Fresh Start

For all you horror!fic fans, this might be the story for you! This will probably be no more than ten chapters for this October, based on my free time, I hope to be done with it at the end of the month.

WARNING: this includes gorey, nightmarish images, cursing, and much more things dealing with horror.

And yes, there are comments but no flames. This is SO not whelming!

Disclaimer: Nothing but OCs and ideas guys.

"Jack! Get your arse down here and help us unpack!" Leo hollard to the upstairs with a unimpressed grin. Moments later, a boy with brown hair, brown eyes, and looked to be fourteen at the most, came briskly down stairs, babbeling something about the new house having two bathrooms as he tugged on Leo's grey sweatshirt sleeve.

Leo was a man in his early twenties, had raven hair, blue eyes, and a musculine body. He was also the eldest of four brothers, Jack being the youngest.

There, unstacking boxes was Aster, Jason, and Joey.

Aster had silver mixed with blue dye hair that shot forward in jags like Leo' and Jack's, had evergreen eyes, and was wearing a blue T-shirt that revealed the two tribe tattoos on each of his muscled arms. He was second oldest being twenty.

Jason and Joey were twins, but to actually tell them apart was simple. Jason had a georgous black mane while Joey had dyed his to a dark brown. But both had hazel eyes. They were both seventeen, but Jason was born an hour earlier than Joey, making him the third oldest.

All five brothers had all agree that in order to stay connected, that they would all stay in the same house together until it was time to let go. Which seemed impossible since they all loved each other dearly to death. Leo chuckled and ruffled Jack's head. "That's good to hear, baby brother," he said.

"But we would most enjoy hearing a 'Ah will help,' from ya, fros'bite!" Aster complained and lifted a fairly heavy box and carried it to the kitchen. Jack stuck his tongue out at the grumpy Australian who had joined their family years ago due to adoption. Jack turned to Leo again. "And Lee, there is also a room I think I would like to claim! No objection!" he said out loud so that the others could hear. Leo smiled and lifted Jack's box and handed it to Jack. "Whatever you say, kiddo."

"Hey! I don't think that is fair!" Jason complained.

"Yeah, Jack got to choose his room way before us! He probably took the best of the best!" Joey joined in.

Jack scoffed and threw them a smirk. "I guess some people are right. Idiotic minds think alike," he exclaimed.

Jason and Joey's faces lit up a red color before their eyes darkened with a manace glare. "You're so dead, frosty!" they screamed. Jack cackled as the two chased him up the stairs, moments later a reck could be heard followed by Jack's cries saying, "uncle! Okay- okay! i give! Uncle! Uncle! Ow!"

Leo and Aster shook their heads with a laugh and continued unpacking. "So what's the plan?" Aster asked. Leo took a breath and opened a book to see if it was in use. "Ah, let's see... First, we are going to get those three knuckle-heads transferred to a nearby school, then we are going to find another job-"

"Another one? C'mon Leo-"

"Yes another one. By the looks of the house payment plus bills, we need the extra help. Jason and Joey will get jobs too."

"But what about Jack? Who's gonna watch the lil'wanka while were gone?"

Leo pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, I can hire a babysitter. Just not a woman- I would rather not have my fourteen year old baby brother be prodded while taking a bath with a rubber ducky," he said. Aster laughed. "Fine, we'll jus' look online to find the finest male babysitters in Burgess. Won't be a problem, mate."

"I don't really think male babysitters would work either Aster. They seems... Odd if you know what I mean."

Aster nudged his brother's shoulder. "Yer such a blowa! Jack may be pretty and all, but Ah doubt anyone would lay a naughty finga on 'im... Not while we're still walkin'," he said in a dark tone. Leo nodded in agreement. "Welp, I gotta head to the station and get some information about this place. Mind staying here and watching over the others?" Leo questioned.

"Mind if Ah don"t tossle them if they irritate me?"

Leo flicked Aster in the nose, making the younger snarl. "Stop it, mate!" the Aussie growled. Leo did it again and earned himself a short wrestling match with Aster.

"Ah said quit it!"

