Chapter 1
Such whispers to the girl
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
Bernard of Clairvaux
"Log entry 0027-00-8785 of date and time marked in this recording. After my most recent investigation, I have come to the conclusion that the mental state of the Omicron Subject is profoundly aggravated, at a point where there is no turning back, consequently I have decided to take actions on my own, Subject Omicron has consummated its role and no longer has any utilization within the study.
If I go back to the day when the chain of events commenced, an event started by the Subject Omicron, I must integrate, it makes me cerebrate of the doubts originated by the gigantic road we decided to take years ago, the things we sacrificed, those that remained back and those that will be left behind after this determinately ends, but in the end, everything was for a more preponderant good, at least that is what Subject Omicron always reiterated, at least that is what I wanted to convince myself when I kenned that there was no way to undo what we did; Does it mean that the end does justify the means? Is it true then that good and evil are nothing but abstract concepts without any authentic meaning? Do we live in a deterministic universe in which the decisions of Subject Omicron determined their own downfall from the commencement of everything? And still, if Subject Omicron had not commenced all this madness, then does it betoken that we would all be condemned? I conjecture that the question that authentically matters to me now is, do we deserve a reward or penalization for our actions?
Hmm, it is odd how I am apprehensive about my own moral capacity when I never cared about it, when all this commenced, I believe it is due to the legacy, if that's the correct term, that I optate to leave in case something goes erroneous, whoever finds this recording you should ken that if you are aurally perceiving this, it is because you are alive, and if you are alive, it is thanks to our efforts, at the cessation of this project, whatever the result might be, all our actions will be consummately justified , however, you are in liberty to utilize my study to prove otherwise, and if so, then nothing matters anymore, and it will never have mattered, otherwise, do not let our sacrifice be in vain, continue with our illimitable path to upgrade ourselves more and more.
But for now the lunatics are running the asylum and all I can do is observe as what we set in motion slides towards its final steps, it is time to activate Subject Sigma.
End of the recording."
Lincoln Loud, the only boy in a family of eleven siblings, just woke up a few minutes ago, but his mind is flooded by the many thoughts that have lately been overwhelming him, he looks at the ceiling with a slight headache and apathy in his eyes that almost seems melancholic, lately he's been feeling isolated, bored and weakened; to the point where he feels he has no strength at all, not even to live, he even feels that his blankets would crush him, it's not easy for a 13-year-old boy to understand these emotions, in fact, they don't make any sense and Lincoln knows it, his whole life has been magically fixed, Ronnie Anne has not only returned, but now they also have a fairly strong relationship after they both finally acknowledged what they feel for each other, he has also noticed the improvement in Lynn's strange behavior, actually, they are both more united than ever, Lincoln now considers Lynn as his best friend and this feels pretty good to him, likewise, his relationship with the rest of his sisters has also improved considerably, Lincoln is proud of this is because he knows that this is a product of his maturity, he could even say that he already found his vocation like his sisters, he can now show a real trophy in their showcase; However, Lincoln can't stop thinking, Why do I feel this way? He realizes that something's definitely missing in his life, deep down he knows what it is, he misses the chaos that used to surround him, to be the one to solve everyone's problems, and without any of that around him, he feels useless now. He grieves thinking about this, because he knows that it's selfish on his part to long for chaos just to feel needed.
He turns around on his bed, maybe in a little while his head will clear enough to get out of bed, or if he could just stop thinking about what happened two nights ago, the young man has noticed that it gets easier each day, the repentance and shame feel more and more distant, soon it will be as if nothing had happened, or at least that's what Lincoln expects.
Plunged in his thoughts, the young man almost doesn't notice the hand that goes into his sheets, with soft and warm touch he is raised slightly to be carried to the lap of the person now sitting on his bed, letting his head rest on her legs, it's Luan, her 16-year-old sister, known in their family for being a comedian and an inveterate prankster, who looks at him from above in a maternal way, taking the time to appreciate his face under the lights of dawn that come in through the window.
Luan's attitude turns out to be comforting for Lincoln as it helps him relax and distract his mind from the thoughts and feelings that overwhelm him.
"It's time for breakfast, Linky" Luan says like a weak whisper, delicate and barely understandable, her sweet voice is so soft that for a moment Lincoln thinks it's just a dream. Unable to give a concrete answer and feeling totally at peace the boy only limits to hide his head in the lap of his older sister.
"Everyone's waiting for you downstairs and mom is a little worried about your recent attitude, is everything okay?" The prankster asks while caressing her younger brother's hair.
Lincoln is awakened from his state of peace upon learning that his attitude has attracted attention. -It's nothing Luan, I just stayed up late last night- The white-haired boy assures as he yawns to make his lie more convincing.
Luan looks at Lincoln with a disapproving look and then gives a small sigh as she continues to stroke Lincoln's hair.
"You know? I used to feel like you, confused and feeling out of place, what always helps me is to think about the future, for example, I imagine myself" Luan says as her gaze is lost in nothingness. "I'm in the kitchen of my house, when my daughter comes in and she says "" Mommy, how did the third world war begin?"", I just say: ""I knew this day would come"", I take a shot of tequila and say: ""It all started when they killed that damn gorilla!"", After telling the story I grab the shotgun and say: ""And that's why we now have to kill zombies to survive, come on!""
Luan smiles at Lincoln who only sees her with a confused look, Lincoln had the hope that Luan would say something a little more meaningful, but his sister only gave him a sample of the absurdity that has been usual lately in her.
Luan gets out of bed. "Don't be late," she says to Lincoln before leaving the room.
"How is he?" Luna asks, the family's 17 years old musical prodigy, who was waiting behind the door, the look on the floor betrays the nervousness and her current state of mind, which is familiar to Luan.
"It's none of your business," The comedian says bluntly as she walks away with boredom on her face.
Luna knows that her sister would not give her a direct answer, but the little discomfort in her chest tells her that her younger brother has a problem, they are both too close together for her not to notice, in fact, apart from Luan, Lincoln is the only person with whom it could be said that she is united.
"Wait," she says, taking Luan by the shoulder. "Is there something wrong with Lincoln?"
Furious, Luan takes her sister's hand and brusquely brushes it aside.
"Let me take care of Lincoln, he doesn't need you, he doesn't need anyone else!" The 16 years old girl says with more melancholy than rage.
Luna realizes what is happening to her sister, with concern on her face, she tentatively approaches Luan. "Oh God, I'm sorry Lu ... wait, haven't you ..."
