The Loud family sat crammed into a booth at Burpin' Burger, the air thick with the aroma of fried food and the chatter of satisfied patrons. Lynn Jr., beaming with triumph after her softball team's latest victory, leaned back in her seat, a smug grin plastered across her face. She waved her gold medal in the air like a flag.
"Oh yeah! Another win for the Lynn-sanity machine!" she crowed, fist-pumping the air. The rest of the family cheered in unison, albeit with varying levels of enthusiasm.
Lincoln Loud, however, was less than thrilled. Dressed in an oversized, cartoonish squirrel suit, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His family believed the ridiculous outfit was their good luck charm, and Lincoln had long since given up arguing otherwise. But tonight, he felt especially self-conscious.
"Alright, Lynn, we all got you gifts to celebrate," Lori said, presenting a shiny new pair of cleats. One by one, the family handed over their tokens of congratulations: sweatbands from Leni, a protein shake from Luna, and even a custom-made trophy from Lisa.
When it was Lincoln's turn, he cleared his throat and handed Lynn a neatly wrapped envelope. "Here. It's, uh, something special."
Lynn tore it open and gasped. "Cruise tickets? No way! This is awesome!" She waved the tickets excitedly. "I'll invite all my teammates. We're going to have a blast!"
"Actually," Lincoln interjected, raising a finger, "those are for us…"
Before he could finish, the sound of shattering glass filled the room. Chaos erupted as a group of wild foxes burst through the restaurant's windows, growling and snapping. All eyes turned to Lincoln, whose squirrel suit seemed to be the unintended culprit of the attack.
"Oh, come on!" Lincoln cried, trying to wiggle out of the suit. But the zipper was stuck. "A little help here?"
Panic ensued as patrons scrambled to evacuate. The Loud family dashed toward the exit, Lynn leading the charge with her medals jangling.
"Lynn, wait!" Lincoln called, struggling to free himself. "I'm stuck! Help me!"
But Lynn didn't look back. Lincoln's heart sank as his sister bolted through the doors, abandoning him.
Desperate, Lincoln yanked at the suit, finally ripping it off and tossing it at the foxes. The animals pounced on it, distracted long enough for Lincoln to escape. Outside, he found his family huddled together, watching anxiously. When they saw him sans squirrel suit, their expressions shifted from relief to disappointment.
"Lincoln, what happened to the suit?" Lori demanded.
"You're supposed to be our lucky charm!" Luan added.
Lincoln snapped. "Are you serious right now? That suit is not lucky! It's a magnet for disaster! And another thing—" He turned to Lynn, his voice rising. "You left me behind! What kind of sister does that?"
Lynn crossed her arms, unbothered. "Relax, you made it out fine. No harm, no foul."
"No harm?" Lincoln's voice cracked with anger. "You're a terrible sister and a bad athlete who relies on dumb luck instead of skill!" He snatched the cruise tickets from her hand. "You don't deserve these, I hope you become an ugly homeless person in the street after you get rejected from the Olympic then get kidnapped by the mafia who will turn you into their personal sex slave so you will never have a break from having sex every single days, and then they get bored so they decided to sell you to a mad scientist who will do mess up experiments to your brain and then—".
"Lincoln, that's enough!" Rita's voice cut through the air like a knife. She stepped forward. "You've gone way too far," Rita said sternly. "Apologize. Now. Lynn was just afraid and didn't think straight".
Lincoln blinked, his anger suddenly deflated. He looked around at his family's horrified expressions and sighed. "I… I'm sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't have said that."
Lynn's face fell. "What? What the point of your speech, How I am a bad athlete?"
Lincoln took a deep breath, unleashing a tirade. "Don't you see, The reason why you're a bad athlete is that you're selfish, inconsiderate, and care more about winning than your own family! If you don't shape up, I'm done with you. I'm going to retake those tickets and go with my friends instead, I wish Ronnie Anne was my sister instead of you, She is nicer and prettier than you"
The words hung in the air like a storm cloud. Lynn's shock quickly turned into rage. Without a word, she punched Lincoln, knocking him out cold.
