l、
（ﾟ､ ｡ ７
l、 ヽ
じしf,)ノ Meow

Chapter 4

We walked the streets. Some more crowded than others, but still there wasn't many people to begin with. It was a small town after all. It seemed to be growing slowly, but definitely growing. My brother was trying to sound carefree and keep a conversation going that didn't involve the creature from the woods. He was trying and too hard at that. Maybe if he wasn't trying so hard I would have bought it. Maybe. I looked to him. He still had that smile and honestly it was pissing me off. I knew everything wasn't alright and him just trying to block that out wasn't going to help a d_mn thing. Sure he was trying to make me feel better, but I had a feeling that this was more for himself than it was me. He was trying to cope with this. Just accept the fact that I was a lost cause.

He was trying to make up for the fact that he couldn't do anything to help me. He wanted to hope that this would be enough. But it wasn't enough to keep the sense of dread from creeping up on me. It wasn't enough to prevent me from getting upset. Him just acting that way made it all worse. It just emphasized the fact that I was going to just… vanish. Just like Josh. I looked over my shoulder again. Cliff quickly made us turn the next corner available and tried to drag my attention away from whatever had made me look back like all the other times. We had been walking for awhile now. Just wandering past all the shops after he bought us some ice cream that I wasn't in the mood for. I could tell he wasn't either, but he was forcing himself to eat it like he was the attitude. The facade that he was currently using.

I walked with him just wanting to know where he was dragging us off to next and when this… walk would be over. When we could just go back to Gran and Gramps. I just wanted to finally get started on that book I'd gotten for my birthday. Finally call Brandon this summer like I promised. Spend some time with the three family members I did have at the moment. He dragged me into some electronics store. I walked behind him not really paying attention to where we were going.

He seemed to be looking for something, but why should I care? It's not like he'd tell me anyway. He'd just insist that he could find it on his own and I'd just figure it out once he found it. He stopped and I almost ran into his back. He turned with a triumphant smile. He held a little game for the ds. He showed me the case.

"You've been wanting this game for awhile now, right?"

"Cliff, I don't-"

"I can get it for you."

"Cliff, you don't have to. I don't need it."

"It's no trouble at all. I can easily make this up."

"Don't. Just don't."

"But I totally missed your birthday this year so this will make up for it."

"Even I wasn't home for my birthday."

He frowned. "Just let me do this for you. It's not like it's going to hurt anything."

I sighed. Arguing wasn't going to get me anywhere, was it? I made no move to argue and he bought the game. I looked out the large glass window as I waited. The glass wall had a rather annoying glare on the left side which I found hard not to focus on. No one walked the now seemingly deserted street. I scanned the street from my limited view. Nothing. Odd...

"Can we just stay in here a bit longer?" I asked when he led me to the door.

He stopped. "... What… is it?"

"Something isn't right. Can't you see it?"

He looked out beyond the glass. A minute passed by and then two.

"... There's nothing." He finally said. "No one. Not a sound."

I nodded. We stood there for I don't know how long. The guy at the counter asked us whether we were going to leave or not. Since we couldn't just stand here forever we hesitantly exited. We walked quickly down the street. He kept his gaze straight ahead. I looked back more than a couple of times. Each time he told me to keep looking ahead and to quit looking back.

"But what if-"

"No. Don't look back again." He ordered.

"... Yes brother." I gave in and resisted the urge to turn around.

We swiftly got off the street, which was eerily empty and quiet, and onto the much more populated one. Maybe it was just paranoia.

"Don't look." He reminded me as we headed in the general direction of where we had left the car.

I followed silently. Once back to the car we headed back to our current home. I quickly fled to the stairs and back up to the room that we were currently sharing. I sat on the bed silently for a moment. I opened one of the drawers in search of the book that I had gotten not too long ago. The book sat with the old camera. I hesitated for a moment before picking it up and turning it over a few times. Still the same busted up old camera that we had used for so many years. Maybe... I heard steps on the stairs and quickly placed it back in the drawer and pulled the book out instead. Shutting it I leaned back and opened the book. The door opened.

"Hey. You ok?" Cliff asked.

"Wait…" I told him as I pretended to finish a paragraph. "As fine as I'll ever be."

"Well yeah… I guess. So… do you want to play a game with us downstairs?"