Luan interrupts Luna with a sigh. "Okay Luna, just take them" The brunette says a little more relaxed.
"No, no ... you ..." It's the only thing Luna can nervously answer before being interrupted by Luan again.
"Take them Luna, I don't need them, besides, I have more important things to do" Luan says, this time with a slight touch of hostility in her voice as she leaves without waiting for a response from her sister.
Luna knows that there is no point in trying, so she simply decides to focus on the treasure that Luan has given her freedom to take, with sigh and a small kick to the floor, Luna goes to her room, but not before giving one last look at the door of his brother's room, wishing with all her might to be able to cross it and be with him, but at the same time too scared and ashamed to try.
Meanwhile in his room, Lincoln tries to get up, for a moment he hangs his feet on the edge of the bed feeling like they are floating before touching the ground, a small moment of indecision that, strange as it may seem, overwhelms him.
An unexpected sound takes him out of his thoughts, the steps of one of his little sisters approaching him.
"You must rectify your comportment" Lisa says, the genius girl of the family, with only 6 years of age has an IQ higher than any member of her family, with an authoritarian and monotonous tone.
"What are you talking about?" Lincoln asks, very confused.
"Your behavior is anomalous and interferes with my study" The little genius adds without many details.
Lincoln looks at his sister as if trying to decipher what she is saying, but without enough strength or interest to ask her directly.
"After the conspicuous amelioration in the factors that make up your defined as "new life", it does not make any sense that you act in such an erratic way" Lisa continues as she looks through a notebook she has in her hands.
"Lisa, what the hell are you talking about?"
"As I have stressed afore, it is imperative that you redress your comportment, I cannot help but admonish you that if something goes erroneous, it will all be your fault" Lisa says as she prepares to leave the place. "By the way, you are welcome." She finishes, leaving her brother's room and a very confused Lincoln behind.
The white haired boy decides to ignore this strange episode and leave his room, where he meets his older sister Lynn, who has just left her own room, Lincoln can see how the face of the 15 years old athlete lights up when she sees him, contrasted by her black eye, which shows signs of getting better, Lincoln however, looks away trying to avoid the face of his older sister while feeling embarrassed.
Lynn notices Lincoln's attitude and just stands in front of her room without saying anything and feeling uncomfortable; the silence is interrupted when they both hear the door of Luna and Luan's room open while Luna comes out.
"Bros!" Luna shouts enthusiastically and with a big smile on her face, her look is relaxed rather than jovial.
Lincoln and Lynn exchange a brief glance when Luna wraps both teens in a hug and then walks with them to the dining room.
Lucy, the 10-year-old Goth leaves the room she shares with Lynn while reading a paper in her hands, which she folds and stores in her pocket before going downstairs after giving a small sigh.
Meanwhile in the dining room, a large part of the family is reunited with the parents on the far right of the table; Lincoln, Luna and Lynn respectively take a seat on the far left, with Lana and Lola, the 8-year-old twins to Lynn's right; in front of Lincoln there's a smiling Luan, next to her, Lisa, Lily, with 3 years the youngest of the family, is sitting right of her mother Rita, sitting in front of Lola; Leni, the 18-year-old fashionista to Lily's right and finally Lucy takes a seat in the only free spot between Leni and Lisa.
The parents have organized this meeting to give some news.
"I'm glad you could have come Lincoln" Rita says with a motherly tone and a cheerful look. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah mom, I'm sorry about the delay, I was just a little tired" Lincoln responds with a slight smile.
Rita convinced decides to continue. "Well guys, we have great news"
At that moment Lincoln receives an email that his cell phone notifies him by means of a buzzing, immediately followed by a text message from Ronnie Anne; this causes Lincoln to produce a small laugh, slight but high enough to capture the attention of his father Lynn.
"Son, I'm glad you feel better, but your mother is giving an important announcement" Lynn father addresses Lincoln authoritatively.
The white-haired boy is startled when he hears his father's voice "I ... I'm sorry, dad," Lincoln says as he saves his cell phone in a hurry.
The boy manages to see with the corner of his eye Lynn watching him, Lincoln realizes how his older sister looks at him disapprovingly, Lincoln then fixes his attention on the sister in front of him, Luan watches Lincoln with a huge smile, containing a giggle, as if she had just been told a joke. Lincoln decides to ignore the looks of his older sisters, as well as the chill that runs down his back to focus his attention on his mother.
"Thank you dear" Rita addresses her husband before continuing to address Leni enthusiastically. "Leni sweety, tell everyone the news"
Leni, who shows a nervous smile looks at all her brothers, to realize that she has the attention of all of them.
"Well, like, I was accepted into a school of designers, and like, I'm going to totes miss you all guys" Leni says to all her siblings timidly and with a melancholy tone.
In the dining room all the siblings start talking at the same time, some like Lisa and Lucy congratulating Leni for this new achievement, others like Lynn and Lana reacting sadly to the fact that her older sister would leave the house.
Lana is the first to speak directly to Leni.
"Dang it Leni! First Lori and now you" Lana says with frustration.
"Lana watch your language! We are all sad because Lori went to college in another state, but we must support them, this is a big step for both of them and they should know that they can count on us- Rita says addressing all her children, then giving her attention to Leni." And I'm very proud of you- The mother approaches Leni to hug her holding back her tears.
"Besides, like Lori, Leni can always call and visit us on vacation" Lynn Sr adds to calm his children.
Rita takes Lily and places her on her legs to allow Leni to approach her, since Leni, despite the news, looks quite sad, so Rita and Lynn Sr decide to take the time to talk to her.
"Leni I know that school was not your first choice, but look at everything you've achieved! You must be proud of that" Rita tells her daughter as she takes her hand.
"I took a year longer than usual and even then I can barely get into this, like, I'm sorry for being so dumb"
"Don't you dare to say that Leni Loud!" His father interjects, who seems upset, after a small sigh, he manages to calm himself enough to continue. "I'm going to be honest, it's true that you'll always have to work harder than usual to achieve what you want, but that doesn't make you a dumb, that makes you much stronger than anyone else, they have it easier, you can achieve anything and you have shown it so far, so don't think less of yourself because of your condition, if something, you are better, because you have come so far despite the obstacles you have faced."
Rita struggles to contain her tears after the words of her husband.
"Thanks dad, thanks mom" It's the only thing that Leni can say with a smile and a somewhat melancholic look on her face.
Meanwhile, the rest of the family has their own conversations with each other.
