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The night was cold. Quiet. Lonely. The town of Mandeville all but died whenever the sun set. And all except for a lone figure, the night was empty. The figure was tall, lanky, and stood still as stone. Cloaked in the shadows cast by the trees around him. And though his pale white skin stood starkly against the black of night, he had no fear of being discovered. He never was. Never would be.

He was here for a single purpose. To observe. A boy in the house across the street from where he stood had piqued his interest. The kid was young. Only 16 at most. And while he certainly seemed normal on the outside, the observing figure could tell that deep beneath his surface there lay great potential. That with the right…. Encouragement…. He would prove to be a valuable asset.

Though He was eager to bring the boy under his wing, He knew that haste would only squander this opportunity. It was rare that someone so…. Perfect came under his perception.

And so, the waiting game had begun.

******

It was late at night by the time Jeffrey Woods and his family had gotten settled into their new home. At least, as settled as they were willing to get at 1 AM in the morning. Many of their belongings were still stuffed away in cardboard boxes and black trashbags to be sorted out at a later date.

All four of them were exhausted. But unpacking was hardly the reason why. The move had been rough for all of them. Although his parents were excited for this new opportunity, such things were never easy for anyone.

And least of all, for their two boys.

Jeffrey and Liu Woods had, like most kids their age, been opposed to this move from the very beginning. They had been told that it would be for the best. That it would earn them more money. A better house. Better futures. But all of that hardly mattered to two 16-year-olds, whom only cared that their lives had been uprooted. Only cared that everyone and everything they had known was hours away in New Orleans.

Their grim attitudes and fatigue from a hard day had left the family rather tense and quiet that night at dinner. A meager meal of microwave food served on a fold out dining table in the living room. A scene that certainly did nothing to ease Jeff and Liu’s resentment towards this plan.

In an attempt to break the silence, their father spoke up.

“So, you boys excited for school this week?” Their father asked in a tone that indicated he wasn’t looking for an honest answer.

He was met with equally sour glares from both Jeffrey and Liu, the silence hanging in the air for just a moment long enough for things to be awkward.

“Entirely.” Jeff answered, his gaze dropping back down to the TV dinner pot roast he had been served. “I’m sure it’ll be great having no one to talk to.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of friendly people you can talk to.” Their mom chimed in, not lifting her eyes from her own plate of food. She rarely looked at her boys unless she needed to.

“Its not that easy.” Liu sighed, shoveling a bite of lukewarm turkey into his mouth.

“It is that easy. You’re just not willing to try.” Their father looked between his two sons. “Listen. I know you two aren’t exactly enthused about this move. But its something we had to do. This job will be good for us. Almost double pay from my last job. And the neighborhood around here is very nice from what I’ve heard. They don’t let just anyone in here you know. Its only because of mine and your mother’s hard work that we’ve managed to get in. The people around here are very….”

Jeff wasn’t paying attention. He’d heard this a thousand times already. How good this would all be in the future. His father always said “good for us”, but both he and Liu knew he meant “good for me”.

Jeffrey wasn’t interested in listening to his father stroke his own ego anymore. His voice faded into the background, his eyes drifting past him and out the window. Into the darkness that shrouded their new yard. The chatter of the family dinner fading out into static as he mentally wandered away.

The darkness looked strangely inviting. It was cold outside, but that was better than the artificial warmth of this strange, new house. The longer he looked the more he wished he could run out and embrace it. Embrace the cold, silent, shadows.

Jeff almost thought he could see something. Something out there in the darkness. Just beyond the treeline. Something standing…. Waiting…. Watching….

The static in his ears only seemed to grow. Louder and louder still. Growing steadily until-!

“Jeffrey!”

He was snapped back to reality, his head jerking from the window and back towards his family. All three of them staring at him with equally perplexed looks. Jeff realized he must have been zoning out pretty hard.

“Your father is talking to you.” His mother sighed in exasperation.

“Sorry.” He mumbled. “What is it?”

His father gave Jeff a look that made it clear he didn’t enjoy repeating himself. “I said that I want you and your brother on your best behavior. We’re being given a big opportunity here. And I don’t want you two to squander it because you’re upset about us moving. Am I clear?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Jeff nodded and dropped his plastic fork onto the dinner tray. “I think I’m pretty tired. I’m gonna go get some rest. Can I be excused?” In truth, he wasn’t all that tired. But really he just needed an excuse to slip away.

When his parents nodded their approval, he quickly stood from the table and shuffled off towards the area that had been designated as he and Liu’s room. A hollow shell with no comfort to be found.

As Jeff was undressing, he once more found himself drawn to the windows. To the shadows outside the house. He seemed to lose track of time as he stared out into it. Stared out into those inviting shadows.

“Earth to Jeff? Hello?” A hand waved in front of his eyes, breaking their contact with the shadows beyond the dusty window panes.

Jeff had no idea how long he had been standing there for. Time had seemed to slip away from him. With a blink and a shake of his head, he traced the path of the hand with his eyes, up the arm, shoulders, and finally to the face of his brother, Liu.

They shared the same nose, and the same hair color. But despite being twins, that was where their similarities ended. Liu was taller than Jeff, and built a bit more muscular. Jeff being smaller and scrawnier often led people to mistaking him for being younger.

In a cruel and unfair world, Liu Woods was Jeff’s only real friend. Even back home. Though they had their acquaintances and other friends, no one came between the two boys. No one rivaled the bond they shared. All their life, they’d been together through thick and thin. Born together, die together.

“Yeah. Sorry.” Jeff turns away from the window, breaking whatever spell it held over him. “I think I’m just tired. Today has been shit.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice.” Liu gives an annoyed laugh, walking over to his new bed and flopping down on it. He kicks off his shoes, but doesn’t bother to change out of his clothes. “Did you see those houses we passed by on the way here? You’d think we were on some kind of movie set.”

Jeff had indeed. The neighborhood they were in was posh. Not exactly high class, but certainly a few steps up from where they had been before. And the houses around them reflected that. Perfect houses with perfect lawns and perfectly trimmed hedges and trees, not so much as a blade of grass out of place. Perfect, perfect, perfect. It was sickening.

“It feels like we’re living in a diorama, rather than a town. I think the creeps around here would turn into an angry mob if you so much as left a leaf out of place.” Jeff takes a seat on his own bed across from Liu’s. Sliding off his shoes and leaning forward on his knees.

“Probably.” Liu rolls his eyes, turning over onto his side to face his twin. “That’s probably why dad is being so anal about us behaving.”

“Wouldn’t want to ruin his perfect chance at having a perfect life.”

“Yeah, god forbid, Jeff. Don’t forget to bleach the sidewalk. They might hang you from a tree if its not perfectly white.”

“I think they’d hang someone for not being perfect themselves.” Jeff was really starting to hate that word. Perfect.

“Yeah well. I guess they’d better go ahead and hang both of us then. Ain’t nothing perfect about either of us.” Liu holds out his fist to Jeff. “But that’s not so bad, is it?”

Jeff smirked. “Guess not.” He bumped fists with Liu. “Born together, die together. Right? Better then turning perfect like them.”

“You said it.” Liu turned over, his back now facing Jeff. “Now get to sleep. You don’t wanna be a zombie tomorrow. Not on our first day.”

“Fine. You’re probably right.” Jeff stood up and walked over to the lightswitch, pausing and turning back towards his brother. “You just gonna sleep in your clothes?”

Liu waved dismissively over head. “They’re all still packed away somewhere…. Too much work.”

“I do not understand how you can sleep in those clothes. They look hella uncomfortable.”

“I don’t get how you can sleep with that face. Looks hella ugly.” Liu mumbled back. “Now turn off the light so I can sleep.”

Jeff rolled his eyes and flicked the switch. The bulb overhead blinking out and engulfing the room in darkness. Jeff silently changes into a pair of black gym shorts and a gray tank top, before sliding beneath the sheets.

Jeff lays his head against his pillow and stares straight up at the ceiling. His eyes adjusting to the new lighting, the house silent and quiet. The familiarity Jeff felt with the darkness earlier was gone. Instead, it felt uncomfortable. Suffocating. Like someone was pressing a pillow into his face.

Rolling over onto his side, Jeff, faced the wall and tried to shut out the negative thoughts that poured into his mind. Knowing that if he thought about them, it would only make him angrier, and only make it harder to sleep….

He just wished his parents would understand his perspective. Would understand that he wasn’t trying to be stubborn about this move.

Alright, maybe he was being a little stubborn, he admitted to himself. But surely they had to understand how difficult a move like this was. All of their friends, their family, everything he had ever known was back in New Orleans. Miles away. Their grandparents, their aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends that had known them their whole lives, a house and a city with memories at every corner. And his parents had sold it all away. Sold it for this.

He tossed over onto his back, eyes wide open as he stared at the ceiling. He wondered to himself if money and reputation was really that important. It wasn’t like they were poor back in New Orleans. Much like now they were well off. They had a decent sized home, in a nice part of town. They had enough for two cars, for school, for vacations.

“Guess it wasn’t enough….” Jeff mumbled to himself. His fists clenching beneath the sheets. “Guess it wasn’t perfect enough.” That word sent a burst of anger through his veins. He wished he could ripped it to pieces. The whole concept. He hated it. Hated it.

Despite his burning anger, he felt sleep begin to overtake him. Allowing his eyes to slip shut, and sleep to whisk him away from that strange, lulling static that seemed to fill the room around him….

Jeff awoke the next morning for school. He felt like shit. His sleep was fitful, plagued by strange dreams. Of things that lurked in shadows, of something watching him from the doorway. Of rabbits and strange words that he couldn’t understand.

There was a tightness brewing in his chest. Like something deep inside of him constricting. It didn’t feel hard to breath, it didn’t hurt. It was just…. There. Something he couldn’t place a name on, but something that he was forced to acknowledge nonetheless.

He sat quietly throughout his meager breakfast. He debated asking his mom if he could stay home from school, but he knew she wouldn’t believe him. Wouldn’t care if he mentioned the tightness in his chest, or the strange dreams he had last night. She’d just assume he was lying to get out of going.

Everything felt like it was passing by in a haze. One moment Jeff was sitting at the table in his pajamas, and the next he was standing outside the bus stop. The cold wind biting at him through his white hoodie.

“You alright dude?” Liu asked with a tilt of his head. He was dressed in all black. Aside from the purple scarf he wore tied around his neck. Frayed and old from years, upon years of use. It had been a gift from their Aunt Louise when they were younger. Liu loved that scarf more than anything. He sometimes even wore it in the summer. Jeff never understood the appeal. He thought it made Liu look like a dorky hipster.

“Yeah…. I’m uh…. I’m fine.” Jeff shook his head. Reaching up a hand and rubbing his eyes. Inhaling the cold air, feeling it circulate through his tight chest. “Just slept like shit last night.”

“Why? Don’t like the new bed?” Liu leaned against the bus sign, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

“No, its not that. Just not used to the new environment yet…. Kept having weird dreams.”

“Nightmares, Jeff? You need me to pick you up a nightlight? I can get you a Scooby-Doo one.” Liu cracked a smile, teasing like usual. But when Jeff’s only response was silence, his smile faded.

“You sure you’re alright…?” Liu’s question was a bit more serious this time. He took a step closer to Jeff, but before an answer could be given a different voice called out to the boys.

“Well, well, well, look what we have here.” An obnoxious voice accompanied a group of three boys that approached the bus stop. The one leading the little pack looked to be around the same age as Jeff and Liu. Maybe a year or so younger.

“Never seen you two around here before.” The pack leader smirked, carrying a skateboard over one shoulder. His “stylish” ripped jeans, and backwards hat told Jeff everything he needed to know about this kid. These were the types of people you quickly learned to avoid in New Orleans.

“Yeah, we’re new.” Liu spoke up. “Just moved in yesterday. I’m-”

“Name’s Randy.” The boy interrupted. “And these are my boys. Keith,” He gestured to the skinny, shaggy looking kid on his left. “And Troy.” Randy nodded to the rather obese, older looking boy standing on his right.

“Alright…. Good to meet you. I’m Liu, and this is Jeff. My brother.” Liu responded cautiously. He and Jeff shared a glance. They both knew these weren’t the kinds of guys they really wanted to be around. They were the types to think they were on top of the world. To think that everyone else was beneath them…. Especially anyone that stood out.

Like a couple of new kids.

