The sun fades behind the hills as 2 red haired children about the age of 6
years old run around. Both of them with little ringlets framing their faces.
They laugh and squeal as they play. What they don't know is that their older
brother sits in a tree watching them. His hatred begins to fill his heart.
"What is it with them?" He wonders silently.
A woman stands on a long covered wooden porch connected to a huge house.
"Raven, Kane come on time to come in." She calls. They stop playing to look
up, "Ok Momma." Kane replies. They both skip trough the enormous backyard
till they reach the house. The woman looks harder to the trees, "You too
Mark, dinner soon." She calls walking back into the house.
Kane and raven walk through the house and wash their hands and go to the
dinning room, they sit next to each other in cloth covered high-backed
chairs. They look over to their father, a stern but loving man. "You
children do anything productive today?" Raven opens her mouth to answer her
father as she is interuppted by the already deep voice of her older brother.
"They played, and laughed thats all they did." He says. "I was talking to
your brother and sister. Apparently you didn't do anything but spy on them
all day. Honestly, Mark your obsession with them is getting old. Find a
hobby." He says. "Frank I have an idea, why doesn't Mark work with you.
teach him the family business." Their mother says. "Yes, Katherin thats a
good idea. Starting tomarrow, Mark you will help me out in the funeral
parlor. Some honest work will do you some good, will make you strong." His
father replies. Mark stares holes into his mother with his intense green
eyes. "Why don't the brats have to do anything?" He grumbles. Raven and Kane
look at each other, sensing the same emotion...the beginning of fear.
Chapter 2
After dinner Raven helps her mother clear the table. Her father sits at his
place still, he has a funny conversation with Kane. Kane laughs, his
matching hazel eyes show his happiness. Mark watches them from the hallway,
seething with jealousy. His rage rises, he can feel his body tempurature
rise almost to boiling point. Their mother emerges from the kitchen, come on
kids its bath time.
"Awww momma. I don't want to take a bath." Kane whines.
"Now son, go with your mother she knows what is best for you." His father
replies ruffling his auburn curls.
Kane follows his mother, as raven walk out from the kitchen. "Momma, can I
wash the dishes for you?" She asks. "If you like, Raven just load up the
dishwasher and i will do the rest. It's your turn in the tub after your
brother." Her mother replies.
With kane in the tub, and raven in the kitchen out of earshot, Frank looks
up and scratches his head a disturbed look on his face. "Mark come out here,
right now! I want to speak to you." He demands. mark doesn't come. "Mark
james Calaway get in her now! Don't make me come and get you!" He demands
once again. Mark bolts outside, letting the screen door slam against the
house then it shuts. Raven finishes the dishes, and walks out to the dinning
room. "Daddy do you need anything?" She asks. "No, darlin' go upstairs." He
replies. "Yes, daddy." She says leaving the room. She hears his heavy boot
steps knowing her father is upset about Mark. She continues up the stairs.
Meeting her mother at the bathroom, she looks in and sees that Kane is in
his pajamas already. "Let me clean out the tub and run fresh water and it's
your turn. Go pick out some night clothes." "Yes, momma." She replies as she
turns to do as she was asked.
Raven walks into the bedroom she shares with her twin. She walks over to her
own dresser as she hears yelling, then she hears a small tree branch
breaking. Then the cries of her older brother. She rushes to the window,
tears run down her face at the sight she sees. "What is wrong?" Kane asks.
Raven just stares out the window. She sees her 13 year old brother's huge
frame leaned against a tree as her father is taking a switch to him. "You
will do as you are told!" Frank yells. Raven turns from the window, she is
crying. Kane runs to her, he hugs her. "What did he do?" Kane asks looking
out the window. "Daddy wanted to talk to him, he was watching you and him
talking at the table. When daddy called him twice Mark ran outside. I am
scared, Kane. I am scared of the person i look upto the most. I love Mark,
he's our brother but he scares me. Allows watching us, I am afraid he will
do something to us." Raven cries. Their mother walk into the room, "What
happened?" She says taking her daughter into her arms. "Daddy took a switch
to Mark." She replies. "Oh that is nothing he took it to you and Kane just
last week." "But, we dis-obeyed him." Raven says. "I know this is hard for
you to understand but your brother is not perfect. He is going through a
very rebellious stage right now." She says. "Will he get better?" Raven
asks. "Yes, of course it's just his age." "Momma does mark hate me and
Kane?" Raven asks wiping her tears. "No, baby he doesn't. Now come on lets
get you in the bath." She says leading Raven to the bathroom.
