Sweet Winds

It really ain't. You shield your eyes with one hand and lift your gaze. You look towards... - [[Your brother, Tomi.]] - [[Your sister, Lola.]]

Sunspots cloud your vision as you squint at the sillhouette of your little brother Tomi, as he stands in the rapidly shrinking shady area next to the house. A strong breeze rushes by, sending your braids flying into your face. You rise from the lounge chair, tying them into a loose ponytail with a rubber band from your wrist. "Can't we go back inside?" you whine, stretching your arms behind your back and stifling a yawn. The hot Texan sun reflects in the water of the swimming pool as the wind sends a few leaves spinning in tiny tornadoes above the rippling water. You both turn to face the grassy knoll sloping down from the far side of the pool. Your sister Lola is running up and down the hill, giggling and wielding a bubble blower in her chubby fist like a sword. She comes to a halt, squeals at you, then carries on running. "Don’t be stupid, Mura. If we interrupt her bubble-blowin’, she'll throw a fit and Granny will kill us," Tomi says, arms folded across his skinny chest. You can't help but smirk at that. - [["She would never."]] - [["Not if I kill her first."]]

Sunspots cloud your vision as you squint at the sillhouette of your little sister Lola. She runs up and down the grassy knoll that slopes away from the pool, giggling and wielding a bubble blower in her chubby fist like a sword. She comes to a halt, squeals at you, then carries on running as fast as her little toddler legs can carry her. "Lola, honey..." you whine, stretching your arms behind your back and stifling a yawn. "Do you wanna come inside? Let's go inside." She shakes her head defiantly, and dodges as you try to reach for her. Behind you, your brother Tomi laughs. "Give it up, Mura. She's not stoppin' anytime soon. If we interrupt her bubble-blowin’, she'll throw a fit and Granny will kill us," Tomi says, arms folded across his skinny chest. You can't help but smirk at that. - [["She would never."]] - [["Not if I kill her first."]]

You kick off your sandals and start down the steps into the pool fully clothed. You stop when the cool water is just a half-inch shy of the hem of your linen shorts, watching as the waves lap against your thighs. The water distorts your legs, transforming them into stocky, bloated, brown masses. You turn back around to face your brother. He glances over his shoulder, chewing anxiously on his bottom lip. "You shouldn't joke about that killing crap," Tomi whispers. He shudders before continuing. "With all the disappearances and stuff. People are for real gettin’ murdered around here." - [["We don't know for sure that they got murdered."]] - [["Nobody would take Granny."]]

Jumping to conclusions won't help anybody. "It's not like they found any bodies," you try to reassure him. "Those kids coulda just ran away, for all we know. I wouldn't blame 'em, that's for sure." He doesn't look convinced. - [[Try to be reassuring.]] - [[Change the subject.]]

He's overreacting. "A bunch of rich kids whose parents can afford to pay a ransom went missing, Tomi. Nobody's lookin' to kidnap a cranky old lady." He doesn't look convinced. - [[Try to be reassuring.]] - [[Change the subject.]]

You take a deep breath before ducking below the surface, submerging your entire self. You force your eyes open, watching as bubbles of air escaping from your nose. They weave in and out of the halo of escaped braids that surround your head like the snakes of Medusa. You swim towards the pool floor, kicking your legs up wildly in an attempt to splash your brother. You tap the knuckles of your right hand on the bottom, blinking as the muted sound of knocking on tile echoes through the water. Your body twists and your knees bend, launching you through the top and creating a geyser. Tomi stares down at you, dripping with poolwater and irritation. "You just had to splash me, huh?" "Sure did." You tread water, awaiting his comeback. But he just stands there, hands on his hips, one eyebrow raised. You’ve always thought he was an old man trapped in a 13-year-old’s body. "...And I'll do it again!" you exclaim, forcing a wave of water at him, then swim to the other side of the pool before he can retaliate. He grimaces, his mouth transforming from a defined //O// to a squished-up //W//. "I'll get you, Mura, you rat!" he yells. He takes a few steps back, and your eyes widen as you realize what he’s about to do. "Tomi, no!" But it’s too late. He takes off into a run, then jumps, knees tucked into his chest- - [[SPLASH!]] - [[DODGE!]]

