Screaming Trees - Les Noir

Silencing the trees

Larry leaned forward in the Uber chewing on his lip. He asked him what to do. Tiny beads of sweat peppered Laurent's brow as he carefully thought about it. Though Larry already looked much better, he wasn't sure how much stress he could handle. He knew that he'd have to take charge of the situation. The Uber turned onto the street where Erica lived. Laurent asked him to drop them at the bottom of the hill. They exited their ride looking around for any sign of someone else.

Laurent reached to grab his weapon checking it to make sure the safety was off. If they were met with an enemy, he needed to be ready. One hand on the trigger and the other cupping the bottom of the gun they both approached the long uphill path to Erica's house. Larry reached for his weapon too. Memories flooded back to them about the first time they'd come there. How the tides had turned. It seemed like just a little while ago that they'd been dancing in the London square, now they were both managing the counsel of the wealthiest people in the world. Larry's hand shook holding his pistol. He tipped behind his brother keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

The eerie pathway they walked up reminded them of the children's story of Hansel and Gretel. The evening sky turned into dusk making harder to see. The towering trees above them leaning in towards the path. The thumping of his heartbeat sounded so loud that Laurent couldn't be sure if his brother could hear it. The closer they got to Erica's house they could hear a heated argument coming from inside the house.

Larry tapped Lau on the shoulder. They stood underneath the front window by the side of the porch out of sight. "Who is that? It doesn't sound like Gabe." Laurent shh'd him listening closer.

"The Bourgeois boys, they are coming. I heard Swissco calling them before everything went down."

"You could call the fucking Queen for all I care. All I wanted was to be successful at what I'm good at, singing. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but you...you came here at the wrong time. We have to kill you too now. Be still!"

"You don't have to do this. When Laurent and Larry get here, we can ask them..."

"I'm not asking anyone anything anymore! This ends tonight!"

The sound of a door slamming in the house made Laurent jump. He fumbled with the gun thankful that he didn't accidentally pull the trigger. Around the corner of the house a faint sound of screaming came from the direction of the trees. Larry pointed at the direction of the sound. "Do you hear that?" He asked.

Laurent tilted his head at his twin. Since he'd been experiencing hearing things recently, there wasn't a way to be sure that he wasn't hearing something that wasn't there. Larry noticed his brother's hesitation. "No, Lau I'm serious. Listen." He whispered.

Laurent listened closer inching towards the side of the house where Erica's home art studio was. The closer he got; the sounds of muffled screams grew a little louder. They stopped short of the tree where he and Erica made love. "I do hear it. Where is it coming from?" Laurent asked whispering back.

They looked all over the garden, the trees their only witness to the sickening sound of someone in distress. "We have to help them, whoever they are. It sounds like someone's being tortured." Larry said tugging on the back of his brother's jeans. They rounded the corner of the tree to the sound of a click behind them.

"Drop your guns, put your hands up," a female voice said.