CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Not so very great birthday.

Boy woke up to a girl in his face. He jumped and looked at the figure standing at the side of his bed.

"Hey?!" Boy shouted and looked at the girl.

"Good morning silly!" She spoke.

Boy came closer and looked at her.

"Girl..?" He spoke.

Girl waved and patted Boy's head.

"Hi, Big bro." She said,

"I thought you were dead.. But you're here right now! You're alive!"

"No silly! I am dead."

Boy's heart sank, He looked at the girl again. It was definitely his sister.

"How are you here then.."

"I came to remind you and tell you a happy birthday! Love you, Finish the job!"

Just like he just sawn her, she was gone.

"Finish the job..?" He mumbled.

Cosmo knocked on the door,

"Coming in!" He called. He opened the door and skipped over to the bed.

"Who are you talking to? Is Bates in here?" Cosmo said in his sweet voice.

"No, I was talking to myself.." Boy looked at Cosmo then at the doorway. Bates was staring down Cosmo, Boy flinched at the disturbing, Intense eye glare.

"Cosmo.," Bates said in a deep tone. Cosmo jumped and looked at Bates.

"Bates? I thought you were in here."

Boy could almost feel Bates' aura of anger coming from the doorway.

"I haven't been in this room for years," Cosmo spoke looking around.

Bates came in and placed his finger on the shelf and looked at it.

"It's been so long. Dust was built up. But it looks like how we left it."

Cosmo nodded.

"Today's my birthday." Boy said.

"Today?" Cosmo said jumping up.

"On the XX day on the XX month? Really?" Cosmo looked at Boy.

"Wow David! How old are you now?"

Bates looked at Cosmo and let out a sigh.

"That's rude Cosmo," Bates said.

"How?" Cosmo looked at Bates.

Cosmo grabbed Boy's hands and held them close.

"We're going to throw an awesome Birthday party for you!"

"Really?" Boy said.

"We are," Bates added.

"Well of course, And isn't that rude Bates?" Cosmo smiled and led Boy out of the room leaving Bates to follow behind.

"Mom! It's David's birthday today!"

Jane turned towards Boy and smiled her big smile.

"It is? Would you like a cake?"

Boy smiled and looked at Cosmo and Bates.

"That would be cool.. I never celebrated my birthday like this, I wish my sister could see this." Boy spoke softly.

Jane frowned but quickly smiled again.

"How old are you today?"

Boy looked at the floor and thought.

"I'm thirteen."

Cosmo gasped and Bates looked at Boy confused.

"We're Thirteen too!" Cosmo said jumping up and down.

Jane laughed.

Bates was staring at Boy.

"Unbelievable.." Bates mumbled. He walked away.

Boy watched Bates stomped down the stairs.

Jane looked unsettled. Boy studied Jane's face quietly, Cosmo being still and saying nothing.

"Mrs. Williams, we don't have to celebrate my birthday." Boy looked at Cosmo who was frowning.

"Why not David? You're finally a teenager." Cosmo shook Boy to convince him to take back his words.

"I wouldn't have remembered unless Girl showed up in front of me.."

Cosmo and Jane looked at Boy confused.

"Girl?" Cosmo asked.

"Charlotte I mean, sorry for the misunderstanding.." Boy panicked.

"It's okay dear, It must have been a.. Uh.. Little nickname?" Jane said hesitantly.

Boy excused himself to go look for Bates. He looked through the small house and finally found him in the back yard messing with something that Boy couldn't see because his back was turned.

Boy opened the door and looked at Bates sitting quietly messing with a weed pulled from the ground. Boy opened his mouth to start a conversation but Bates cut him off in a firm voice.

"Why did you come here."

Boy looked at Bates. He could tell Bates was growing tired of Boy suddenly living here.

"Me?" Boy asked stupidly knowing he was the only one around.

"You really are dumb aren't you." Bates crushed the weed and stood up still not facing Boy.

"I have no idea why my mother is so attached to a person like you."

There was a pause for a moment.

"So tell me, David." Bates turned to Boy with an irritated expression.

"Why did you really come here."

Boy looked at Bates' unsettling eyes. The more he stared the more he could see the red in his eye color. He could tell how much he loathed him. The way he looked at him. Boy didn't blame Bates for hating him. He did show up out of nowhere. Maybe his introduction didn't come clear and his brother messed it up. Or maybe like Borris said, He's the devil he needs to set Borris free.

"My father." Boy began.

"His body was grinded in a freak lawnmower accident. His wife was sent to prison, Me and my sister were sent to an orphanage not too far away from here. Recently, The building went up in flames. My sister died along with everyone else in the building."

Bates stared at Boy with a blank expression.

"I know you've been asked this already when we first met you. But I felt like you were lying. How did you actually escape." Bates sat back down and continued to stare at Boy.

Boy sat down beside him and sighed.

"Bates.." He chuckled.

"You're never going to believe me.. But I have a plant.. Where a little boy comes out to play. He talks to us.. Well, now he only talks to me."

"I came here because he told me to. I survived because I followed his lead."

Boy huffed and looked at Bates. Bates' head was cocked and it seemed like he was trying to make up what Boy just said.

"That kid?"

Boy stopped and he could tell his heart skipped a beat. Did Bates know Borris too?