Saturday, June 11, 2011

If Josephine was allowed to go unchecked, Brian would be locked up for good and separated from Alex, as she believed that it was Brian who ratted her out and that her darling Alexandra wouldn't betray her. Thanks to Mike keeping a closer eye on her, she couldn't torture Brian nearly as much as she could. Brian wasn't happy that school was over though; at least there, he was safe from his tyrannical aunt. Speaking of which, both Josephine and Mike were arguing about where to take Brian and Alex. Mike wanted the two to go to River City Middle School, since they both went to River City Elementary School for the 4th and 5th grade, while Josephine wanted to separate the two by sending Alex to a private boarding school.

"Hey B," said Alex, as she carried two bottles of root beer.

"Oh, hey Alex," Brian replied, "you got us some root beer?"

"Yeah, we'll probably need it… this might be our last summer together…" She sighed and gave Brian one of the bottles.

"I really wish your mother wasn't like this."

"Stepmother."

"Huh? Oh. My bad."

"No, it's fine. You didn't know." The two saw the mailman approach their house, place some letters into their mailbox and leave, but not before Brian saw something… he could've sworn it was an owl, but…

"I got it." He went downstairs, then outside. There, he collected the mail. "Let's see here…" There were three letters: a bill, what appeared to be a postcard, and— a letter for Brian? "What the…?"

His eyes were transfixed on the letter. Who would use letters in this day and age? And yet here it was, clear as day. A letter address to him:

Mr. B. Bank
The Second Upstairs Bedroom
1977 Nall Circle
River City
Texas

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in cranberry colored ink. There didn't appear to be a stamp.

Turning the envelope over, Brian could see an unusual wax seal: it was a red seal that appeared to look similar to a four leaf clover. Four beings appeared inside the clover: a bird, a snake with horns, what appeared to be a Native American warrior, and an unusual cat of some kind. Surrounding the clover were the words "Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry", something Brian didn't understand.

"'Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?' What the heck is that?" Brian asked himself as he re-entered the house.

"Hurry up, boy!" Aunt Josephine shouted at Brian. "What're you doing, anyway?" Brian stepped back in and gave the letters to Uncle Mike and Aunt Josephine, save for the letter addressed to him.

"Would you look at that?" Josephine said, looking at the postcard, "Patty's sick."

"Patricia?" Mike asked. "Well, I gotta talk to Amy about the bills. Also, there's a good chance you'll lose your teaching license for your mistreatment of Brian."

"Who ratted me out?!"

"Honestly, you had it coming."

"Bite me!" Brian tried his best to ignore them, but Josephine caught the corner of the envelope in her eyes. "Where did you get that?!" She snatched the envelope out of his hand!

"Hey!" Brian shouted, as Josephine stole the letter addressed to him. "Give that back! It's mine!"

"Josephine, give Brian his letter back!" Alex shouted as well.

"OUT! ALL OF YOU!" She barked, scaring Brian and Alex. The two ran away while Mike confronted Josephine.

"What the-?! That's Brian's letter!" Mike exclaimed

"When I took him in, we promised to stamp out ALL of this nonsense!"

"Correction: you demanded I stamp out all of the 'nonsense' and threatened to divorce me AND accuse me of a crime if I didn't comply with your demands!"

"You know what I think about this letter?!"

"What?"

"THIS!" She began ripping up the letter addressed to Brian RIGHT in front of Michael before she left the room.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON BRIAN!" He tried to stop Josephine, but she slapped him before dragging Brian to the cupboard again!

"Let's see your mom unlock THIS!" She said, as she placed Brian in the cupboard and locked it with a combination padlock!

"Let me out!" Brian shouted. "And where's my letter?!"

"SILENCE!" Josephine screamed at Brian. "I ripped it up and burned it. It wasn't yours anyway!"

"That letter was-"

"BE QUIET, OR I'LL KEEP YOU IN THERE FOREVER, YOU HEAR ME?!" All Brian could do was whimper, unaware that Alex had recorded everything from above stairs. But Josephine might have.

"Sweetie," she said, in a sickly sweet voice, "give me the phone."

