, I couldn’t get a hold of her. I knew something was wrong but they wouldn’t let me out of the group home that day because another kid got in trouble. By the time they let me out and I found her it was too late. She explained that she was too afraid of my family to keep the baby.” This was the first time I have ever heard about my dad’s family. He never talked about where he came from. I didn’t even know he was in a foster home. “What was wrong with your family dad?” I ask. My dad walks over to me and wraps her arms around my chest and pulls me close. “My dad went crazy they said he lost his mind when he lost his job. Not that my dad was ever some kind of winner. He was a very awkward man with no hopes or dreams. I still remember him clearly. I remember the night he lost his mind. He found out my mom was having an affair with our neighbor and killed her. He had gone to kill the neighbor the next day but he didn’t stop there he killed half the block by the time they caught him.” I felt horrible for my dad in this moment. I never knew but I guess I never asked either. I turn around and hugged my dad. “I’m so sorry. How old were you?” I ask him. “I was 8 when it happened.  I didn’t understand too much back then. Just that my dad hurt my mom and she lived in the fridge now. I sat outside the fridge for days before they found me. Child protective services came and took me away. I didn’t find out about my dad until high school when other kids knew who I was because of my last name.” My dad pulls away from me. “Dad I don’t mean to be rude but how is this the story of your first kill?” Percy asks. “Right, I killed my girlfriend for giving my son away.” My mom’s jaw drops. “I’m surprised your never told me this.” She says as she stands up. My dad walks over to her. “Who talks about their first? It’s tacky.” My dad whispers to my mother as he presses up against her and kisses her. My mother seems smitten with my dad at this moment. I couldn’t be more grossed out. “What happened to your dad?” Grace asks. “Blood lust, he didn’t know how to pace himself. He had the killer instinct just like us but after all those years of suppressing it well it got to him. This is why we teach you how to deal with your instinct and control it.” My dad says as if what he and my sister do is normal.
                “Is there anything else you would like to know Percy?” My mother asks him as if we are just having an ordinary family conversation like any other family. Percy sits there for a second with his head down thinking. “Do you only kill bad people?” He asks without looking up. I think he knows the answer to the question but doesn’t want to look anyone in the eyes as he waits for their response. “Who are we to decide if someone is bad or not Percy?” I tell him so he understands my stance against what they do. “We don’t just kill people we don’t like Percy and don’t let Cahira blind faith to a black and white world of right and wrong. We do what we must to survive without going insane.” Grace says as she looks me in the eye. “Keep trying to justify what you do Grace but no matter how you spin it you’re just a cold blooded killer.” Grace smiles at my statement. “So be it I am a cold blooded killer with a 4.0 GPA and on the fast track to a bright future. I would much rather be a cold blooded killer than a bleeding heart for a corrupt society that thrives off of greed and manipulative slavery!” Grace step towards me with such intensity. “I see I have struck a nerve. I am a bleeding heart for a broken world full of lost soul and sheep much like you. You can judge me for being different then you Grace but let’s take a second to look at some facts, I am just as smart as you and could amount to anything you can but I won’t have that monkey on my back screaming at me to kill. I won’t ever long for someone else’s blood on my hands like you and therefore will never have to live a life full of secrets. I will be able to love and marry who ever I want. Unlike you who will be trapped by the one thing you think sets you free. You think I am mad at you Grace for being like mom and dad but you’re wrong I pity you. You will never have a real chance at life like I do.” I tell Grace as I step toward her showing her I do not fear her. Grace screams as she tries to run toward me. My dad slams his hand on the counter top. “Enough both of you!” We stop and look at my dad. “We are here to answer any questions that Percy might have. So both of you need to stop before I get angry. Percy go ahead anymore questions?” Percy has a freaked out look on his face. 

Poems: May

Night wakes me.
     I look to the left and right but
         There is just simply nothing to see.
       So what is it that wakes me?
    Not so simple on this one
The days passed wake me 
    as the make there way round
      3 years ago soon you could mark by the moon.
     Life began and too soon came to a crashing end. 
3 Years ago in a few day is the day where my new life began. 

