Chapter Three: The Whispering

Kennath was at the point of exhaustion, with no sunlight left to rely on. It was now complete darkness outside, the only visible light was the neighbor's houses, but was blocked off by tree lines. Kennath continued running down the dark road but the more he ran. It became difficult to breathe as the dry wind hit his face. Kennath could not bring himself to give up on finding Riley, he had to be somewhere, but where? Kennath started to slow down his pace, the community playground is not that far away, now coming to a stop. Kennath lunged himself over, trying to catch his breath.

"Where are you Riley?" Kennath asked himself looking down the dark road.

Then suddenly, a strange laughter could be heard. It sounded hysterical but it was very faint. Kennath looked up, searching his surroundings for the laughter. Nobody was around him, or near any of the homes he had passed by.

There's nobody around me? Maybe It must be the coming from the houses I passed up.

After done taking his small break, Kennath decides to turn around and walk back to the house. The community playground was too far for Riley to be at all by himself. Kennath ponders on how to tell his parents he was not home after school and Riley is nowhere to be found.

Again the laughter seemed to be closer than ever. Then he saw a car make a turn down the road, it was directly going his way, but it stopped. Kennath looked back for a second and saw nobody around him still.

Where is that laughter coming from? He thought.

Look forward again he noticed the vehicle stop right in front of the house. Kennath slowed down his running and began walking, he saw a woman hop out of the vehicle. Rushing to the passenger door, she opened it and out came a little boy. Kennaths eyes grew wide, he got back to his feet and ran towards the woman and boy. To his relief. It was Riley.

"Riley!" Kennath hollered down the dark road.

Riley looked at Kennath, they both ran to each other, embracing one another.

He's safe. Kennath thought.

"Thank god you're alright, I was worried since you weren't home." Sighing in relief, Kennath forgot to thank the woman. As he was holding on to Riley, he walked his way towards the woman and reached his hand out for a handshake.

"Thank you." He croaked. The dry air caused him to sound sick.

"Don't mention it. Riley missed the bus so I let him stay in my classroom until I got done filing paperwork." She responded, "Well I better be off."

"No-" Kennath blurted out. "I mean, let me repay you. Come inside and I'll cook you dinner."

The woman gave Kennath a faint smile. "Thank you, but I can't. I have kids of my own at home waiting for me, maybe another time."

Kennath nodded his head in understanding...

Sitting at the dinner table, Riley could not help but pick at his food. He was happy to see Kennath, but something else was clouding the young boy's mind.

"What's wrong riley?" Kennath asked, "This is your favorite, stake and potato's with gravy and vegetables."

"Yeah, I know. It's just-" Riley paused.

"Just what?" Kennath said, repeating Riley.

That was it, just what was Riley suppose to say to Kennath.

"It's nothing." Riley replied.

"Well whatever it is, forget about it and eat your food."

Nodding his head, Riley began digging in his plate. Eating what he could, as fast as he could. Since it was his favorite dish of course.

Kennath could hear Riley up on the second floor playing in the bathtub. As he was washing the dishes. Kennath smiled, knowing his younger brother was completely fine after the whole ordeal. Yet in an instant that gentle smile on Kennath's face quickly disappeared, once the sound of water splashing and Riley yelling from upstairs, began bringing back memories.

Riley sat within the bathtub playing with the speedboats in the water. The steam from the hot bath was now dissipating, the fog no longer clinging to the mirror above the sink. With the water now turning cold, Riley helped himself out of the bathtub. Taking out the stopper, Riley grabbed a towel from the bathroom closet and began drying himself off. After he was done, he got his pajamas that were laying on top of the bathroom hamper.

This was a typical night for Riley, everything was quiet. The only difference was, his older brother Kennath and his mother weren't arguing. After getting dressed and brushing his teeth. Riley was about to leave the washroom until he noticed a strange wrapper on the floor.

What's that? Riley thought as he stared at the plastic wrapper in the hallway.

Tilting his head, trying to make sense of the candy wrapper that was randomly laying on the floor. It was not until it finally hit Riley. About several months back he found a candy in his bedroom, weeks before moving. It was exactly the same green colored wrapper.

I forgot about the candy, but who ate it? Questioning the thought, the only person Riley could think of is Kennath. Kennath must of found the candy and ate it on me.

Riley picked up the wrapper, examining what was left of the candy. Riley could not help but feel sad, a piece of candy he has found is now gone, all because he forgot about it.

"I guess I wasn't meant to have anything sweet." Riley sighed heavily.