Lola, the spoiled girl of the family, who at the age of 8 is famous in the city for having won countless beauty contests, also known in her family for her irritability, for being a bit of a brat and for always trying to manipulate others to get what she wants, she sees everyone with an empty look as she hits the table lightly with the fingertips of her right hand, she seems to be a bit irritated.
"Hey Lola, are you okay?" Her twin sister Lana asks, who, unlike Lola, is known to be not delicate or feminine, she loves animals and nature and is also extremely good with her hands, being she who, despite her young age takes care of the general repairs that are needed in the house.
Lola simply ignores her.
"Lola, hey Lola ..." She insists again, not having an answer, Lana decides to ignore her sister to continue with her dinner after a sigh of resignation.
On the other side of the table another conversation takes place. "Lisa, what does Omega mean?" In a low voice Lucy asks Lisa.
"Omega is the twenty-fourth letter of the Greek alphabet; in the Greek numerical system it has a value of 800" Lisa responds without hesitation.
Lucy shows clear signs of not being satisfied with the answer, so she tries again. "I know it's a Greek letter, but does it have any meaning?"
"Omega literally translates as ""great ...""
"No no no, I mean; does it have any symbolism? Does it represent something?" Lucy interrupts, now impatient.
"As a matter of fact, it does, because of its position as the last letter in the Greek alphabet, it is customarily used to represent the last, the cessation of something, the most potent, etc. In contrast to Alpha, which is the first letter in the Greek alphabet; in physics, it designates the Omnium, the unit of electrical resistance, in cosmology it represents the density of the universe, in mathematics..."
"Thanks Lisa" Lucy interrupts her sister again, considering that the following information will not do her any good.
Lynn tries to get Lincoln's attention, but he is concentrating on his phone, smiling at the screen, Lynn can only imagine the reason why his brother smiles while she laments that Luna is sitting between them, which makes her task more difficult.
"Hey Luna!" Luan calls Luna when she realizes what Lynn is trying to do.
"Luan! My favorite comedian!" Luna responds with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Lynn suspects that Luan has decided to talk to Luna just to annoy her, but immediately dismisses the thought as being very paranoid on her part.
"So Luna, do you listen to New Age music?" Luan asks.
"It's not my style but ..."
"But the arrival of the space whale is announced by New Age music! You are going to accompany me to see the space whale and you will play your electric harp, right?" Luan interrupts Luna, but her nonsensical words cause Lynn to make a puzzled look.
"What?" It's the only thing that Lynn manages to say.
"Oh yes, sister!" Luna replies, back to her enthusiastic attitude.
Lynn watches the conversation with an expression of confusion on her face.
Lincoln reads Ronnie Anne's message for the third time ignoring everything around him while a smile is drawn on his face at the thought of his girlfriend, however, other thoughts flood his mind immediately after, replacing his ephemeral moment of happiness. While Lincoln can hardly process these feelings of guilt, regret and confusion; the boy begins to remember the last time he felt this way, two years ago, the day he understood what he truly feels about Ronnie Anne, and unknowingly, the day the events that would change his life and that of everyone around him forever.
Lincoln is sitting on the sofa in the living room with a comic in his hand as he watches Lily, who plays on the floor, distracted by some of her toys and Luna's old radio.
The boy has his eyes on the magazine but without concentrating on what he reads, his head is full of thoughts and confusion, mostly because of his older sister Lynn.
Lincoln has noticed a somewhat strange behavior in Lynn, who is already known to be a bit rough with him, however, recent events have kindled some sort of alarm in his head, like when Lynn lost that baseball game, Lynn in her stubbornness and pride could not accept that she had been defeated and she didn't find a better idea than to blame Lincoln, alleging that the boy had bad luck, a somewhat ridiculous reason in Lincoln's opinion, but that brought some problems, being that this event caused strange reactions in his family, reaching a point where Lincoln felt that they had turned their backs on him. Even though this event was overcome and his life continued normally, there are still things in Lynn that Lincoln has been noticing, such as her obsession with winning, which, in the eyes of the young boy has become increasingly extreme, all these factors have caused Lincoln to conclude that his sister is a very inconsiderate, irritable, volatile and abusive person.
Lincoln is very confused, because he has decided not to allow himself to submit to what he considers are the abuses of his sister and to confront her for it, but at the same time, the white-haired boy doesn't believe he has the willpower or the determination to do this, not only does he still love his older sister as well as the rest of his family, but also, for some reason, he feels attracted or obliged to please his family at the expense of his own happiness, not to mention the incredible fear that Lincoln has for possible consequences, such as rejection by his sister or the rest of his family; a fight is formed inside the boy's mind, which is interrupted when a familiar melody is heard on the radio.
"Girl" The artist slow and seductively sings, followed by a guitar chord.
"You'll be a woman soon" continues the song just as Lynn leaves the kitchen to head for the stairs.
"I love that song!" Lynn says enthusiastically as she decides to stay in the room.
"I love you so much, can't count all the ways I've died for you girl and all I can say is, he's not your kind" Lynn sings at the same time as the radio while she looks at Lincoln.
"Come on Linc! Stop reading that dumb comic of yours and dance! Don't let them make up your mind" Lynn says as she pulls her younger brother's arm and finishes singing the verse.
Lincoln shows an obvious resistance and decides to ignore his sister to concentrate again on his magazine, but still looking with the corner of his eye at the young athlete, who now dances in the middle of the room.
"Don't you know girl ... you'll be a woman soon" - Lynn sings as she moves her hips slowly with her back to Lincoln.
Lynn turns around "Please, come take my hand" Lynn sings as she stretches her open hand towards Lincoln, who continues to ignore her.
"Girl you'll be a woman soon ... soon "I'll need a man "" The girl sings as she closes her eyes and slowly moves her hands across her shoulders and crossed arms, then she smiles due to the obvious change she had done to the lyrics while she sings.
"I've been misunderstood for all my life, but what they're saying it cuts like a knife" In this part of the song, which is faster, Lynn begins to move her arms, legs and head in a fast manner with her eyes closed, causing her hair to shake from side to side. "The boy's not good" The athlete continues, this time more slowly.
Lynn returns to dance quickly while she's still singing with her eyes closed. "But if they got their chance they'll end us for sure"
Lily, who sees her older sister dancing, starts to laugh as she stretches her arms towards Lynn from the ground, Lynn notices this and crouches in front of Lily. "Surely they would" Lynn sings in front of the baby.