But Alex refused. Instead, she ran to her room as fast as she could!

"GIVE ME THAT PHONE!"

"No!" Alex barked back!

"YOUNG WOMAN, I AM YOUR MOTHER! YOU WILL DO WHAT I TELL YOU, WHEN I TELL YOU!" Josephine ran after her stepdaughter, but Alex managed to lock the door behind her.

"TRY TO ENTER, AND I'LL CALL THE COPS ON YOU!" She warned Josephine.

Josephine laughed. "Go ahead and try! It'll be your daddy's word against mine! He'll be arrested and I'll have you all to myself!"

"He won't if I have evidence against you!"

"What evidence?!"

"The phone, stupid! I recorded everything you did to Brian!"

"GIVE ME THAT DAMN PHONE, NOW!" She started banging on the door!

"NO!" Alex was smart enough to lock the door to protect her cousin and herself from her insane stepmother.

"IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT THIS INSTANT, I AM GETTING THE BELT!" This made Alex gasp in fear. "You don't want the belt, do you? If not, then you'll open this door so I can delete the videos." Alex recorded this threat. "Once I'm done with that, I'll make sure you and your FREAK OF A COUSIN NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN!"

"…" Alex just stood there… she was terrified… but she wanted to protect her cousin. "If you want my phone so badly… YOU'LL HAVE TO PRY IT FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS." She declared, in defiance of her stepmother.

"Oh, I'll find a way to get your phone, young lady. And then, I'll break it once I get rid of the evidence. I promise you. After all, those who follow the work of Satan deserve to be punished." Little did she know that Alex had sent the videos to her dad, who was ready to go to the police.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

"Sunday," said Josephine. "No… damn… letters… on Sunday." She said, looking sick, but happy.

"You've gone insane!" Amelia shouted at Josephine. "Ripping apart my son's letter?! Have you lost your damn mind?!"

"Believe me sis," said Mike, "I've been wondering that for a long time."

Brian was just sitting in his cupboard, more annoyed than scared… and so, he decided to devise a plan to get his letters. Luckily, his mom had unlocked every single lock Josephine put on the door… but how? She didn't have the key, nor did she know the combination.

"Next time I put him there," Josephine said, "I'll nail it shut. Make sure Brian NEVER escapes!"

"You're insane!" Mike barked at Josephine. "I've had enough; I want a divorce."

Josephine laughed at this. "I'll see to it that you'll NEVER see Alex again!"

"I think any judge would side with me after I show them the evidence."

"What evidence?!" Josephine's smug face turned white as soon as she saw the videos. "WHERE DID YOU GET THESE?!"

"Alex sent them to me. Be glad I'm not calling the cops!"

"NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT!" She grabbed Mike's phone and prepared a meat hammer!

"Put that away, Josephine!"

"BACK OFF! I'LL SMASH IT! WE ARE LEAVING THIS HOUSE, NO MATTER WHAT!"

"J-Josephine's gone insane, hasn't she?" Alex whimpered to her father.

If this didn't upset Josephine enough, the letters started to fly in the house through the chimney!

Try as Josephine might, the letters kept on flying in.

"HERE'S WHAT I THINK OF YOUR STUPID LETTERS!" She said as she lit a candle and started burning one, all while laughing maniacally. "Burn. Burn! BURN!" Little did she know that Brian had escaped the cupboard. It was easy, considering she was too focused on destroying the letters to worry about him. Brian went upstairs with Alex to talk privately.

"This is insane!" Alex exclaimed. "I can't believe Josephine is going this far to stop you from reading your letter."

"Whatever her plan was," Brian explained as he revealed a letter hidden in his pocket, "she clearly failed. I managed to smuggle this in the cupboard before Mom let me out again." The two heard a thud coming from the kitchen.

"What was that?" Alex and Brian were going to investigate, but they looked out the window and saw someone knocking on the door.

"No way! Th-that man was in my dream."

"Wha?"

"He was wearing an all black outfit with a red tie and what appeared to be either a robe or a trenchcoat." He saw the man approach the door… and knock.