Collins.

5.

*William: 11

Malo: 6* 

William sat in the mans living room, some man named Henry McAllan while their father talked to the older man. William looking over at Malo who was clutching onto his stuffed bear toffee tightly as he slept on the couch. 

William got up off the couch and started to wander around the house, it was large. Larger than any house William had ever seen and he headed up the oak stairs slowly, the rug covered floor creaking under his weight as he headed into one of the rooms. 

There where books. Hundreds upon hundreds of books. Some looked old while others looked brand new, some didn't even look like books with no cover and just stitching holding them together. Papers where organized around the tables in the room and there was a large map on the wall, walking over, William squinted at one of the notes pinned to the board. 

"Gretchen Wilder, Wendigo" 

"Wendigo?" William whispered to himself and he heard a voice speak from the door, 

"Found my hidey hole did ya?" 

William spun around and saw Henry at the door, his thin and birdlike frame filling the doorway. The mans sunken eyes where staring at him intensely and William nodded, 

"Yea...I'm sorry I just-" 

"wandered up here, curiosity killed the cat y'know" Henry said as he stepped into the room and went over to the board, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared at it and William remembered something Malo had said when one of his teachers had scolded him for taking books home and saying that exact line.

"But satisfaction brought it back" William said and Henry's lips spread into a grin, looking down at the boy, 

"You're a sharp one" Henry mused, "And David can't keep ya in the dark forever...especially if he wants y'all to live...I'll have a chat with your father" 

Henry walked off again, leaving William in the room with all those books, carefully slipping a small one into his pocket before he left as well.

~~~~~~~

"Alright kid look at me" 

William looked up at his father. Shoulders squared, chin up, eyes meeting Davids, fists at his sides and David nodded, 

"Good, now, Henry tells me you went upstairs without permission and found a room" 

"Sorry sir" 

"Don't talk unless I say" David snapped and Williams mouth fell shut, David nodded and continued, 

"Well he said you seem to have an interest in what's up there, do you?" 

"yes sir" 

"One hundred percent"

"Yes sir" 

David turned up his nose, getting up and slowly circling his son, nodding every so often. 

"tall, broad for your age...pretty lanky but we'll wait a few years" David mused before he nodded again, "Alright, you're my hunting partner" 

"Hunting partner sir?" 

Davids eyes glinted, "Hunting, I know you know what hunting is boy" 

"...Like...Like deers n stuff?" 

"Close" David whispered, "we'd be hunting supernatural beings, y'know like the stories the preacher tells? Bout demons and angels and evil?"

"Yes Sir..." 

"well that evil exists, it needs to be scourged, destroyed before it can destroy us. Now you're gonna join the fight alright boy?" 

".....yes sir" William whispered and David looked to the door of the motel, 

"Maybe your brother-" 

"NO" William shouted, "please, please don't tell Malo, I'll do whatever you want, I'll obey every order just please don't tell him" he begged and David raised an eyebrow before he rolled his eyes and scoffed. 

"Fine, but don't come crying when his innocence and ignorance gets him killed" David said and then pointed to the car, "get in, you have a lot of practice to do" 

William hesitated before climbing into the car, David got in after him and started it up, the pair driving off to the forest while William prayed Malo would be safe alone. 

~~~One year later~~~

William's lungs burned, his legs felt like they would give out at any second and sweat soaked his shirt. 

He was twelve, Malo almost seven and Williams voice was just beginning to break, he was starting to grow a bit more and his form was filling out broader, more powerful. 

The cuts on his back stung, his eye was starting to bruise from the previous night. He had gotten a few good hits in on David however and the man had a bruise on his forehead, William smirked at seeing it. 

"Cut down by a minute" David said and whistled, "not bad kid, take a break" 

William stumbled over to the car and got in, Malo wrinkling his nose, 

"You smell funny" 

"I was running and shooting Mal" William said and Malo frowned, 

"I don't like the guns Will...they're loud and scary" 

"Sorry bud..." William said and wrapped an arm around Malo who just scrunched his nose again but leaned into his brother, "next time we'll leave ya at the motel, you can listen to the radio with toffee" 

"It gets boring though Will" Malo complained, "they always talk about bad stuff on the radio and boring stuff too!" 

William bit his lip, "Well....I'll find you some books, hows that?" 

Malo perked and nodded, "I like books, can you find me some on neurological science?" 

"What" 

"Brain stuff Will" Malo said with a giggle and Williams cheeks burned red, "right right my bad, I knew that" 

Malo giggled and yawned, leaning into William who smiled and rubbed his shoulder, "Just a lil longer bud...then we'll get home, eat and you can sleep" 

Malo smiled sleepily up at William before they both winced, David calling for William who kissed his brothers temple before leaving the car back to where his father was waiting with a shotgun. 

"You baby that boy" David sneered and William narrowed his eyes, grabbing the gun from his fathers hands, "And you're forcing him to grow up too quickly" he snarled and David shook his head, 

"Just shoot" 

William looked around the space, seeing a deer, he understood what his father meant. 

Holding up the gun, William aimed, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.