If We Were Heroes | ONC2022

chapter eighteen

chapter eighteen: Shoot. I should've known this was a trap.

tw: mentions of blôod

I had never felt so much like a dog as the day I followed Sebastian's mother around her impossibly polished house, the only sound being the clicking of her heels. She was too much like my own mother to allow me to completely relax.

'Ah, Oliver.' A man stepped out from a hallway, tall and well-built where Sebastian was a gangly mess of limbs. Still, the resemblance was evident. 'I'm Tobias. We were expecting you.'

His tone sent a shiver down my spine, and not just because of his unnaturally sharp teeth. Something wasn't right.

'Where's Sebastian?' I demanded, curling my fingers into fists. It wasn't like I was going to win a physical battle against a family of werewolves, but it wasn't going to stop me from trying.

Another person walked in, presumably Rylan. He too, had a craze-filled look in his eyes, and was sipping wine from a crystal glass. At least, I hoped it was wine.

'Sebastian's in there.' Tobias jerked a thumb towards a door to my right. 'Imagine our surprise when our little brother came crawling to our house.'

'Bleeding everywhere,' Rylan added. 'All over our lovely carpets.'

'But of course we are well prepared for blood.' Tobias said. 'Our carpets are all red. No one knows if we bought them like that, or if they became stained.'

'You're a mob gang.'

'What?' Tobias put a hand to his chest in mock horror. 'How dare you accuse us like that!'

'Children.' Sebastian's mother put a hand on both of their shoulders. 'Let Oliver see Sebastian now.'

Rylan smiled, teeth showing. 'You may want to prepare yourself, kiddo. It's not exactly a pretty sight.'

'I don't care,' I said, and I really didn't. I wasn't coming out of here empty handed. I wasn't coming out of here without Sebastian walking out with me.

'Fine,' Rylan replied, walking into the room, a slight swagger to his step to make up for the lost look in his eyes.

I followed, telling myself it wouldn't be as bad as they all made it out to be.

The stench hit me first, dry, dead rot.

Then the metallic rust of blood, so strong I had to bite my lip to stop myself from throwing up.

Then the sight, millions and millions of insects scattered around the room, so many that it was impossible not to step on any. They were everywhere, on the walls, on the ceiling, some alive, some dead, but all twitching, watching.

But for all the menagerie of wings, legs, and antennae, it did absolutely nothing to cover the walls, dripping in crimson blood, nor did anything to cover Sebastian's paling body.

He was lying on a table in the middle of the room, eyes open and bloodshot, but without the brightness of life. My eyes drifted to his shallow chest, pressing against his ribs. Not moving. Not breathing.

There were cuts trailing down his back, still bleeding, staining the oak wood table. And every time a drop fell to the carpet, the walls shifted to a shade darker than its already mournful red. Sebastian was dead and they couldn't ever cover up his body.

'What did you do to him?' I demanded, eyes full of blazing fury as I turned to Rylan.

He held up his hands in surrender, though his gaze was pure confidence. 'I never did anything, babe. I swear.'