***A few hours later***
Mark sit sin his room, he is reading a book, and listening to heavy metal
music very loudly. There is a pounding at the door. He gets up to answer the
door without bothering to turn down the racket. He opens the door to see his
irate father staring at him. The same green eyes, with an intense burning
anger. "Mark, turn down that crap." He yells. "Whatever." Mark replies
slamming the door. His father storms off down the stairs. He goes into the
basement, finishing up a victim of an untimley death. "Well he is ready for
Kathy to finish him up with a little make up. Gonna be an open casket." He
says to himself. His thoughts are inturrupted by the shadow of his son.
"What is it Mark?" He asks frustrated at his son's behavior. "Why do you
love them more than me?" He asks sorrowful. Frank looks up at his son
confused. "is that what you think?" mark looks down at the cold comcrete
floor, he looks up at his father, "Yes, I do." He replies.
Chapter 3
The weeks pass by as Raven and Kane play the summer away. mark still watches
them from the trees. Always able to hide well. One day Raven and Kane are
sitting in a grassy feild just past their backyard. "What if we asked Mark
if he wanted to play too?" Raven asks. "He would just say no, he is a
teen-ager. He doesn't want to be around us." He replies. "Maybe he is just
lonely, he is always alone. Doesn't he have any friends?" She asks. "I don't
know, maybe he is too mean to have friends." Kane replies. mark watches them
and listening carefully trying to catch their conversation. Raven gets up
and walks to the woods. "Mark, come play with us." She says. He ignores her.
"I don't know why you hate us so much, what did we do?" She continues. he
jumps down from the tree he was hiding in. "You want to know why I hate you
so much! Well baby sister I will tell you. You and your twin...ignore me,
then you show off all your good behavior infront of our parents. You have
dont nothing but show them how to hate me!" He hollers. Raven backs up to a
tree, Kane hears him yelling and runs to her rescue. "Stop yelling at my
sister!" He says protectively. Mark backhands him landing him 3 feet away in
the dirt. Kane sits up and begins to cry. Eaven looks up her eyes about as
big as saucers. She runs to her fallen twin. "She is my sister too and I
will yell at her all I want. "Mark that wasn't nice and i am telling mom on
you...better yet i will tell daddy! he will take the switch to you again!
Don't ever hurt him again. "Shut up lil' girl...if tell on me I will give
you a worse fate!" He yells kncking her down. She looks up at him feeling
the tears well up in her eyes. "Come on Kane we better go home now." She
says grabbing Kane's small hand. His right eye already swelling from the
blow his brother gave him. The twins run all the way to the house both in
tears. They bolt into the house and slam the door. "I told you two not to
slam the door or run through the house." Their mother says. She hears two
sets of feet running up the stairs and a door slamming. "What was that all
about?" Frank asks coming up from the basement. "I don't know they came
runnign through the house." She replies.
katherin walks up the stairs, and into the twins bedroom, they hear door and
huddle together in the corner of the room. "What was that all about?" She
asks. "Nothing momma." They both reply in unison. "Why are two scared?" She
asks lifting Kane's head up. "What in the blazes happened to your face?"
Kane loosk down and starts to cry again. "he fell out of a tree momma?"
Raven replies. "Raven I have told you time and time again not to speak for
your brother. And why were you climbing trees, you are 6 years old I don't
want you climbing trees." She replies sternly. "Well, if you aren't gonna
tell me the truth I guess you can tell your father at dinner." She says
standing up. "no, momma I can't tell father, he will do worse to us." Kane
blurts out. "Mark did this!" She says. "Momma he made us promise not to tell
he said he would do worse to us." Raven sobs. "tell me what happened." "I
asked him if he wanted to play, we thought he was lonely. He ignored me and
then I asked him why he hated us so much. Then he said it was cause we
ignore him and that we are good. he jumped own from the tree he was in, then
kane came and tryed to protect me. He hit Kane knocking him down, he made
Kane cry momma. Then he yelled at me. I told him i was gonna tell and daddy
would take the switch to him. then he threatened me and Kane." Raven replies
rapidly. "he wont get away with this." She replies. "Momma please don't tell
daddy." Raven pleads. "Sweetheart i have to, Mark can't do this he 5 times
bigger than the two of you."