When Lincoln regained consciousness, he was in his bed at home. His head throbbed as he sat up, groaning. Lisa stood at his bedside, clipboard in hand.
"Ah, you're awake," she said. "You've been unconscious for approximately 24 hours."
"What happened?" Lincoln asked, rubbing his temples. "Was it all a bad dream?"
Lisa adjusted her glasses. "If you're referring to the fox attack, Lynn's abandonment, and your public meltdown, no, that was all very real."
Lincoln groaned again, flopping back onto his pillow. "Great."
"On the bright side," Lisa continued, "I successfully convinced the family that the squirrel suit was not a good luck charm. If it was, then the fox incident as evidence wouldn't happen."
"Well, at least I won't have to wear that stupid thing again," Lincoln muttered. "Wait, where's Lynn?"
"She's on the cruise with her friend," Lisa replied matter-of-factly. "She left this morning."
Lincoln's jaw dropped. "She what?"
Lisa shrugged. "After she knocked you out, She immediately ran away with the tickets and went to the cruise ship with Margo"
Lincoln clenched his fists. "This is the last straw. Lynn's been treating me like dirt for years, and I'm done taking it, I'm going to do something very terrible" Lincoln declared. "She's crossed the line too many times."
Lisa snorted. "Good luck with that. Your track record suggests otherwise, remember when you tried to take the sweet spot in the van? Remember when you try to stop Lori and Leni from fighting over a dress?, Remember when you try to watch the season finale of your favorite show, ARGGH?, Remember when you thought you can get away from secretly records our most embarrassing moments to win a video contest at school, and we wouldn't know that? Remember when you bought a pair of sound-canceling earbuds to drown out the sounds we make? Remember when you made a bet to see who can go the longest without displaying our most annoying traits and habits, but you ended up losing to a baby? Remember when you bought a kiddie pool for the backyard for yourself but not us? Remember when You tried to mold our baby sister Lily to be just like you? Remember when Clyde comes to have a sleepover with you, but things don't go as planned? Remember when you "borrows" Lynn's bike to impress a group of kid bikers? Remember when you rallied us to stop using so much electricity for your school project, but you decided to play video games with your friends? Remember when you decided to go on strike until one of us swaps chores with you? Remember when you found a letter in the attic that leads you to believe there's a lot of money hidden within the house, but you messed up, and we fought each other for the money? Remember when you hired a tutor who looks sexy and handsome instead of an average looking person that all of us instantly get crushes on, making it impossible for you to study?
Lincoln's face turned red. "Alright Lisa, I get it, but just watch me, this one will be very different."
"Alright, Don't go cry on me if your plan fails badly" Lisa rolled her eyes as she didn't believe her brother will success.
Lincoln went downstairs and stormed out of the house, his mind racing with a plan so audacious it bordered on madness. He knew he couldn't rely on his usual schemes—this time, he needed something drastic. Something final.
After acquiring a speedboat and a machine gun through means he'd rather not disclose, he set out to sea, the salty wind whipping through his hair as he scanned the horizon for the cruise ship.
Hours later, he spotted it—a massive vessel gliding across the water, its lights twinkling like stars. Lincoln pulled out his magnifying glass and focused on the deck. There she was: Lynn, laughing and chatting with her best friend, Margo. The sight of her carefree demeanor fueled his resolve.
Lincoln waited patiently, biding his time until Lynn wandered away from Margo, seeking a moment of solitude. This was his chance. With precision and stealth, he climbed aboard the cruise ship, his heart pounding in his chest.
When he finally confronted Lynn, her eyes widened in shock. "Lincoln? What are you doing here? How did you even—?"
Before she could finish, Lincoln pulled out the machine gun and opened fire. The sound of gunfire echoed across the deck as Lynn's chest was riddled with bullets. She staggered backward, her expression frozen in disbelief, before collapsing over the railing and plunging into the dark, churning ocean below.