“Liu? What kinda name is that? Some girly ass name.” Randy and his goons approached the bus stop while they laughed at his pathetic joke. Randy himself standing in front of Jeff and Liu, while the other two stood behind them. Surrounding them.

“Pretty good luck that we ran into you two though. Gives us a chance to explain the rules to you guys. Since you’re new and all, we’ll even go easy on you.” Randy gives a smirk that could curdle milk, his hands shoved into his deep pants pockets.

“The rules…?” Jeff mumbled, staring out at Randy from beneath the bangs of his messy, bedhead hair.

“Yeah, you see. We’re kinda like…. The big dogs around here.” Randy gestured between himself and his friends. “And usually people know not to fuck with us.”

“That so?” Jeff couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice, no matter how hard he tried. These guys just looked like a couple of posers to him. A couple of kids pretending to be a big deal, pretending to be hard.

“Yeah, it is.” Randy narrowed his eyes, glaring at Jeff. Looking him up and down. As if calculating whether or not he could take the boy in a fight. Randy seemed to like his odds, since that disgusting grin found its way back onto his horrid face.

“Okay, great. We’ll be sure to stay out of your way.” Liu took a step forward, putting a hand on Jeff’s shoulder. In tune enough with his brother to sense that, if left unchecked, Jeff would keep running his mouth until he pushed his luck too far. “You guys have a good day.” Liu tried to steer Jeff away from the boys, but Troy and Keith stepped out and blocked their path. Forcing the two boys to stay locked in place at the bus stop.

“Noooow hold on a minute!” Randy laughed, the two boys turning to face him. “I said we were gonna go easy on you, but I didn’t say you two losers were off the hook completely.” Randy looked the two up and down, as if debating what to ask for. “20 bucks. Both of you.”

“What?” Jeff whipped around, brushing his brother’s hand from his shoulder. “I’m not giving you my money, go fuck yourself.”

“You go fuck yourself, shithead. Pay up or you’re gonna be eating sidewalk for breakfast.” One of the goons growled from behind, Jeff didn’t really care which one.

“Look. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” Randy took a step closer to Jeff. Clearly hoping that his bigger, more muscular build would be enough to intimidate Jeff into backing down. “You either hand over your money. Or else. Final chance.”

The poor attempt to intimidate Jeff wasn’t working. All this nonsense was just pissing him off more and more. That tightness in his chest felt like it was constricting more and more. With every foul word that spilled from Randy’s disgusting mouth, the energy building inside Jeff seemed to grow.

His body felt like it was electric. Almost numb. His vision was shaking. Body trembling. A harsh hissing noise filling his brain, like the static of a radio tuned to the wrong station.

“Hey, look Randy! You got him shaking!” One of the boys behind him cackled.

“Don’t piss your pants or something, infant. You gonna go cry to your mommy? Huh? You fucking pussy.”

Liu was watching the entire situation unfold from the sidelines. Something was wrong. Terribly. Terribly wrong. Jeff had been acting strange all morning. Acting distant, barely saying more than a word or two…. Now he was standing here, trembling. While he was standing inches away from a guy who looked like he could give most high school quarterbacks a run for their money, Jeff wasn’t the type to get scared from bullies or thugs. Liu could tell that this trembling, whatever it was, wasn’t from fear.

Liu caught a glimpse of Jeff’s eyes beneath his hair. The look he caught made his blood run cold. It was a look he’d never, never seen on his brother’s face. It was a look of malice, of wrath.

Of hatred.

It turned on every inch of Liu’s flight response. And he wasn’t even the one Jeff was staring down. It was quite obvious that Randy, however, was feeling the opposite. Randy was ready to brawl. Full stop. The air at the bus station had taken on a static, heavy pressure. Even Keith and Troy seemed to realize that shit was about to go down. They’d finally shut their stupid mouths and had taken a step back from the two soon to be combatants. None of them seemed willing to do anything to prevent this brewing battle.

But Liu was.

“Here!” Liu stepped forward, grabbing Randy by the shoulder and turning him away from Jeff. He shoved two twenty dollar bills and a 10 dollar bill into Randy’s hands.

This seemed to finally snap everyone out of whatever stupor they had been put into.

“I’ll pay for him. And a little extra. Just because of the trouble. Sorry man.” Liu backed away, hands up. A wary smile on his face. Jeff stared at Liu in open mouthed astonishment. Randy looked down at the money in his hands, then up at Jeff, then back to Liu.

“…. Yeah. Whatever.” He mumbled, stuffing the cash into his pockets.

“Bullshit. You give that back right now.” Jeff advanced again, reaching for Randy but Liu grabbed him. Pinning his arms down to his sides.

“Would you knock it off!?” He hissed in Jeff’s ear. “Are you actually trying to start a fight on day-fucking-one? Do you have any idea how pissed off mom and dad would be?”

“Its not fair! You shouldn’t have to pay these creeps!” Jeff shouted, practically spitting at Randy. “You want to mess with me? Then you’ll fucking get it!” Jeff thrashed against Liu’s arms, but his brother was holding him down in such a way that made it rather hard to break free.

That feeling in Jeff’s chest was still there. Like someone had stuffed him full of lead weights. He wanted to claw, and crush, and mangle Randy’s stupid fucking face. He wanted to smash him into the sidewalk and stomp on his head. The rage that Jeff felt at the indignity of it all, the unfairness of it all, it fueled him. It burned in his stomach like coal in a fire.

Randy opened his mouth, no doubt to reply with some vitriolic remark, but before he could the rumble of an engine filled the cold, empty street. The rumble of tires on the asphalt and the familiar, trundling form of the school bus.

As the bus pulled up to the stop, Liu released Jeff from his hold. The other three boys climbing up ahead of them. The bus driver either unaware, or uncaring of what was just unfolding a moment prior.

The two brothers took their seats at the back of the bus. Randy and his goons lost in the sea of other high schoolers on their way to class.

Finally, with time alone to themselves. Liu turned to Jeff, expectant of answers.

“Dude…. What the fuck was that?” He whispers to his brother. Who in return, looked back with one of equal bewilderment.

“Me? What the fuck were you doing? Why did you pay them?” Jeff’s voice was unsteady, still shaky from the rage he’d felt mere moments ago. Those moments already felt like an eternity. It already felt like a different person.

“So that you didn’t get into a fist fight? Hello? Are you stupid or something? Its not worth getting beat up over. God. That’s so unlike you, man.” Liu shook his head, rubbing his hands down his face. “All this stress and its not even 8…. Give me a break.” He lets his head fall back against the bus seat. While Jeff turns and looks out the window.

In truth, he had no answer for Liu. No explanation for his actions, or reasons for what he did. Everything felt foreign to him, looking back on it. Like someone else was piloting his body. Like he was a passenger. Jeff was…. Just tired. He’d been in this town for less than a 24 hours, and already had encountered three douchebags. Not to mention the atmosphere of this place in general. This perfect little town.

Jeff decided in that moment. That he hated it here.

******

As the school bus took off down its route, carrying away the two brothers and three bullies, one lone figure stood behind the bus stop. Watching as the vehicle disappeared into the distance.

While the scene did not play out exactly how He had intended, it was still progress. This boy might be more difficult to turn than He had first anticipated…. But there was nothing wrong with that. He was patient.

He could wait.

School that day was hell for Jeff. And not just because of the droning teachers, boring subjects, and a lack of friends. No, he could deal with those things. But this was something he couldn’t deal with. Because he didn’t know what it even was to begin with.

That feeling he had woken up with, that feeling that had caught fire and expanded during his confrontation with Randy, plagued him every moment of the day. That twisting, gnarling feeling in his chest and stomach. He swore he could practically feel something writhing within him.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, Jeff had to deal with the fuzzy feeling in his head too. Occasionally, if he focused hard enough, he could practically hear it. Like a static buzzing in the middle of his brain. Like a television with no signal.

The one-two punch of the two afflictions made it hard for him to focus on anything that day. He kept zoning out in class. Letting his mind be swallowed up by the static, letting his chest burn with heated memories of the confrontation with Randy, of this horrible move, and town.

He just wanted all of it to be over.

During their lunch period, Liu finally convinced Jeff to go visit the school nurse. Liu was the only person Jeff would listen to on a matter like this. The stubborn boy was usually the type to brute force his way through illness, but after seeing the genuine concern that linger in Liu’s eyes, he felt it an obligation to at least try and put his brother’s worries at ease.

It wasn’t like he was eating much anyways. He hadn’t an appetite for the slab of gooey meat and mushy green beans they called food in this place. He did find it kind of funny though. Even in a rich town like this, the school food was just as shitty as it always was. It was comforting in a way.

******

The nurse’s office felt as cold and sterile as the rest of the school. It was small and cramped. Two beds separated by an off white curtain, shelves cluttered the back wall with boxes and bins of various objects. In the center of the room was a white table, with more of those annoyingly hard chairs from the classrooms. The walls that weren’t covered up by some kind of shelf by covered instead by colorful, encouraging posters.

Only one other person occupied the room. A girl that looked to be around Jeff’s age, sitting in one of the chairs at the center table. She had her head propped up in her hand, scribbling on a sheet of paper in front of her. Her auburn hair hanging loose, drooping down and cascading around her pale face. Her tired eyes looked up at Jeff as he entered the room. The bags hanging beneath them looking like lead weights.

“Uhm….” Jeff cleared his throat, shuffling into the room a little further. His eyes scanned the area, but found no trace of the nurse.

“She’s not here.” The girl spoke up. Her tired eyes meeting Jeff’s for a moment, before they dropped back down to her paper. “She’s been out for, like, an hour.”

“Jesus.” Jeff rolled his eyes and slumped into the nearest chair, legs spread out, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie.

“And I was here first. Don’t forget.” The girl remarked again. “So I’m getting seen first.”

Jeff rolled his eyes again at the girl’s bratty insistence. “Yeah, I get it. Whatever.”

The girl went back to scribbling away at the notebook paper and Jeff pulled out his cellphone. Playing some mindless game he’d installed. Or at least, he tried to. Damn body.

The silence in the room was deafening, but suddenly broken as the school nurse barged through the room.

“Oh. Oops.” She stopped, blinking as she looked at the two kids sitting in her office. She looked back over her shoulder, double checking the door. “Sorry. I must’ve forgotten to put my out for lunch sign up. My bad kids.”

“Its okay.” The girl at the table replied quietly. Jeff just stared.

“Well.” The nurse sets her purse down at her desk. “Who’s first?”

“Me.” The girl stood up, her chair scraping against the tile floor. Not even waiting to give Jeff a moment to say anything. But it was fine, he was planning on letting her go first anyways.

“Can we talk in the backroom please? In quiet?” She asked.

“Of course, Ms. Arkensaw.” The nurse gave a curt nod and a brief smile. Apparently familiar with the girl. She took her by the shoulder, escorting her to the back of the room.

“Just hang out here for a moment, love.” The nurse called out to Jeff. Who just nodded as the two disappeared through a door at the back of the room. Labeled “Private” on it in plain font.

Jeff was now left alone in the room. And, somehow, he felt more at ease. He didn’t quite like the girl that was here just now. Not that she was a problem necessarily, he just didn’t quite…. Vibe with her.

Though as he sat in his uncomfortable chair, he realized something.

The girl’s papers. They were still on the table.

After waiting for a moment to see if she’d come back for them, Jeff decided to do the right thing and take them to her. Or at the very least tell her she forgot them on the table.

But as he approached the spot where she’d been sitting, as he caught a view of the plain notebook paper that sat on the table. The static began to roar louder in his brain.

A crude drawing of a lanky stick figure… In all black.

Jeff decided to leave them alone.

******

The nurse had been no help. Jeff had explained to her the feeling in his chest, the feeling in his head that he could only describe as “static”. But all she did was tell him it was stress from a long move. And gave him some Tylenol for his “headache”. Which he didn’t even have.

Typical. He didn’t know why he’d expected someone to give a fuck in this place. Not here. Not in Mandeville. A town of fakes.

It had felt like forever, but finally the day had drawn to a close. Jeff wanted nothing more to get out of this place. Not that home felt any better right now.

He made a quick stop in the bathroom. The hallways around him slowly emptying out as all the other students rushed out to the buses, or their parents cars. The bathroom was quiet, empty. Though only for a moment. As soon Jeff’s phone gave a loud ding.