"We can't go back in the house dripping water. Granny will- " "Who cares? Our clothes will dry in a flash with this heat." He just stands there for a moment, contemplating. Hands on his hips, one eyebrow raised. You’ve always had the feeling that he was secretly an old man trapped in a 13-year-old’s body. After a few moments, he shrugs. He takes a few steps back and your eyes widen as you realize what he’s about to do. "Tomi, no!" But it’s too late. He takes off into a running jump, knees tucked into his chest- - [[SPLASH!]] - [[DODGE!]]

You don't have time to get out of the way! His cannonball that triggers a miniature tsunami, devastating everything in its wake! Namely, your pride. His laugh rings out through the still summer air as your scowl grows more and more exaggerated. "This. Is. War." You laugh and splash at each other, oblivious to how loud you’re being. Who cares if Granny wakes up? You haven’t had this much fun in years. And you deserve to. Don’t all kids deserve to have fun? - [[This is the way it should be.]] - [[You can't help but feel guilty.]]

You grumble back at him before flinging yourself onto the lounge chair and closing your eyes. The sun keeps on baking. You can feel your clothes starting to dry already. "I'm only forfeiting because drowning is not part of my summer plan." "Since when do you plan anything?" he asks, shaking the water from his hair like a dog. The water droplets sparkle in the sunlight as they fly through the air. "Since I decided that-" you start, then stop. You hear... - [[Silence.]] - [[Cicadas.]]

The still afternoon air. //Wait.// Silence? Surely there should be something else? //''WAIT.''// You sit up with a jerk, eyes wide open, scanning the yard. Silence. [["Lola?"]]

"Tomi, where's Lola?" You’re on your feet in an instant, sprinting to the hill where your sister had been playing just minutes ago. The bubble blower lies discarded on the grass. You spin around, heart racing, adrenaline kicking in. Tomi stands motionless, mouth agape. "She- Lola was- Where did..." he whispers, his voice trailing off. A strong breeze blows, whispering //fear// into your ears. You turn with the wind, eyes following its path. There, over the fence, across the stretch of dirt, down into the sugar plantation that stretches horizontally to the houses, and the forest of trees behind it that continues for miles and miles and miles. The wind blows again. Stronger this time. //Fear//, it whispers. You shiver. It feels like the temperature has dropped forty degrees in forty seconds. You spin around in slow circles. How far could a toddler get? The front gate is padlocked, the screen door that leads to the kitchen is too heavy for her to push open by herself. And her prized bubble blower... she'd never leave that lying there. It was her favorite toy. ''Is.'' It ''//is//'' her favorite toy. This can't be happening. You mumble it to yourself, over and over. Impossible. This is impossible. This can't be- Tomi whimpers. "Mura. Mura. I- I'm gonna get Granny..." - [["No! Don't move."]] - [["Let's call the police."]]

"No. Tomi, don't move. Do. Not. Move." Tomi is shaking. Tears well up in his dark eyes. "But... Lola. She's gone. Oh my God. She's gone. Oh my God. We gotta tell Granny!" Tomi turns to the house, poised to run through the screen door, but you’re faster than he is. You grab his shoulder, pulling him down to the floor. "What the hell, Mura?" Tomi scoots backward on the ground, confusion mingling with the panic on his face. Your eyes are blank, the irises somehow darker than usual. The expression on your face is so deathly serious that Tomi freezes where he is, pulling his knees into his chest slowly, as though not to spook a wild animal. "Don't call Granny. I can handle this. I'm gonna fix it." You place a hand on your brother's, then grip it tightly. He stares down at your clasped hands, then up at your face, eyes searching side to side for the reveal of a prank. But you remain wordless; stoic and silent. A few seconds pass but they seem to stretch for hours. The only sound is the violent (text-style:"subscript","blur")[//wsshhh//] of the wind. Fear. "Handle it? Are you insane?" he screams at you. "Lola just disappeared from the friggin' yard! She's only three, we need'ta call the police-" You blink at him. You close your eyes, then keep them shut. You raise a hand to your temple. You feel a migraine beginning to form. "Tomi, listen. Listen to me. This was my fault. I distracted you and we weren't watching Lola." You turn back towards the back fence that separates the residential land from the edge of the plantation. You can't shake the feeling that whoever (or whatever) has taken your sister is beyond it. Could it take you too? - [["I'm going after her."]] - [["Let's call the police."]]

