Brothers 3

Prologue

The bushes were thick enough to hide the family who crouched there. Richard Morris' head just crowned above the leaves but not enough for you to see unless you knew he was there. He wore a new black trench coat and blue shirt. His hair was brown like that of all three of his sons and he had blue shimmering eyes. The sky was rose petals on water and the sun would soon be gone to bed. The trees around them were shapes with limps. Few people were out and about now, just those camping. A river chattered to itself and birds shouted.

"You had better catch this one." Richard growled to James. James shuffled excitedly on stumpy legs. His head only reached his fathers waist and his hands were still soft enough to be stung by the spikes on the branches. His hair was brown candy floss and his eyes brown. He wore a shirt and trousers dirty from play.

"He won't get it," his brother Edmund mocked while sticking his tongue out at James. "He's too tiny." Edmund held out his hand to show the miniature height of his brother. Then he shook his pale brown hair out of his face only for the wind to return it there a second later.

"You're not much taller." This voice was the one of reason. Robert, as the oldest of the three, was the neutral party who pointed out these kinds of obvious details. He stood calmly back a bit from the bush, having caught his share today. His hands were in his jacket pockets and his slowly broadening shoulders were slack. His dark hair was tidy and his shirt was tucked into his trousers.

"Shh" Richard scolded his children. "He will get it this time." That voice didn't sound encouraging but like a threat. It was a voice that James had heard before, so he wasn't scared by it. It made him determined.

James made himself smaller by bending his knees. Later, Edmund would point out that he looked like he was doing a squat not hunting. James narrowed his eyes. He had seen his dad do it all the time, but his vision only went blurry as his long eyelashes got in the way. The gazes of the others tiptoed along his back. He felt the usual nerves coming onto him. The nerves that meant he would fall out of the bush and scare off the prey. The nerves that meant once again Edmund would call him a scavenger as he picked food from the other catches. He could hear the teasing already

"Like a baby bird needing food spit into his mouth. Just like a baby".

That was the moment when Robert started to hum. The prey couldn't hear it, the sound was too low and only the family caught the tune. James knew it well. It made him feel better and his eyes relaxed into a comfortable squint.

"Robert!" their father hissed. The song stopped.

"I'm gonna be old as dad when he finally goes for it." Edmund moaned. His father gave him the dagger look and he shut up.

This was it, the prey moved closer, shuffling along the forest floor and wreaking havoc on the leaves as it went. James felt ready, he knew this was the time when he would catch one. He bounced out of the hedge and flew at his prey like a jaguar.

Or rather like a kitten. He didn't jump far enough and landed on the nearest twig (he broke that at least). The human jumped with fright and looked around at the invader. Her eyes swam with questions but when she focused fully on the now stumbling child, she giggled in a light way and tossed her bottle blonde locks.

Crunching across the leaves, she tried to help him up. "You okay buddy?"

She reached for James, arm outstretched and crouched a bit to the ground. Richard shot out of the hedge and hit her like a hurricane. Bones snapped and cracked. She screamed as she went down. James covered his ears at the sound. Edmund cheered and whooped. Robert walked out and helped his baby brother off the forest floor.

"It's over." he said and James removed his hands from his ears.

"Woohooo. That was awesome brother, really it was." Edmund hopped over the branches, staggering on the last one. "Kill them with cuteness. I like it."

James dropped his head and tried not to let the tears bubble up. Robert put an arm around him and squeezed his shoulder. James offered a weak smile.

By now, Richard had finished with the girl and stood to his full height of over six foot. He stared down on the child and spat a lump of gooey skin from between his fangs.

"Don't baby him Robert. He is a vampire and we hunt." Richard shook his head and picked up the body of the girl. "Lets go home. He can have some of Robert's catch."

They all started to walk with Edmund dancing and singing along the way.

"Oh, James he's so cute

He'll never fit in daddy's suit

He'll charm with his baby eyes

And hope their heart bursts and the human dies"

Edmund had put a lot of effort into this particular rhyme. James hated it. He looked at the back of his fathers form and trailed his eyes up it. Richard looked like a skyscraper.

"I'm sorry." James muttered to Robert as they walked at the back.

"That's okay. I don't mind sharing." Robert was much taller than James and had to wait for him every two or three steps.

James sighed and let his arms swing by his sides like they weighted a million tonnes.

Robert looked sideways at him. "Cheer up," he nudged him with his elbow. "Eddie didn't catch his first one for a while either. in fact, I think you're doing better than he did."

James smiled and took Roberts hand. "I am?"

"Oh yea. But don't tell him I told you". Robert squeezed the hand James had given him. James stuck his tongue out at Edmunds back.