Slipping it from his pocket, he read the text Liu had sent him

Liuser: Hey. Where u at? Im waiting at the bus

Jeff scoffed. Quickly typing out a response.

Jeff: Walking home. Don’t want to deal with that dickhead again. Just using the bathroom real quick.

Jeff let his phone fall back into his pocket, letting the water run in the sink. Wetting his hands and splashing his face in it. Today had been horrible…. But at least it was over.

If only he knew it was about to get a lot worse.

The bathroom door pushed open, and in walked three sets of footsteps. And a very annoying, loud mouth.

“There he is.” Came a sneering voice that Jeff would not soon forget. His hands gripped the bathroom counter, as he peered into the mirror. Spotting Troy, Keith… And of course, Randy. Entering the room. Cornering him.

“We’ve been looking for you all day, Woods.” Randy stepped up to Jeff as he turned around, his back to the sink to prevent Keith or Troy from being able to circle behind him.

“And why have you been doing that?” Jeff tried to keep his voice even, tried to keep that anger, that hatred out of his voice. He knew these types. Giving them a reaction was exactly what fueled people like Randy. But that feeling. That fucking feeling in his chest. It was starting to spike again. He felt like a shaken up bottle of soda. Like a volcano ready to erupt. It was taking every ounce, every morsel of self restraint to not let himself blow up on these douche bags.

“Needed to talk to you about this morning, man. What you did back there….? Standing up to me like that…? Yeah, not smart. That’s not how it works around here.”

“Listen, Randy. I don’t-”

“No, how about YOU listen. Bitch?” Randy jabbed Jeff in the chest with his finger. “Keep that stupid mouth shut, and listen to what I have to say. There are rules around here. About how things work. We-” Randy gestures to his entourage. “Are at the top of this school. And you-” He jabs Jeff once again, making his blood boil with each and every action. “Are at the bottom. Just like that bitch brother of yours.” Another jab from Randy’s fingers. “Do you understand?”

Jeff flinched that time. Not because Randy was hurting him. But because he was truly holding back with everything he had.

“Do not. Talk about my brother.” Jeff hissed. His teeth clenched, his eye twitched. His fingers were curling like claws, every muscle in his body tensed.

His chest hurt.

His head buzzed.

“There you fucking go again. Acting like you’re hot shit. It looks like I’m going to have to hammer this lesson into you the hard way.” Randy nodded to his goons. “Grab him. Hold him still.”

Keith and Troy were upon Jeff like vultures before he could react. His vision so locked onto Randy, that it was like the other two hadn’t existed before it was too late. Their arms wrapped around Jeff’s, holding him tightly between them.

“Now hold him there.” Randy grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. He rolled up his sleeves, drew back his arm….

The crack of Randy’s fist against Jeff’s nose filled the bathroom. His head snapping back from the impact of the punch. Stars danced in his eyes. Before Jeff could recover, another blow straight into his stomach. Dull pain aching and coursing through his veins.

But that wasn’t the only thing coursing through him.

The sensation in his chest was mounting, building. As it had all day. Jeff’s fury…. Was at its peak. And it was in that moment, with Randy wailing away on him, insulting him, insulting his brother, that he finally decided. To maybe, just maybe…. Listen to that tickling voice. The one that seemed to ebb through the static and flow through that fire in his chest.

The one telling him to kill.

With a sudden rush of wrathful strength, Jeff wrenched his arm from Keith’s grasp. Shocking the boy. With his right arm now free, he threw a hook straight into Troy’s fat, ugly face. The boy recoiled from the hit, grabbing the counter for support.

Randy hadn’t even fully realized what had happened before Jeff launched at him. A fist to his jaw, another to his stomach. A third right at his nose. Randy stumbled back from the assault, hitting one of the stall doors, and falling to the ground inside.

Jeff kept advancing. A grin slowly spreading on his face. It felt like…. Like ecstasy. He relished in the look of surprise and fury that was spreading on Randy’s face as he pulled himself to his feet, using the walls of the stall to support himself.

Keith approached from behind, grabbing Jeff by the shoulder as he attempted to reenter the fray. Pulling up a fist and swinging it at Jeff’s face, but with a quick duck he avoided. Sending Keith off balance as his fist sailed clear over Jeff’s head. With a swift strike to the stomach, Jeff sent Keith to his knees. Gasping for air. Jeff clutched the back of Keith’s head, swinging it down as he brought his knee up into the boy’s face. Knocking him clean out and sending him sprawling to the dirty bathroom floor.

Troy by this point had stood back up and charged at Jeff. Fists swinging like a wild madman. But to Jeff, they looked slow. Uncoordinated. No more dangerous than a little kid playing as a boxer.

Jeff easily swayed from side to side, avoiding each and every one of Troy’s manic throws. The guy was big. Hefty. His mind racing, working a mile a minute, he knew we would have to take him out swiftly. As he thought, analyzing his movements, he dodged the punches thrown at him. One after the other. When Troy finally began to exhaust himself, he saw it. Striking Troy’s throat.

The boy gagged, stumbling back and clutching at his windpipe. Jeff wound himself back and threw his entire body weight into a right hook that sent Troy spinning around and clutching to the countertop for support. Before sinking down to his knees.

After taking out both Troy and Keith in a matter of moments, he slowly turned back to face Randy. Still cornered in the stall. His head pivoting to watch the boy from beneath his bangs.

The look on Randy’s face was priceless. It was satisfying. It was everything. Shock. Anger. Fear. Randy had made it back to his feet by now. His fists were raised and ready to fight, but Jeff could see that none of his earlier bravado remained. His shit eating smirk was wiped clean off his face.

Jeff was the one smiling now.

Jeff raised his arms. Heart pounding, pumping that addictive fire through his veins. His vision felt sharper. His muscles stronger. His body faster. He felt alive. He felt like a king. A god. He felt like he could take on the world. He couldn’t help but give a small chuckle. This was what he was needing.

The two boys faced each other, preparing to square off. But before either of them could launch at each other, the bathroom door squeaked open.

Jeff’s head snapped in that direction, eyes locking on whoever just entered his battlefield. But the second he saw him, all the fire he had built up vanished in an instance.

Liu.

“Jeff…. Wh-What the fuck?” Liu whispered, eyes darting from Keith, to Troy, to Randy, and then finally to Jeff. Their eyes locking. Jeff’s filled with hatred, and Liu’s with sadness. “What is this?”

“Liu, get out of here.” Jeff snarled. “I’m almost done.” He turned his attention back to Randy. His fists were still clenched, but his resolve had wavered.

“No!” Liu rushed forward, stepping over Keith and grabbing Jeff by the shoulder. “That’s enough! You made your point. Now let’s get out of here before someone sees and you get in trouble!”

“Get off of me!” Jeff brushed Liu off. “I’m going to finish what this prick started. Now go!”

“Jeff, look at me.” Liu commanded, grabbing Jeff once more and holding on much tighter this time.

Jeff spun around, prepared to yell at his brother to fuck off. But he faltered as he once more saw that look in his brother’s eyes. The genuine concern and worry that was evident behind them. The only person in the world that Jeff truly felt understood him. The only person who actually cared.

The moment of hesitation was enough for Randy. He shoved past the two brothers and ran from the bathroom. High tailing it out into the hall and running away as fast as he could. Abandoning his two friends and avoiding the fight.

“Now look what you did.” Jeff tried to get his fiery anger to return. But it wouldn’t. Liu had calmed the tempest inside of him.

“Good. You made yourself clear. You showed them you’re not to be messed with…. Now come on. We need to get out of here.” Liu cast a glance down at Keith and Troy, groaning and stirring. Come back to consciousness. “Let’s hope these two are too embarrassed to report you to the teachers. Or fuck. Even the cops….”

“Come on.” Liu pushed Jeff towards the door. “Let’s move.”

******

As the two of them made their way from the now empty school, the figure from before watched from the opposite end of the hallway. His own frustration was starting to grow. He hadn’t expected this one to be so hard to turn. Normally they were far easier than this….

No. The answer was clear to him. The figure had seen Jeff turning, seen him giving into the darkness that flowed through him. He had been right on track to join at his side.

Until that brother showed up.

That brother, Liu, was the one anchoring the boy to his life. The one keeping him from truly drowning in his dark fury. The figure surmised that as long as that brother was around, as long as he was here to control Jeff, then he would never truly give in.

Well, that just wouldn’t do.

That just wouldn’t do at all.

“I actually can’t believe you did that.” Liu groaned, head in his hands. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re going to get into?”

Jeff knelt on the bed of a running stream. Scooping up the cold water and washing his bleeding nose with it. The water was like ice, but felt rather refreshing on Jeff’s face. Which still burned with both fury and pain.

The two boys had taken a detour into the woods before heading home. It had been Liu’s idea. To allow Jeff a moment to clean up and compose himself before they had to face their parents.

“Who cares.” Jeff mumbled, scooping up another handful of water and splashing himself. His eyes locking onto his own in the reflection of the water. Was it just way the water reflected, or did his eyes look…. Darker than normal? They were almost… Mesmerizing.

“Me. I care. And you should too. Since when do you get in fights anyways? Like, real fights. I’ve never seen you do something like that. How in the world did you manage to knock out two people, and corner a third?”

“I don’t know…. Latent strength or something.” Was the only explanation Jeff could give. He didn’t really understand it himself. It had just…. Happened. He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to do it again if he tried.

“Are you feeling okay? Genuinely. You’ve been acting weird since we got here.” Liu was sat on the opposite bank of the creek and leaning up against a large rock. He watched as Jeff washed away the blood in the cold water.

“I feel fine.” Jeff muttered back. And for once, it wasn’t a lie. He actually did feel good. The tightness in his chest and static in his head had all but vanished after beating up Keith and Troy. Jeff even felt…. Good. Like he had just taken a good night’s sleep after a week of getting none.

“I don’t regret it. Randy was asking for it.” Was all Jeff said.

“My god, Jeff. Of course he was!” Liu threw his hands up in exasperation. “But that doesn’t make it right to just beat him up! Do you even know who Randy is? Like. Actually is?”

“No. And I don’t really care.” Jeff replied bluntly, not looking up from the water.

“He’s the son of Maxwell Hayden.”

“Should that mean something to me?”

Liu sunk his head back down into his hands. “Jesus Christ, Jeff. Where does dad work now?!”

Jeff finally looked up from the river. The puzzle pieces connecting in his head. “…. At…. The Hayden Law Firm.”

“Yes. Exactly, Jeff. Thank you. Two times today you have tried to kick the shit out of the son of dad’s boss. As if mom and dad wouldn’t be mad enough at all this.”

Jeff glared daggers at Liu from across the stream. Slowly standing up and facing his brother, jaw set. “You’re starting to sound like them.”

“What? Like who?”

“Like mom. Like dad. Like the nurse. Like everyone in this town. Acting like I should just shut up and keep my head down. Acting like I should ignore everything, and just try to act perfect.”That final word felt like acid on Jeff’s lips. Like an unholy word. Made only more vitriolic by the fact it was his own brother trying to talk to him about it.

“I’m not saying you should just keep your head down.” Liu reached up and began to toy with the frayed edges of his scarf, a nervous habit of his.

“Oh, really? Then what about this morning? Telling me I should just fork over my money to Randy wasn’t about keeping my head down? Stopping me from kicking Randy’s ass in the bathroom wasn’t about keeping me from disturbing the peace in this hellhole of a town?”

Liu just stood there for a moment, slack jawed. Unable to believe the words coming from Jeff’s mouth.

“No! No it wasn’t! It was to protect you, idiot! To keep you from getting hurt by Randy and his goons. To keep you out of trouble with mom and dad. To keep you from getting arrested!” Liu leapt over the stream, landing with a wobble of his arms to keep his balance, barely avoiding a tumble into the cold stream below.

“I’m just trying to look out for you. I know this move is hard. Its hard for all of us! You think I’m having a good time? You think I want to pay Randy and his jerkface friends? You think I want to play the part of mom and dad’s perfect little puppet? Dance their roles? NO! But this isn’t New Orleans anymore. We have to adapt! We have to fit in! Otherwise we’re just going to make things harder for ourselves.” Liu’s voice rose to a shout. Trying to get his point across to Jeff, trying to make it through his brother’s thick, stubborn skull.