***Later***
They sit down to dinner, Frank right away notices his son's now blackened
right eye. "What happened to you Kane." His father asks, already knowing
what happened. "Nothing father, I fell from a tree." He replies looking down
at his plate. Absent mindedly pushing his green beans around his plate.
"Kane don't play with your food." His mother instructs. "Yes, momma I am
sorry." He replies. "So did you just fall on your eye or did you injure
yourself?" Frank asks. Mark glares at him, then kicks him from under the
table. Kane grabs his leg as tears flow down his cheeks. Frank looks at Kane
puzzled. "What's wrong, son?" "Nothing, father." He says. "Alright I have
had enough of this! Mark, I am very angry with you, you are the older
brother you should be protecting them. he is 6 years old what were you
thinking?" Frank demands "He is weak!" mark growls. "Watch your tone with
your father." His mother says. "Oh shut up you are just as weak as they
are." "That is it! I have had it with you!" Frank yells, causing Raven and
Kane to sink in thier chairs. Frank gets up and grabs mark by the arm and
pulls him away from the table, he drags him out of the room. "You are
grounded to the house, and you are to meet me in the basement at 7 am. You
will be working with me in the mortuary." He says.
Frank leaves the room and Mark sneaks to the basement. He looks for
chemicals. "This will work just fine. Teach those brats to respect me." He
asys to himself as he pours chemicals ont he floor and walks out the
backdoor lighting a match and tossing it in. He runs to the trees and climbs
up into one of them. he watches and laughs manically as he hears an
explosion, then the house bursts into flames. He recognizes his father's
apprentice Bill, he drags out 2 children in his arms. "Damn him! Damn that
fat asshole! I wanted them dead!" Mark climbs down to the ground and runs
from the property.
"Raven, Kane are you alright?" Bill screams. "I am ok, I think. Where is
Momma and Daddy?" Raven asks. "I am sorry they didn't make it." He says
sinisterly. "Kane!" She screams. "Where is Kane?" "He is right here, but hes
hurt. Stay here with him I have to go to the guest house and use the phone."
He says.
He runs as fast as his fat body can carry him, he runs insode and calls 911.
"yes, there is a fire at the mortuary. Yes, we need and ambulance 2 children
were injured." He calmly hangs up and smiles to himself. "Your plan was
fouled up mark but I shall get have the last laugh." he smirks to himself.
Chapter 4
An ambulance comes speedy up the long driveway, its lights on and its sirens
raping the quiet of the night. Right after it, comes 3 firetrucks. They race
to the house and put water on the fire. Raven lays in the grass and sobs
violently. She looks at her twin who appeasr to be sleeping. A paramedic
comes over to them, he has kit with him, and bends down. He looks over
raven.
"How is going, lil' lady?" He asks. She looks at him confused like, "How do
you think it's going? My house is on fire, my parents are in there, my older
brother is missing and my twin is dead!" She screams.
"it's gonna be ok." He reassures her after listening to her lungs. He looks
over at the boy next to her. his auburn hair fall around his face. The
paramedic motions for hsi partner to grab the gurney. They hoist Kane onto
and rush him ot the back of the ambulance.
Bill makes it back to the scene all out of breathe. "Where are you taking my
son?" He asks. The paramedic looks at him. "I htought their parents were
inside." Bill looks at him square in the eye. "I am their father, I escaped
the blaze quickly. I saved them." "you are not my daddy!" Raven screams as
the fat man drags her with him. They race to the hospital with kane in the
back.