"Baby I've done all I've could" Lynn continues the song as she gets up with her eyes on Lincoln, who pretends to ignore her. "Now it's up to you boy, I'll be a woman soon" Now the girl slowly walks towards the white-haired boy, her face shows a somewhat evil smile product of the small changes that she has made to the lyrics of the song.
Lynn has crossed the distance that separated her from her brother Lincoln and puts her hands on his knees while the song continues. "Please come take my hand" This time Lynn only moves her lips pretending that she is the one who sings, with a mocking smile on her face and her eyes that show a look that Lincoln can't identify but that makes him feel very uncomfortable, as well as the invasion of his personal space.
Lincoln reacts by withdrawing his legs sharply, which causes Lynn to lose her balance and fall on the couch next to Lincoln while laughing with the music still in the background.
The boy, far from thinking this is funny, stands from the couch a little annoyed by this strange episode and the fact that Lynn seems to ignore his desire to be alone, "figures" Lincoln thinks sarcastically.
As the young man is about to leave the room, Lynn takes him by his arm. "Come on Lincoln, don't be so lame"
Lincoln again retracts his arm sharply showing discomfort on his face.
Lynn realizes her younger brother's attitude, which causes the girl to get upset too. She stubbornly stands in the way of the white-haired boy. "Hey, what's the matter with you?! I just wanted ..." Lynn says with frustration in her voice before being interrupted by Lincoln.
"Let me go Lynn" Lincoln says calmly.
But Lynn is not willing to give up, so she starts pulling Lincoln again, this time not as part of the game, Lynn feels she must show her superiority by accomplishing her task, even if she has to do it by force; however, the athlete would never imagine the reaction her brother would have as a result of this.
Fed up with Lynn's attitude, Lincoln finally reacts by pushing his sister with all his might while clenching his teeth in a clear show of anger.
Apart from making her back a few steps, the push doesn't affect Lynn too much, however, the girl is enraged by her brother's sudden attitude.
"What's wrong with you Lincoln?!" The athlete shouts at the young boy.
"I told you to let me go!" Lincoln responds, raising his voice even more. Lily, who is still in the room begins to be scared by the screams of her older siblings.
"Ijustwantedtodancewithyoubutlatelyyou'vebeenactinglikealittlegirl!" The brunette responds, who raises her voice more and more, she does not understand why, but she begins to feel something strange, she feels a heat that goes up all over her body up to her head and sits on her ears, her hands begin to tremble as she clenches them into fists, her jaw tightens as she bites her lips from time to time and her mind runs with many accelerated thoughts to the point where her words come in a hasty way out of her mouth.
Lincoln on the other hand has a struggle inside him, a part of himself feels very bad for treating his sister this way and is afraid of the repercussions that this could have, like Lynn's rejection; while another part is already sick of Lynn's attitude. "Don't you understand Lynn?! I just want you to leave me alone for once but you are so selfish and inconsiderate that you can't at least give me that!" Lincoln yells at Lynn.
"What's wrong? The little girl finally found her balls?" Lynn responds mockingly with the intention of humiliating her brother, which works.
Lily begins to cry due to Lynn and Lincoln's shouts, which causes Lisa to leave her room. The young genius witnesses her siblings arguing from the top of the stairs in an indifferent way, focusing her attention on Lily's cry, which apparently is ignored by Lincoln and Lynn and intends to do something to help her younger sister in order to be able to return to her important experiment.
Lynn's words have exhausted Lincoln's patience. "Fuck you Lynn!" Lincoln shouts as he prepares one of his fists, his mind is completely clouded by the anger he feels.
Meanwhile, Lola, who carries her pink teapot in her hands, enters the room, the girl is upset because the screams don't let her play the tea time in the backyard. "Hey shut up both of yo...! -
At that precise moment, Lynn, realizing what Lincoln is going to do, reacts faster by striking a straight punch to Lincoln's eye. The shouting ceases immediately, only Lily's cry and a song about a car accident and a screaming girl with her dress full of broken glass is heard in the background. Lisa finds herself motionless halfway up the stairs, perplexed by the scene. Lola also has her feet planted on the ground, unable to believe what just has happened.
At this point, Lynn can feel the blood running all over her body, her heart beating fast, her jaw clenched, her fists trembling, her mind is almost blank, her only thought is to fight and her mind can only reason that the white haired scared creature in front of her is her opponent, the irrational fighting machine that just moments ago used to be Lynn prepares to throw another blow when she feels something pulling one of her legs, Lola, almost crying trying desperately to stop her older sister. "Stop it Lynn!" Lola shouts.
Lynn, reacting with pure instinct, turns her body and with great force kicks her younger sister, who falls face first on the ground and causing her teapot to break on impact.
The noise causes Lynn to regain her composure, she looks at Lola on the floor, motionless not believing what she has done.
"Lynn!" Lori shouts, the athlete doesn't answer, she just turns around to watch as all her sisters, who were alerted by the sound of the teapot breaking, look at her in horror.
Lori grabs Lynn by the arm and takes her out of the house, meanwhile, Lisa takes Lily to her room, Lana and Leni run to help Lola, the girls realize that Lola is bleeding from her mouth due to the impact, but she not only rejects their help, she isn't crying, her face doesn't show any emotion; Lola locks herself in her room, leaving Leni and Lana behind, not knowing what to do for their sister.
Lincoln is also helped by Luan and Luna, the boy, with an attitude similar to that of Lola ignores the words of his older sisters as well as the help provided by them and also locks himself in his room.
Lincoln is lying on his bed, just looking at the ceiling, with a throbbing pain in his right eye, it feels worse than the punch Ronnie Anne gave him a while ago, "Ronnie Anne" he suddenly thinks, a slight smile peeks into his face when he realizes how the mere thought of Ronnie Anne replaces the images of what happened with Lynn a few minutes ago, images that are repeated again and again in his head. A lot of thoughts flood the mind of the 11-year-old boy, he feels a knot in his chest as a result of the great confusion inside his mind; he feels anger against Lynn for what happened, anger towards himself for not avoiding it, at the same time he feels fear for the fact that his relationship with Lynn has been destroyed, Lincoln thinks about the repercussions of this event and in his mind, the future does not look very bright, he feels stifled by a sense of frustration at not knowing how to solve all this.
His thoughts are abruptly interrupted when his younger sister Lisa enters his room.
"Now that I have taken care of the youngest sister unit, I can assist you with your current dilemma" Lisa says casually addressing her older brother.