“You don’t even hear what you’re saying right now!” Jeff shouted back. As hard as Liu was trying to convince him, all it was doing was furthering Jeff’s belief that Liu had succumb to the perfect curse that seemed to haunt this town. “You’re trying to tell me to sacrifice what I believe in, what I want to do, who I want to be, just for the sake of our parents and this town!”

“I’m telling you to do it for your OWN sake, Jeffrey!” Liu’s anger only rose to match Jeff’s. Their voices carrying out through the forest, echoing in its silence. Liu stops. Realizing quickly how out of hand things were getting. He took a step towards Jeff slowly. Reaching out for him. “I’m just…. I’m just telling you to do it to survive.”

Jeff looked down at Liu’s hand. He considered his words. He really, truly did. Thought about what Liu was saying, what he meant. Was it really that bad? Would it really be that hard for Jeff to just put on a fake smile, and happily join the fake, perfect town of Mandeville…?

Thoughts of Randy flashed in his mind. Mandeville was the kind of place where a person like that could thrive. Would thrive. Like a virus. Like a tumor that needed cut out. Mandeville was a place for people like him, to get stronger, richer, more successful, through manipulation and harassment of those beneath him.

Jeff would sooner kill himself than join a community like that.

He turned away, ignoring Liu’s hand.

“I don’t want to survive, Liu. I want to thrive.”

******

Jeff wasn’t sure where he was. After the fight with Liu he had just stormed off in a random direction. Liu was the one who had led him into the woods, and at the time he wasn’t fully paying attention to where they were going.

So now, on his own, he was lost. Wandering through the thick woods as the sun only set further and further. At first his anger at Liu and everyone else had driven him, pushing him onward. But now, 10 minutes later, and with fading twilight, Jeff had to stop and face the facts.

He was lost.

He tried doubling back the way he came, but that only succeeded in getting him even more mixed up. Somehow.

He tried searching for his own footprints, but could never locate them.

He tried trying to figure out which direction he had come from, but in the twisting gloom of the woods that didn’t help either.

He tried calling for help on his cellphone. He tried his dad first. Even though he doubted he'd help. And then he even tried Liu. Jeff was already preparing to apologize to him. But that wasn’t an option either. No signal.

It was like no matter what Jeff tried, this forest was determined to keep him lost and disoriented.

Just great.

Left with no other options, Jeff figured the only thing he could do was pick a direction and start walking. He figured west was a good idea. Walking towards the sunlight gave him a little bit of comfort at least. Despite how fleeting it was.

He trudged on and on. Figuring eventually he would reach the border. The forest couldn’t be that big, he reasoned. Or at the very least he would hear the passing by of cars on the road, or the babbling of the stream from earlier. At which point he’d be able to get his bearings.

But the further on he went, the longer he walked, the less sure he was of both of those things.

As the sunlight continued to fade away, the woods took on a sinister presence. Shadows growing sharper and darkness growing deeper with every step Jeff took through this dark forest.

Any of Jeff’s earlier bravery was now gone. Replaced by a gnawing nervousness that only grew more intense as the dwindled. He began to peer over his shoulder, and cast glances in all directions. Sometimes he thought he saw things. Out of the corner of his eye. Looming behind a tree or just out of sight. But every time he turned his full attention to it…. It was just a tree, or a bush….

The sun was almost set for good now. Jeff had pulled his phone out and was using its meager flashlight to guide his path. He was getting desperate and even a little scared.

A twig cracking behind him caused Jeff to spin on his heels. Eyes wide and darting, phone held out like it was some kind of weapon. Like the light was going to chase off whatever it was.

But there was nothing there.

Another crack, behind him once more. He spun again. But was faced with nothing all the same. He heard it again, and again. Something was walking around him. It was circling him. Like a shark about to strike.

“Get out of here! Shoo! Go away!” Jeff shouted as he straightened his posture as much as he could. He read in a book somewhere that bears would back away if you acted big and stood your ground…. Or were you supposed to play dead? Fuck! He didn’t know!

Liu would’ve known.

Not that Jeff even knew if it was a bear to begin with. It could’ve been a coyote, or a bobcat…. But Jeff wasn’t sure it was any of those things. The more he listened he wasn’t even sure it was a bear. Its strides were long, the footsteps were spaced too far apart to be any normal animal. Whatever was out there, whatever was stalking him, Jeff had trouble believing it was anything natural.

Was it possible he was just overreacting? Just hearing things? Just being overly paranoid by the darkness? Scared by the fact that he was lost in the middle of unfamiliar woods? It was certainly possible. But something about the way his hair was standing on end, something about the way his heart beat steady and fast, something about the way every muscle in his body was tensed, led him to believe otherwise.

This wasn’t a made up fear conjured by the unknown. This was real. These were natural, primal instincts. Something cultivated and bred through generations of survival.

Whatever it was that Jeff was alone with in those woods.

Was not just a predator.

It was the apex.

Jeff had enough of this. He turned around and started sprinting as fast as he could. His legs pumping, heart racing. Fight or flight had kicked in, and it kicked in hard. This wasn’t Randy and his friends. Whatever that was back there was the real deal. And Jeff wasn’t about to get killed by it.

Branches and sticks whipped him in the face. Catching his clothes and cutting his skin. But none of that mattered. Every sense in his body seemed locked in on one thing. Escape.

I just have to get home. I just have to get home. I just have to get home.

Those words echoed in his mind over and over again. Like a mantra that would somehow deliver him from whatever creature stalked him through the night. He even began to whisper it beneath his gasping breath as he ran.

Out of the many things he was expecting though, a reply was not one of them.

Why do you want to go home?

The words came out of nowhere. Jeff froze in his tracks. Heart still hammering, fear still coursing through his veins, but something about the voice simply commanded his attention. It cut through his mind like ice. A voice almost painful to listen to.

Why do you want to go home? The voice repeated the question. There is nothing there for you. Nothing but people that want to control you. People that want to mold and sculpt you.

Jeff tried to locate the origin of the voice, but couldn’t see anyone. The more he focused on the voice, the more he wasn’t even sure he was hearing it to begin with. It was as if it were…. Inside his own head.

“Who the hell are you!” Jeff shouted, spinning in circles, eyes mad. “Just leave me alone!”

Calm down. I am not your enemy, Jeffrey.

The voice knew his name. Apparently.

You said it yourself. Earlier. Didn’t you? You didn’t want to just survive. You wanted to thrive. Yes? Isn’t that what you said, Jeffrey?

“How do you know about that?” Jeff whipped around, trying to locate the source of the voice. Maybe he could fight back. Maybe he could beat them up like he did to Randy earlier. Maybe that burning strength in his chest would return. Maybe-

Do not make the mistake of fighting me, Jeffrey. I am not a weak, foolish child, like Randal was. I assure you your life will be much, much easier with me as an ally…. Instead of an enemy.

So I ask again. Do you want to thrive?

“T-Tell me who you are first. What you are. How do I know you’re not Randy pulling a prank on me? Getting back at me for earlier?”

“Randy” is insignificant. He is nothing more than an ant. He’s not worthy of even being spoken in the same sentence as you or I. Do not be troubled by such whelps. We are above him. We are above all of them. You asked me what I am? Its simple. I may be the only thing in this town that truly understands you.

“W-What do you mean?” Jeff stammered. Thing. It had called itself a thing. Not a man. Not a woman. Not a creature. A thing. It made his nerves worsen.

This town…. Mandeville…. Its wretched. Isn’t it? You and I can see that. You and I can see how their world is flawed. You and I can see how in their pursuit of perfection, they have warped the world around them.

Wouldn’t you agree?

The voice did seem to echo Jeff’s sentiments. Somehow, it shared his feelings about this town. Somehow it knew exactly how he thought. Just like it somehow knew his name. And Randy’s name.

Just what was it Jeff was talking to right now…?

“Okay…? So we both hate this shit hole town? That doesn’t mean we’re friends or some shit. I-I don’t want to be here any longer. I’m leaving now.” Jeff announced loudly to the creature, but still could not make his legs move. He was frozen.

Not friends. But allies. You and I are the same. We both hate them. Hate their perfection. Hate their order and control. Hate the way that they force everything into their neat little boxes. And destroy that which doesn’t fit. Am I wrong about that?

“…. No, you’re not.” Something about the way the voice spoke seemed to soothe Jeff. The once painful words were beginning to sound comforting. “I hate the way my parents act about this place. And I hate the way Randy gets away with the things he does. Clearly, he’s used to getting his way….”

Why had he been running in the first place? Why he was so scared of the dark? He had nothing to be afraid of. The dark was his friend. He was safe in the dark. It was comfortable. Like a warm blanket swaddled around him.

The static began to return to his head. He found himself falling down, until he was sitting on the cold, dewy grass. Something was standing behind him now. He could feel it. The thing from before. The thing the voice belonged to. But somehow, he didn’t feel the need to run anymore.

Precisely. This town wasn’t made for someone like you. You’ve noticed it. Haven’t you? Don’t think this is just your parents and Randy’s faults. Don’t think its just on them. No. This town is a product of all those that live within it. And more.

“More?”

Mandeville is but a spec in the grand scheme. Mandeville is but a microcosm of the issues plaguing not only this whole country, but this whole world. Order and perfection. The cutting away of those who do not fit their molds. You have been blind to it before. But no longer. Now you will begin to see, Jeffrey. You will begin to see all that is wrong with this world.

“What if I don’t want to see it?” Jeff felt a bit of that fear returning now. Worry. This thing was talking about stuff that Jeff didn’t want to think about. He was only 16 for god’s sake. He didn’t want to think about what was wrong with the world.

Do you remember my question from earlier, Jeffrey? I will ask it again. And your answer will come. Do. You. Want. To. Thrive?

Jeff let his eyes close for a moment. Weighing his fears against his anger. His wish for things to stay the same, versus his desire to change things for good. He thought about Randy, his parents, this town, the move. All the things that made him burn and seethe with rage. The answer seemed so clear to him.

But one thing surfaced between all the memories of anger and fury.

But one thing surfaced between all the memories of anger and fury.

The only bright spot.

His brother.

Liu wouldn’t want this for him. Liu wouldn’t want him to give into that rage and anger. Liu would want Jeff to resist. To find the good in the world and town around them.

Your brother is just like them. The thing seemed to detect Jeff’s thoughts. And interrupted them with its icy words. He is part of the problem. He doesn’t see things like you and I.

Jeff clenched his jaw as the static only grew worse in his head. As the tightness in his chest threatened to suffocate him. He resisted it. Shook his head and put his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound of the thing.

“No! You’re wrong! Liu isn’t like that. He’s just looking out for me. And I’m not going to let him down.”

There was a long pause before the thing spoke again.

I see. So you have not yet been convinced of the wrongness in this world. Fine. Then I shall let you see with your own eyes, Jeffrey. If you will not take my word for it. Then you will witness it. You will experience it. And you will suffer it. First hand.

Jeff felt something stuffed into his hoodie pocket. A crinkle of paper. He shut his eyes even tighter so he didn’t risk seeing the thing that had put it there.

And when you have had enough. When you are convinced of the madness that dwells within this world’s “perfection” and “order”. When you are ready to answer my question and wake up. I will be here. You will know how to find me.

Until then. Goodbye.

******

Jeff found himself standing in the driveway of his house. The cool Fall air blowing against his face. The sky was fading with light. The sun just barely dipping down over the horizon.

His parents were home.

His brother was home.

He was home.

But how? Had it all been a dream? A hallucination? Was Jeff actually going insane? He felt his clothes and face. It had none of the scratches or tears from running in the forest.

But he did feel something. A crinkle of paper in his jacket pocket. With a trembling hand he pulled it out. A single sheet of standard notebook paper. As he unfolded it, the dread from the forest began to flood back to him. Reaching its climax as he stared upon the crude drawing of a black stick figure. Etched frantically into the page. With just four words written next to it.

See you soon, Jeffrey.

One week. 

It had been one week since the Woods family arrived in Mandeville. A week of settling in, learning the town, and meeting the people that inhabited it. 

And for Jeffrey Woods, one week of hell. 

Ever since that night in the woods, things had gone from bad to worse for the boy. His head and chest problems were a constant, nagging annoyance that plagued him wherever he went and no matter what he did. It was like he was living through a fog. Barely able to think and barely able to breathe. His grades suffered, his social life suffered, and he suffered. 

He was an outcast at school. While he certainly wasn’t popular back home in New Orleans, he hadn’t been unpopular either. But here in Mandeville, unpopular was an understatement. Nobody talked to him or even approached him. He was the weird kid to all of them. Some were afraid of him, while some thought he was just creepy. 