Lincoln watched as her body disappeared into the abyss, a sense of grim satisfaction washing over him. "Finally," he whispered to himself. "It's done, No more bullshit luck."
Six days later, the Loud household was in turmoil. Lynn Jr. had been reported missing, and the family was consumed with worry. The police arrived at the Loud house, their expressions somber as they delivered the news to a distraught Lynn Sr. and Rita.
"We've called off the search," one officer said gently. "At this point, we have to consider the possibility that Lynn… may not be coming back. I'm so sorry."
The family was devastated. Over the next year, they struggled to come to terms with Lynn's disappearance, eventually accepting the heartbreaking conclusion that she had taken her own life. The pain was immense, but they found ways to move forward, leaning on each other for support.
Lincoln, however, was thriving. With Lynn gone, he felt a newfound sense of freedom and happiness. Life was better than ever, and he couldn't help but revel in his success. One day, as he sat in the living room, Lisa approached him, her expression unreadable.
"It's been a year," she said quietly. "I still can't believe Lynn's gone. The police said it was an accident, but… something doesn't add up."
Lincoln shrugged, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "That's what everyone was led to believe."
Lisa's eyes narrowed as she studied her brother. "What are you saying, Lincoln?"
His smirk widened. "I'm saying I did it, Lisa. I carried out my plan, and it worked. Lynn's gone, and no one suspects a thing."
Lisa's blood ran cold. She took a step back, her mind racing as the horrifying truth sank in. "You… you actually killed her?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Lincoln's expression hardened. "She had it coming. She treated me like dirt for years, and I finally put an end to it."
Lisa's shock quickly turned to anger. "You're a monster, Lincoln. I won't let you get away with this. I'll bring you to justice, no matter what it takes."
Lincoln laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Good luck with that, Lisa. You've got no proof, and no one would ever believe you."
But Lisa was undeterred. As she walked away, her mind was already working, piecing together a plan to expose her brother's dark secret. She vowed to uncover the truth, no matter how long it took.
Inside of Lincoln's room, a sense of creeping dread had begun to settle over him. The walls, once adorned with childish scribbles and poorly drawn superheroes, were now littered with crumpled papers and dark thoughts. On the floor in front of him, a series of drawings lay spread out—a sickening array of sketches showing his sister Lynn Jr. meeting her gruesome end in various ways. Each one more violent than the last, filled with rage and twisted satisfaction. These drawings had been Lincoln's way of processing his resentment, his bitterness. But now, they were dangerous. Each stroke of his pencil had unknowingly created a trail of evidence leading straight to him.
Next to the drawings were receipts—crumpled and faded from the time they had spent in his pockets—showing purchases of a speedboat and a machine gun. Items that had once seemed like tools to carry out a long-awaited revenge, but now felt like a direct line to his guilt. A chill ran down his spine as he realized just how close the walls of his world were closing in on him. His sister Lisa had already begun to suspect something. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the family, or worse, the police, found something, pieced together the dots, and exposed him for the monster he had become.
But as the dread settled, so did a dark, twisted idea. A way to avoid getting caught, a way to divert the suspicion away from him. His eyes shifted to a corner of his room, where the family photo albums lay, untouched for months. The idea that blossomed in his mind was as dangerous as it was brilliant.
He grabbed a pen, scribbled Lori's name in the corner of one of the drawings, and smiled. Lori, with her driver's license and legal ability to own a gun, was the perfect scapegoat. She had the means and the opportunity. Lincoln had already seen how quickly his family was willing to jump to conclusions, how eager they were to find someone to blame. Lori would be the perfect target for his sick plot. She'd had the most reason to want Lynn out of the picture, or at least that's what he would make everyone believe. No one would question it.
The drawings, the receipts—he'd leave them all in the trash, just where they would be found. Lincoln grinned to himself as he gathered the papers and shoved them into a trash bag. His heart raced with exhilaration as he knew he was about to pull off the perfect crime. There was no way they could trace it back to him now.
