"Why would I care if your tiny mirror piece is missing?" Kirby said as he sank down on Ray's bed. "Is that why you called me here?"
Ray's lips pulled together tightly. "Stop being so cynical. It just vanished…"
"What do you want me to do about it?"
He threw his hands up in frustration. "You're no use! This is why we need Sarah."
Kirby swatted his forehead. "Go ahead and call her. She'd come running by almost midnight!"
Ray sank down beside his best friend. "You were the only one I could call."
His friend's eyes softened.
"Alright. Where last did you see your precious fragment?"
He ignored the tone Kirby used. "It was in my bag… at Sarah's place."
"Uh-huh. You should go back there."
Ray rolled his eyes. "Do you happen to have any spare keys?"
Kirby's brow quirked. "Of course I don't!" Then, he rubbed his face. "Man, I want to sleep so bad. Can't you look for it tomorrow. My mom might get worried."
"Then, sleep here."
Kirby's eyes widened. "My teddy is still at home and you don't have my favourite midnight snack."
Ray choked back his laughter. Kirby always obsessed over Mr. Kuncha, his huge stuffed skunk.
"And what's that?" He decided to humour him.
"Chocolate chips and icecream."
A small laugh escaped despite his efforts.
"I though your mom cut the sugar. You know you have diabetic tendencies, right?"
Kirby groaned.
"That's why it's called a midnight snack. And… stop sounding like my mother. You're way too young."
Ray smirked. Sometimes he felt as old as his dad.
"We don't have chocolate chips, neithet do we have icecream-"
Kirby groaned louder. "I'm leaving."
He held him back with a gentle tug. "I didn't finish - but we have yoghurt and banana and old muffins."
His friend wrinkled his nose at the mention of the muffins.
"How do you people survive in this house! You're literally a zombie!"
He ran a hand through his hair. He was running out of ideas.
The window rattled. Both of them stilled.
Ray's gaze drifted to the overhead bulb. It flickered. Once. Then, again.
Kirby slowly sat up, resting his palms on his thighs.
Ray inched closer to the window. Just as he was about to peer down, something hit the window again.
It rattled louder than before. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kirby inching away.
"Someone's down there." He whispered loud enough for Kirby to hear.
He couldn't see who it was, but the security lights betrayed the person's shadow.
Turning, he rushed for the door.
"Where are you going? For God's sake, Ray! It's the middle of the night!"
He kept dashing down the hallway, tiptoeing when he reached his father's door.
"Shush." He beckoned Kirby with a finger on his lips.
"What if it's one of them - your look-alike? What'd you do?"
Ray stopped then. His senses seemed to return all at once.
"You're right, Kirby. For once in my life you have a point… it could be them."
Something creaked. The sound was coming from the back of the house.
"Wake your dad, man. We need an adult here with us."
His brows arched. "Are we five year olds?"
"Your mom wasn't and yet she's dead."
Ray's eyes went blank.
Kirby flushed instantly, blinking furiously as he realized his mistake. "I didn't mean it like that, bro. I just meant that it'd be a lot safer if we just-"
His lips trembled slightly but he remained silent.
Then, he went down the stairs, taking it two at a time.
He knew Kirby hadn't mean it to hurt him, but it did. It was a reminder that his mother would've survived if he hadn't hit her with the bat.
She wouldn't have died. But she did.
He shoved his fisted hands into his pockets.
Bare feet slapped along the stairs behind him. He rolled his eyes.
Guess who decided to come anyways.
It could be a cat, who knew.
Ray took the kitchen path, not only because it was shorter, but because there were plenty knives he could take.
"Even if you're angry with me-"
"I'm not."
A long sigh. "Still, I don't want you to go out there."
He slid one out of the rack and gripped it firmly.
"What are you going to do with that?" Kirby asked, feeling along the wall for a light switch.
Another creak.
Ray covered Kirby's mouth with his palm.
"No lights."
What would Sarah do? He kept asking himself.
Breeze blew through the tanslucent flowery curtains. Faint moonlight shone through, making the steel in his hands glimmer prettily.
Something moved past the window. Not fast.
They both heard a soft grunt. They exchanged glances.
Kirby laid a hand on the knob and turned it. It took forever before the door cracked open. Yet, it was enough time for both their adrenalines to spike up.
When they opened the door, nothing. Just the howling wind and rustling leaves.
"We're losing it." Kirby broke the silence.
Ray wasn't comvinced. He knew what he heard.
He stepped out into the cool night air - although he barely noticed it.
A familiar perfume mingled with the air. Kirby was content to remain by the pool. The security lights at the back were not functioning, leaving him to rely on the greedy light the half moon bestowed.
The pool glowed, as still as the dead.
He looked up at the wall.
Ray's breath caught.
"What is it?" Kirby asked, sounding as if he'd fly at the mention of a threat.
He said nothing.
There was a bloody handprint on the wall. It still dripped… which meant it was fresh.
The peach tree rustled as the wind shook it, shedding a fresh set of leaves to decorate the floor.
"Ray." The voice was faint, almost inaudible.
He glanced back at Kirby - he hadn't heard it.
Slowly, he inched forward, clutching his knife tighter.
"Who's there?"
Silence.
As he approached, he saw a booted leg poking out. The body appeared to be hidden behind the large tree.
He gulped. Even his footsteps felt too loud.
The person emerged. Ray swung his knife down at the intruder, halting the blade seconds away from the person's face.
He could not believe his eyes.
The blade fell out of his limp hands, clattering on the cemented ground.
The hair was streaked with dirt, nearly unrecognizable. The clothes were stained with blood. Bloody hands clutched a bleeding abdomen as a whimper escaped.
"Who is that?" Kirby called out.
He sank to his knees beside the person, completely ignoring Kirby.
"Sarah?"