Rumors had spread about how he had fought Keith and Troy at the same time, and won. Though in all versions of the story, it was always Randy who won. Always Randy who chased off Jeff, rather than the other way around. So now everyone saw Randy as the hero, the big time football star hero, and Jeff as some criminal punk. 

The stories had eventually reached his parents. Though no legal action was taken, he was told off severely. And banned from having his phone, computer, or any electronics for several months. Due his poor behavior at school, detention wasn’t uncommon for him either. No matter where Jeff turned, it seemed like he found new enemies and new punishments awaiting him. Everyone just wrote off his problems as a bad attitude, as a bratty teenager who couldn’t stop getting into trouble. 

Even when it wasn’t his fault, trouble just seemed to follow and to plague him. A stray cat knocked over one of his mother’s pots at home while Jeff was passing by. The pot shattered, and his mother had blamed him for it. No matter how hard he tried to convince her otherwise. 

Jeff had found a notebook in the boy’s bathroom and had picked it up. Intending to take it to lost and found. But the fog in his head made him forget, and eventually he was blamed for stealing it. And once more, no one would believe him when he tried to tell his side of the story. 

No one was interested in hearing his story. Ever. The town had firmly decided he wasn’t someone worth listening to. And even when Jeff tried to convince them otherwise, they wouldn’t listen. He didn’t fit inside their mold, so he would be cut off entirely. 

But by far. By far the worst of it all? Worse than the punishments, the bullying, his head or chest? 

Liu.

Liu seemed to be the opposite to Jeff in every way when it came to fitting in. Liu had friends. And lots of them. He excelled in his classes, he was liked by teachers and students alike. Hell. He’d even managed to score himself a girlfriend. 

Liu had done exactly what he said he would. He would fit in. He would adapt. And he would survive. Jeff sometimes watched his brother from afar. Wondering where he would be, had he just accepted his brother’s hand that night in the woods. 

But Jeff knew, no matter how easy it looked, it wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t out of stubbornness, it wasn’t because he was a punk teen like everyone thought. It was because he was able to see what was happening in this town. 

He could see the corruption that spread through every crack and seam in the facade. That pumped through the town like blood through veins. Jeff always seemed to end up at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Trouble and misfortune was following him. But not just his own. He bore witness to so many others. He had stayed quiet. Faded into the background. And begun to see and learn. 

He knew that Randy was paying off the football coach to slip him steroids for performance. 

He knew the chief of police was having an affair not just his secretary, but the newest cadet too. 

He knew the principle of Mandeville High was fudging reports to favor his preferred students, and damn the ones he didn’t. 

He knew Maxwell Hayden bribed police officers to overlook crimes he and his family committed.

He knew. He knew. He knew. Big and small. Jeff was always finding new reasons to hate this place and those that lived in it. 

Jeff wasn’t jealous of his brother. He was scared for him. Scared of what might become of him if he kept leaning into it. Leaning into the facade. But he couldn’t get through to him.

All these thoughts were pouring through Jeff’s head as he made his way down the crowded high school corridor. Class was out. The fog always got worse around this time. Likely because Jeff’s “antidote” started to wear off around this time.

Time to go get a refill.

But as Jeff stormed through the hall, hands shoved deep into his pockets. He felt a hand grab his shoulder. He nudged it off and whirled around, ready to tell someone off, when he came face to face with his brother.

“Hey.” Liu smiled at him. It wasn’t exactly a happy smile. But it was at least different than all of the wary smiles he usually got. Liu’s smile was at least a concerned one.

“Hey.” Jeff mumbled back. “What do you want?”

“Well, I wanted to let you know I’m staying late today. Theater club is meeting. But I thought maybe afterwards the three of us could go out for a bite. Or get some ice cream or something.” Liu offered, clearly trying to bridge the gap.

“Three?”

“Oh, yeah. Sam would be coming too.” Liu looked over his shoulder and nodded towards the preppy looking brunette. With purple glasses and a jacket tied around her waist. She was cute. Jeff would give her that. But looked like the kind of person that he couldn’t deal with anymore.

“Oh…. Nah, that’s alright. I don’t want to intrude…” Jeff brought his tired eyes back to Liu’s.

“You sure? You wouldn’t be intruding on anything. I already asked if she was okay with it.”

“No, its fine. I’ve got homework to do. You two have fun.” Jeff kept things short, and then spun on his heel and headed out of the building. He wasn’t trying to be rude to his brother, but his chest was constricting even more and his head was starting to spin. It was getting worse and if he wasted anymore time he feared he would black out or something. He needed his antidote. Immediately.

******

The loud chatter of the school yard was now far behind Jeff. Died off into the distance. As did the rumble of cars, and sounds of civilization as a whole. Replaced entirely by the sounds of the forest. The crunch of leaves, the whistle of the wind. But one sound specifically was what Jeff was trained in on.

The scurry of small animals through the underbrush.

Jeff stood in the middle of the woods. Eyes closed. Hoodie off revealing his now pale skin. His sunken eyes closed gently. And in his right hand…. A pocket knife. His fingers flexed as he listened. Time dilated, seemingly slowing to a crawl as Jeff waited for his prey to arrive. His senses felt heightened. He felt like he could hear every last insect and creature in the forest.

Then he heard it. Barely more than a twitch in the bushes. His body was moving almost faster than Jeff could think. Like a flash of lightning he was at the bush and plunging his knife into it.

He struck gold.

He heard a sharp squeak and felt something writhing and pulling away from his knife. He drove it deeper. The knife pushing straight through the prey and plunging into the dirt. The creature continued to writhe and squeak and squirm, but was now firmly pinned to the ground.

“Yesssss….” Jeff felt a smile creep over his lips as he pulled back the bushes to gaze at his bounty. There, pinned in the undergrowth, was a mouse. It was still kicking and squeaking like mad. His knife plunged through it like a stake.

Jeff reached down and grabbed the rodent with his bare hand, carefully withdrawing the knife before bringing it up to his face. He stared into its fearful eyes. He felt its warm blood oozing through his fingers.

Euphoria.

Jeff shifted his hand down, exposing its neck. He brought the knife back up, and in one swift motion slit the mouse’s throat. Its squeaking and writhing intensified for only a moment, before it slowly fell limp in his hand.

Jeff sat there and stared at it. Looking at the way it lay dead in his fist. He squeezed and felt more blood pour from its wounds. Like water from a sponge. It was warm in his cold hands.

After a moment longer of appreciating his work, Jeff tossed the mouse back down into the bush. Blood dripping from his hand as he covered the mouse back up with leaves.

As the blood still dripped from his hands and knife. Jeff cocked his head back, closing his eyes and taking several deep breathes. Before opening them back up, staring at the cloudy sky above.

This was his antidote.

The only thing Jeff had found that alleviated the fog was violence. And murder brought him the most clarity of all. It made him feel alive again. It was the only thing he could do that allowed him to focus properly. The only thing he could do to survive.

But it wasn’t enough. The mouse was too small. The bigger the creature, the more clarity and satisfaction it brought him. Mice were barely enough to clear his head for a few seconds. His favorite things to kill were larger animals like raccoons and possums. Those were enough to stave off the feeling for nearly a whole 24 hours.

Jeff took another deep breath and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped the blood from his hands and knife onto it. Then ventured deeper into the forest to search for his next prey….

******

Jeff stumbled into the house at around 7PM. His parents were thankfully not waiting for him. He’d lied and told them he had detention that night. He didn’t bother turning on the lights as he entered the dark house. He didn’t really need them anymore. His eyesight was sharper. Especially while he was riding the high of a hunt.

As he walked through the hallway, he could hear the television on in the living room where his parents were. They didn’t care enough to say hello or greet him. So he didn’t either. He walked past them straight to the room he shared with Liu.

He entered the empty bedroom and immediately removed the pocket knife from his hoodie. Slipping it into his nightstand drawer. Then slipped his hoodie off and tossed it onto the bed in a crumpled heap. He’d need to wash it tonight, he imagined. He hadn’t been in the room for more than a few seconds before he felt a presence behind him.

“Hey.” Jeff called out without turning around. He didn’t need to. He could tell it was Liu from his scent.

“Uh. Hey man.” Jeff could hear Liu enter the room and close the door behind him. “Where have you been? Mom and dad said you had detention. But I know you didn’t. You can’t lie to me.”

“I was just out. No where special.”

“Just out? So you were…. What? Just sitting on a bench somewhere for four hours?”

“I don’t see why it matters where I was. Who cares?”

“I care. Jeff.” Liu stepped forward and grabbed Jeff by the shoulder. “I care. Even though you seem to think I don’t. I’m still your brother. I’m still your friend. You can talk to me. Just please. Tell me what’s going on? You’ve been different ever since we came here. You’re not yourself anymore.”

When Jeff didn’t reply to him, Liu grew frustrated. He gripped his shoulder harder. “Jeff! Talk. To. Me! And would you fucking look at me for once? Look me in the eyes instead of turning your back to me!” With that Liu shoved Jeff so he turned to face him.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Jeff snarled, shoving his brother’s hand from his shoulder. “Don’t push me around.”

“Then stop acting like a loser and talk to me. Actually talk to me. Instead of saying some vague shit and then storming off like you’ve been doing every day for the past week. You’re killing yourself, Jeff! Jesus! Look at you!”

Liu waved his hands over Jeff’s body as if making a point. “You look like the walking dead! Your skin is pale, your hair is greasy, and you look like you haven’t slept in months!”

“I. Am. Fine.” Jeff advanced closer to Liu with every word, until he was face to face. Eye to eye with Liu. Staring straight into him. Liu’s eyes looked alive. Full of concern. Nothing like Jeff’s. Which were bloodshot and weighed down by heavy bags.

“Please. Jeff. Stop lying to me. I don’t know when you decided that I was your enemy, but I’m not. I’m your friend, your brother…. If something is going on you can talk to me. Maybe I can help.”

Jeff actually hesitated. Just for a moment. He wanted to trust in his brother. He wanted to ask for help again. He wanted to face this world together. Not alone. He was tired of this. All of this.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Liu’s eyes suddenly diverted.

“What’s that?” Liu’s brow furrowed with confusion as he pushed Jeff to the side and walked toward his bed. Before Jeff could even figure out what his brother was talking about, Liu reached out and tugged something free from the pocket of Jeff’s white hoodie.

A bloodstained rag.

Jeff’s eyes widened and his heart picked up its pace. He’d forgotten to take the rag out of his pocket. The rag he used to clean the blood from his knife and hands.

“That’s just-” He stepped forward, reaching for it, but Liu held it out of his grasp.

“Just… What?” Liu gave Jeff a look of downright horror. His eyes jumped down to Jeff’s arms, obviously looking for signs of self harm. But of course, he found none. “You haven’t been…. Cutting yourself…. Have you?”

“No, of course not. Don’t be stupid.” Jeff once again reached for the rag, but Liu stepped back.

“Then why is there a blood soaked rag in your pocket?”

“I…. Had a nosebleed?”

“This is one hell of a nose bleed. Tell me the truth or I’m showing mom and dad.”

“You really think they’re gonna give a shit?”

“They might.”

“They won’t. And you know it, Liu.”

“Then just tell me the truth anyways! I’m your brother. You shouldn’t be keeping secrets like this!”

Jeff was about to tell his brother to piss off. But he reconsidered. Thought over things for just a moment. His mind was still clear from his little hunting spree earlier. So his mind wasn’t blinded by rage for once. Maybe Liu was right. Maybe if he tried one more time to make Liu see the dangers of this place…. He’d listen. And then Jeff would have an ally. Someone to face this with.

Of course, he’d still have his head to deal with. But even that, he felt, would be easier to handle if he had Liu around.

“Alright. Alright.” Jeff finally decided. He took a seat on the bed and looked up at his brother. “I’ll explain it. Just don’t freak out. Promise?”

Liu gave him another apprehensive look. But took a seat opposite to Jeff on his own bed. The bloodsoaked rag still held delicately in his hands. “Okay…. Start talking then. I’ll listen.”

“The blood isn’t mine.”Jeff had to physically stop himself from cracking a smile as he saw the look of sheer terror on Liu’s face. “Chill out! Its not from anyone! Its not from a person. Jeez. You think I’m a killer, don’t you?”

