Prologue

My brother is a psychopath but no one believes me. He says he's not a psychopath but a sociopath. I fear he's right. He's also not my real brother but he doesn't say that. He doesn't like me saying that either. I used to say it when we were children but he used to pull my hair any pinch me till I stopped. But he doesn't lie to me strangely so I know he's saying the truth.

Mom used to say I should be nicer to him. He was my brother now. But she didn't know him. Not really. No one did.But it didn't matter what I said. Nobody would believe me. Not mum. Not dad. Not even my friends. I suppose my brother did fool them well, though. I can hardly blame them. When he was first presented to me, I thought, ah, my brother! It's my brother! I had been delighted. I had only seen his warm eyes and kind face. Of course, it took a while before his mouth twisted into a frown and his eyes were filled with hatred. In the beginning, I was just happy to have gotten a brother. Unlike others, I was told we were special. You see, Reina, your brother wasn't born from your mother. But he is a gift, nonetheless.

Of course, I was a kid, so I didn't understand what it meant. All I thought about was the very many games we'd play, how I'd show him off to all my new friends and use him to keep the bullies at bay. But alas, how foolish was I! I realized I was very mistaken when I asked my brother to play with me and he pulled my hair until I promised to leave him alone. Father had been at work and Mother had gone to do groceries, so we were alone without any witnesses. He told me as much.

'Leave me alone and don't come my way,' he warned me before retreating into a corner with his books. And I had never again gone his way again. Although Mum and Dad often scolded me for not playing with him, I refused to budge. In the end, they gave up and soon Mom fell sick and then Dad...Well, things took a turn for the worse and here I am. Alone. Well, I have my brother.

We don't talk. Strangely, my brother had been as upset with our parents' passing as I had been. Maybe it is not so strange. Maybe he loved them, and he just didn't—doesn't love me. He locks himself in his room all day and I lock myself in mine. I don't know why he's so upset. They got to see him graduate high school. They won't be there to see my graduation which is in...I look at the calendar to check...two days. I wasn't sure if I was going to go. Laney, Sarsha and Miu insisted that I come and break my three-month mourning period where I'd been buried under my sheets.

But my brother hasn't said a thing. Mum and Dad had taken us out to dinner at the fancy Rimz hotel when he graduated. I think I'd seen my brother even smile a genuine smile for the first time in my life that day. But we had yet to talk about what we'd do for my graduation night. If anything. The thought saddened me and made me want to be in my bed forever. I was about to text Miu that I won't be able to make it to the graduation party tomorrow when I heard a strange noise coming from outside. I peek out of the blankets I was buried in and wondered if it was coming from my brother's room. Was he even home? When did he get home? It was difficult to keep a track of his comings and goings.

He'd moved out shortly after graduating high school to go to the Zarya University, only the best in the country. We would go without seeing him for months. I was most at peace then, wasn't I? But after our parents died, he'd quietly moved back home. Without even asking me. If it were up to me, I'd prefer him out of the house, and we'd live like strangers. But seeing as I was not in the mood to start a fight about him moving back home into his own house, I thought the next best course of action was to live like ghosts. And we'd succeeded. For the past three months we barely looked at each other and barely spoke. I found the arrangement to be perfect, Until now. The noise. What the hell was that banging sound? And did I want to find out? I gulped as I got down from my bed. I waited at the door of my room, hoping the sound would stop by some miracle but it didn't. Geez. Was he okay? Was he dying? Was someone else? Did I care? Did I want to know? Myriad thoughts ran through my head. I decided to check it out. Now or never, I thought as I made my way down the hallway.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

I put my hand around the door knob and turn it. When the door gives easily at my touch, I am shocked by the sight that greets me. I should've just stuck to staying in bed, was my last thought as I fall to the floor, my eyes rolling in their sockets.