Later, when the police came searching the neighborhood for illegal drugs—cocaine hidden by local addicts—they found the discarded papers. It was a serendipitous turn of events that set the stage for what Lincoln had planned all along. The police didn't know exactly what they had stumbled upon at first. They didn't know about the family's internal conflict, the tension that had been building up for months, but what they did know was that these drawings were not the work of a healthy mind. The drawings, violent and horrifying, caught their attention.
And so, just like that, the evidence pointed to Lori.
Word spread quickly, and soon the rest of the Loud family was wrapped up in the shock and confusion of the discovery. The drawings were analyzed by a forensic psychologist, and all eyes turned to Lori. The pattern of behavior matched her—after all, she had the means to acquire a gun and a driver's license. It all seemed to line up. It wasn't hard for the family to start drawing connections. Lori had been known to argue with Lynn, especially after her constant victories.
When the police arrived at the Loud household, the mood shifted from disbelief to cold, hard certainty.
"Lori," the detective began, "we need to talk."
Lori's stomach sank. She'd had no idea what was going on, but the looks on her family's faces told her everything. They were all staring at her as if she were guilty. They had already made up their minds. The prosecutor pounced.
"Lori," he said, his voice dripping with confidence, "you've been a source of tension within the family. You've had repeated arguments with Lynn, and now, these disturbing drawings are found with your name written on them. Can you explain that?"
Lori's face twisted confused, trying to come up with a reasonable response. "I—I don't know anything about those. I didn't draw them!"
The prosecutor continued, weaving a narrative that painted Lori as the perfect villain. "You're an adult, old enough to own a gun, to get a license for a speedboat. You've been jealous of Lynn's success, and you've argued with her over the years. Who else would have the motive and the means to do something like this?"
The trial continued, and with every passing moment, the evidence seemed to stack against Lori. Her silence, her unease, only made things worse. The prosecutor's words were like daggers, each one driving the family further into believing Lori had done it. They pointed to her past, the tension that had always been simmering between her and Lynn.
Lisa, however, was not so easily swayed. She fought tooth and nail to defend her sister, to try and prevent the family from falling for the lies. "This isn't Lori," she pleaded with the jury. "There's no way she would do something like this. You can't just take these drawings and turn them into a confession! You need evidence! Proof!"
But the prosecutor had her cornered. "What do you call this, then? What do you call the fact that Lori is the only one who could have done this?"
The words were like nails in Lisa's coffin. The prosecutor had played his cards perfectly, manipulating the entire family into believing their own worst suspicions. The trial was a public spectacle, with the family's private pain laid bare for the world to see. The prosecutor's manipulation of the evidence seemed irrefutable. Lori was sentenced, nearly convicted of first-degree murder, and as the judge was about to declare her fate, a sudden noise broke the tension.
The courtroom doors slammed open, and all eyes turned to see a mysterious figure stepping through the threshold. The figure was unmistakable. It was Lynn Jr., very much alive.
Gasps echoed throughout the room as Lynn walked to the front of the courtroom. The family was frozen, their faces a mix of disbelief and joy. They had all thought she was gone, lost forever, and yet here she was, standing before them as if nothing had happened.
"Lynn?" Lori gasped, her voice trembling with relief. "But... how?"
Lynn's face was pale but resolute. "I'm alive, Lori. And I know who did this."
The courtroom fell silent, every eye turning to Lynn as she turned to Lincoln. Her expression was a mix of disbelief and fury.
"Lincoln," she spat, her voice shaking with anger. "You tried to kill me. You thought you could get away with it, but I survived. And now, I'm here to make sure you pay for what you did."
The weight of Lynn's words hit Lincoln like a freight train. His body went cold, the blood draining from his face. His perfect plan had unraveled in an instant, like a house of cards. He had been so careful, so meticulous in his scheme. But now, it was all crashing down around him.