"Mura?" Tomi is standing now. There’s a bewildered look on his face. You look down at the space between you, realizing you’ve been backing away from him, away from the house, down towards the fence. Like your feet had a mind of their own. Like something... something in the wind was controlling your movements. (text-colour:(hsl:120,0.8039,0.5,0.6))[//Fear.//] "You need to stay here. I'll be back soon. Very soon." You run back to him and pull him into a tight hug. He’s still shaking. You can feel his heart beating. So fast, like a wild rabbit caught in a trap. You rest your chin on the soft curls on top of his head, catching that familiar scent of chlorine and a hint of the castor oil Granny had massaged into his scalp last night. "I'm sure she's just wandered over somewhere. Y'know, just towards the sugarcane. Or past the tree line. I don't know. I'll go get her, and everything will be A-okay," you whisper into his hair. He nods, mechanically. Whether it's because he actually believes you, or because he so desperately wants everything to be okay, is irrelevant. "I can't lose track of both of y'all. What kinda big sister would that make me?" A particularly terrible one. You try to laugh, choke on a sob, then clear your throat. He frowns. "I'm coming with you, Mura." - [["Absolutely not."]] - [[Pretend to humour him.]]

"I think..." you start, swallowing hard. "I think this might be a little too much for us to handle, Tomi." He nods solemnly. You lead him back into the house, nodding absentmindedly as he plops himself down on Granny's plastic covered couch. The dim coolness of the living room would ordinarily be a relief, a welcome respite from the afternoon heat. But you already feel cold and numb all over. You reach for the landline and punch in the numbers. [[ 9. 1. 1.]]

You jog forward, then slip underneath the rope bordering the plantation. You ignore the sign with a very clear message: (text-colour:red)[''(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED]''] You walk aimlessly for a few minutes, calling out your sister's name periodically. The wind seems to come to a standstill among the leaves, and the humid heat presses down like an invisible quilt. You pause by a particularly dense cluster of sugarcane, wiping sweat from your forehead and uselessly fanning yourself with both hands. You stare down at the dirt. An old, dirty metal object lies at the base of the tree, and you kick at it with your bare foot. You bend to pick up the object, and a sharp chill travels up your spine as your fingers connect with it. You furrow your brow, turning it over and over in your hands. It's... a lighter? The kind you'd take with you if you were camping and might need to build a fire, you imagine. //What’s a lighter doing in the middle of a field of sugarcane?// you wonder. You turn it over in your hands. It’s made of plain, cold metal. There's an engraving on the back. But the damn thing is so dirty, you can't make out what it says. You roll the wheel and press down on the ignition. Nothing. You try again. Nothing. You bring it close to your ear and shake it gently. No sound. It’s empty. No wonder someone just dumped it here. - [[Toss it aside.]] - [[Keep it with you.]]

You toss it aside unceremoniously, probably much like the original owner had done. You force yourself to keep moving. It seems like this plantation is neverending. Surely you should have reached the other side by now? But every direction you turn looks the same. The sweet, grassy fragrance of the sugarcane is beginning to make you feel nauseous. You crouch down and lower your head between your knees. Inhale. Exhale. You plop down on your bottom in exhaustion. Inhale. Exhale. The wind has started up again. You look up, watching the stalks of sugarcane sway slightly in the breeze. Inhale. The air is so sweet. You recall the childhood summers you spent chewing on the chopped-up stalks of the very plants that are closing in on you at this very moment. Nature's prison. Exhale. You’re suddenly very aware of your thirst. Inhale. So sweet... Like... a smoky kind of sweet. Exhale. ... Huh? A smoky kind of sweet? You look up again. The sky is darkening, from a lovely orange to an alarming grey. Actually, the more you look at it, the more it looks like... smoke. [[Something is burning.]]

You slip the lighter into your pocket and force your feet forward. It feels like it grows heavier with every step you manage to take. You walk for what could be minutes, or days, maybe even weeks. At some point, you try to take the lighter out again, convinced that the tiny metal thing is slowing you down. To your surprise... - [[It's gone.]] - [[It won't budge.]]