Lincoln doesn't respond, he just gives her a little look and then he turns his gaze to the ceiling while lying down.
"I require that you adopt a sitting position on your bed in order to be able to review your wounds more efficiently please, thereafter we can discuss any psychological trauma caused by the previous event" Lisa continues in spite of Lincoln's indifference.
The white-haired boy gives a little sigh and decides to submit to his sister's orders sitting on the edge of the bed.
Lisa takes a small flashlight and proceeds to check Lincoln's eyes.
"Do you experience pain outside of your orbital area, dizziness, confusion, lack of motor coordination, numbness, aphasia, amnesia, nausea, problems ...?"
"It's nothing Lisa, just a black eye" Lincoln interrupts his sister when he considers that his patience has reached the limit after hearing what he considers are meaningless babbling.
"A maxillofacial trauma is not something that should be taken lightly older brother" Lisa responds, this time sounding a little more understanding than usual, as if she were really worried about Lincoln, something not usual in the generally apathetic personality of the girl "But I suppose that your most worrying trauma is psychological" Lisa continues while sitting on the bed next to Lincoln, despite not being very good with social relationships, the little genius tries to empathize with her brother, making a great effort while holding her hands together and swinging her short legs on the edge of the bed.
Lincoln however does not respond, he just turns his face away to avoid his sister, he just wants Lisa to finish talking so she would leave him alone, that is until she says what would confirm his suspicions.
"I must assume that such trauma is caused by the recent anomalous behavior of the sister unit Lynn, is that correct?" Lisa asks, back to her apathetic attitude.
Lincoln is surprised to hear this "Do you also think that Lynn acts strangely?" Lincoln asks, if Lisa says something, it must be true after all.
"Affirmative" The girl responds, who looks at her older brother as if he had been ignoring something that is completely obvious. "My hypothesis is that our sister Lynn is currently experiencing hormonal changes due to the development in her capacity for sexual reproduction, these changes can ... –"
"Woah woah woah Lisa, I don't need to know those things about Lynn" Lincoln interrupts his sister again when the conversation becomes extremely uncomfortable for him.
"I am merely endeavoring to give you the obligatory information you require in order for you to understand the changes that our sister may be going through at this moment, in fact, taking into account the eventuality that transpired today I incline to think that you are withal going through these hormonal changes as well and I am disposed to give you all the information you require to make your way through adolescence" Lisa responds to her brother without realizing or understanding why Lincoln is embarrassed when he talks about these issues.
"I appreciate your help Lisa, but I'm definitely not going to have the "talk" with you" Lincoln responds immediately, showing himself quite tense, due to the discomfort he feels at that moment.
Lisa, with little patience, pinches the bridge of her nose in a clear sign of frustration "Lincoln, it is obvious that you need help to face your own anomalous behavior"
"My anomalous behavior?!" Lincoln questions his younger sister.
"That is correct" The girl responds with authoritarian tone "And my suggestion is that you need a distraction from all this chaos, at least, to isolate your needs from Lynn's while I find a way to avail you both, perhaps I was not here to help the rest of our sister units, but I am confident in my faculties to help you two"
Lincoln considers what his sister just said, "a distraction from all this chaos," sounds like a good point in his mind.
"Tell me, did not you have a companion of approximately your age with the potential to be a partner to perform the mating ritual?" Lisa continues
"What?!" Lincoln asks with his face completely red, the young boy knows that his sister Lisa is very intelligent, but still it is extremely uncomfortable to hear her talk about these things "Mating ...? What the hell are you talking about, Lisa?" The distressed boy doesn't even dare to complete the phrase.
Lisa lets out a snort of frustration, the poor girl has no patience for this kind of immature attitude.
"A girlfriend Lincoln, did not you have a girlfriend? What was her name?" After thinking about it for a couple of seconds, Lisa clicks her fingers when she remembers the name of the girl "Ronalda "Ronnie Anne" Santiago, Where is she? Do you still perform pre-courtship rituals?" Lisa continues with more questions that bother the poor boy.
Lincoln feels frustrated, he doesn't know how many times he has repeated the following sentence "She is not my girlfriend!" He responds with an exaggerated frustration.
"Now that you have relieved your immaturity, can you answer the questions I asked you?" Lisa responds calmly, but her face shows clear signs of disapproval.
Now it's Lincoln's turn to pinch the bridge of his nose before answering as his patience has reached a limit, the conversation is not placid for either of them, on the one hand, Lincoln thinks that his sister's conversation is completely out of place, on the other hand, Lisa thinks that the immature attitude of her older brother is not suitable for the serious conversation they are having. "She moved to another city Lisa, and no, we don't go on dates and we never did" Lincoln responds. "Now if you could leave me alone I would appreciate it" Lincoln continues trying to finish the conversation in the nicest and fastest way possible.
"Very well" Lisa calmly responds as she walks with Lincoln towards the door, then she tries to convince Lincoln that he can receive her help before terminating her unrequested visit "You can always count on my help in case you require some information referring to your hormonal chan..."
"Goodbye Lisa" Lincoln again interrupts his sister.
"...ges" Lisa finishes the sentence, just when she realizes that Lincoln has closed the door in her face. "These homosapiens and their chemical alterations in their brain, auspiciously I will not have to suffer these trifles when we reach singularity" Lisa continues frustrated before turning around, only to find herself facing Lola, Lisa realizes that the girl has smeared makeup on her face, perhaps due to tears that diluted the compound, a little bit of blood on the bottom of her mouth and some on her dress, as well as the fact that she carries some kind of pink book or notebook in one of his hands.
"Lola, I have already taken care of the male sister unit, I can now proceed to assist you with your..."
"We should have never been born" Lisa is interrupted again, this time by Lola, whose face expresses no emotion, it is almost as if Lola's eyes looks beyond Lisa's eyes.
Lisa obviously can't understand the meaning behind this statement "Could you please confirm what you have said?" Lisa inquires.
Lola looks down, as if concentrating to think something. "Can you hear the voices?" Lola responds, returning her gaze to Lisa's.
"I beg your pardon? Voices?" Lisa asks, at this point the little brunette believes that the incident with Lynn has affected Lola psychologically more than she had foreseen.
Lola does not respond this time and only goes to her room.
"Wait!" Lisa tries to stop her older sister, she needs to inquire more about Lola's strange words, but the blonde girl just ignores her and also closes the door in Lisa's face.
