Child • Jøshler

chapter three

Trigger warning: blood, murder

"Mama! Papa!"

"Tyler!" Mr and Mrs Joseph ran out of the house "Thank goodness! We were so worried! You were out longer than usual!"

"I met a fren" Tyler explained. He held Jenna's hand tightly as they stepped into the light.

Tyler's parents didn't know where he goes every night; their six year old son. They cried for hours on the first night, but he kept coming back so they didn't want to stop him.

"Oh, Tyler" Mrs Joseph bit onto her bottom lip "You can't take girls home with you. Her parents must be worried sick. You have to return her"

"Her parents are dead" Tyler said coldly, walking past his parents and into the house.

"Hello" Jenna whispered.

The Josephs stayed outside, whispering their argument.

"Hold on tight, yeah?" Tyler whispered, placing Jenna's hands around his waist. She nodded.

He ran upstairs to his room. It took a single second to reach it. The two now lied on Tyler's semi-big bed. He was calm as ever, watching her as she giggled.

A year ago, his parents turned Jay's bedroom into his and added a bed to Madison's room for Jay. Thus, Tyler had his own room.

"You're a vampire" she giggled.

Tyler smiled widely.

...

"We can't play tag! You're always going to win!"

Tyler laughed at the words from the top of the family tree in the garden.

Jenna's been living with them for a week now and it's been pretty awkward. Mr and Mrs Joseph didn't feel comfortable with taking care of somebody else's child. But they saw the admiration in Tyler's eyes as he watched her speak, eat, laugh or do anything in general.

Thus they let her stay.

She spent most of the time in Tyler's room with Tyler anyways.

Tyler jumped back onto the ground, arriving straightly to hug Jenna. She giggled.

She always seemed to giggle when he'd use his powers.

While still hugging her, Tyler threw himself onto the ground, careful not to hurt her. They lied in the flower-filled grass.

She leaned closer to kiss his cheek and poked one of his fangs with her small finger. He grinned widely and just looked at her.

He really, really, really liked her.

But not everybody liked him.

Of course, Tyler's powers didn't go unnoticed by the neighbors. They all watched terrified every now and then. Finally, they decided to have a neighborhood meeting without the Josephs.

Mr Peters owned a shotgun. That's how they were going to eliminate Tyler.

Some people were against killing the child. All until one of them witnessed Tyler murdering a family of four on a forest road. Tyler bringing Mr and Mrs Black's daughter to the Joseph residence was even more of an inspiration to be okay with killing the youngest Joseph.

It was high noon. Perfect time for a perfect shot.

Mr Peters rose his shotgun. He aimed sharply at Tyler's head underneath the small, blonde girl. Once he was certain he had a clear shot, he gently pressed the trigger.

In the millisecond it took for the bullet to reach Tyler's head, Tyler spun Jenna on the ground, switching their positions; both still giggling.

"No!" Mr Peters screamed.

Tyler's eyes popped. His face covered in Jenna's blood. Jenna's lifeless body lied under him, head blown. There was a huge wound on the side of her fragile head. Blood soaked the white flowers under the children, painting them red.

"Jenna? Jenna?! Jenna!" Tyler shook her, feeling his red eyes fill with tears.

Once he understood Jenna was dead, he cuddled his head into her chest and cried.

His head shot up soon enough and he turned to eye Mr Peters, showing his teeth.

Mr Peters stumbled backwards, cursing and trying to make his way back into his house.

But Tyler was much faster.

Tyler knocked the older man down to the ground, bitting into his neck and draining him of blood faster than he ever did.

Mrs Peters and her two sons screamed from the window, which was a mistake, because Tyler heard them and ran inside to kill them. His fangs sunk in deep into their neck and blood flowed into his system.

He now stood above three lifeless bodies, looking out the window. He couldn't help but notice the rest of the neighborhood staring out their windows.

Were they a part of this too? Were they a part of darkening his little spark of happiness too?

Tyler's small frame filled with anger and saddness. Jenna's body still lied there, across the street from where he stood, on the grass, between the flowers.

Tyler stomped out in human speed. He stood tall in the middle of the street.

The people were pretty alarmed when he threw them threatening gazes.

A small child. So small. A small killing machine.

Somebody would laugh at these horrified families. Somebody who doesn't know.

Tyler went from house to house. He didn't take his time. He couldn't risk somebody ruining away from the death he believed they deserve. He wouldn't even drink all of the blood. All he wanted to do was to kill. To avenge Jenna.

To try in curing his heartbreak.

A six year old child shouldn't suffer from heartbreak, right?

The street stood silent at the end of the day. Only the Josephs lived.

Tyler returned home slowly. All the killing made him tired.

Once home, he kneeled down next to Jenna and just stared at her helpless body. Memories of the past week spinning in his mind.

He only got a single week with her.

Mr and Mrs Joseph returned home, parking their car in the driveway.

"Oh, Tyler-" Mrs Joseph gasped, before Tyler cut her off.

"Look what did. Look at what they did" Tyler sobbed.