You can't see the flames yet, but you can definitely hear them. Smell them. Crackling heat, sticky sweet, coming your way. You back away from the sound, toppling over sugarcane plants in your path. You scramble over them, backward like a tarantula before you regain enough balance to stand. Your senses are on overdrive as you look this way and that, foot-stance ready for takeoff but unsure where to go. Three things are going through your mind at this very moment. The weakest is a string of profanities, cursing every hand that weaved the web of fate to land you in this position. The second is your instinct. Adrenaline courses through your veins, screaming run, //run you foolish girl! Keep the fire behind you and keep running, don't stop until you're out of here and then some//. But the strongest is the thought of Lola. What if your baby sister was in here with you? Lost between rows and rows of endless sugar canes, completely oblivious to the flames closing in on her? Could you risk leaving her to that fate? You bounce slightly on the balls of your feet. Time is running out. You need to make a decision. - [[You're not leaving without Lola.]] - [[You need to escape. NOW!]]

So you turn and run horizontal to the direction of the flames, hoping and praying that the fire won't extend along the entire plantation. "Lola! Lola, sweetie, can you hear me?" you shout, voice cracking as the tendrils of smoke approach. "Mura!" At the sound of your name, you nearly trip over your own feet. The voice is unmistakably childlike, and it’s coming from your right... from behind the flames. Could it be? "Lola!" you yell, then cough, your voice still strained. "Lola, where are you?" "Help me!" You scan the wall of fire, hoping for a gap you can pass through. You see a shape in the distance. It looks like Lola... until it doesn't. "Mura!" The thing screaming your name shifts between existence and absence. It holds your sister's semblance in front of smooth, empty blankness. Your skin prickles. It's her... but it's not her. You can't tell where the voice is coming from anymore. The wind picks up once more, roaring around your ears, amidst the sound of crying in the distance. You whimper. The smoke and heat are close to engulfing you. You cough so hard, you fear your chest might explode. You fall to your knees. That thing was not your sister. [[...]]

Guilt washes over you, but it can't quite beat out your brain's innate sense of self-preservation. What is it they say about the oxygen masks on planes? You can't save Lola if you're dead. You keep running with the flames at your back. You can't help but notice that the fire seems to be herding you in a certain direction. Every time you try to change direction, a plume of smoke materialises to keep you in line. The wind picks up once more, teasing you by tossing tiny embers. It roars around your ears, amidst the sounds of Lola crying in the distance. You whimper. Despite it all, you feel no pain, only fear. No heat. Just fear. You can hear the flames chasing you. The rush and crackle of the windblown embers. You smell the charred sugar. But you feel... Nothing. Physically, nothing. Nothing but the ground beneath and the plants surrounding you. You turn your head to take a peek, hoping to find a fair distance between yourself and the flames, and your eyes stare into- Pitch black. Nothing. [[...]] [[THUD!]]

(align:"===><==")[Ending 3:] //(align:"===><==")[(text-colour:red)[(text-style:"bold","blur")[''YOU HAVE BEEN CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.'']]]//

JULY 1997 SUGAR LAND, TX ... [["The sun really ain't playin' around today, huh."]]

"Forfeit. I forfeit. You win." you exclaim several minutes later, pulling yourself up and out of the pool. Your brother whirls around in celebration. "I'm Tomi Alabi, champion, king of the pool-" - [["As if!"]] - [["Congrats."]]

By the time the police arrive, it's dark outside. The next few days pass in a blur. You suppose somebody explained the situation to Granny. Maybe it was you, maybe it was Tomi, maybe it was one of the cops. You can't say for sure. They questioned you through the night. They flung awful accusations at you, hoping something would stick. You told them everything that happened, but they don't seem to believe you. Eventually, they let you go. You learn that the search party is combing through every inch of land within a ten mile radius of Granny's house. They don't find Lola. - [[They don't find anything.]] - [[At least, not alive.]]

But the leads dry up fast, and the case grows cold. The people in town glare at you as you pass them by. It doesn't matter how much you protest your innocence. It doesn't matter that you've been dropped as a suspect. All sorts of rumours are floated. They don't know what happened, and they don't know //why// it happened. But as far as they're concerned, it must have been your fault. They all think you got away with something heinous. That you made your sister disappear. //Perhaps it was negligence//, they say. //Or maybe it was malice. I heard that the child was actually hers, and the parents tried to save her reputation. Maybe she was jealous. Who knows.// Eventually, you stop trying to argue. You let yourself shrink away, hoping you'll be forgotten. There's no point in scratching at the wound. [[Deep down, you know that there's no way to get her back.]]