***4 days later***
Kane begins to wake up. he reaches up to his face, he realizes that he is
covered in bandages. He touches his right eye. it is covered as well and
most of his skin. "Momma...Daddy." He softly whispers. "I am here son." Bill
says. "Who are you?" "I am your father." He replies grinning. "You are not
my daddy! Where is he?" He says. "Calm down Kane, I will explain it all in
due time. But for now that is what we will tell people or else they will
lock you up in the nut house. Now you don't want that." He replies. "Where
is Raven? How is she?" He asks quietly. "She here somewhere. I will find her
in a little while. Why don't you rest." Bill commands.
Chapter 5
***6 Months later***
"Come on children, it's finally time to go home." Bill says.
Raven looks at Kane who hasn't peered at his face since the fire. She
realizes he will not take his image well.
Bill pushes a wheelchair that Kane is sitting, Raven follows closley behind.
She doesn't trust Bill, but has no choice. Bill helps Kane into the car and
they speed of to a secluded house in the country in Alabama. Raven knows
something is about to changed forever in their lives. They go on living with
the portly mortician assistant, until one day...
Raven walks in the door from school, she doesn't see anyone. Not Bill and
not Kane she wanders around the house but sees nothing, until she hears
laughter and screaming. She looks out the window and notices Bill standing
next to Kane outside he is screaming and holding his face. "Dad, please I
want to go inside. My face hurts." Kane whimpers. "Very well, you will learn
to not be so weak and powerless." He replies coldly. Bill drags Kane back to
the house and shoves him through the door so hard he falls down. "How dare
you treat my brother like that! You will be sorry about that...and you will
be very sorry for everything you have done to us." Raven screams, then runs
to her twins aid. "Kane it's gonna be ok, I promise I will protect you." She
soothes. He swats at her to leave him alone. "Just leave me alone, Raven.
You can't protect me, you are only a child. Stay away from me I am a freak
now." He growls. Raven shakes her head at him as tears runs down her face.
She gets up and runs to her room and slams the door. She flops on her small
bed, and cries hysterically.
***Several Hours Later***
Raven wakes from a dead sleep to screaming. She sits up kinda groggy. She
runs to the hallway and realizes it is Kane screaming. She bursts into his
room where he appars to be battling demons. His short ringlets stuck to the
sides of his head with sweat. He thrashes about in his bed tangling himself
in the sheet. Raven looks over and there is a crude leather mask painted
black and red. She doesn't think much of it. Going back to Kane she grabs
his hand and tries to wake him. He jerks his hand away from her touch and
slaps her away. At the age of 7 he is already big, towering over his sister.
She holds her face, and goes right back to him. "Kane you are dreaming.
Please wake up." Raven pleads. he seems to settle down, she goes back to her
room before Bill wakes up. She sneaks out of the room, and sliks down to her
own room, what she didn't see was the large figure in the shadows.
Chapter 6
***6 Months later***
Raven wakes to a horrible sound, interupting her summer vacation. She rubs
her eyes and thows on a pair of jeans and quietly walks to the door. She
hears the muffled sounds of protest coming from her brother as she
approaches the door. Grabbign the handle she turns it, she peers out of the
cracked door. She sees her brother being dragged towards the basement door
by his hair. He kicks and tries to escape. Raven walks out into the hallway,
putting her hands on her hips, she yells. "What do you think you are doign
to my brother? You are hurting him!" The fat man turns and smiles, "He is
going where hideous freaks go, so they can never bother normal people again.
And if you don't mind your mouth and get to your chores you will sold into
child slavery." He continues dragging a now 8 year old Kane down the
creaking wooden stairs.
Raven stomps back to her room, she slams the door. Her eyes erupt with tears
of frustration and fear. She falls to the floor in exhaustion. She is
awakened by soemoen standing over her. She opens her green eyes and screams
at the figure who looms over her. He smiles down on her as he covers her
mouth. "Soon enough, you will forget all about Kane, I will make sure of
that." He growls. She looks at him with complete terror in her eyes. as he
leaves. "Mark! Mark come back!" She cries. Sitting up Raven wipes her tears
away and screams again, "Mark, please come back!" Then her head clears and
she remembers that night, that night their world came crumbling to its
knees, that night she lost her parents, her brother, and a part of her twin.
