Hush (#WattysShorts)

6.

GAVIN squinted his eyes at his sister, "You had a nightmare?"

"Mmm-hmm," Chloe nodded her head.

"About the movie? The lady... in the movie... was a floating head?" Gavin chuckled.

The two sat on the living room couch as PJ in his room playing Mario Kart on the DS.

Chloe nodded her head slowly.

"And now you're scared," Gavin held back a smile, not taking Chloe seriously.

Chloe narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I get why PJ is scared, but you?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"Gavin! Stop, I'm serious!" Chloe shoved him, gritting her teeth.

Gavin furrowed his brows, pretending to be serious, "You know what, you're right! The lady might possess you in your sleep! You have to be VERY careful," Gavin exaggerated his words.

"She could kill you at any seco-" Gavin suddenly pounced on Chloe, "Raaaar!"

Gavin hysterically laughed as Chloe clenched her fist tightly.

"What? Come on, Chloe, I'm just teasing you!"

Chloe slowly stood up, her eyes a deep purple. Gavin could sense that something was off with his sister.

"Chloe?" Gavin let out a light chuckle, fear entangled in his words, "Chloe what are you doing? I was just kidding."

At that moment Chloe snatched Gavin's shirt by the collar and sent him crashing down to the ground.

Chloe's nails sharpened to a point to look as if they were daggers. Chloe locked her purple eyes on her brother as he began to scurry away from her.

Her hair flew up in flames accentuating her odd eyes, causing Gavin's eyes to widen as he sat on the living room floor, petrified.

At that moment, she jumped on top of Gavin and began slashing at his face with her nails, scratching left and right.

"Chloe, STOP!" Gavin cried out, begging Chloe, but she continued slashing and clawing at his face.

The more Gavin screamed the more Chloe's eyes became filled with the deep purple color like a pool of blood spreading in water.

"Gavin?" PJ shouted from his bedroom.

PJ's call was ignored. Chloe reached into Gavin's ear with her nail, making Gavin scream in agony.

"Chloe?" PJ stood in the living room, now out of his bedroom.

Hearing PJ's voice, Chloe blinked and her eyes were no longer purple. She removed her nail from Gavin's ear, accidentally cutting a part of his earlobe.

Gavin breathed heavily as he held his bleeding ear. He peered up at Chloe, "You're a monster!"

Chloe's eyes grew gentle, "Gavin I'm sorry, I-"

"GET OUT!" Gavin shouted, wincing from the pain in his right ear.

PJ and Chloe exchanged looks. PJ had no idea who he was looking back at, his sister, or a monster.

Chloe didn't know either.

***