"Very well, you can come to see me should the eventuality in which you require my assistance is presented Lola" Lisa says from the hallway to her sister in a last attempt to get her attention. Lisa can hear a small conversation that takes place inside the room "Lola? What's going on? What do you have there?" Says the voice that Lisa assumes is from Lana, "Just shut up and listen" answers the voice that is supposed to belong to Lola. When she doesn't hear anymore voices, Lisa decides to go to her own room to start a new project.
A couple of days later, Lincoln is sitting under the tree in front of the house staring at it, just watching it, never before he had stopped to do so with so much interest, every part of it seems fascinating to him, reviewing all the marks that the time and the intense use have left imprinted on its walls, an average suburb house that was not designed to shelter so many people and yet, it has resisted, more out of necessity than anything else, Lincoln's gaze is oddly delighted as it paces each break and gap on the frontage, until Lincoln takes a look to that special place where he and his sisters had painted their hands together during their parents' anniversary, they used to be bright, colorful and cheerful; now they are nothing more than a bunch of faded traces of discolored paint that will soon disappear.
Inside the house everything remains the same, the same noise, the same chaos, witnessing it from the outside puts Lincoln in perspective, maybe all that chaos is harmful for him, he touches his black eye as a way of reassuring that statement, but at the same time, that noise, imagining the chaos that is being unleashed at that moment, for Lincoln it feels as if the house were calling him, as if inviting him to go inside and submerge himself in the madness within such a loud house.
A breeze blows at that moment, Lincoln feels a chill that makes him imagine this is just the foreshadow of a greater breeze that threatens to knock down his thoughts or even something more relevant, causing the boy to tremble, the sunset makes him realize that it's getting dark, but he is not ready to enter yet. Suddenly the warm contact of a hand covers Lincoln with a security that he so badly needs at the moment, it is Lori, at 17 years old she is the eldest among the siblings, who has a role as protector and responsible for her brother and sister after her parents, she is the one who holds Lincoln at that moment while looking at him with concern.
"How's your eye going?"
"It's getting better" Lincoln responds, trying to keep the fragile security bubble he feels at that moment for as long as possible.
"And how are you?" Lori continues with a soft tone, giving her younger brother all the time he needs to answer.
"I'm fine" He responds dryly.
"I know you're lying Lincoln" Those were the words that made the bubble burst.
Now that the illusion of safety is over, Lincoln tries to go away, but Lori does not allow it.
"I know Lynn has been very hard on you lately, I know there's no excuse for that, I know you're still mad and you have the right to be, but I want you to try to forgive her, she loves you, but she's too stubborn to admit it, and believe me, she knows what she did and she feels very bad about that, I also know she will try to make it up to you in any way" Lori continues in a maternal manner, serving as an intermediary to end the aftermath of the incident from two days ago, it is a relief for Lincoln, to know that at least his sister Lynn does not hate him for what happened, however, his wounds, both physical and mental, are still too fresh to forget everything so quickly. Lincoln separates a bit from her while looking away.
"I know of something that will cheer you up" The blonde tries one more time with a slight smile as Lincoln turns to see his sister intrigued. "Ronnie Anne will return to the town"
Those words are enough to illuminate the recently gloomy world of Lincoln. "What?! When?" Asks a very surprised Lincoln, who is answered only with a smile from his sister Lori, the white-haired boy realizes his excessive interest, but it's too late, Lori knew that Lincoln would react this way.
"Tell you what" Lori says in a relaxed way, as she gets a little closer to her brother and wraps him in a hug. "Talk to Lynn and I will make the necessary arrangements so you and Ronnie Anne can see each other" The older sister continues with a smug smile on her face.
Later that day, Lincoln enters the backyard, he knows that a certain sister is playing with a basketball, Lynn, who does not seem to mind that it's almost night time throws the ball once again without much enthusiasm, which bounces and rolls to Lincoln's feet, the boy bends down to pick it up, it is at that moment that Lynn realizes the presence of her younger brother so she quickly looks away.
"Hey" Lincoln says in a low voice as he throws the ball to Lynn
"Hey" Lynn answers, still unable to look at her brother. "How's your eye?" She suddenly asks.
"It's healing" Lincoln adopts a similar attitude, with his hands in his pockets, and occasionally looking in other directions other than his older sister.
"Good" Lynn responds casually as she walks to the tree behind her to sit under it.
Lincoln follows her.
"I wanted to say that... I... I'm sorry for... what happened" The brunette says after a moment, Lincoln immediately notices that this is being a bit difficult for Lynn.
"It's okay Lynn, it's in the past" Lincoln responds in a relaxed way as gets closer to Lynn.
"I was talking to Lori after that, and she's right, I shouldn't have hit you, it was stupid of me, I don't know what happened to me, and I'm so sorry Lincoln" Lynn cotinues, this time finally looking at her brother.
"Thanks Lynn, but I'm not the only one you hurt, I think ..."
"I know! Lola must be furious" Lynn interrupts Lincoln as she hugs her legs and hides her face in them. "Do you think her revenge will be too horrible?" Lynn asks, raising her head suddenly and showing a very slight smile.
Lincoln finally sits next to his sister "Mmm I don't know, but if I were you, I would be very afraid" Lincoln jokes.
"Oh thank you, what a relief Lincoln" Lynn responds sarcastically as she threatens to hit her brother's arm as she always does, to which Lincoln reacts by flinching, Lynn realizes this and immediately lowers her fist and replaces it with a somewhat abrupt hug.
"So, I heard that Ronnie Anne will return to the town" Lynn adds changing the subject, causing Lincoln to blush, fortunately for him, he can go unnoticed thanks to the low light of the sunset.
"Yeah, Lori told me" Lincoln responds a little nervous.
"I can go with you to meet her, you could use a wingman, 'cause, you will visit her, right?" Lynn asks raising one of her eyebrows.
"Well, it's not that urgent, so..."
"C'mon Lincoln! Don't be so silly, you have to meet your girlfriend" Lynn takes advantage of the situation to bother Lincoln a little, Lynn's favorite activity, in Lincoln's mind he thinks that some things don't change.
"She is not ..." Lincoln starts with a little frustration, to realize halfway through the sentence that it's no use "You know what? Okay, come with me to meet her, as long as you don't do anything crazy" Lincoln warns Lynn.
"Oh come on, what could happen?" The young athlete asks with a carefree air, Lincoln only responds with a disapproving face. "Ok ok, I understand jeez" Lynn continues as she gives a strong and abrupt hug to her brother before getting up, to then continue to clean herself up a little and help Lincoln to get up from where they were both sitting.
