Page 8 of The Lost Kings
Her words were like shards of ice being tossed at my chest. Memories of when I had found out clouded my mind, making me nervous about what would happen to her. This was a major breach if she truly did see something she wasn’t supposed to.
“Carter, what did you see?”
She was already relaxing with her head on a cushion and her eyes closed, but before she fell asleep, she muttered something that had Alex shooting up from her seat and running to find Scotty. As for me, it sent a cold chill down my spine as a memory surfaced.
“The Joker.”
Chapter 4
Presley
AGE 8
Iloved Halloween.
It was the only time we could go into town without using fake names or keeping our faces low. When I had asked once about why we did that, my mom had hugged me really tight and said we were just being cautious.
I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but my family was cautious anytime we were in public. They were careful when it came to me going to school, or even attending sporting events that my cousin Carter played. She had so much more freedom than I did, or even the twins and Alex.
But on Halloween, everyone dressed up. Even the parents.
We went into town and into all the neighborhoods, just like all the other kids, and we got to trick-or-treat. My mom and dad went as Harley Quinn and The Joker. I wasn’t sure why but the twins’ dad, Juan, got really mad at them for it. Kept telling them they were being reckless, but I wasn’t sure why.
I was dressed like Kora, one of my favorite Avatar characters, and the twins dressed like Minecraft characters. One was a zombie andthe other was a villager. Carter was dressed like a baseball player, just like her parents. Dad said his older brother, Decker played baseball in college, so when he and aunt Mallory decided to dress up, it was supposed to be funny.
I hadn’t had so much fun in such a long time, and I didn’t want it to end. Red leaves crunched under my feet as I ran down sidewalks, knowing other kids were living the same life I was. For one night, we weren’t any different, and I wasn’t this bird caged in a manor, without friends except for the ones that lived under the same roof.
For one night, I was completely free. I didn’t even mind that the twins and Alex had left early. Carter and I kept inspecting each other’s candy buckets, while our parents walked behind us. Every now and then aunt Mallory would play with Carter’s hair and I would get mesmerized by how similar they looked with reddish brown hair and the same smile.
I looked back seeing Dad had his arm over Mom’s shoulder and she kept laughing into his neck. Scotty walked behind them, dressed like Alfred from Batman. It had been my idea and I knew he’d only done it to see me smile. “Can we go get ice cream?” I called from over my shoulder.
My dad’s laugh was the one he used with only me and Mom. I once heard Scotty say that my dad diced up versions of himself and handed them out to different people, depending on what they needed from him. I once asked him what my dad gave to me, and Scotty had pulled me into his arms and promised me that my dad only ever gave us the truest version of himself, or whatever was left of it. I didn’t know what that meant, but it made me grateful for the times I saw him smile and laugh with us, knowing he didn’t do that with anyone else.
“All this candy isn’t enough for you?”
“No!” Carter yelled back and uncle Decker snagged her bucket from her in response.
“Carter Marie, your bucket is completely full.” His laughreminded me of my dad’s. They looked similar but Uncle Decker had darker hair and he was taller. Aunt Mallory hedged closer to see inside the bucket and then let out a sigh.
“We should actually get back. I have an early call in the morning and then we have to get back to New York.”
I glanced over at my cousin, seeing her eyes drop to the ground. Sometimes I wished she could live in the manor with me, like the twins did. Even in their own wing, at least I’d see her more often than I did with her parents always going back to New York. Anytime I got sad about it, my mom would remind me that they were doing important things that helped people. I waved to my cousin as she walked off with her parents and tried not to feel sad over the loneliness.
Red leaves swirled around my ankles as the wind picked up and I smiled, almost feeling like it was a hug. Nature always seemed to find a way to remind me I wasn’t entirely alone, even if I felt like it.
“You still want some ice cream, Kiddo?” My dad called to me.
A black car sped past us, but I didn’t pay attention to it as I turned around with a smile, about to explain that I thought Ice Cream would be a great idea, but my dad had stopped walking.
“Dad?”
It was as if time stood still and completely froze in place.
“DOWN!” Scotty shouted and lunged for me right as my dad fell and red began ruining his white shirt. My uncle’s arm came up and covered my eyes, but I felt his other arm extend out, and then more shots rang out.
Tears streamed down my face as I screamed for my dad. I wanted to see him, but Scotty completely blocked my vision. I heard my mom screaming too, and then there were people running toward us, their voices washing out the echoes in my head.
“Call an ambulance!”