Series Wednesday: Family game night page 5

     Percy comes walking out with a shocked look on his face. He is covered in blood and just walks past me. "Percy?" I say as he walks past me. Percy doesn't even look at me he just keeps walking toward the bathroom. I get angry and walk in to the kitchen open the door to the basement/game room. I storm down the stairs ready for a fight. My mother is cleaning up. "You’re down here?" She asks me I ignore her and turn to look for my dad, that’s when I see him lying on the table still breathing with his chest cut wide open. I look at my dad. "Is he still alive?" I ask in shock looking at the little boy, he might have been a bully but no one deserves this. "Percy didn't want to kill him." My dad says slightly disappointed.  "Percy won't even speak!" I yell at my dad. "Don't take that tone with me Cahira. Don't forget who the parent here is." The little boy is wheezing from his chest being cut wide open. My parents and Grace just look at him. "Are you seriously not going to do something to help him?" I scream at them. Grace walks over to the boy and stabs the boy directly in his heart. The boy instantly stops breathing. "There better?" Graces says. "You’re all sick!" I scream as I run upstairs.  I run to Percy room to find him all washed up sitting on the edge of his bed holding his bloody clothes in his hands.  "They said this is how they deal with the emptiness."  Percy says. "Yes it is for them how they deal with themselves." Percy looks at me. "I have never felt the emptiness they are talking about." I take a breath of relief, Percy is nothing like them. How could I have ever doubted him? "Yeah I didn't either, it’s why we fight. I am nothing like them and it makes them angry."  Percy looks back at his clothes. "Mom said I have to give them to her. She is going to dispose of them."   I grab the clothes from his hands. "Yeah she has a chemical wash that even scientist envy." I hug Percy hoping it will help. "Is he dead?" Percy asks. "Yes unfortunately he is."  I respond as I let Percy go. "Cahira I should get some sleep." Percy just crawls into bed. He probably thinks this is all a bad dream. I kiss him on the head as I tuck him in. I don’t know how he will feel tomorrow.
                I wake up and instantly jump out of bed to go find Percy. I want to make sure he is okay. I walk down the hall to his room to find he is not in his bed. I walk down stair to the kitchen to find him reading a book and eating a bowl of fruit. He looks up at me and somehow he is different, I can’t explain but he just is. “Good morning Cahira.” He says with a smile. Grace walks into the kitchen and pushes right past me. “How did you sleep?” She asks Percy. “Like a rock.” Percy responds. I am at a loss for words. I am not sure if Percy thinks it was just a dream or if he understands what he saw last night. Both of my parents walk in to the kitchen hand and hand. “Now that you are all here I have some questions.” Percy announces. My mother smiles. “Go for it Percy asks away.” My mother says as she sits across from Percy. “How did you start killing?” Percy asks as he looks back and forth between both my parents. "Do you mean how did we start killing in general or how we started together?" My mother asks him. Percy sits there and thinks for a bit. "I suppose both." My mother smiles. "Would you like to start or would you like me to?" My mother asks my dad. My dad nods his head and gestures toward my mother letting her know she can go first. "Well as you are all aware I was a beauty queen, it was very cut throat." My mom starts to laugh uncontrollably. "Sorry about that back to my story. I was 14 and this girl Pearl was trying to sabotage me. She really thought she had one over on me when she put the red ants in my evening grown. She just didn't anticipate my will to win. I didn't know she was the one sabotaging my stuff at first but I caught her and her mother.  I was thrown off guard that someone could want to win so badly they would be willing to hurt someone else. So I waited until she was alone and confronted her. She pushed me and said prove it, she was very aggressive. I didn't mean to kill her it just kind of happened but the rush I got after taking her life was the most alive I had ever felt. It felt so good that I went to kill her mom that night." My mother stops talking and take a deep breath with a huge smile on her face. "That's it? You just killed a girl on accident and after that you just loved to kill?" Percy asks my mother. "No it was so much more than just accidently killing her. It was the first time in my life I felt free. My mother your grandmother had me on so many different kinds of medications for anxiety that I use to feel like I was empty and useless, I hated being a beauty queen but I couldn’t stand losing. I was much too strong for that so I continued to win. Killing was the first thing to calm my nerves and make me feel whole.” My mother stops speaking and just looks at Percy for a second. “What about you dad?” Percy asks as he looked over to my dad. “Let me get a glass of water, I have never told this story before and I am not sure how it will sound out loud.” My dad says as he walks to the fridge.