The people from church pray for you. They pray for Lola. But you know they don't believe you. Eventually they get tired of your rambling. The clasped hands and pitying hugs turn to eyerolls and silence. Even if they believed you, what difference would it make? [[Deep down, you know that there's no way to get her back.]]

She's gone. (align:"===><==")[Ending 2:] //(align:"===><==")[(text-colour:red)[(text-style:"bold","blur")[''YOU HAVE BECOME THE SCAPEGOAT.'']]]//

Your parents come to collect Tomi, but they leave you with Granny. They can't bear to look at you. You know that they blame you for what happened. Everyone in town does. - [[You try to get them to keep looking for the person that took her.]] - [[You insist that something supernatural is afoot.]]

You fall out of the sugarcane plantation, landing on your back. The "no tresspassing" sign is knocked over at your feet. You're back where you started. You blink rapidly, staring at the sign, then up at the clear blue sky. Your breath is hard and shallow as you try to comprehend what you just saw... or rather, didn’t see. The air is still. No sign of smoke. Nor flames. In fact, there's no trace of anything that you just experienced. It makes no sense. But you aren’t in any position to question your newfound safety, however brief it could be. You crawl backward, staring into the menacing gaps between the sugarcane. You stand up shakily, dusting yourself off. Little streaks of blood from the scratches on your arms pattern your white shirt, a few threads and buttons hanging off of it, clinging to dear life. Dirt and grass stains cover your shorts. You inch away from the plantation, dried grass crunching beneath you. Granny's house is behind you, just where you left it. To your left, the forest of sycamores and ash trees looms menacingly with silent, shifting leaves. - [[Give up your search, call the police.]] - [[Go left, towards the forest.]]

You trudge back to the house, totally exhausted. As you walk into the kitchen, you see Granny holding Tomi, stroking his hair and whispering softly. Your brother's eyes light up as he sees you. You feel another stab of guilt. His face falls when he realises you're alone. Granny is speaking loudly now, saying something to you, but you're unable to process her words. You fall onto the plastic-covered couch, weakly grasping at the phone. Before you pass out, you manage to punch in the numbers- [[ 9. 1. 1.]]

The forest seems to have been waiting for you, equally threatening and inviting. A low hum sounds from the cool darkness beneath the canopy of trees, and you step forward, one foot in front of the other. You wipe the sweat from your brow with your forearm, shivering. That is... not sweat. You look up, instinctively shielding your eyes from the sun, and water droplets come right on down. The faintest signs of a forming rainbow paint the blue sky. Y'know, it could be an omen. - [[An end to the drought.]] - [[A biblical flood to destroy us all.]]

You spin around, confused as to how you could have dropped it. Every direction you turn looks the same. The sweet, grassy fragrance of the sugarcane is beginning to make you feel nauseous. You crouch down and lower your head between your knees. Inhale. Exhale. You plop down on your bottom in exhaustion. Inhale. Exhale. The wind has started up again. You look up, watching the stalks of sugarcane sway slightly in the breeze. Inhale. The air is so sweet. You recall the childhood summers you spent chewing on the chopped-up stalks of the very plants that are closing in on you at this very moment. Nature's prison. Exhale. You’re suddenly very aware of your thirst. Inhale. So sweet... Like... a smoky kind of sweet. Exhale. ... Huh? A smoky kind of sweet? You look up again. The sky is darkening, from a lovely orange to an alarming grey. Actually, the more you look at it, the more it looks like... smoke. [[Something is burning.]]

You tug at it for a few moments, straining the muscles in your arms. You feel so weak. You let it drag you down. You're suddenly very aware of your thirst. You collapse to the ground, then roll onto your back. You stare up at the sky. - [[This is how it ends.]] - [[There's so much left to do.]]

It can't end like this. Can it? What are you even doing... how did you get here? You can't quite remember... - [[Doesn't matter...]] - [[Lola. Lola!]]

You are so tired. So, so tired. You stop fighting. You let your body relax. A gentle firmness rises up to meet your back. The ground is so soft... This is nice. Sinking into the ground like this. It's nice. How did you even get here again? - [[Doesn't matter...]] - [[Lola. Lola!]]

You are trapped. You struggle against your invisible bonds. You try to scream, but you no longer have a voice. It is pulling you under. The //fear// envelops you. //Please do not fight.// - [["I don't want to be afraid anymore."]] - [["I WANT TO BE FREE."]]

