The Killers Next Door

I

"A family that slays together, stays together." Beatrice said looking at her two sons, "Don't you ever forget that."

"Yes mom," they said in unison.

"It's that time of the year, I want a body from each of you hanging on the hook in the basement."

"Yes mom," Ash said alone, he turned to look at his older brother who had remained silent.

Beatrice grabbed her son by the chin and tilted his head so he would look at her in the eye. "Did you hear me Jason?" Beatrice asked, her hand held tight on Jase's chin.

"Yes mom," he finally said before returning his gaze back to the ground as soon as his mother let go of his chin.

"Ash, bring as many as you want," their father said, "I know you will."

Ash nodded with a grin on his face. The boy was only seven, yet he had already killed more people than his sixteen-year-old brother.

"Just like you taught me, Phil," Ash said as he took out a throwing knife. He threw the knife at a dart board across the room.

"Bullseye," Phil said whilst picking his son up, "you remind me of me when I was your age."

"I still got it," Ash said.

"Yes you do son," he said whilst putting him down, "and you Jase? Show me what you've got."

"Here," Ash said giving Jason a throwing knife. Ash knew his brother didn't walk around carrying his knives.

Jason took a deep breath. He looked at his mom. He looked at his dad and little brother, then he looked at the dartboard. He dropped his gaze to look at the knife in hand. "I can't do it," Jase.

"Come on Jase, I know you can," Beatrice said looking at her son with a smile.

"I can't, I can't live like this anymore. Slaying might be in my blood, but it is not in my heart," Jase said. He threw his knife at the darts board without even looking. The knife landed straight in the middle, a bullseye. Jase walked towards the stairs, he ran up the stairs going to the room he shared with his little brother.

Phil smiled to himself as Beatrice watched Jase run up the stairs. The knives that were thrown were still on the dartboard as Phil pointed, "Those are our boys, I can't help but be proud of them."

"Jason could be trouble, especially if he doesn't like what he is doing," Beatrice said.

"Relax," Phil said, "you worry yourself way too much."

"I'll be right back down," Ash said as he paced up the stairs. He entered the room he shared with his brother and found him sitting on a table near the window.

"You know mom and dad are worried about you, right?" Ash asked as he looked at his brother.

Jase remained silent.

"Most people out there don't like their jobs, but they never miss a day at work."

Jase looked out the window, his brother's words still fresh in his ears. What his mother always said still bouncing around the walls of his head.

A family that slays together, stays together.

"I didn't say I wasn't taking part this year, I just said I didn't like it." Jase says looking at his brother with a smile.

His brother ran and hurled himself at his brother, his arms circled around his waist as his head rested on his chest. Jase tousled with his brother's hair before he let go.