They were the same people that stood beside Reedy in the school yard; the same ones that chose to pick on a small kid who’d lost his mum. They were the ones that whispered to each other as I passed them in the halls. They were the ones that snickered when I asked to join in their games.
As I walked along the roads, watching the houses pass me on either side, I thought about how much I wanted to introduce them to my big brother. As if feeling himself called, I suddenly felt Loui come forward, just enough to let me feel his presence. He hovered there for a moment, peering out at the darkened homes.
“We’ll come back for ‘em,” he whispered, then retreated back into the darkness of my mind.
I smiled as I continued walking, knowing that Loui always kept his promises. There was a beast living inside me, one that needed fulfillment. He had his sights set on revenge and the homes that filled this town would soon come to realise that Loui was not someone they wanted to fuck with. They might be safe for the time being, but this beast was sure to return in time. A time when hell’s gates would open and his wrath would make them pay.
Chapter 5
1.
The farm turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I had never really left the confines of Cider Hill in my own living memory, so the scenery was one thing that immediately grabbed me. There were rolling hills in all directions.
The main house was sitting below one of the dozen or so peaks that dotted the immediate area and there was a cattle yard about a hundred yards to one side. My own little cottage was on the opposite side of one of those peaks and as Uncle Mick had promised, was quite isolated from the rest of the property.
Auntie Jean wasn’t feeling up to coming out to greet me, but Uncle Mick was waiting on the porch when I arrived. The train had dropped me at the local station and he’d sent one of his workers to come fetch me in a horse and cart. The ride back to the farm took around an hour and by the time we rolled through the entrance gates, I felt both hungry and thirsty.
“Harry, welcome. Sorry I couldn’t come get you myself. Jean’s been quite unwell these past few days.” He stepped down and grabbed one of my bags from the cart. After thanking George, the worker, he ushered me into his home, a house that had been in the family for almost 70 years.
I followed Uncle Mick inside, the home not much bigger than the one left to me back in Cider Hill. Although it was painted in a fresh white coat, its age was apparent, some of the timber looking old and worn beneath. The floor that led down the hallway was chipped, the faded boards begging replacement.
I heard a voice cry out from somewhere out the back and Uncle Mick excused himself, dropping my bag and hurrying towards his wife’s calls. I watched as he hurried for her, turning into the front sitting room where a fire crackled.
It was quite small, a lonely rocking chair sitting in front of the fireplace. There was a sideboard against one wall and several pieces of fine china adorned the top shelf. There were also a few books but I’d never been much of a reader. I left my bags by the door and went to warm myself by the crackling fire.
2.
Now before you think that this is where I start sharing wonderful memories from better days, guess again, James. Yes, it may have been a moment in my life where I finally had a chance to meet and spend time with family I hardly knew. To build a different life to the one I was headed towards back in Cider Hill.
At the time, I truly thought this place was going to be anything but building happy memories. What I had planned all along was to better myself. To learn how to kill people without getting caught. I had a list of things I needed to develop and this isolated hut in the middle of nowhere was going to be my practice ground.
So, while it may come across that I was happily welcoming my distant family back into my life, those naïve fuckers had no idea what was about to happen to them. Because they had not only invited me into their home, but Loui as well, and Loui had an appetite that needed feeding.
3.
From what I could gather, my Uncle Mick had been the main beneficiary from the death of his father, the man who’d passed down the farm. Uncle Mick’s wife, Jean, would inherit everything if he died. And with Jean sick in bed suffering from some type of feverish disease, her passing meant everything would pass to me.
They did have two sons, Thomas and Edward, but both had been keen to show their courage half a world away, heading off to war to fight for king and country. Both had managed to join the army, eventually dropping into the trenches in France where they were cut down by the same machine gun.
While that fact may have saddened some, it only served to ease my own actions, Jean and Mick having no other heirs. I was thrilled to know that there was no-one standing between me and an inheritance except these two.
4.
But while all of my murderous intentions began to play out in my mind, it turned out that I didn’t need to do a single thing. It would seem fate wanted to play a helping hand, coming around
