Up to Me: Bandersnatch

4

"Okay. But you can't tell anyone, Stefan." I look straight into his eyes.
"Okay, promise." He nods.
I take a deep breath.

"When I was younger, my brother Anwir and I were super close. He's much older than me, but we were best friends.
"Anyway, when I was ten my best friend, Jenny, had this sleepover party at her house. There were seven of us invited and we did the usual sleepover things: painted our nails, makeovers, baked cookies, whatever. Jenny lived on this old farm that had an abandoned cabin in the back and we thought that it would be really fun to tidy it up and spend the night in there instead of the main house. So we did. We brought all the sleeping bags in there and spent the night. In the middle of the night, we woke up super cold and saw that it was snowing outside, but instead of going in to the main house, we just stayed in the cabin and huddled closer."
I pause to see if Stefan's still listening. He is.
"The next day, we were all playing hide-and-seek in the cabin. I hid under the sink. I waited forever before finally giving up. When I got out, none of my friends were I the cabin. I went outside to find the main house but after hours of walking, I was completely lost in all the white snow. I went back to the cabin, hoping someone will find me. I stayed there for two days. My lips, fingertips and toes were completely blue. But that's not the worst part." I sigh, scared of what his reaction will be.
"I was starving and really thirsty. When I looked in the fridge though, there was nothing there except- except for a black bag the size of the whole refrigerator. I unzipped it and... it was Anwir. It was my brother, frozen in the bag."
Stefan's mouth is open in shock.
"Are you sure?" He asks.
"Of course I'm sure!" I snap.
"Well, what happened next?"
"I- I ate his hand."
"You what?" Stefan leaned forward and stared at me.
"All I remember is that i was hungry and suddenly, as if someone else had moved my body, I was eating his hand! I was being forced- I didn't have a choice." I have never said that out loud to anyone. I don't even know why I'm telling Stefan. I barely know him!

"Finally, i heard a knock on the cabin door and Anwir walked in, except that it wasn't him, but everyone thinks it's him and he hangs out at my house and stuff, but it's not my brother!" I whisper.
"I'm so confused." Stefan furrows his eyebrows.

"I- I think that- I think my brother was murdered and someone is trying to cover it up."

"Hm." Was all Stefan says when I finish.
"What? I promise I'm telling you the truth!"
"Come with me, I want to show you something."

He gets up abruptly and takes my hand, pulling me to my feet.
.
.
.
*go to chapter 6*