He walked in his room that was right across from the upstairs bathroom. Riley opened his door and switched on his bedroom light. He was about to place the green candy wrapper on his dresser but thought about it. When suddenly, Thud! Quickly Riley turned around to see what had fallen over in his room. His room was neither clean nor messy, but it finally caught his eye. The dinosaur that was standing up on the sturdy shelf had fallen off. Riley smiled for a second, only to know it was an action-figure of Godzilla he had received in the summer from his grandparents.

"You're not suppose to be on the floor." Riley remarked.

Just as he was about to walk over to the action-figure, Riley heard heavy foot steps behind him. Instead of turning around or even acknowledging who was ever there, he picked up the Godzilla action-figure and placed it back on the shelf where it belonged.

"Do I have to-" Riley paused, as he turned around. He looked around his room.

"Kennath?" Riley called.

Still staring around his room, he began scratching his head. Again trying to make sense of anything that has been happening to him lately. Riley assumed that Kennath was going to tell him get to bed; Riley just shrugged his shoulders and made his way down stairs.

"Kennath." Riley called in a soft voice, "Kennath-"

Standing exactly at the bottom of the staircase, Riley sees that his older brother, is sound asleep on the living-room couch. Riley wanted to ask Kennath if he had eaten his candy on him, but also remembered, that Kennath had promised to tuck him in, once out of the bath. Riley was close to the point of quivering his lip but stopped himself. He knew if he were to cry, Kennath would wake up and tell him to head to bed. There was no point in waking up his brother, instead Riley turned around and headed back up the staircase then to his room.

Flopping himself on to his bed, face first within the bed sheets. Riley turned his head staring around his bedroom. It was quiet, and Riley knew that he wanted to stay up a little longer to play. He was used to playing by himself so, all Riley had to do was think of an imaginary friend...

The house was quiet, Kennath still laid on the couch sound asleep when suddenly a tap on the shoulder woke him up. He rubbed his eyes before seeing who it was. To his surprise it was his father staring down at him from behind the couch.

"Where's Riley?" His father asked.

"I'm not sure, he's probably still taking a bath." Kennath yawned as he answered.

His father glared at Kennath for a brief moment, before answering. "What do you mean he's taking a bath?" He commented, "It's One in the morning, have you been watching your brother at all?"

"Why would you say that? It's not like you or mom ever take the time to sit with Riley." Kennath spat.

Just as Kennath was about to walk away, his father slapped him in the back of the head.

"Go check on him." His father demanded, "And watch that damn tone of yours!"

Glaring at one another, his father quickly turned around and headed towards the kitchen. Kennath watched as his father walked away just before heading up the stairs.

Riley is probably already sleeping. Kennath thought, Maybe I should just go to bed.

Upon walking up the stairs, Kennath heard soft whispering. Causing him to stop in his tracks.

"What the hell was that?" He questioned.

Standing at the top of the staircase, Kennath looked around the foyer, before hearing the whispering again. Only this time, it was coming from Riley's bedroom. The door was slightly cracked open, but Kennath knew Riley would be in bed, the only difference was. Riley's night-light was not plugged in.

Kennath shrugged at the thought. I guess Riley doesn't need it anymore.

Just as Kennath was about to walk pass Riley's room, he heard a giggle. Causing Kennath to stop yet again.

In the Kitchen, both Kennath and Riley's parents sat at the table. Discussing about the dinner they had.

"So how did you like the restaurant, Catherine?" Her husband asked.

Before answering, Catherine took a sip of her tea. It was warm and relaxing but she had something else on her mind.

"It was great George." She responded with a small smile on her face.

"Well I'm just glad we had a night to ourselves for once." George joked, "It's times like these I wished it lasted forever."

"I couldn't agree more." Catherine commented, "I couldn't agree more..."

Meanwhile upstairs in the foyer, Kennath stood still. Listening to whatever he could hear coming from Riley's bedroom. He moved in closer to the bedroom door, when suddenly a light was shining out Riley's room. It kept moving in all directions from what Kennath could see in the slightly open door.

A flashlight? Kennath commented.

Kennath then heard a giggle once more. Then he heard whispering. Is Riley talking to himself? He thought. Instead of entering the room he listened closer. When a strange voice was heard.

"Let's play hide and seek." The voice said followed by a faint laughter.

The hairs on the back of Kennath's neck stood up. Every muscle tensed by the deep scruffy voice. He was frozen where he stood, eyes wide open in disbelief.

What the hell is going on, Riley isn't alone in his room? Who else is in there?

Kennath's heart was racing inside of his chest. He gulped, trying to take a breather. The flashlight that was flickering around in the room stopped at the door.

"I think we have a guest... Riley."

A/N: Yay! LJ (v^0^)^^(^-^v) ... (v-v v) Not really...