Something is calling you. It's been calling you this entire time... Let go of the //fear//... [["I don't want to be afraid anymore."]]

//You don't have to be. Listen, child. You won't ever be afraid again...// You smile. The soft earth embraces you. You are floating. You are sinking. You are stationary. [[You are Home.]]

(align:"===><==")[Ending 4:] //(align:"===><==")[(text-colour:red)[(text-style:"bold","blur")[''YOU HAVE BEEN CONSUMED BY THE ENTITY.'']]]//

It laughs. //What is "free"?// //There is no "free".// The dirt fills your mouth. It coats your throat as you thrash and scream. But it is all futile. [[You are Home.]]

Everyone in town had been praying for an end to this minor drought for weeks. You could imagine the collective sigh of relief. The blessing of a summer rain. This was a good omen. It had to be. - [[Call out for Lola.]] - [[Keep searching in silence.]]

Pastor Matthews had centered his sermon last Sunday on the healing properties of rain. You remember it vividly. You were on usher duty at the back of the hall, arms weighed down by pamphlets you had been instructed to hand to the latecomers. //"And God said unto Noah..." // Pastor Matthews always paused mid-sentence for dramatic effect. Most of the things he did seemed to be for dramatic effect. //"Genesis... Chapter seven... verse four..."// ''(align:"=><=")[//For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.//]'' "For God... He decided that the only way to save the earth of His creation... was to destroy it. To //''WASH''// all of its sins... Away." You recall thinking that the punishment seemed a bit harsh. ... - [[Call out for Lola.]] - [[Keep searching in silence.]]

You shout her name until your voice goes hoarse. The trees smile down at you, wise and condescending. The raindrops keep getting bigger. You might as well cry. - [["I refuse to cry."]] - [["I will scream and sob."]]

You wipe your face with the hem of your shirt. It's futile. The fabric is soaked through once again. You think back to the pool. That goddamned pool. If only you had stayed out of that pool. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe Lola would never have left your sight. Maybe- Maybe you should have been paying attention to your footing. You trip over a rock and fall into a small clearing. You just lay there for a moment, cheek to the ground. You let the rain fall on your back. You let the puddles of mud get deeper and deeper. But the mud has a strange, metallic scent to it. - [[And it's warm.]] - [[It's cold and congealed.]]

You release a wail. It almost scares you, like you didn't know you were capable of such a sound. You scream and cry and sob and shout, rain and tears and dirt and snot all over your face. You stumble blindly through the trees like a wild animal. You scream out in fear, in anger, in pure //exhaustion//- Maybe you should have been paying attention to your footing. You trip over a rock and fall into a small clearing. You just lay there for a moment, cheek to the ground. You let the rain fall on your back. You let the puddles of mud get deeper and deeper. But the mud has a strange, metallic scent to it. - [[And it's warm.]] - [[It's cold and congealed.]]

You scramble to your knees, eyes wide at the dark red dripping from your cheek. The blood stains your shirt. But it's not yours. You blink the mud and sweat and rain out of your eyes and take in your surroundings. [[The clearing is splattered with blood.]]

Tied to the trees are- Bodies. Human corpses. You avert your gaze, refusing to let your eyes dwell on any one individual. But you know who they are. You don't even need to inspect their faces. You just know. - [[The missing people from town.]] - [[They're all *you*.]]

You feel a scream rising in your throat, but you force it back down, painfully. The corpses in the trees are all different ages, races, genders, but none of them are your baby sister. Before you can process the implication of this, there is a rustling of leaves from behind you. You spin around, dizzy from exertion and the sheer emotional torture of the situation. A person walks into the clearing. Your heart twists. They're holding your sister in their arms. - [[But... it's not exactly a person.]] - [[Despite the carnage, their robes are spotless.]]

The... creature is not a person. Not at all. It's not human. And yet... Somehow, it is emulating the essence of a human. It looks like one. Almost. In a way that you can’t quite describe. Its face is… wrong. Blank. It strides towards you on lithe, strong limbs. It places your sleeping sister in your arms. A pale, boney finger reaches out. It touches you in the center of your forehead. - [[And then It speaks.]] - [[And then everything goes dark.]]