"Or what?! You gonna tossle me?!"

"I'll put mah foot in yer arse, that's what Ahm gonna do!"

"Oooh, I'm so scared! Haha!"

After the short battle was over, ending with Leo giving Aster a noogie, the eldest got to his feet and grabbed the car keys along with the house keys. "Make sure you guys finish unpacking! And make sure the ding-dongs don't break anything, Aster," he said before leaving out the door. Aster snorted with an annoyed smile. He then turned towards the hallway and walked down the hall, exploring anything that came to sight. Yellow tinted walls, smooth and cool, carpeted floors, wide space to probably fit three people shoulder-to-shoulder, and several closets. It looked spacey and full of comfort. Different from their old house.

Aster gazed uo for mere seconds till his eyes came across a string dangling from what seem to be an attic door. He raised a curious eyebrow and pulled down on the string. Out came a ladder, with horrible conditioned wood. The young man wondered if he should climb up the ladder and pray that it would not break, or wait till Leo came back and they could try to repair it. Nah.

Very slowly and carefully, Aster took a step on the ladder, feeling it jolt and hearing it creak. He took a deep breath and placed his other foot above it, now applying all his weight.

One...

Creeeeaaak...

Two...

Creeeeeeaaak...

Left foot...

CREEEEEEAK...

Right foot...

CREEEEEAAAAK!

Finally, Aster hoisted himself into the dark attic that had only a window suoproting the dim light. It was fairly warm, but not exactly hot. Aster noticed the wooden floor that contained black blotches of ink or some type of dry paint, but ignored it. "Weird..." Every step he took, the floor creaked as if it were about to crash through. Aster then noticed a chest that laid near the wall in the far back of the attic and walked towards it. The gold hinges were dul and rusted, along with a lock that had secured it shut. Aster jostled with it for a sec before folding his arms in wonder of how to crack it open. "Hm?"

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood when an overwhelming feeling came behind him. It felt like something or someone was breathing behind him, causing his heart to race. But he dared not to look back. Ba-dum... Ba-dum-dum...Ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum! Breathing could be felt on his neck making him shiver.

Very quickly, the Aussie swished around to be met with a familiar face.

"BOO!" Jack screamed.

Aster yelped in surprise, falling back against the wall.

Jack immediately toppled over with laughter, saying, "Haha! Y... you should have haha!... You should have seen your face!" he said between laughs and pointing his finger to the clearly angered man. "Damn, Jack! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Aster complained. Jack gave him an innocent look. "Oh c'mon, you won't hate me forever will ya? Cuz if so, that scare was so worth it," he snorted. Aster frowned and moved past his little brother. Jack had noticed the chest that instantly drew his attention. The boy scimmed his fingers across the dusty surface and asked, "Hey Bunny, who's chest is this?"

"Leave it be, Jack. Come on, lets get back down, Ah feel like this attic is about ta crash."

Jack pursed his lips and red the edge of the chest. There, carved into it, read 'Kozmotis'. "Kozmotis?" He smiled smally. Funny name, might explore more of this later. He then finally walked to his brother that awaited for him and grinned. "Still, you were so scared," he teased. Aster frowned. "And if ya tell Leo, Ah will personaly kick yer arse," he hissed. Jack only chuckled and climbed back down the ladder. Aster soon followed, but could not help but glance back at the mysterious chest that seemed to give him that overwhelming chill down his spine. He shrugged it off and climbed back down, being sure to close the attic door.

After sundown, the five brothers sat at a table with still a few more boxes surrounding them as they ate chicken-fried rice and drank soda. "So, how are we liking the new house?" Leo asked.

"I like it," Jason answered.

"Me too," said Joey.

"It's alright," Jack joined.

Leo waited for Aster's reply, but the Aussie kept quiet like he was dozing off into lala land. "Aster? Aster!" Leo called. The Aussie was pressed from his thoughts and dropped the still fork. "A- what? Yeah?" he stammered. Everyone looked at himin an odd manner.

"Everything alright, bro?" Leo asked.

