Unforgotten

6

"WHERE WERE you?"

It was the cold voice that made me shiver. Like ice it stabbed my ears and my brain. It stung. But mostly it made me cringe.

Had I really forgotten about the others?

Slowly I dared to turn around and take a look at the room. They were all there, even Edwin. That pathetic creature was there casually drinking a beer – his lips twitched a little upwards. It was like nothing had happened; like he hadn't left me alone in the darkness of the town. He looked more proud than repentant.

My oldest brother was sitting on the armchair in the furthest corner from the others – his eyes were on the computer on his lap but still he somehow knew that it was me who had just walked in. He didn't look angry; he looked bored. His face was blank, and his eyes didn't show a single emotion. But still I was scared. The brother had too much power hidden inside his body. With just a blink of an eye, he could use that power.

Charles and Bryson were playing chess; or had been playing chess before I interrupted their game by showing up. They had their eyes glued onto me and even a hint of worry flashed through their eyes as they saw my red eyes.

Anthony knew. He didn't dare to look towards me, but by the look he was giving to his younger brother he showed me that he knew. And so did Jordan. He gave a tiny peek towards me but almost instantly looked away. They both knew that it was Edwin, but either of them said anything.

Aiden looked at me, and his eyebrows rose up-
"You've been crying?"

That made our oldest brother finally rase his eyes towards me. He placed the laptop down and slowly stood up. With silence filling the room he walked towards me and when he was so close that I could hear his steady breathing, he grabbed my chin. As a reflex, I snatched his hand, but he didn't even flinch an eye.
"Are you hurt?" He questioned lowly.

I shook my head-
"No."

"Then tell me child..." He took a quick pause to analyze my face. "Why did you cry?"

I stayed silent as I slowly moved my eyes towards Edwin.

I wasn't a snitch – was I? A stupid child: the youngest family member who would tell on everyone.

Seeing his face, the awful proud look covering his face, made me want to punch him. I wanted to scream, I wanted to make him feel the way I had felt when walking alone in the dark sides of the town. Fear. But I couldn't. Somehow, I couldn't tell my oldest brother what had really happened. I only saw my brother on that stranger's face; the young kid, the one who had loved me, the one who had always read me a bedtime story. I couldn't do that to him; not even when the cover of that person was a stranger who hated me.

"Because I got lost."

Weston furrowed his eyebrows-
"You got lost?"

"Yes." I nodded before repeating. "I got lost."

He was silent for a moment before he questioned-
"How?"

"I was bored and left the house." I lied confidently, my eyes still on my youngest older brother. "And then I got lost."

"And now you are lying." Edwin added with a roll of his eyes, for the first time giving a proper look towards my face. "What are you trying to prove now, huh?"