The person smiles at you. "You've heard it, haven't you." Heard what? You're too scared to respond, but the person in the robes seems to sense your confusion. "The fear. It spoke to you. It led you here." You try to back away, but you stumble into another person, clothed in the same spotless robes. They're everywhere. You are surrounded. "Don't worry, child. You don't have to be afraid anymore. It will care for you." - [[And then everything goes dark.]] - [[And then there is pain.]]

It does not make a sound. But somehow, you understand its words. //"Very few come this far to reclaim their young. I am sorry. It is too late."// //"It is only fair that I send you back with one of ours."// (align:"===><==")[Ending 1:] //(align:"===><==")[(text-colour:red)[(text-style:"bold","blur")[''YOUR SISTER HAS BEEN RETURNED, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.'']]]//

You kick off your sandals and start down the steps into the pool fully clothed. You stop when the cool water is just a half-inch shy of the hem of your linen shorts, watching as the waves lap against your thighs. The water distorts your legs, transforming them into stocky, bloated, brown masses. You turn back around to face your brother. He glances over his shoulder, chewing anxiously on his bottom lip. "Honestly, I shouldn't joke about that killing crap," Tomi whispers. He shudders before continuing. "With all the disappearances and stuff. People are for real gettin’ murdered around here." - [["We don't know for sure that they got murdered."]] - [["Nobody would take Granny."]]

"Come on, Tomi. No need to assume the worst. Best we can do is pray and-" "You know what Deacon Jonathan from church has been saying," he interrupts. "That some... hellspawn keeps comin' to snatch kids up as a warning before Judgement Day." "Don't tell me you actually believe in that crap." Tomi makes the sign of the cross, a gesture to ward off demons that maybe, //just maybe//, could be waiting around for the perfect moment to //''strike''//. You laugh and turn towards the center of the pool, then walk down the remaining steps and wade slowly towards the deep end. When the water touches your chin, you stop. You gently inhale the diluted scent of chlorine. Tomi squints at you, tugging at the collar of his shirt. - [["Jump in, Tomi. The water's lovely."]] - [[Splash him.]]

"Forget all that. Let's go swim-" "You know what Deacon Jonathan from church has been saying," he interrupts. "That some... hellspawn keeps comin' to snatch kids up as a warning before Judgement Day." "Don't tell me you actually believe in that crap." Tomi makes the sign of the cross, a gesture to ward off demons that maybe, //just maybe//, could be waiting around for the perfect moment to //''strike''//. You laugh and turn towards the center of the pool, then walk down the remaining steps and wade slowly towards the deep end. When the water touches your chin, you stop. You gently inhale the diluted scent of chlorine. Tomi squints at you, tugging at the collar of his shirt. - [["Jump in, Tomi. The water's lovely."]] - [[Splash him.]]

You try to swim away, diving into the water to avoid the cannonball that triggers a miniature tsunami, devastating everything in its wake! His laugh rings out through the still summer air as your scowl grows more and more exaggerated. "This. Is. War." You laugh and splash at each other, oblivious to how loud you’re being. Who cares if Granny wakes up? You haven’t had this much fun in years. And you deserve to. Don’t all kids deserve to have fun? - [[This is the way it should be.]] - [[You can't help but feel guilty.]]

You smile back at him before flinging yourself onto the lounge chair and closing your eyes. The sun keeps on baking. You can feel your clothes starting to dry already. "You won fair and square. I'm beat." "Come on, you're givin' up that easily?" he asks, shaking the water from his hair like a dog. The water droplets sparkle in the sunlight as they fly through the air. "Listen, I-" you start, then stop. You hear... - [[Silence.]] - [[Cicadas.]]

You're not a kid, not anymore. You're supposed to be the grown up here. The responsible one. "Forfeit. I forfeit. You win." you sigh, pulling yourself up and out of the pool. Your brother whirls around in celebration. "I'm Tomi Alabi, champion, king of the pool-" - [["As if!"]] - [["Congrats."]]

Only the cicadas. //Wait.// Just the cicadas? Shouldn't there be something else? //''WAIT.''// You sit up with a jerk, eyes wide open, scanning the yard. Silence. Only the cicadas. [["Lola?"]]

They find your sister's remains in a clearing near the edge of the woods. - [[They rule it an accidental death.]] - [[They try to pin it on you.]]