Aster nodded. "Yeah, jus'... Man, Ah feel odd. Earlier today, Ah went into the attic-"

"We have an attic?" both Leo and the twins asked.

Aster and Jack nodded. "Yeah. And while Ah was up there, Ah found this chest."

"Well, did you open it?" Leo questioned. Aster shook his head solemly. "No, it was locked. But the strangest thing was that it looked like it hasn't been touched in a long while."

"It belongs to some guy name Kozmotis," Jack spoke up.

"Kozmotis? That's a dumb name," Jason muttered. Leo snapped a scolding at his younger brother before allowing Jack to go on. "Must be a guy that lived here before. We should try to open it or something," Jack suggested. Leo shrugged and took a drink from his cup. Aster groaned and stood. "Hey, it's gettin' late, Ah think Ahm gonna hit the hay."

"Me too," Leo said and stood, "Jason and Joey, I want you both up at eight, we are going to look for a job first thing tomorrow." Jason and Joey groaned in complaint. "Who's gonna watch out for Jack?" Joey questioned in hopes that Leo would let him slide and stayat least. "I can take care of myself!" Jack objected. "Yeah, Leo. It'll only be for half a day," Aster agreed. Leo shook his head. "No, we don't know this place well- for all we know a murderer could be at our doorstep by now," he exclaimed. Jack groaned. "But Leooo!"

"No buts, Jack. Now all of you get to bed," Leo said before throwing away his plate and leaving down the hallway. The other four sighed and walked to their own bedrooms. Hardly di they notice that the attic door cracked open by long, blood smeared fingers sticking out.

As Leo slept in his bed, he was stirred awake by the sound of his door making a creak as it was wedged open. Navy blues snapped open in alert and gentle breaths went to strangled inhales. His body stiffened like ice by the sudden presence alerting him from his sleep. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the shadown of a figure standing towards his back. His fingers clutched his pillow as the sudden fear arose inside him.

"Leo," a soft whisper spoke. Leo released a breath of relief and blinked sleepily. "What Joey?"

"I think Jack is having another nightmare. Jason heard him whining from the other room."

Leo groaned and stood up with a stretch. It wasn't shocking or new for Jack to have nightmares. They were continuous ever since Jack had fell in a frozen lake at age eight. The nightmares of him drowning and at the point of death scarred him for years and still counting. Leo gently told Joey to go back to bed and he himself trudged upstairs. The mumbling and soft cries of his little brother grew closer as he made his destination to Jack's door and walked in. His eyes were amazed to see that paintings of a snowy wasteland just outstanding pictures of polar bears, penguins, and other cold habitat animals were delicately painted all over the walls followed by snowflakes and flurries of snow. He gazed to the bed near the door and sure enough, Jack was there, thrashing weakly in the bedspread. His face was flushed and had beads of sweat running down. His ruffled locks were smothered to his forehead and tears streaming from his eyes as he whimpered soft whimpers that sounded like prayers.

Leo calmly sat on the edge of the younger's bed and lifted the teen up by the torso, holding him tightly to his chest as Jack struggled. "There, there, Jack. Wake up, it's just a dream," Leo whispered. Jack's flinching soon grew more feirce like jolts, but Leo kept that firm hold and kept whispering encouraging words. After the quiet battle, Jack shot awake with a gasp and clutched tightly onto his older brother, sobbing into the man's chest. Leo ran his hands through Jack's hair and pressed his cheek to the shaken child's head.

"Sh, shshshsh, it's okay, you're fine. You're fine, you're safe. You're safe baby brother," Leo crooned.

Jack choked on a sob. "I-I was dr-drowning, Lee! He-he was dr-drowning me!"

Lee paused, feeling as if something hit him in the stomach with a bat. He furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.

Who was he?

Leo didn't bother questioning his truamatized brother, but instead allowed Jack to fall asleep in his arms. Leo don't feel tired anymore and looked at the clock beside Jack's bed.

4:00 am.

"I guess I can stay up for the rest of time," he muttered, rubbing Jack's back and gazing around at the remarkable paintings.

So there you have it. Gets better promise. REVIEW!