Shortness of breath and an accelerated heart, the only two companions of Lincoln when the day to meet his friend Ronnie Anne has finally arrived, the nervousness makes Lincoln grateful that Lynn is going to accompany him to the park where Lori is supposed to have planned his meeting, despite the fact that Lincoln and Ronnie Anne had regular conversations through video calls, apparently the decision to return to the city was quite unexpected, therefore Ronnie Anne had no time to notify Lincoln, which is why the news was such a surprise to him, although it's a pleasant surprise, just when Lincoln his sister Lisa were considering the need for a distraction, Lincoln receives these news. The white haired boy is on the porch while he waits for Lynn, Lori is with him, putting the finishing touches on his appearance for his big "date", which Lincoln considers unnecessary, but admits that Lori must know about these things more than him. The young boy can finally see Lynn running down the stairs to meet him.
"Lincoln, how about you get ahead? I'd like to talk to Lynn before she leaves, and remember, don't ruin it" Lori asks Lincoln once she sees Lynn coming down the stairs.
Lincoln doesn't pay too much attention to his older sister's words, his mind is only focused on his nervousness and the possible scenarios once he meets Ronnie Anne, he even wonders why he feels so nervous just for seeing his old friend. "Ok" He simply responds as he begins to walk towards the park.
A while later Lynn reaches Lincoln.
"Hey, are you ready?" The brunette asks with an exaggerated excitement, obviously to tease her brother.
"Yes, of course, why shouldn't I be? I'm just going to welcome Ronnie Anne back to the city" Lincoln replies, trying not to look so nervous.
"Yeah right Romeo!" The girl responds the while giving a small blow to the arm to Lincoln.
"What did Lori tell you?" The albino asks as he rubs his arm, with the intention of changing the subject.
"She asked me" Lynn starts to say "Not to tousle your hair" She continues while she does just that, plays a little with Lincoln's hair, making the good boy hairstyle that Lori had made before disappear. "But I think you look better like this"
"Thanks Lynn" Lincoln answers sarcastically, but grateful that she gave him his usual hairstyle.
Arriving at the park Lincoln's nerves increase, especially after having located Ronnie Anne, sitting on a bench waiting for him, for a moment he stops, in panic, a rose in one of his hands takes the young boy out of his state of stress.
"Come on Lincoln, don't be nervous, remember what I always say, "Grab life by the balls" - Lynn says with a huge smile and then lets out a laugh after saying her phrase.
Although Lincoln never liked that phrase, since it was always accompanied by some activity that the young boy would later regret, this time it causes a genuine laughter and enough strength to leave behind a bit of his nervousness.
"Sure Lynn, thank you"
Finally they both end up approaching Ronnie Anne, a Latina of Lincoln's age, when she was in town she was considered the toughest girl in school, she likes to skate and is not feminine, after having shared some moments together, she and Lincoln became great friends.
"Hey Ronnie Anne!" Lincoln greets the Latina, this time he looks much more relaxed.
"Lincoln!" Ronnie Anne shouts with a slightly awkward enthusiasm, both Louds notice how the girl realizes her attitude and tries to correct it immediately, looking calmer, but her blushing face shows the opposite.
Lincoln doesn't do much, so Lynn gives him a little push to get closer to his friend, finally pushing Lincoln to give Ronnie Anne a hug.
"Do you remember Lynn?" Lincoln questions.
"Santiago" Lynn says extending her hand towards the latina.
"Loud" Ronnie Anne responds as she extends her own hand to squeeze Lynn's.
Both Ronnie Anne and Lincoln are standing without saying anything, Lynn can notice how both kids are nervous, perhaps a product of her own presence, so she decides to be the one to break the ice.
"Why did you come back, Santiago?" Lynn asks unexpectedly.
The question takes Ronie Anne out of place so her nervousness increases, Lincoln realizes this and throws a deadly look at Lynn, to which she responds with a shrug.
"We have time to talk about those things later, what if we better catch up?" Ronnie Anne suggests, but at least Lynn's tactic works, since it causes both kids to finally decide to speak.
"For example, what happened to your eye? Did someone hit you at school?" Ronnie Anne asks when she notices Lincoln's black eye, which shows signs of improvement but it's still a little visible.
This time it's Lincoln's turn to be caught out of guard by a question, the boy doesn't know how to respond since it bothers him a lot to talk about what happened with Lynn, without taking into account the fact that Lynn is there with them.
"It was in a fight he had with some thugs" Lynn responds unexpectedly to Lincoln's surprise. "It was something stupid" She continues. "I was playing basketball with some guys and since I won they wanted to kick me out, but I didn't want to leave, I wanted to keep humiliating them, but they were more than me, so Lincoln came and defended me from them" Lynn ends as she gives a small and clumsy hug to Lincoln.
Both Ronnie Anne and Lincoln are clearly surprised by Lynn's lie.
"Great Lincoln! Well done!" Ronnie Anne congratulates Lincoln by giving him a little tap on one of his arms.
Lincoln just smiles, he's satisfied that he doesn't have to tell what happened with Lynn, but he doesn't want to continue lying.
After a while of talking, Lynn finds herself bored, even though she has naturally joined Ronnie Anne and Lincoln's talks.
"Hey Santiago, do you want to race? I bet I can beat you up to the tree near the ice cream shop" Lynn tells Ronnie Anne as she points to a tree about 300 meters away inside the park.
Lincoln is disappointed to see how Lynn returns to her attitude and her obsession to win, this time involving Ronnie Anne.
"I don't think that's a good..."
"You got it Loud!" Ronnie Anne responds with determination while interrupting Lincoln.
The young boy doesn't have a good feeling.
Both girls run to the tree and back, Lynn arrives first at the designated destination, where Lincoln is waiting for her. Lynn begins to celebrate her victory in a petulant way, jumping and shouting on the place "In your face Santiago! Don't worry, second place is not so bad, unless of course there are only two contestants, wait, that's the case hahahaha" Lynn starts to make fun of Ronnie Anne, who arrives quite tired and with frustration on her face, both she and Lincoln consider Lynn's celebration to be exaggerated, since Ronnie Anne was quite close.
Lincoln also begins to be bothered by the attitude of Lynn, in his opinion, Lynn has learned nothing of the consequences of her attitude, so he decides to ask Ronnie Anne to go elsewhere and leave Lynn in the park. However, at one point during her celebration, Lynn manages to see the annoyed face of Lincoln, who is focused on Ronnie Anne.
