Page 32 of Clouded by Envy

Dread filled Brenik’s chest, and he swallowed slowly. “Can I help you?” Brenik asked, his voice sounding ever so calm.

“We just wanted to inform you that the man who lives at cabin twenty-five was shot down earlier this evening.”

Brenik’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Shot?”

“Yes. We are investigating the incident and need to know if you’ve seen or heard anything strange going on.”

Brenik thought about it for a moment, but he hadn’t heard anything. “No, I was just over there a few days ago, watching a football game. Everything seemed fine.”

“Okay. Well, thank you for your time, Mr.?”

“Schwartz.” That was the first name he could think of.

“Mr. Schwartz, I can’t discuss the case, but there have been reports on the news. Have a good evening.” The officer turned around and walked back in the direction of Jeremy’s.

Brenik shut the door and headed straight for the TV, flipping it to a station that had local news. The damn antenna wasn’t working right, so he swiveled the long metal rod back and forth, until he found the sound coming out clear.

“A man was gunned down earlier tonight after he tried to attack a civilian. It is unknown as to what caused him to spiral out of control, but an autopsy is going to be performed. Police have been baffled by the lack of blood surrounding the gunshot wound. The case is still under investigation.”

What?Jeremey’s body wasn’t found in his home? He was dead when Brenik had left the house. Sinking down into the sofa, Brenik ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t know what to think.

12

Bray

“Bray, can ya go outside and pick some peaches from the tree? I want to make a peach pie for you two,” Ruth called from the kitchen to Bray, who was seated in the living room.

Bray and Brenik were sitting on the table playing checkers. Brenik was in the process of shoving a black checker forward. “Sure, Ruth!” Bray hollered back.

Lifting her head to Brenik, she asked, “Do you want to help me?”

“What else do I have to do?” he responded with a moody grunt.

Bray cocked her head to the side, folding her arms across her chest. “I suppose you can play checkers for the both of us while I am outside.”

Brenik shot her a glare and then smiled. “I do want the peach pie as soon as possible and not have you poke around out there.”

“Whatever,” Bray said. She transformed, and Brenik landed on her shoulder.

“You do not understand how much I wish I could transform, too.” He sighed. But she did. For years, she had snuck off to the Stone of Desire, begging it to give the gift to Brenik or let them both have it. Every single time she had failed to rouse the Stone awake to answer her.

At times, Bray was afraid they had imagined everything. Maybe they were really born on Earth and had never met with the Stone of Desire. She knew better than that, though.

Brenik flicked her human-sized ear with his tiny fingers, and she swatted him away. He took off for the tree as she grabbed the wicker basket from the back porch.

“Ready, little brother?” She hadn’t called him that in a while, but today was a great day.

Chuckling, he zoomed up to the tree, and she stopped at the base of it.

“Ready!” he shouted down, pushing with all his strength against a peach until it plummeted. Lunging forward, Bray caught the fruit and set it into the basket.

“Again.” Bray looked up in between the trees to see where he was, but she couldn’t find him. A pink and orange peach dropped in front of her, and she sprinted forward, catching it and placing her prize into the basket.

“That was a good one.” She grinned. “I didn’t even see it coming.”

They did this several times. Even though they were older now, games still consumed their day—and probably always would.

After the basket was filled to the brim, they headed back inside. Bray set the fruit in between the pie pan and the other ingredients that were sprawled out on the counter.

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