"How long were you here?" Dave asked, trying to mask his unease.
"Just now. I was heading out to play football," Daniel replied innocently. Then, with wide, pleading eyes, he added, "Brother, give me something too! You never share anything."
Dave exhaled in relief. As long as he didn't see me go into their room, it's fine.
"Man… this kid almost gave me a heart attack," he thought.
"Alright, alright," Dave said, forcing a smile. "I'll give you a chocolate, but don't tell anyone about it, got it?"
"Sure, brother! Quick, though—I'm late for the game," Daniel said eagerly.
Dave rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a slightly squished chocolate bar of questionable origin. He handed it over and waved Daniel off.
Another week passed.
James Sanders had developed a habit of striking up small conversations with Dave during breaks. They got along quite well now. Meanwhile, Yasmine continued treating him like her personal steward. Fetching her lunch or carrying her books had become so routine that Dave almost didn't mind anymore. He figured it was easier to go along with her demands than to deal with her sharp tongue.
Maybe that's the advantage of being beautiful, Dave mused. People tend to cut you a lot more slack.
On the other hand, Henry had become increasingly demanding, asking for $5 or $10 every couple of days.
The day before the awakening ceremony, Henry surprised Dave by taking him to a high-end restaurant. Afterward, they spent hours at a gaming parlor, laughing and playing on the PS3. For once, Dave felt a semblance of normalcy, even if it was fleeting.
When Dave returned home late that evening, dinner was already prepared, Lila was waiting for him.
He was about to explain himself when a sudden, deafening BANG shattered the calm. "BANG!!!!!"
Lila completely forgot about Dave's matter when she saw Roger. The air grew tense as everyone froze.
Roger's behavior had been relatively stable for months, but now the same peace felt like the eye of a storm.
Roger stormed past them and slammed his door shut with such force that the entire house seemed to shake. But no one dared to stop him at that moment.
Moments later, they heard: glass shattering, furniture splintering, and furious cursing.
"Fuck!" Roger bellowed from inside.
Then another crash was heard, he was filled with dread. Dave knew the TV was gone.
Dave stood paralyzed, his heart sinking. I thought things were finally getting better…
He had already forgotten about previous incident, enjoying his day-to-day life but reality hit him in the face.
The memories of his father's drunken outbursts flooded back. Compared to this carnage, his petty thefts felt like nothing. His mind was getting twisted, little by little.
Soon Ronald and Grandma Hera came running and rushed toward Roger's door. "Roger, calm down!" Ronald shouted, pounding on the door.
Inside, Roger's muffled screams turned chillingly incoherent. "My father is calling me! I'll meet him now! Hahaha—heh—hee!" He broke into a manic laughter that sent shivers down everyone's spine.
"Damn it, Roger, open the door!" Ronald yelled.
Lila sobbed helplessly in the corner. Daniel clung to her, trembling.
Everything felt like a dream, everything was a blur for Dave now.
When Roger didn't respond, Ronald kicked the door open.
There they saw carnage. The furniture was smashed to pieces, shards of glass littered the floor, and blood streaked the walls where Roger had cut himself. In the center of the destruction, Roger crouched, laughing madly and making strange, nonsensical hand gestures.
"My father is calling me.. I will go to meet him now.. Hee hehe haha hehe".
Dave's mind shuts down. The dread he felt when he saw this was too much for him. His father's maniacal laughter echoed in his ears, drowning out everything else. He could neither see nor hear anything except for Roger's laughter...
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaah.." was all he could hear and then everything went blank.
This trauma was going to hunt him for rest of his life.
Ronald and two neighbors managed to restrain Roger and rush him to the hospital.
Even as Roger bled profusely, he continued to laugh and mutter about meeting his father, his hands still twitching in strange patterns. The hospital staff had to call for security to hold him down long enough to administer a sedative.
Finally, after being heavily dosed with anesthesia, Roger fell silent.
Dr. Aron emerged from the emergency ward after examining him.
"How is he, Doctor?" Ronald asked anxiously.
"The physical wounds are superficial," Dr. Aron replied. "He's lost some blood, but nothing life-threatening. However, I'm more concerned about his mental state. He'll need to see a psychiatrist immediately."
This was his first time seeing something so bizarre and creepy. He asked "How much does your brother drink? He seems to be out of control."
Ronald sighed. "He's always been a heavy drinker, but this is the worst episode yet."
Dr. Aron nodded solemnly. "His liver is in bad shape, and his blood sugar levels are dangerously high. If this continues, he won't last long."
Hearing this, Ronald felt a pang of guilt—but also a strange sense of relief. Maybe I won't have to deal with this for much longer, he thought bitterly, disgusted at himself.
"Thank you, Doctor," Ronald said. "I'll talk to him when he wakes up."
"For now, let him rest here overnight," Dr. Aron advised. "He can be discharged tomorrow morning."
As the doctor walked away, Ronald glanced at his family—Lila still crying, Amelia was consoling Lila, Grandma Hera looked shaken, and Dave was sitting in a corner, staring blankly at the floor.
How much longer can we go on like this? Ronald wondered, his heart heavy.