“Well shit Jeff!” Liu gave a deep sigh, placing his hand over his heart. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Liu gave a chuckle, and Jeff laughed with him. For a moment it actually felt like old times. Like they were back in New Orleans screwing around with each other.

Liu took another deep breath and collected himself. “Okay? So what is it? Halloween blood or something?”

“Uh…. No. It’s real. Just not from a person.”

As Jeff explained, Liu’s smile faltered. And the relief vanished from his face. The look of unease that had been so common on Liu’s face as of late, common on everyone’s face when it came to speaking with Jeff, found its way back. The illusion was shattered. Jeff was firmly reminded that things weren’t like they were back in New Orleans. And may never be that way again.

“Where…. Is it from then…?” Liu’s voice was quiet, timid. His eyes bounced between the blood soaked rag and Jeff’s face. His brows were furrowed and his mouth set into a small, but noticeable frown.

“Animals. Mice, squirrels, raccoons, possums…. All sorts. I’ve been…. Hunting. I guess you could call it.” Jeff couldn’t help but let the pride creep into his voice as he described it. His heart was starting to race and he felt a smile prick at his cheeks. “I’m at a kill count of 31.” He proudly announced.

Liu, on the other hand, appeared to share none of Jeff’s enthusiasm. His frown only deepening and his horror growing as Jeff described his newest hobby.

“H-Hunting…? But you don’t even a gun!” Liu tries to keep the horror from slipping into his voice, but Jeff can still hear it. They may have grown apart, but he still knows his brother well enough to tell that he wasn’t really seeing this as a good thing.

“I don’t use a gun. I use a knife. And my hands.”

“What the fuck?” Liu gasped softly. “Jeff…. That’s what you’ve been doing every day after school? You go off into the woods and just…. Kill animals?”

“Pretty much. It helps me feel better.”

“What do you mean ‘feel better’? Feel better about what?”

“Just…. Better. In general. You know that fog I’ve been having? The one I’ve told everyone about but no one takes seriously?” Jeff allowed some of his anger to creep into his voice. As “everyone” in that instance, included Liu. No one thought it was a big deal.

Jeff’s tone seemed to accomplish what he was aiming for. As Liu squirmed uncomfortably. Clearly guilty about not taking his brother’s issues seriously. “Its not that we didn’t take them seriously, Jeff…. But I still don’t get what you mean. How does killing poor little animals make your head feel better?”

“Look, I don’t know either. It just does. There’s like…. A high. From doing it. You know? Whenever I kill something I get this rush of adrenaline. It makes me feel so, so alive. You really should try it some time.” Jeff began to get excited again. “Its just that feeling of power, of feeling life snuffed out beneath your own hands…. Its honestly great.”

Liu suddenly stood up, interrupting Jeff’s gushing. Liu couldn’t stand it anymore. It was sickening to hear. His face had taken on a shade of green and his fear was now mingled with disgust.

“Jeff. Whatever you’re doing isn’t right. You shouldn’t be feeling like that. Killing things, even animals, is wrong.”

“How is it wrong? People kill animals all the time.”

“Yeah, for food! Not because it ‘makes them feel good’ or whatever. That’s not right! That’s disgusting, Jeff!”

“Hey, you promised you weren’t gonna freak out if I told you the truth.” Jeff’s eyes narrowed. His jaw setting. He’d felt punished for finally opening up to someone. He should’ve known nobody would be able to understand.

“I-I’m not freaking out.” Liu began to toy with the edges of his frayed scarf, proving otherwise. “But you have to understand that this isn’t right…. This is the kind of behavior that serial killers have, Jeffrey.”

“So, what? You really think I’m a serial killer now? You think I’m going to start murdering people?”

“I hope not! I don’t want to think about that Jeff. But someone has to tell you that this isn’t normal. It isn’t right. I don’t care if you hate me or whatever. But I’m not going to sit by and let this happen.” Liu turned and started to leave the room. Jeff jumped up.

“What? Are you gonna tell mom and dad or something?” He laughed cruelly. “Like I said earlier, they aren’t going to care. All they’ll do is give me a lecture and try to ground me.”

Liu paused in the doorway. Looking over his shoulder only briefly. Before making his way out to the living room.

******

A few hours later and Jeff was laying on his back in bed. Liu had told their parents about Jeff’s new hobby. And just as Jeff predicted, they did nothing about it. Sure, they gave him a lecture. They grounded him from going out at all after school. But that was exactly the kind of shallow “discipline” he was expecting from his parents.

Jeff cast a look over at Liu, who was laying on his bed across the room. Back to Jeff. He could tell Liu was furious at their parents. Probably furious at Jeff too, for being right about them not caring.

But that was where he and Liu were different. Jeff had seen through the facade. Jeff was no longer fooled by the residents of this town. Although, he had to wonder. Since his parents were always like this…. Was it really a product of the town?

The words of that man came drifting back to Jeff as he began to fade from consciousness.

Mandeville is but a microcosm of the issues plaguing not only this whole country, but this whole world. Order and perfection. The cutting away of those who do not fit their molds.

Jeff was beginning to think that thing, whatever it had been, really had a point…. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe…. A partnership wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Jeff had thought that was the end of it. He had thought that his parents would pretend to care, but ultimately do nothing to stop or help him. He figured he’d be back to hunting animals in the woods that night with nothing changing.

But unfortunately, Jeff had underestimated his brother. Had underestimated the tenacity of the only person in this entire town that truly cared about him.

As Jeff was sitting in math class, feigning interest as usual, the intercom in the ceiling crackled to life. The dusty voice of the front desk receptionist speaking out through the old, dying hardware. They were a match made in heaven, really.

“Mr. Krenisky?” The woman asked.

“Yes?” The middle aged man looked up with clear annoyance as the speaker came through.

“Can you please send Jeffrey Woods to guidance?”

There was the usual whispering and hushed voices that accompanied the call. Jeff could feel the eyes of every individual in the room bearing down upon him.

“Mr. Woods. You heard her. Guidance.” Mr. Krenisky nodded from Jeff, to the door.

This was quite possibly the last thing Jeff wanted to do right now. But left with no choice, he grabbed his backpack and headed for the door. Ignoring the endless whispering that followed him. As it always did.

He considered just ditching. He was already in trouble enough with the school and his parents. But he thought better of it this time. He didn’t want to get expelled or suspended. So maybe it would be best to just follow along with the other sheeple for a spell.

Jeff arrived at the wooden door with a frosted glass pane in the center. The words “GUIDANCE COUNSELOR” printed across it in thick bold letters. Complete with a corny yellow smiley face at the end.

Jeff rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Alright, let’s get this over with.” He mumbled to himself, before pushing open the door and entering the office.

The guidance counselors small office was about as Jeff had expected. Small and cramped. Most of the room was taken up by a large wooden desk. Its surface cluttered with a computer monitor, and several stacks of papers and files. Two chairs on Jeff’s side, and one large office chair on the other.

Occupying the seat was a woman that Jeff could only describe as “strained”. She had to be the most fake person Jeff had ever seen since he arrived at this town. Her skin was clotted with thick makeup to hide any kind of blemish or mark. Her lips coated in a thick smear of red lipstick. Her fingers topped with two inch long, crimson nails. Ones that resembled small swords more than nails. Her blonde hair was yanked back into the tightest bun Jeff had ever seen. It practically looked like she was trying to rip it out of her skull.

“Hi. Mr. Woods?” The counselor blinked, her mask splitting into a massive, almost uncanny grin. One that showed off her brilliant and unnaturally white teeth. But her eyes betrayed the truth. Her smile contained no happiness. It made the whole act, the whole room feel empty.

“That’s me.” He replied with no enthusiasm. Tossing down his backpack and sinking into one of the chairs. Jeff wanted to collapse this woman’s fake attitude with his apathy. But knew she’d be an impossible nut to crack. She was a master of pretending. He could tell.

“My name is Ms. Summers. Its nice to meet you.”

“Okay. What do you want?” Jeff shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. Hoping his disinterest showed.

“There’s no need to be rude, Mr. Woods.” Ms. Summers shook her head, tutting disapprovingly. “You’re not in trouble. I just wanted to talk. Would it kill you to maybe smile a little?” The counselor gave a big cheesy grin and tilted her head to prove her point. When Jeffrey didn’t respond, she simply moved on with her script.

“Well, fine then. I’ll get right to it, Jeffrey, I just wanted to have a little chat with you about some concerning behavior that has been noticed.”

Here it comes. Jeff restrained himself from rolling his eyes again. Time to get lectured for the fiftieth time about how I’m not applying myself. About how I’m going to throw my future away. Just get on with-

“We were made aware that you’ve been engaging in some…. Dangerous activities outside of school grounds. Is this true?”

Jeff’s expectations were firmly shattered. He sat upright in his chair. His eyes sharpening as he stared at the counselor across from him. There was no way she was talking about his hunting. She couldn’t be. She couldn’t know.

Ms. Summers seemed to notice that she had finally gotten Jeff’s full attention. Her face lowered a notch, making her smile seem more cruel than friendly. “Is this true, Jeffrey?”

“I…. No. It isn’t.” Jeff lied instantly. Feeling defensive in the face of this probing woman. He didn’t like the fact that this woman somehow knew what he’d been up to. But he’d be damned if he let her squeeze even more information out of him.

“Please don’t lie to me Jeffrey.” Ms. Summers folded her hands over her desk and leaned forward. Her smile finally slipping away. Replaced by a very serious, very stern look. “I’m aware that you’ve been murdering animals in the woods off campus.”

“How?” Jeff leaned forward in his seat, his face souring and jaw setting. His chest began to tighten. “How could you possibly know that?” He dropped his facade. The woman already knew, so there was no point in pretending. What he wanted to know now was how she knew.

“That’s not important. What is important is the fact that its utterly unacceptable behavior. Torturing and murdering animals every day after school isn’t what you should be spending your time on. It isn’t normal.”

“Jeffrey, I was taking a look at your class records….” She clicked a few times on her computer, reading the screen for a moment before continuing to speak to him. “It seems like you’ve been having a lot of behavioral issues lately. And I can’t help but think that these behavioral issues and your new…. Interest…. Are linked.”

“Its none of your business how I spend my time. And its none of your business how I behave.” Jeff pushed off the desk, his chair scrapping back against the tile floors. “I’m not talking about this with you.”

“Yes you are. Sit down. Or I’m calling the dean.” The counselor threatened. Her hand immediately going to her phone.

“I don’t give a shit. Call him. Taking me to ISS or detention is better than being stuck here with you.” Jeff grabbed his backpack and moved for the door. The guidance counselor, clearly seeing her threat didn’t have the desired effect, tried a different route….

“Jeffrey, please. We can work through this. Whatever is wrong, its not impossible to solve. You’re not alone. I’ve spoken with certain students that are very concerned for your well being.”

That certainly got Jeff to stop in his tracks. His hand hovering mere inches away from the doorknob. But it wasn’t for the reasons the counselor had intended.

Jeff was instead focused on a very particular part of what she just said. Certain students were concerned about him? The notion almost made him laugh. No one in this school gave a shit about him. Nobody other than….

Liu…?

Jeff’s blood ran cold as ice. There was no way. There was no way it had been Liu that reported him to this crone. Liu would never.

…. Or would he?

There was only one person Jeff had told about his hunting escapades.

Liu.

There was only one person that cared enough to be even remotely concerned about what Jeff was doing after school.

Liu.

Who had tried to tell someone about his “problems” just the night before?

Liu.

All the signs pointed back to him. Back to Jeff’s own brother. The brother whom Jeff had thought would always have his back. Even if Liu couldn’t understand where he was coming from, he never thought he’d sell him out like this

“Jeffrey?” Ms. Summers spoke up again. Snapping Jeff from his horrible revelations. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“What?” Jeff turned back around. Meeting the eyes of the counselor once more. His stomach turning as Ms. Summer’s allowed her fake smile to stretch back across her plasticy face.

“I said that I think you should be placed in psychiatric therapy, Jeffrey.” She tilted her head. “You’ll be expected to meet with a therapist three times a day. He’ll be assigned to you on Monday.”

******

Jeff stormed through the hallways of Mandeville High. Shoving people out of the way and ignoring their cries of anger and hate in his direction. His teeth were clenched so tight he was worried they might break under the pressure. His eyes were clouded with a fog of rage. His hands curled into tight, straining fists. He rounded the corner of the hallway, the blood pumping loud in his ears.

