SHADOWS OF DECEIT

Who have you become.

Chaos reigned in the room as Thomas furiously tossed clothes aside, creating a disarray of scattered belongings. The modern space, once orderly, now mirrored his internal turmoil. Frustration mounted as he relentlessly rifled through his wardrobe, the elusive item nowhere to be found. The once-pristine room transformed into a chaotic reflection of his internal turmoil.

His agitation peaked, prompting him to storm into his sister's room, where the aroma of noodles lingered in the air. She sat casually on his bed, oblivious to the tempest brewing within her brother. Swiftly, he confronted her, gripping her neck with a force that stifled her breath.

"Where is the phone?" he demanded, his anger palpable.

Gasping for air, his sister pleaded with her eyes, unable to articulate her response. Thomas, undeterred, urged her to speak through his menacing grip.

"I gave it to them," she managed to confess amidst choked words, her breathing laboured.

Fuelled by fury, Thomas pushed Victoria onto her bed with increased pressure, unleashing a tirade of curses. Victoria, desperate to save her life, reached for her brother's hand, attempting to pry it away from her neck.

In a moment of calculated defiance, she croaked out a threat,
"Leave me! Else, I'm going to tell Tasmin what I heard on the phone call you had last night," Vicky managed to speak, her voice strained but determined.

Thomas, momentarily taken aback, loosened his grip, allowing his sister to catch her breath. A tense standoff ensued, both siblings locked in a silent struggle for control.

Vicky, still recovering from the ordeal, stared at Thomas with a mixture of defiance and desperation. The threat lingered in the air, a precarious balance between their shared secrets and the potential revelations that could unravel their lives.

Thomas, grappling with the consequences of Vicky's declaration, contemplated his next move. The room, once a battleground, now hung heavy with unspoken truths and an uneasy truce.
His expression shifted, a mixture of disbelief and irritation crossing his face.

"Really?" Thomas scoffed, dismissing her revelation with contempt.

"Why are you meddling in my life?" he thundered, his temper escalating. Seizing a large teddy bear from the bed, he used it to intensify the pressure on her neck. Victoria's attempts to communicate were stifled by the plush obstruction, her struggles becoming increasingly futile.

As the room fell silent, her body lay motionless, the chaotic storm within Thomas subsiding into a grim aftermath.

Tasmina, intrigued by the voices emanating from her sister's room, decided to investigate. The idea of boys in Vicky's room was unusual, sparking her curiosity. As she approached, a mischievous grin played on her lips, anticipating some boyfriend argument drama.

Opening the door with swift eagerness, Tasmina expected a typical hugging or kissing scene, but what greeted her defied all expectations. Her brother sat unmoving on the bed, an ominous stillness in the room, with a teddy bear unsettlingly placed on her sister's motionless face.

The sight perplexed Tasmina, and her initial excitement transformed into a profound sense of dread. She desperately hoped her fears were unfounded. Her brother, seemingly lost in contemplation, stared at the ground, oblivious to her presence.

"Victoria," Tasmina called out, her voice trembling with anxiety. Receiving no response, she called again, her apprehension growing. "Vicky."

Silence hung heavily in the room, intensifying Tasmina's distress. "What have you done?" she whispered, struggling to comprehend the scene unfolding before her.

Alone and overwhelmed, Tasmina grappled with the weight of the situation.

Tasmina's mother, presently unavailable, had journeyed to the central region to engage in the funeral proceedings for her late husband. The household maids were enjoying their day off, rendering them absent in this critical moment. The only available assistance lay in the form of the security man.

Feeling a growing sense of urgency, Tasmina contemplated rushing outside to seek help. However, her intentions were abruptly halted by the commanding voice of her brother.

"Get out, and you'll end up like her," Thomas calmly declared, his ominous tone echoing through the room, leaving Tasmina frozen in fear.

"Why are you doing this?" Tasmina whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and confusion. Thomas, unmoved by her plea, simply laughed, casting an eerie atmosphere in the room.

"I can't even recognize you anymore. Who have you become?" Tasmina questioned, her voice shaky as she audibly inhaled and exhaled. The transformation in her brother bewildered and frightened her.

In the midst of this unsettling exchange, the doorbell rang, interrupting the ominous atmosphere. Thomas, taking a moment to assess the situation, approached the window to identify the unexpected visitors. His eyes fell upon Detective Philip and his companion, prompting an inscrutable expression on his face.

Turning back to his frightened sister, Thomas issued a chilling command, "Help me put her in the refrigerator in the kitchen."

"What?" Tasmina gasped in shock, unable to comprehend the horrifying request. The gravity of the situation sank in, leaving her paralyzed with disbelief.

"Now, or…" Thomas trailed off, delivering a menacing look that left no room for hesitation. Tasmina, overwhelmed by the fear of her brother's unpredictable actions, reluctantly complied, her eyes welling up with tears as she assisted in moving her sister's lifeless body.

In a hurried frenzy, the two siblings carried the lifeless body to the expansive fridge in the kitchen. Thomas, aware of the need for discretion, instructed Tasmina to check on the visitors, cautioning her against revealing anything that might arouse suspicion.

"You should go and check on them. Taking too long to open the door will raise suspicions, and I dare you – if you let slip a word, you're dead," Thomas warned with a chilling intensity. Tasmina, nodding in trepidation, quickly moved to attend to the visitors, leaving her brother to his macabre task.

As Thomas opened the fridge to place Victoria's seemingly lifeless body inside, an unexpected revelation unfolded. Vicky, against the odds, exhibited signs of life. Her eyes fluttered open, the realization of her dire circumstances flooding back. In a desperate attempt to escape, she prepared to scream, only for Thomas to swiftly place her on the ground.

With alarming efficiency, he grabbed a mortar and delivered a forceful blow to Vicky's head, causing blood to ooze from the wound. She fell silent once more, rendered unconscious by the brutal act. Hurriedly, Thomas placed his sister in the refrigerator, sealing it shut.

With the arrival of the visitors imminent, Thomas swiftly took a duster to meticulously clean any traces of blood left on the kitchen floor. Ensuring he appeared untainted, he quietly exited the kitchen, seamlessly joining the unsuspecting visitors.