What If… Charlie Graham Lost Her Brother Instead of Her Head?
a Hereditary fanfic inspired by What If…?
by DecaTilde
Charlie Graham was only thirteen years old when she lost her maternal grandmother, Ellen Leigh. Secretly the leader of a cult, Ellen worshiped King Paimon, one of the eight Kings of Hell. In need of a male host, Paimon instead chose Charlie as his vessel after her posthumous uncle took his own life at the age of sixteen. However, a few days later, after coming home from a party, Charlie got decapitated by a pole with a Satanic symbol carved on it. Eventually, after many nights of fright to her older brother Peter, Paimon's spirit exited Charlie, and resided inside Peter as his new host.
…
However, in this universe, Charlie lost something else…
Chapter 1 - The Accident and…
"You're okay, Charlie!" Peter assured his anaphylactic-shocked younger sister in worry. "We're going to the hospital!"
He was driving his mother's car at 70 miles per hour in desperation. He forgot to bring an epipen with him.
Charlie had an allergic reaction to nuts, and she swelled up after eating a chocolate cake with nuts in it. Desperate for air, she frantically rolled the back passenger window down and forced her head through the window, gasping for breath. Her throat swollen shut, she couldn't even scream.
Peter continued accelerating the car at 80, then at 85, until he saw a deer carcass smeared across the road. Peter swerved left, avoiding a pole. This resulted in Charlie getting pushed back into the car.
However, the car swerved upside down, crashing into a forest.
After about half a minute, Charlie exited the car, suddenly feeling better. Peter, however, did not. He lay facedown on the steering wheel, lifeless.
Instead of her head, Charlie Graham lost her brother. She survived, however, and suddenly recovered from her anaphylactic shock. To her, it was nothing short of a miracle. Or, so she thought.
The next morning, inside the Graham house, Annie, Charlie's mother, was about to run an errand.
"I'm running out for some balsa wood," she addressed her husband Steve. "You want anything?"
"I'm good, baby," Steve replied. "Drive safe."
"Okay! Back in twenty!"
As Annie opened the front door, she was surprised to see Charlie walking to the doorstep.
"Charlie!" she shouted in surprise. "Oh, my god, baby, what are you doing outside in the cold?" She then noticed her car missing, and sighed. "Peter hasn't returned from the party yet, has he?"
Charlie didn't respond to her mother.
"Charlie? Is something wrong?"
Again, no response.
Annie called her son's cell many times, but received no answer. Just his "please leave a message" recording. Annie facepalmed and almost gave up.
"Don't do this to me, Peter," she seethed. She then turned to Steve. "Maybe you better take Charlie to school since Peter hasn't returned with my car."
"Okay, honey," Steve replied. He turned to his daughter. "Come on, Charlie, time for school."
Again and again during the rest of the day, Annie tried to call Peter's cell, but still received his "please leave a message" recording. Finally, she gave up and filed a missing persons report on her son.
After about a few hours, she received a call from the local morgue. She looked a bit distraught after hearing who it was, and was about to drop the phone.
"Based on dental records," the diener addressed Annie, "we believe this to be the body of Peter Graham."
It was nighttime at the morgue. Annie was led to a zipped body bag.
"Please, we just need confirmation."
The diener zipped open the bag enough to reveal Peter's face.
Annie gasped in shock and sadness, and she started crying as soon as she saw her son in the bag.
"Peter," she said, voice breaking. "Why?" She wept. "Why him?" A tear fell from her eye and on the left cheek of her son's frozen face. She let out a shrill and almost inhuman-sounding scream of anguish. "Peter! PETER!"
"I'm so sorry for your loss, ma'am," the diener apologized.