"Not bad Santiago, you were very close" Lynn says with a slightly calmer attitude.
"Yeah, I almost beat you" Ronnie Anne responds, her face also looks a little more relaxed, because Lynn has stopped making fun of her. Lincoln is still upset however, the young boy approaches the Latina to ask her to go elsewhere, but Lynn acts faster.
"Actually, I think you deserve a rematch," Lynn says quickly.
Ronnie Anne, who feels that her pride is at stake, decides to accept the rematch. "Done, this time I won't hold back" She says with a small confident smile.
"I hope so" Lynn responds, then gives a little look to her brother Lincoln, she can notice the boy's annoyance, for some reason the young athlete starts to feel nervous.
When both girls go back to the goal Lynn is taking the lead, it's obvious to all that she is going to win again, but halfway she begins to lose speed, which Ronnie Anne takes advantage of to take the lead, finally winning the race.
"Woohoo!" Ronnie Anne shouts breathing markedly faster than Lynn. "Told ya Loud!" The latina screaming, trying to use her turn to make fun of Lynn.
"Well done, I see that you are a worthy opponent" Lynn calmly tells Ronnie Anne while extending her hand. The skater responds by giving Lynn a firm handshake.
"Well, that was fun" Lincoln bursts in, this time with a calmer attitude. "How about we go to the arcades now?" Lincoln asks his friend.
"Perfect! I've been wanting to go since I arrived" Ronnie Anne replies.
Lincoln and Ronnie Anne begin to walk in the direction of the arcades while they talk about the video games they will play, meanwhile, Lynn remains sitting on the bench where Ronnie Anne was waiting for them, the brunette sees how both kids walk towards their next destination, suddenly they stop about 10 meters away, apparently after realizing that Lynn is not with them, Lincoln runs in the direction where Lynn is sitting while Ronnie Anne waits.
"Lynn, you coming?" Lincoln asks.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Lynn asks surprised, the girl thought that Lincoln would want to be alone with her friend.
"Of course, I know it's not your thing, but it will be fun" Lincoln answers honestly.
The girl's face lights up with a smile as she stands up to accompany her brother and her new friend.
"By the way, I saw what you did, how you let Ronnie Anne win, I know it's hard for you and Lori was right, you're trying hard and I thank you for that" Lincoln says as he gives Lynn a little hug.
"It's nothing. Linc, I'm sorry for behaving like a fool a while ago" Lynn is glad to realize that her way of remedying the situation paid off. "Wait a moment Lincoln, that reminds me, I must call Lori, go ahead and I reach you guys later" Lynn tells her brother.
"Ok, see you in the arcade" Lincoln tells his sister as he continues walking towards where Ronnie Anne waits for him.
"This is stupid" Lynn speaks softly once Lincoln has moved far enough. "They even gave a name to this aberration" Lynn continues clearly frustrated while taking a paper from her pocket, the paper looks very wrinkled but the girl manages to unfold it enough to read what it says. "Euphoria, Irritability, Grandiose delu… Decrea… need for sleep… Excessive involve… pleas… act… Possible Mani... epis...- Lynn lets out a snort of frustration. "I will not let this beat me, I'm Lynn Loud Jr! I just have to grab life by the balls! I won't disappoint you again Lincoln" The young athlete saves the paper back in her pocket as she runs towards the arcade.
Meanwhile Bobby, Ronnie Anne's older brother and Lori's boyfriend, a 17-year-old boy with a fairly relaxed attitude and whose biggest interest are his family and his girlfriend Lori, is sitting on the living room at his home, with an atypical worried face while reading a pile of papers.
"Isn't it great "Boo Boo Bear"? Now that you're back we can plan to go to college together" Lori says affectionately and with remarkable happiness as she leaves the kitchen carrying a tray of food prepared for her boyfriend.
"That's great "Babe" but I'm a little worried about the whole custody issue" Bobby says in a discouraged way, which causes Lori's mood to decrease as well.
"Oh Bobby, are you still thinking about that?" Lori asks in a worried tone.
"I just think it's weird, dad hasn't had contact with us in a year and now he suddenly wants our custodies? Besides, I will turn 18 next year, he can't have my custody, I will be an adult" Bobby responds trying to share his stress with his girlfriend.
"But Ronnie Anne will still need legal custody for a couple more years, maybe that's why" Lori interjects as she hugs her boyfriend to try to comfort him.
"Still this whole situation seems very strange" Bobby continues as he finally leaves the papers on the table in front of him to return the hug to his girlfriend.
So! I introduce myself, my name is Sigefreiman and although I've been reading stories on the site for a couple of years, I never considered myself having the ability to write my own story, but after being inspired by great writers like Uriel-rdz, Underratedhero, Gumball2 , Thisaccountkillsfascists, Imthejuggernautbitch and especially, those who gave me the last push, my favorites Jumpjump and Captaindarko; which for my great luck, both retired (note the sarcasm please) I put together the "structure" of a story, which in my opinion I managed to create a very interesting and complex plot, which started as a "what if" scenario that grew to become the madness that I managed to put together here, which, as I said before, was inspired by the mentioned authors, that's why you should expect many references, not only from other stories , but from many other media. Despite I created the "framework" of the story, I must admit that I am not a very good writer, and this is where my great friend Uriel-rdz comes in, who was responsible for filling that framework with specific details and also collaborating in the improvement of some ideas. So this is a collaboration between him and me. Uriel-rdz will be responsible for uploading the Spanish version in his account, while I will upload the English version in mine.
Ok, after explaining how this started, it's time to explain what's important, the rules.
Rule 1) Pay attention to the details, believe me, they give more information than they appear.
Rule 2) Despite trying to make this as detailed and clean as possible, as I mentioned before, I don't even consider myself an average writer, so, please, and I can't stress enough how important this rule is, if you find any errors, have any suggestions, or for some reason there's something you can't understand, don't hesitate to write me, the feedback is important to improve with each chapter.
Rule 3) Question everything, distrust even yourselves, everything has a reason, the truth may be hidden below the surface.
If this chapter doesn't catch your attention as the story as a whole suggests, try to be patient, this is normal, the "action" of the story will progressively increase with each chapter.
Don't forget to write in case of any doubt or suggestion, I promise to try to read and /or respond to each message.
To make this a little bit more interesting, I'll give you a small gift: 6/6 cb=2
After everything's been said, may this journey to madness begins, have fun ...