There he was. His brother. Standing calmly by his lockers, chatting and laughing with his stupid little girlfriend. Jeff was beyond mad. He was furious.

“LIU!” He roared, voice echoing through the hallway. All chattering of nearby students was hushed instantly, all eyes darting in Jeff’s direction.

“Jeff?” Liu took a step away from the lockers. “What’s the matter? Are you okay?”

“No. I’m really not.” Jeff’s voice was trembling with his barely contained fury. “I just got done with the guidance counselor, Liu.” Jeff ticked his head to the side. “You know anything about that?”

Liu’s face turned red. His hands coming up and toying with his scarf. Jeff knew the answer before his brother even opened his mouth.

“I…. I thought that maybe she’d be able to help you.” Liu looked scared. Genuinely terrified at his brother. Jeff’s rage was burning hot. Even that look wasn’t enough to cool him down.

“You little shit!” Jeff shoved his brother. Hard. Liu crashed backwards, slamming into the lockers with a loud bang. His girlfriend shrieked and stepped back. Hand clamped over her mouth. A crowd began to form. Liu groaned and rubbed the back of his head.

“Jeff. Calm down!” He hissed with pain, no doubt already feeling the lump forming on the back of his head. “She can help you. Its her job! You’re not well!”

“She can’t help me! Don’t you see that!? She’s part of the goddamn problem! And so are YOU!” Jeff roared again, his fist flying straight at Liu’s face. His brother had only barely enough time to duck out of the way as Jeff’s fist slammed into the locker behind him.

Liu came back up, a brief look of anger flashing on his face. He was about to tell Jeff off…. When his eyes drifted to the locker and all ounce of color drained from his face.

The crowd had gone quiet as well. The entire hallway was dead silent. You could’ve heard a pin drop.

It wasn’t until Jeff finally took a look at his own fist did he realize why.

His fist had gone straight through the metal locker. Not denting it. Straight. Through. His fist engulfed up to his wrist. Yanking it back, Jeff marveled at the perfect hole that was punched straight through the solid metal door.

Jeff took a step towards Liu. His brother, panicking, stepped backwards but tripped over himself. Landing heavy on the ground. Jeff loomed over him. His own blood dripping from his hand.

“If you EVER do that again.” Jeff knelt down, grabbing his brother by the shirt collar. “I. Will. Fucking. KILL YOU.” He shouted straight into Liu’s face. He was blinded beyond rage. The buzzing in his head was completely blocking out any rational thoughts. His chest so tight he thought his lungs would collapse. Breathing ragged and face twitching with pure anger. He couldn’t control himself. He couldn’t control any of it.

As Jeff pulled away, Liu scrambled to his feet. Backing up from his brother once more.

“W-What the fuck Jeff?” Liu breathed, his voice shaking. Tears forming in his eyes. “W-What the hell happened to you? You’re not acting like yourself.”

“What happened to me!? What happened to ME!? I woke the FUCK up, Liu. That’s what happened to me!”

Liu shook his head. Averting his eyes. “Whatever happened to you…. I don’t like it. You’re not acting like yourself. You’ve changed…. I can barely even recognize my own brother anymore!” Liu shouted, tears streaming down his face. He looked like he was going to scream more at Jeff. And Jeff was ready to welcome it. He wanted to fight. Wanted to fight so bad. Even if it meant fighting his own brother.

But instead, Liu let his arms drop to his side. The anger disappearing from his face. Replaced instead by pure…. Sadness.

“…. Whatever…. I’m done. I’m done trying to help you Jeff. You want to ruin your life? Then go ahead.” Liu took a few steps back. His eyes only briefly meeting Jeff’s. “We’re brothers…. We’re supposed to help each other.”

“Any brother of mine wouldn’t have reported me.” Jeff replied coldly. “So don’t try to throw that shit in my face. You’re just like Randy. You’re just like Keith, Troy, mom, dad! You…. Are not my brother. Not anymore.”

Liu didn’t say a word. He just looked…. Defeated.

Without another word, Liu Woods turned around, and walked away. Right out of the front doors of the school building.

Jeff was left standing in the hallway, heaving and snarling like an animal. He became acutely aware of the eyes upon him. The gathered crowd gawking at him like a circus attraction.

He whirled on his heel and stormed through the crowd. It parted for him. Like the red sea for Moses. For once no one wanted to get in his way.

And for once, no one whispered as he walked past.

The clock read 7PM as Jeff stirred from sleep. He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed groggily around his bedroom. His eyes still bleary with exhaustion.

Following the fiasco earlier at school, Jeff had stormed straight home after school. He didn’t wait for Liu, he didn’t go hunting, he didn’t do anything. He wasn’t in the mood for anything. He just wanted today to end as fast as possible.

So after arriving at home at 3:30PM, he crashed face down on his bed and fell asleep. Falling into a deep and dreamless nap. He’d slept quite a while, judging by the clock. So much for sleeping normally tonight.

Jeff pushed himself into a seated position and rubbed his eyes a bit better. The room was dark. But he could still make out a fair few details. He slipped from his bed and stretched out his arms with a yawn. He still felt like shit. Probably just hungry.

Jeff stepped over his discarded school clothes on the floor. Even as exhausted as he was, he couldn’t make himself sleep in his clothes. He’d still taken the time to change into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top before his nap.

The house was quiet, as it usually was these days. The only sounds that flooded through the house were the sounds of the television in the living room. Where his parents no doubt wasted away.

Jeff entered the kitchen, half expecting to see Liu there warming himself a bowl of leftovers, or a TV dinner of some kind. But found nothing but an empty room.

Jeff supposed he should be relieved about that. Relieved that he didn’t have to see his brother after what he did to him. He tried to rekindle that rage he felt earlier at school, but nothing came to him…. Just a hollow emptiness that ached like a cavernous wound.

After microwaving his own meager TV dinner, he plopped down at the table with fork in hand. Peeling the plastic back and staring into the gooey broth of the faux pot roast before him. He hadn’t eaten all day, he should be ravenous. But the food before him didn’t entice him. Jeff just ended up sitting there, staring down into his own reflection in the greasy puddle.

He found his mind returning time and time again to the incident at school. The fight with his brother. No matter how many times he shook it off and tried to ignore it, tried to remain apathetic, he just couldn’t.

Whatever happened to you…. I don’t like it. You’re not acting like yourself. You’ve changed…. I can barely even recognize my own brother anymore!

Liu’s words echoed painfully in his mind. Stinging his heart with what they meant. He gazed back at his reflection once more. Was he really all that different? So unrecognizable even Liu didn’t see him anymore?

His face warbled in the thick broth. Those sunken eyes, the sickly pallor and unkempt hair that hung around his face….

Was it really that bad?

We’re brothers…. We’re supposed to help each other.

Jeff flinched. Visibly this time. The memories were like spikes driven into his heart and mind. It was as if he was hearing them for the first time clearly. In the moment his head had been so clouded, so foggy, his eyes so blinded by rage that he didn’t even comprehend the words his brother had been saying. Or even realized what he himself had said in return.

But his heart did.

You…. Are not my brother. Not anymore.

Had he really said that? Could he really have said something so horrible to the only true friend he had in this world? Was Jeff really so blinded by rage that he couldn’t stop and realize that Liu was just trying to help? Even if Jeff disagreed with the methods. Couldn’t he see he was just concerned…?

Jeff’s reflection in the broth was broken as a ripple was cast across its surface. Followed by another, and another. Jeff reached a trembling hand up to his face and felt the warm tears that streaked down his cheeks.

Tears…?

Jeff couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried. Certainly not at all in the time he’d been here.

But in that moment. There, alone in the kitchen. Feeling the weight of the things he’d said come crashing into him, it was all he could do. It was all that felt right to do.

No.

He knew what was right.

He had to apologize.

Jeff had to apologize to Liu. Immediately.

Jeff sprang up from his seat at the table. Abandoning his uneaten food and storming off back to their room. Surely Liu would be in there now.

But as he burst through the half open door. He found himself the only one there. Amending his approach, he checked the bathroom. Then the sitting room. And the porch. But each time found nothing.

The last room he checked was the living room. He knew his parents were in there. And quite frankly, didn’t feel like dealing with them right now. Lest they try to ask him about what happened.

Nonetheless, with other options, he peaked his head into the living room. But only his mother and father were there. His father watching some mindless game show, and his mother with her face buried in her cellphone.

“Mom? Dad?” Jeff called out.

No response from either of them.

“Hello? Mom! Dad!” He tried again, louder this time. Fully entering the room and grabbing their attention.

“Mm?” Was his mother’s only response. Not even bringing her eyes up from her phone.

“Where’s Liu? I need to talk to him.”

His mother sighed and lowered her phone. Peering at him through her sharp rimmed glasses. “I don’t know. He wasn’t with you?”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Is he home?”

“I don’t know. I was so tired after work today….” His mother waved her hand as she gave her lame excuse. “I just figured he was in the room with you. Didn’t you two come home together?”

“No. We didn’t. I came home first and he didn’t come with me. Are you telling me he hasn’t come home yet? You haven’t seen him?”

“He’s probably just at theater or something Jeffrey.” His mother gave an annoyed sigh. “Henry, did Liu text you at all today?”

“Nope.” Was all his father contributed to the conversation.

They were no help. Jeff left the room without so much as another word to his parents. They didn’t care. They never did. As long as their boys weren’t causing trouble, they didn’t care where they were or what they were doing. It was exactly how Jeff had gotten away with his “hunting” for so long, after all.

But something wasn’t right. There was no way Liu would be at theater practice until 7PM. School activities never went later than 5. A horrible feeling was beginning to lodge itself in the pit of Jeff’s stomach.

He rushed to the home phone in the kitchen. Yanking it off the wall and hurriedly dialing Liu’s phone number. The phone didn’t even ring a single time before going straight to voice mail.

Was his phone just dead? Maybe he’d gone out with his girlfriend and just forgotten to text?

His girlfriend.

That was it.

If anyone would know where Liu was. It was her. He was always texting her. Every moment of every day.

But what the hell was her phone number?

Jeff silently raced down the hallway and back into their bedroom. He stood and scanned Liu’s side of the room. Maybe he had it written down somewhere. Anywhere. Had she given it to him on a piece of paper maybe? Jeff was really regretting being so neglectful of his brother right now.

Maybe he and his parents had something in common after all.

He tore through his brother’s side of the room. Digging through his dresser, checking under the bed, looking all over for any sign of a phone number for his girlfriend. Or even some other friend he could get a number from. If Liu really was okay, he was sure to be pissed about what Jeff was doing to his side of the room….

But his efforts proved to be beneficial. As beneath Liu’s pillow, Jeff found it. A dark red journal. Clasped shut and locked. Jeff couldn’t help but give a small smirk. Of course his dorky brother had a diary. Of course he did. And thank god he did.

Jeff tore the lock off with ease. Tapping into that hidden strength he had accidentally learned of earlier in the day. He wasted no time in frantically flipping through the pages of the diary. Trying his best to not snoop too much.

Finally he found exactly what he was looking for.

Dated a week ago. A diary entry describing the day he met, and successfully got, his girlfriend. Samantha Waning. And circled in the middle of the page, in big, bold, excited writing, was her phone number.

Jeff ripped the page from the book without a second thought and raced back to the kitchen. Pulling the receiver of the kitchen phone down and cradling it between his shoulder and his ear.

As he went to punch in the number, he paused. Finger hovering mere centimeters away from the keypad. The dial tone echoing loudly in his ear.

Was he overreacting? Say Liu really was just with his girlfriend. Wasn’t this a bit crazy? Jeff’s face heated up as he thought back just moments ago, when he was tearing apart their bedroom.

He shook his head. Clearing away the thoughts.

Being embarrassed was a small price to pay for knowing his brother was safe. He pushed his reservations aside and dialed the number.

It rang once, twice, three times…. No answer.

“Fuck! Come on. Answer.” He slammed the phone down, and picked it back up. Dialing it again. No response. He repeated the actions. One last time.

And this time, he got a response.

“Hello?” A girl’s voice came over the other end. Jeff had never really spent a lot of time around Samantha, so he couldn’t be sure it was even her.

“Uh. Hey. Um.” Jeff stammered, not knowing what to say now. “Its Jeff. Jeffrey Woods. Liu’s br-”

“You’ve got some nerve calling my phone number. You creep.” Samantha cut him off, tone dripping with anger. “After what you did to him today, you should be ashamed.”