You keep trudging along. The trees smile down at you, wise and condescending. The raindrops keep getting bigger. You might as well cry. - [["I refuse to cry."]] - [["I will scream and sob."]]

You scramble to your knees, eyes wide. The drying blood stains your shirt. You blink the mud and sweat and rain out of your eyes and take in your surroundings. [[The clearing is splattered with blood.]]

You feel a scream rising in your throat, but you force it back down, painfully. The corpses in the trees are all different ages, some whethered by age and trauma, others innocent and brushed with youth, but all wearing versions of the same face. Like you're looking into a mirror that transcends time. Before you can process the implication of this, there is a rustling of leaves from behind you. You spin around, dizzy from exertion and the sheer emotional torture of the situation. A person walks into the clearing. Your heart twists. They're holding your sister in their arms. - [[But... it's not exactly a person.]] - [[Despite the carnage, their robes are spotless.]]

Just a tragic case of a small child wandering into somewhere they shouldn't be and getting hurt. Despite this, a handful of people in town glare at you as you pass them by. All sorts of rumours are floated. As far as they're concerned, it was //your fault//. Some of them think you got away with something heinous. That you made your sister disappear. The kindest of the bunch simply believe you made a mistake. //Perhaps it was negligence. She got distracted. It could happen to anyone.// Others do not give you the same grace. //I believe it was malice. I heard that the child was actually hers, and the parents tried to save her reputation. Maybe she was jealous. Who knows.// Eventually, you stop trying to argue. You let yourself shrink away, hoping you'll be forgotten. There's no point in scratching at the wound. [[Deep down, you know that there's no way to get her back.]]

But there isn't enough evidence. The medical examiner insists that what was done to your sister could not have been performed by a human. The people in town glare at you as you pass them by. It doesn't matter how much you protest your innocence. It doesn't matter that you've been dropped as a suspect. All sorts of rumours are floated. They don't know what happened, and they don't know //why// it happened. But as far as they're concerned, it was //your fault//. They all think you got away with something heinous. That you made your sister disappear. //Perhaps it was negligence. An irresponsible teenager. This is why you can't trust them with anything//, they say. //Or maybe it was malice. I heard that the child was actually hers, and the parents tried to save her reputation. Maybe she was jealous. Who knows.// Eventually, you stop trying to argue. You let yourself shrink away, hoping you'll be forgotten. There's no point in scratching at the wound. [[Deep down, you know that there's no way to get her back.]]

... You feel your body falling through the dark. You float through an oily sea of //nothingness//, trying desperately to cling to something, //anything//. - [[This is how it ends.]] - [[There's so much left to do.]]

"No." "But-" "I said //no//," you snap. He shrinks back and you soften your gaze. "I'll be back in a second, I promise." You pat him on the shoulder, and to your surprise he bends down and sits on the ground without another word of protest. His silence forces a dense weight to settle in the pit of your stomach. If Tomi is out of words, then it’s true; you’re out of options. You give him one last look before he changes his mind, then jog down the hill. You scale the back fence with feline ability, and jump down on the other side, landing on all fours on the crunchy dead grass. There's no way a three-year-old could get over this fence. Not by herself at least. You sway slightly, uncertain of which way to turn. - [[Go left, towards the forest.]] - [[Go right, towards the sugarcane.]]

You feign consideration of his offer. You know he won't let you leave him behind so easily. "Okay," you sigh. "Go get your shoes. And some real clothes." You follow him into the house as he scampers towards his bedroom. Your hands shake as you whisper an apology under your breath. As he rummages through his closet, you pull his bedroom door shut and slide the back of a chair behind the handle, locking him in. "//Imsorryimsorryimsorry//-" He notices what you've done a split second too late. You back away as he pounds on the door and jiggles the handle. You need to go before he wakes Granny. You run down the stairs, out through the kitchen and down the hill without looking back. You scale the backyard fence with feline ability, and jump down on the other side, landing on all fours on the crunchy dead grass. There's no way a three-year-old could get over this fence. Not by herself at least. You sway slightly, uncertain of which way to turn. - [[Go left, towards the forest.]] - [[Go right, towards the sugarcane.]]

But soon, there is nothing. (align:"===><==")[Ending 5:] //(align:"===><==")[(text-colour:red)[(text-style:"bold","blur")[''YOU HAVE BEEN SACRIFICED BY THE CULT OF FEAR.'']]]//