The Whispers

Chapter 4

Skylar rushed into her house, panting heavily. She saw Rodney and Maria sitting on the couch, cuddled up and watching the El Poyèchaco News, which was blaring on their old, ratty TV. They lived in the poor part of town. The street they lived on, Longfield Avenue, and the streets surrounding it were mostly empty except for old, rickety houses lining each side. Skylar turned back to look out of the door, but she couldn't see Tristan, or what he had been looking at. She decided instead to watch the news with her siblings.

She was about to sit down when she heard a yell of absolute joy coming from next door. She groaned wearily. New neighbors had moved in next door, the Del Pozos, and they were LOUD. There was a father, a mother, and two daughters who Skylar knew by name. Marcela and Renata. Two little girls who were so sweet, and then they weren't.

Just yesterday, they had snuck a bagful of rats into Maria's room and dresser. Maria wouldn't go into her room for a week after that, even if their mother tried to force her in. Skylar hated them, but their parents wouldn't let them lay a finger on them. Mr. Del Pozo would say, "Marcela is an angel! She has done nothing wrong!", even when he clearly saw her trying to dump lighter fluid all over Rodney and light it. Mrs. Del Pozo wanted her children to be punished sometimes, Skylar could see, but she was a plump, shy woman, and couldn't bring herself to do anything drastic.

Soon, it was evening. The Goodwins had mac' and cheese for dinner and Rodney spilled his on purpose. He laughed loudly and said, "Well, that was a cheesy aftermath!" Maria leaned back in her chair, groaned loudly, and sighed, "Rodney, for once, can't you please stop with the puns!?" Skylar saw Rodney smirk as she trudged upstairs to bed.