“I know. I know! That’s why I’m calling. I want to apologize. Honest. I came to my senses and realized what I fucking said. Look, I was out of my mind.”

“Yeah, real convenient. Sounds like a good way to shift the blame off yourself.” Samantha scoffed with disgust. “Go kill yourself.”

“Just, listen! I don’t care if you hate me. I don’t care if you don’t even let me talk to him. I just need to know if he’s there or not.”

“Why would I tell you?”

“Because he hasn’t come home tonight. And nobody knows where he is.” Jeff finally got to explain the reason for his call. The line went silent after that. He pulled the receiver away from his face, checking to see if she’d hung up.

“He hasn’t come home?” Samantha’s voice returned. The anger now slowly being replaced with the very same emotion Jeff was feeling. Worry.

“No. I thought he might be with you, that’s why I called.”

“I haven’t seen him all night. Not since I left school….”

The icy grip that clutched Jeff’s chest began to spread. The dread of the situation worsening further.

“Have you heard from him? Any messages? Anything?”

“Not since school got out. He sent me one at 3.”

“What did it say?”

“He said he was going to the woods to clear his mind after earlier. After what happened at school. He said he’d only be out there for an hour or so. I don’t think he’d stay out there this long.” The fear in Samantha’s voice crept in further and further.

“No. No I don’t think so either.” Jeff may have fallen out of touch with his brother a bit. But he still knew him well. And knew that there was nothing you could say to get Liu to stay out in those woods after dark.

Had he gotten lost?

Jeff remembered the last time he had gotten lost in those woods…. The Man hunting him down, chasing him, talking to him…..

Jeff felt his chest constrain as the thought occurred to him.

Had the evil in that forest gotten to his brother first?

“I’m going to find him. Call the police. Tell them he got lost. I’ll go start looking.”

Jeff didn’t wait to hear Samantha’s response. He raced back to his bedroom and changed his clothes. Pulling back on his gray jeans, and his white hoodie over the tank top he was wearing.

On his way out the backdoor he snatched up a flashlight from the laundry room. And paused briefly in the kitchen. His eyes falling on the knife block. His mother’s brand new set of knives proudly sticking out from it.

He swiped up a rather large, heavy duty kitchen knife. And raced out the backdoor without so much as a word to his parents. He didn’t have time to waste.

The race was on.

The forest was dark and oppressive as Jeff ran through the foliage. Any sane person wouldn’t be caught dead in these woods at this hour. But not only did Jeff feel quite comfortable in these woods, after all the time he spent here, but he was spurred on by the mission in his heart. Driven by the burning desire to save his brother. Guided by the fire lit from his soul.

The only problem was the size of this forest. It was huge and unruly. Looking for Liu out here would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He eventually stopped his aimless running, standing in the middle of the dark forest and taking a deep breath.

“Calm down and think this through.” He chastised himself. Running around in here with no game plan was only sure to waste more time, and potentially get him lost too. Liu might not even be out here. He had to go about this in a strategic way.

It was like a puzzle. And Jeff wasn’t all that good at puzzles. That was more of Liu’s expertise than his….

“Okay Woods. Start from the top.” Jeff closed his eyes and thought over his situation.

“Okay Woods. Start from the top.” Jeff closed his eyes and thought over his situation.

Why did Liu come out here in the first place? He asked himself.

“He wanted time to clear his head. Wanted to get away after our fight…. So he came out here? Not the library or some shit?” Jeff was puzzled. He put his hand to his face, rubbing his chin and pacing the ground.

Something wasn’t adding up. Liu didn’t like being outdoors all that much. He was much more of an inside person. And if he was outdoors, he was far more likely to choose the park over the forest. So why, after such a big fight, would he choose to come out here? Somewhere he never goes, and someplace he doesn’t like?

The only reason Liu came out here before was because Jeff needed to clean up. So they stopped by the stream and-

Jeff suddenly halted. Freezing in place. His hand slowly lowering as his eyes widened with realization.

The only reason Liu had come here before was because of him.

So the only reason Liu would come here now….

Things began to click into place for Jeff. Clues fitting together and making sense as he realized what had happened. Jeff had left school without even seeing Liu. He didn’t wait for him, didn’t pass him, didn’t anything. And for the past 2 weeks Jeff never went straight home. He always went off into the woods.

So, if Liu had been looking for him first. Why would he assume Jeff had gone straight home? He wouldn’t. Liu would’ve assumed Jeff had come here. To the woods.

Which meant the first place Jeff should start his search was the hunting grounds.

Jeff lifted his foot to take off running, but paused once more. Freezing mid air as he took note of his surroundings. Particularly noting just how…. Quiet it was.

Not just quiet. Silent. Dead silent. Not so much as a cricket chirping or the wind blowing. He could hear the blood pumping in his ears, the beating of his own heart. It was as if the forest was holding its breath. As if it were waiting to see what would happen next.

Jeff vaguely remembered something he learned once about wildlife. In the present of a predator, the forest would go silent.

Was it because he was here? The one that had been hunting these woods for weeks?

Or was the forest scared of something else?

He couldn’t waste the time to wonder on that question. He already knew there was something else out here. Something old and wicked. He couldn’t spare the time to worry about it. Not when his brother was out here. Not when he was potentially at risk.

Breaking the undisturbed silence, Jeff took off at a sprint once more. Tearing through the woods and following his mental trail to the site of his bloody massacres….

******

Jeff arrived at his hunting grounds about 10 minutes later. He was cursing himself for taking so long to get here. But he had no choice but to run. With no car and no one he could ask for a ride.

He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. Chest heaving as he looked around the area. To anyone else this place wouldn’t look any different from the rest of the forest. But Jeff had been here enough recently that he was certain it was the place. But there was no one here but himself.

He felt anger bubble up in his chest. Frustrated at the thought that he might’ve wasted all that time running here, just to learn that Liu was never here at all.

No. That wasn’t certain yet. Liu could’ve just not been here anymore. Maybe he got lost trying to leave or something. Jeff needed to look around some more.

Jeff slowly crept forward into the clearing in the woods. His footsteps light, the sound of dry grass beneath his shoes barely audible to even himself. His eyes scanned the area, darting from tree to tree, from bush to bush. Even in the dark, Jeff’s eyesight still felt sharp. It was only now that he realized he’d never even turned on his flashlight. He could see just fine, even in the pitch blackness of the dark forest.

Jeff felt like something was happening to him. Between his increased strength and his near perfect eyesight…. Something was surely changing about him. Maybe Liu was right. Maybe he wasn’t the same person anymore after all.

His eyes snagged on something. Something that stood out against the forest foliage. Carefully approaching, Jeff knelt down and inspected a low branch near the base of a tree. Something was caught on it, snagged on the sharp edge. Reaching out, Jeff pinched it between his fingers and pulled it loose.

Fabric. A torn scrap of cloth from what looked like jeans.

Jeff didn’t remember ever tearing his clothes out here. If he did, his mother would’ve had a fit. Which meant this could have belonged to Liu….

Jeff looked up past the branch. For the fabric to get caught like this, someone would’ve had to have been moving in that direction…. Further into the woods. Why would Liu go deeper in? And furthermore, why let his jeans get ripped? It couldn’t have been too difficult to just back up and undo the snag.

Unless Liu didn’t have that luxury for some reason.

Jeff looked back down. Inspecting not the branch, but this time the ground. He reached out and placed his hand against the soft earth. There were imprints here. Footprints.

The first pair were tennis shoes. After a quick check of the soles of his own shoes, he determined that they were not his. They were someone elses for sure.

But there was something else there. A second set of prints that followed behind the shoes. A much more…. Concerning set of prints. They weren’t human. And didn’t really look like any kind of animal prints that Jeff could pick out…. They looked almost like human hands. But long. Far too long. And the deep holes at the “finger” tips suggested that whatever this was, it had incredibly sharp claws.

Had The Man Jeff encountered before been like this? Maybe. Jeff honestly didn’t remember a whole lot about that meeting. But he was pretty sure the thing he encountered didn’t walk, or have prints like this….

Jeff set off. Following the prints deeper in the woods. The kitchen knife he brought with him was clutched tightly in his hands. The tracks continued on into the woods, diving deeper and deeper still. The trees and foliage grew thicker around Jeff. Like they were trying to swallow him whole. The darkness here was beginning to seem unnatural. To the point that even Jeff was getting unnerved.

At some point he cast a glance up at the sky to find that the stars were gone. Nothing but pitch blackness, like a blanket cast over the heavens. He couldn’t even see the moon.

Just when the foliage was starting to feel like an impenetrable wall, Jeff pierced through and found himself in a clearing. The air felt different here. Almost…. Otherworldly. The stars and moon were still gone, but there was a strange sort of pale light that illuminated the area. It almost gave the area a black and white effect.

The clearing was a perfect circle carved into the thicket of trees. Tall, knee high grass covered the ground. But there, in the very center of it all, was a house. A small one story cabin. Dilapidated. Its windows dusty and cracked. The door hanging ajar on old, rusty hinges.

Jeff took a cautious step forward. He could question the strangeness of this place later. He still needed to find Liu. The footsteps lead straight here though. Into this clearing. The grass ahead was matted down. A fresh trail cutting through the clearing. He traced the prints, walking along the narrow path. Not a sound aside from his own heartbeat and the gentle crush of grass beneath his feet.

It wasn’t long before Jeff found himself stopping where he stood. Ahead there lay a depression in the grass. The end of the line. Something lay there. Just barely in sight through the grass that lay around it.

It looked like…. A body.

Panic overtook Jeff and he raced forward, dropping to his knees mere inches away from the body. Praying and praying that whatever he was about to see, it wasn’t Liu. It wasn’t his brother. It couldn’t be. It wouldn’t be!

The body on the ground was face first on the ground. Its clothes were torn and shredded. Revealing deep streaks of crimson beneath. Blood that poured from the slashes and soaked through their clothes and into the dirt beneath.

The scratches, no, the claw marks raked up the entirety of the person’s back. From their tailbone to their collarbone. Even more insidious slashes seemed to surround the body’s throat. Deep and wicked gouges, no doubt painful.

But it was then, staring at the figure’s neck, that Jeff saw it.

A scarf. Striped and purple.

Not just any scarf.

Liu’s scarf.

“No…. No, no, no….” Jeff muttered frantically, he reached out and grasped the still warm body. With a heave, he turned it over so it laid face up. Though the face was marred and slashed by those same claw marks, there was no mistaking it.

It was the face of his brother, Liu Woods, that stared back at him. Lifeless. His eyes glassy and staring. A look of horror plastered to his face. A mask of fear worn even in the grave. The blood from the wounds had soaked through his clothes and stained his face.

“No….” Was all Jeff could utter as he reached out and touched his brother’s blood soaked face. The claws had ruined it. The slashes had cut from Liu’s mouth, all the way to his ears. Giving him what looked like a deep, and bloody smile.

“Liu, please. Please. Wake up. Wake up!” He shook his brother. Brushing his hair from his face. His vision blurring as tears formed in his eyes. But no matter what he did, Liu didn’t stir. Didn’t wake…. And never would. Ever again.

The tears finally overflowed, spilling down Jeff’s cheeks as he cradled Liu’s head in his lap. He’d been too late. No matter how hard he had tried, he was unable to make it in time. His brother murdered by some unknown…. Thing deep in these woods. Alone.

His best friend. His brother. Gone. He’d never speak to him again. They’d never laugh together ever again. Never fight or argue. He’d never get to see Liu’s play that was coming up. Never get to do anything with him ever again.

This was all his fault. All Jeff’s fault. If he hadn’t been so stupid, so filled with rage. If they’d never come to this town. If they’d never had that fight…. If anything, even one little thing had just been different this could’ve been avoided.

Jeff couldn’t help but let his mind spiral out of control. Thinking of every single thing he could’ve done differently. Every last choice and step that had led to this outcome.

“I’m sorry.” Jeff cried, pulling Liu into his lap and holding him as tightly as he could. Not caring about the blood that was quickly staining his clothes and skin. He cried and cried. And when his tears eventually ran dry, Jeff threw back his head and screamed. His shout ripping through the silent night. Echoing over the trees. A roar of guilt. A scream that carried nothing but rage, sadness…. And guilt.