The Home (Sequel to The Duns)

Chapter 11: Bill

Chapter Eleven

Catherine

I shuffle on my position on the chair and then, giving up, I lean over my elbows on the table. "It was supposed to work, right? I mean the voice came, and he started floating and everything."

"Yeah, it happened. But right now he's acting like a five year old kid." Max says from opposite me, putting his finger on his temple.

"A five year old who thinks he was drunk?" I counter.

"Yeah."

I roll my eyes and turn to the rest of the people in the room. "What was different this time?"

Lucas nods thankfully, perhaps glad that I finally asked this question. "The voice was feminine. As far as I know, it's supposed to be a male." The same haunting thought from two years back forces its way into my mind. Aunt Marge has powers.

"What do you mean as far as you know?"

"We only witness the Ceremony when we turn seventeen."

"Right." How does Aunt Marge have powers?

Max knocks on the table top. He is reading my mind. I ignore it and keep my eyes fixed to the side.

"Anything else?"

"Catherine," Aunt Marge says suddenly, "maybe he's not the right person."

"You saw the dream."

"I know, I know, I'm just saying-"

"Wait, Aunt M, you were controlling the process, right? How were you able to do that? I thought only Igetis can- whoever the Igetis at that time is."

She clucks her tongue. "About that-"

But she doesn't finish. The door swings open and a worried Mr. Willows comes running in. His shirt is untucked and his hair is messy. Drops of sweat cover his face and his eyes are terrified. He runs ahead to me. "I swear it was only to keep Sean safe, nothing else! I swear!"

I hid my frown, eager to see what else he comes out with even though I am clueless about what he is talking about. I turn to look at Max, knowing he can read what I'm thinking. Didn't he leave? What's he doing here?

"I swear," he continues frantically, "it- it-it's wrong, I know, but I didn't, I couldn't-"

"Damn it Willows, shut up!" Max says loudly from behind me. His fists are clenched and set firmly on the table. Shut up? Does he know what this guy's talking about?

I push my chair out and stand up. "Bill, what are you going on about? We let you go- why are you back?"

Bill looks from me, and then to Max. He switches his eyes over to William and Lucas. They both look away. Only Max holds his stare.

Bill looks back at me. Then once more at Max. What the hell? "What's the secret then?"

Max stares straight ahead at Bill, and if looks could kill, he would be dead now.

"Max!" I say, stepping in between them, "What is it?"

He knows he can't keep this away from me now. You know you can't keep it a secret. I raise my eyebrow and fold my hands, waiting. He doesn't speak.

He's not going to tell me.

I turn to Bill and sigh. "I'm sorry it has to come to this- again."

I reach out for his face and punch him, hard, on his jaw. He recoils in shock. I'm not going to wait for him. I put my hands in front of me to steady myself and then, leaning on my left foot, I kick him, hard, on the same spot, my boots imprinting on his face.

My shirt jumps up carelessly and shows off my stomach. I ignore it and walk over to Bill. I thrash my hand, thumb out, onto his throat and push him against the wall.

I lean in close, my open hair all over my face. "What's the secret?" I breathe onto him. He shakes his head, still afraid.

I keep a hold on him with my left hand still in the same position and continue hitting him with my right. Once. Twice. Thrice. A trickle of blood starts making its way down to his chin. "What's the secret?" I ask once more, devilishly.

He doesn't answer. I punch him again. One time. Two times. He coughs out blood onto the floor below us. "Bill!" I scream onto his face.

No one in the room does anything to stop me, either they've gotten up and are waiting behind me, or they're still in their positions, watching what I've become.

"Bill!" I roar. Finally he agrees.

"Peter." I hear him mutter. Peter. I let my grip on him fall a little. "Peter," he murmurs again, "is my son. They were right- Max was right- when he told Sean-"

He told Sean before me?

Bill continues, gasping through his words, "that Peter was his brother- he was right."

I throw back in shock; my eyes wide open in terror. I unknowingly start walking backwards, and behind still. Bill stands in front of me, bending over, gasping for air.

"No," I say, "no, no, no, no." Peter's father is dead. "No, no no, no, no."

Lucas walks up to me and pulls me by my elbow and puts me down on a chair. I do so, astonishment paralyzing me completely.

I look up across the table to see Max and wait for his approval. He nods sadly. He doesn't like it either. But it's true.

I nod and get up, walking over to Bill. I lift his chin up with my index finger, not ready to touch him. "You don't deserve to call him your son."

And I walk out.

-

So, it is true.

Bill is Sean's father. Bill is also Peter's father.

And both Bill's children are tetrakinita's- how?

My new agenda: How.

Who is Bill?

Why are his children like this?

Do the mother's play a role?

But both their mothers are dead...

I quickly scribble down all these points on my yellow pad, the same one on which I wrote, two years back, that I would die. It's still written, and when I read through all my notes, and I slowly put my hand over the surface and touch the ink, and think of Peter's promise- and how it came true- every time I see it, I know.

I know I will avenge him.

I know I will get revenge.

And I know, I'll make sure, that he is there to see it happen.

A/N: RUN BACK TO THE DUNS CHAPT. 16 / 26 FOR A SURPRISE!

"THEN AM I THE MONSTERRRRR!"