"... Sure." I set the book I hadn't even started aside and walked with him downstairs.

The whole night was basically board games and junk food. Not that I was complaining or anything. Spending time with the family I had seemed like a good idea anyway. I was on my early bucket list anyway. Then I guess I'd have to call Brandon. I did promise him I would. So after the board games I gave him a call only to find that no one was home. Well he can't say I didn't try. I did call him like promised. He just never picked up. Though it would have been nice to hear his voice.

With nothing else to do I headed upstairs and back to our room. Cliff lay on his bed staring at the ceiling seeming to be in deep thought. So I decided against disturbing him. Laying back on my own bed I actually started the book this time. Though my mind was elsewhere and I didn't get much of the story. I was waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for everyone to go to bed. Just waiting. Checking the clock after a while I decided now was a good time as any to kill the light on my side of the room. Putting the book back in the drawer I killed the light and settled under the blankets. I heard Cliff shift positions a little. He turned out the light on his side and then silence enveloped the room. Only the subtle creaks of the old house broke the silence every once in a while.

Just as I was about to make the assumption that he was finally asleep he moved. He exited his bed and he paused at the creaking of the floorboards. Just what was he doing? I listened closely as he hesitantly started moving again. His steps grew closer to me. Was he planning on waking me up or something? He stopped. The door to the closet opened. Silence for a few seconds and then he pulled out a few pieces of clothing from their hangers. A few more seconds of silence before the sounds of him changing clothes he walked back to his bed and I assumed he pulled out the new camera that we had bought not long ago.

He slowly opened the door. It squeaked and he stopped. Silence. He exited and closed the door. I waited for his footsteps on the stairs to vanish before I got up. Quickly getting dressed in a simple hoodie over the white shirt I had been wearing that night and an old pair of jeans before I grabbed the old camera from the drawer. I approached the door and exited slowly. I moved slowly down the hall and even slower down the stairs. I went into the kitchen and looked through the drawers for a flashlight since the old camera didn't come with any nightvision. Once I found it I moved through the livingroom and to the front door. I pulled on my shoes and exited the now unlocked door. I stopped and looked out at the woods. I drew in a shaky breath as I scanned the area for any movement.

Upon seeing nothing of real interest I hesitantly moved forward. I moved forward and into the woods. I flicked on the flashlight. I wasn't exactly sure where I planned to go but I kept going. Maybe I had planned to find my brother now. Maybe I had planned to find the creature. Maybe I planned to figure out what had happened to Josh. Who knows because I sure didn't anymore. I walked through the wooded area that I knew so well but… it was so different now. It was like during the day it was our playground but at night it was a foreign place. A place that I wasn't welcome. I stopped. I spun around and quickly hit the record button… Nothing. I sighed. I was just jumpy and afraid. There was nothing there. Nothing. I scanned the area. Still nothing. I took a moment before walking the path and switching off the record. Maybe I was just wasting the battery. Maybe… Maybe I should keep the record on? Na. I switched the old camera off.

What was I doing? I was walking around in the woods at night. Searching for my older brother in the dark. Alone. Who knew what lurked in woods at night? I was being stupid and I knew it. Oh well. I came this far. I kept going on whatever stupid idea I had in my head. Everything that was supposedly living in these woods were silent and that had been evident after I had entered the woods but I felt that turning around would bring me face to face with a monster. I know I know way too many horror movies. I listened closely to the deafening silence and I yearned for a sound. Any sound besides the crunching of the branches and leaves under my feet. I wasn't sure how long I had been walking but I found the old building that my brother and I had found once before. I stood there for a moment before entering and walking through it. Nothing had changed in the area. A little disappointed I exited out the back and continued on.

All this walking and in the dark woods was just adding to my fear. But with nothing else to do I pushed on. I stopped hearing something just beyond the next group of trees. I take it back. I'd rather it be silent. I took a moment to swallow my fear before moving on. I turned out the flashlight and got the camera ready. I practically grimaced and flinched at every little sound I made. Afraid that every sound I made would alert whoever or whatever was ahead to my presence. As I stepped into the area that I thought the sounds were coming from I saw nothing and I was once again a little disappointed. I lowered the camera with a frown. I gasped as I was tackled to the ground. I watched as the camera clattered away. The flashlight I clung to like it was a lifeline. Switching it on I pointed it at my attackers face.