The Return of The Forgotten Son

oria

more's body to

he was already a ghost. Father called it a heart attack. Natural

ness in the stranger's eyes when Whitmore

call the pol

at our dead son came back and killed our doc

hat do

es." He looked at Thoma

their plans without me. That's how it worked in this

as tired o

years ago and never opened. The door was solid oak, the

ope

ooks stacked on the desk. Sketches pinned to the walls. His favorite jacket hangin

ished drawing. A portrait of Mother, her face soft and kind

here," a voice

stood in the doorway, watc

se was empty. I'd sit at that desk and try to re

y voice shook. "If you're really Eli

ming. All his pain, all his betrayal, all his anger. It's like swallowing fire e

n't ki

u saw what they did and you said nothing. For twenty ye

my eyes. "I

hen they mu

d at fifteen. Never got to grow up, fall in lov

ry," I w

l what was broken. Sorry is just a word people u

eel guilt. Real guilt, not just fear of getting caught. That's why you'

leaving me alone w

n't know what I was looking for. Evidence? Answ

er old sweaters. My hands shook as I opened it. Th

treats me like I'm invisible. Only Victoria still sees me. Still talks to me like I'm real.

or the first time in twenty years. For the brother who fel

e. Footsteps, slow and deliberate. I

e old servants' stairs, I saw something that made

d it up after that night. No

moving through water. The air grew colder as I

, casting colored shadows on the floor. The altar where they killed Elias st

ied h

anger stood behind me,

ess. "Sleeping pills crushed into his food. He didn't even fight

ols on his skin with something that burned. Mother spoke words from a book so old the page

stop," I

le around him. Thomas lit the torches. And when Elias woke up, when he real

t a moment, I heard Elias in it. The

just kept chanting while he burned. Hi

athe. The room

hat door. You were supposed to be in bed, but

what to do. I w

was

hen you burn alive? Your nerves scream so loud you can't hear your own voice. Your skin splits.

I sobbed. "

k. "Before this ends, you're all going to understan

the thing wearing my brother's face, and I knew with absolute cer

or. "Not yet, Victoria. You still have a role

elf. He disappeared in

hought my bones would break. Above me, on the

read wide like an angel. That's where they hu

his skin had come back to