The night of the fire. She realizes that her brother is part of this, she
realizes that he is the cause of this hell...or is he? Is she just scared,
and confused as to why all of this happened to her family. "I will find out!
I will find out who did this to us, Kane is all I have left, I have to
protect him." She promises herself.
Chapter 7
***5 Years later***
Raven wakes up early, she grabs her key she has hidden. She gets dressed and
conceals the ket in a pocket. Sneakign down the hallway, she stops infront
of the door leading to the basement. Turning to make sure she isnt detected,
she unlocks the door and sneaks in. She can hear Kane sleeping restlessly.
She walks down the stairs, and sees kane sleeping on a dirty mattress,
covered in only a thin sheet. She kneels next to him, softly she shakes him
awake. He moves hia arm out of her grasp, but realizes it isn't Bill.
"Raven?" He whispers. "Yes, Kane. Shhh I know it hurts to talk anymore. The
fire damaged your throat." She replies. "I told you not to come down here
anymore, he is gonna find out." He grunts. "But, Kane its our birthday. We
are 13 today." She says sadly. "Wow I am a teen ager. I should be playing
football, liking girls." He moans. "Yes, you should be doig all of those
things. You would have made a great football player or even a wrestler. You
are big enough." She informs her twin proudly. He stands up and towers over
his sister by atleast 5 inches. He was already 6 feet tall, to Raven's
unusual hieght for her age. His red curly hair now long and wild, he wears a
mask, and his right eye finally lost all the color in it from the flash burn
of the fire. He lost all use of that eye when he was injured. "Someday we
will be free, Kane. I promise." She says. "Happy Birthday Raven. But I fear
your promise will never happen. This is a prison neitherofus will ever
escape. With all their talking Raven didn't notice how long she had been
there and shse hears the door open. She hears the stairs creak from the
growing weight of Bill Moody their capture. Raven tries to hide. "Don't hide
bitch! I kow you are here, and I know you come here every morning. Don't lie
about it either." She stops and stands there. She looks at Kane, he tilts
his head at her almost as if he was undergoing some type of mind control.
"No, I wont do it!" He whispers. Bill throws a silver cylinder at him he
holds to his throat. "I will not hurt her!" He says the amplifier mutating
his voice, he throws the device to the floor shattering it. Bill walaks up
to him, he punches him in the head. "How dare you defy me, boy. That is it,
she leaves, so say your goodbyes to your twin. You will never see him
again." he growls. Raven stiffens her back, she can feel her temper rising.
She spins on her heels and kicks Bill in the nuts. He falls to the floor she
grabs Kane's hand. She drags him, but he plants his foot, almost yanking her
to the floor. "Come on Kane we have to hurry." He shakes his head no. "What
do you mena no! We have to go." She pleads. He bends down and finds his pen
and paper, "You go, me stay here! I am freak!" He writes. She cries. "No!
Now come with me...I can't leave you here." She screams.
BIll gets to his feet, he slaps Raven, she falls to the floor at Kane's
feet. Kane tilts his head at Paul, he grabs him by the throat, "Don't ever
touch my sister again." He warns with a raspy whisper.
Chapter 8
"Get her outta here!" Bill screams as a large man drags Raven out of her
room by her hair. "Kane! Kane help me!" She screams. Bill laughs, "That
freak can't help himself, what makes you think he can help you! You will
never see him again!" He taunts.
The man carries Raven to a car and buckles her in. He gets in the driver
side and drives away. Raven begins screaming so loud, that he pulls over, he
gets roll of duct tape and places it over her mouth. He picks up a peice of
rope and binds her hands together. "I wouldn't have to do this if you would
just cooperate." He growls at her.
She glares at the man and then realizes he looks familair, her same green
eyes and crimson hair. He must stand nearly seven feet tall. "Oh mark has
come to save me. But why didn't he get Kane out?" She wonders to herself.
"Yes, Raven it's me. Trust me girl you are gonna wish that you died in that
fire!" He snarls at her. She watches the man now in his 20's that she
idolized, and feared most in the world. He was the cause of all of this.
"What, you thought I save you and that thing you call a brother." Raven
turns from him, she looks out the window as tears run down her face.