The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 9

"Family movie night!" Charlotte exclaimed as we finished dinner together the next night. I looked up from my mac n cheese with a pout. "You can finish your food first, Maya." She said with a laugh.

I grinned and kept eating. She had come to realize that I could put away just as much food as any of the boys if I was really trying. And for pasta covered in cheese? I was definitely trying.

"But tonight... we are bringing back family movie night!" She said over the noise everyone was making. The boys grumbled and Damon said, "I thought we killed that thing for good..." She did her scary look at him and he held his hands up, and made his face look almost innocent.

"Why do we have a movie watching room with massive couches if not to watch movies, sweet boy?" she asked, shaking her head at his foolishness.

"Mom!" he groaned at the nickname.

"What? You don't like nicknames?" I whispered to him, with a mocking pout.

"Only yours, kid." He whispered back.

"Now unfortunately," she went on. "I have work to do so I'll be busy tonight, but I expect you all to be in the movie room and watching something until at least 11PM!"

The boys groaned and I giggled. That was the craziest rule I had ever heard. Brooklyn looked at me and raised an eyebrow, but I shook my head. I've never had traditions like this before. I wondered if the guys would pass it down to their kids someday too.

"What movie are we watching?" I asked when my plate was clean.

"Well, since you're the newest member here, I say you decide!" Charlotte said. The way she said it allowed no room for argument.

I laughed maniacally as the boys all groaned once more.

"I don't really know movies all that well, but I'm down."

"Pick a James Bond film!" Damon said, leaning over.

"No! Pick Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind!" said Brooklyn.

"I vote Avengers." said Caleb, excitedly. Dominic threw a roll at his head and said "CALEB! NOT AGAIN."

I turned to Dominic last and he shrugged. "You pick." he simply said. 

After careful deliberation, I said, "How about Black Swan? That one looked cool and I think it's on Netflix right now." All the time I had spent in this house was reading books out of Charlotte's study and watching Netflix. I was positive it was.

"Are you sure that's not too violent?" Charlotte asked, concerned.

"She'll be fine, mom." Damon said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. And I'll cover Damon's eyes at the really scary scenes." I said, giving Brooklyn a subtle fist bump.

With their mom headed to her office to work and all of us done with dinner, it was time for the show. We went to the movie room and I ran straight for the biggest couch up front, in the very center. I grabbed a blanket and wrapped myself up, getting ready. Dominic laughed at that and came to sit at arm's distance on my right, with Brooklyn at my left. Damon chose the couch behind us, and Caleb just sprawled out on the floor.

After a couple clicks of the remote, the movie started, and I was engrossed. The whole film revolves around a ballerina who wanted to play a swan, but it was utterly terrifying. At about the halfway mark, it started getting really scary. The lights were off in the room we were watching in, and I could've sworn the walls got closer. In one scene, the ballerina began dancing to an eerie tune and then everything went silent.