The End of Summer

Chapter 24- 'Only death can stop a monster.'

A/N: Heads up, this chapter is less comedy and more serious. seriously, it's quite depressing even i got drained writing it.

Enjoy it though people, hopefully this gives you a little insight on Alex and Archie!

Thank you to sweetskull for the amazing banner! Honestly it's amazing i fancy it so much in a creepy way.

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What do you say? What could you say?

We were a group of people that laughed. We were a group of people that used laughter as a coping mechanism. If someone is upset about something, either they have had an argument with their parents or maybe someone had called them fat or something you tried to comfort them with a joke. Something to make them smile and take their mind off of things.

Right now though, we needed the world’s funniest joke because no amount of laughter could bring anyone up. No attempt at taking someone’s mind off of it would work because something like this isn’t just on your mind, its carved and burned into it.

We were all shocked. Gavin, Frankie and Jaden were staring ahead, still trying to wrap their minds around what they had heard. Kevin hadn’t blinked since he heard, his face making it obvious he was trying to wrap his mind around the situation. I was staring between the two brothers, also trying to wrap my mind around the fact that someone that was so close to all of us could so something so evil.

Archie was still staring at Alex, almost as if waiting for him to take back everything he had just said. I could see in his eyes that everything was clicking into place. All the years of wondering why Alex behaved like he did. Why he was so withdrawn and damaged. He must be looking back at every single interaction he had ever had with his brother and wondering just how this affected it.

I couldn’t help but do the same. I thought back to when we were little and used to stay at Roger’s house when our parents were at work. I thought back to Archie and I playing in the garden with Roger’s son Bradley whilst Alex was always inside not wanting to join in.

My stomach flipped as it suddenly dawned on me that Alex probably did want to join in. He didn’t because he was being forced into doing other things. I glanced at Archie, the horror on his face made me realise he was probably on the same line of thought as I was.

The idea that something that brutal and disgusting was happening in the house while we innocently played with worms and mud outside was enough to cause the wall I was trying to put up to crumble and the tears to flow out.

I thought of Bradley. I thought of him playing with us and laughing at me as he and Archie made me drink worms and vinegar. Did the same happen to him?

Did he go through the same thing that Alex did?

He was never like Alex. He was more like Archie, outgoing and happy. Judging from the years I have known and spent with Alex, you do no walk away from something like that unscathed.

Alex breathed a laugh “You wondered for years why I didn’t tell you.” He gestured his head towards his little brother and his stunned expression “There’s the answer.”

Archie snapped out of his trance as his brother spoke to him. He tried to compose himself by running a hand over his face and swallowing hard.

“You don’t really get a lot of practice on how to get your head around something like that.” Archie replied.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you.” Alex told him.

I didn’t miss the faint tremor in Archie’s bottom lip at his brother’s words.