Beta didn't know what to do. How would anyone else react to their brother bleeding out on the floor?
"Beta!" Fred's voice rang out into his ears. He flinched. He looked around his room and then to Sen again. He wasn't moving at all. Beta then hurrying reached into his back pocket to pull out his phone. "Beta, what are you doing?" Fred said.
"Calling the ambulance! What the fuck do you think?"
As his shaky hands went to press the numbers he felt the phone be pulled away from him. "Fred, what the fuck?!" Beta cried.
"He is dead Beta, there is nothing you can do!"
"Maybe he isn't!" Beta choked. He looked down at his brother with cold open eyes. He knew Fred was right, his heart was breaking at the truth. His knees collapsed to the ground as he crawled over to the body. He reached out to touch his neck . He was still warm but no pulse was felt.
Beta felt how thick tears fell from his face. His brother was gone, the brother who he shared most of his life with. He let out a pathetic whine yet again, his face scrunched up in agony. He gently wrapped his arms around Senpai's torso, before pulling him close.
He started weeping into the younger's hair, holding him tight against his chest, unbothered by the blood - which was now staining his clothes dark red. He slowly caressed Senapi's soft hair with trembling hands, whimpering apologies to deaf ears. It felt disgusting that he was still warm.
He let out a shudder as his fingers touched at the injury carefully, feeling the enormous dent...
He didn't want any of this to happen, he never wanted to hurt anyone.
"S-Senpai, why did you have to be such a nosy b-bitch?..." he asked through his sobs and sniffs.
Beta lifted his gaze away from Senpai, turning around to look at Fred instead. He felt such an unbearable amount of rage in his bones just by laying his eyes on the demon. He slowly placed his younger brother on the floor, using his blood-clean hand to close his eyelids.
He shot up right after, tripping as he hurried over to his plant. "This is all your fault! Give me my fucking phone!"
"Beta, calm down! What do you think will happen when you call? They are going to arrest you! You don't deserve to be a man living behind bars for this!"
"I killed him, what the fuck do you mean?!"
"It was an accident!"
"That won't bring him back!" his voice cracked as more tears threatened to spill.
"And going to jail will?"
"Give me the phone, Fred," Beta said. Fred sighed as he held it out. If he didn't Beta would most likely leave his room and cause a scene to his roommate or the people outside his room looking for a phone.
"Beta, think about it for a minute. Do you think Senpai would even want you to be arrested and live the rest of your time behind bars?"
Beta stared down at his phone. He wanted to call someone but something was stopping him. "Don't you dare say what he would have wanted. What he would've wanted is to still be alive."
"Beta, just think..."
He hated how he was right. It was selfish but in no way he wanted to deal with going to court, hearing the life sentence and dealing with other criminals. They would hurt him and make him want to die more than he wanted to die right now. He imagined himself in jail staring at a wall and thinking everyday of Senpai's dead eyes.
He then thought of his two or upcoming three remaining family members. They will find out especially if he got arrested and they would view him as a monster. His mother loved Sen to death, Alpha also favored him. Why couldn't he be the one on the floor? The universe would have been a better place with him dead instead .
"FUCK." Beta swung the phone against the wall near his bed. "FUCK!"
It was then silent. Beta could only hear his heavy breathing. He had no idea what to do. The silence was soon cut short by a ringing. Beta glanced over to his cracked phone sitting on the bed to see it wasn't his phone. He then looked over to Senpai.
"You got to be fucking kidding me." He sniffed and crouched down to reach inside his pocket. He pulled out his pastel pink phone, the contact name "Alphyy" being displayed on the screen. He hyperventilated more, why the fuck would that asshole be calling now, exactly in this situation?
Beta thought about joining Senpai in his grave right there and then, if he didn't pick up Alpha would worry. Of course his younger brother had to be perfect, picking up every call and responding to all text messages from his family.
Before Fred could advise him anything, Beta pressed accept call and held the phone to his ear.
"Hiii~," he said, his voice almost a complete replica of Senpai.
"Senpai, where are you?"
"Um, why?"
"Last time you called me you were telling me about dumbass Beta. Please tell me you didn't fly over there."
Beta pulled the phone away for a second and took in a deep breath. Alpha was making everything worse right now and he had no idea what to say or do. He couldn't raise suspicion. He put the phone back to his ear.
"Senpai?"
"Sorry, I'm out with friends right now. No, I decided it was best to leave him be." His fake cheery voice was hurting him.
"Good. But Sen, it is a Wednesday night you shouldn't be out right now. What about your studies?" Beta lip twitched at those words. Why did Alpha always have to act like he was their dad? He wasn't. If anything he would be voted the worst dad on the planet.
"I'm ok Alpha, class got canceled tomorrow."
"Oh, that is just perfect! Would you like to drive over with me to try on suits then?"
Beta felt a lump in his throat. The wedding. For some reason that knowledge was making everything worse . Alpha wouldn't have Senpai be there for him to be his best man. Beta ruined that.
"Uh, I have a date?"
"Jesus, Sen, another? It's with a different girl too I bet. You need to learn to be more committed and to settle. You don't want people saying things about you like how they do with Beta."
"I know..." he choked out. It was getting hard to keep the voice. He felt so dead inside.
"Anyway, I have to go now. Text me the best date for when we can try on suits together."
"Ok."
Alpha, without even saying bye, ended the phone call. Beta's hand fell from his ear to his hip, the phone slipping from his grasp. Fred had never seen him look so defeated and dead before. Beta turned around to look at Senpai, fresh tears filling his eyes.
His human walked over to the corpse yet again, sitting down in the pool of blood, uncaring for anything else in the moment. He pulled his legs up to his chest, sniffing and sobbing out inconsistent apologies yet again.
He always talked about hating his younger brother, but of course he never wished death upon him. What he did was horrible, so horrible - Fred couldn't even begin to understand the weight on his shoulders. To the plant, this was just another kill, another feast, nothing less and nothing more.
"Beta..." Fred was at a loss of words, he knew nothing he could say would make things acceptable. Beta refused to acknowledge him, drowning in his own agony instead. It made Fred crave for time to go back just 30 minutes before when they were just hanging out. When it was just about them getting closer.
After moments of silence, Beta spoke up finally, his voice was so weak.
"Fred, just kill me already."
The plant froze; "I refuse." was all he replied, before elaborating - "I refuse to let you go yet. Our duty is not fulfilled. What I can do is feast on him, if you wish me to do so."
"Fred, please."
"Beta, you're too important to me right now."
Beta slowly looked over to Senpai again. Fred was right, that would be the only rational answer to getting rid of the body all together. Even if he tried to take his own life right now, Fred would stop him. He couldn't stay in his room any longer, the blood was starting to smell horribly - not only that, he knew his roommate would sooner or later investigate.
Beta stood up, forcing himself to not look at his brother again, staring Fred right in the eyes.
"Do it then. We'll leave after."
Fred froze as Beta made himself to his closet, picking up his backpack and packing some essential things. They were really leaving..
"Maybe you should leave while I do this. I don't want to make you..."
"I don't care about it, Fred. Just get it over with."
Fred squeezed his eyes shut at Beta's tone, before he slithered over to Senpai, he still had some respect left for his corpse, so he decided to not mutilate him completely. He summoned his tendrils, taking Senpai's hand and plunging them into his wrist.
His veins squirmed under the pressure, before finally tearing open, a new flow of blood entering Fred's form. He already bled out quite a lot, so the plant wouldn't have a full course meal this time. Another tendril was summoned as it plunged itself into the still heart, sucking out every last bit of liquid.
Senpai's perfect porcelain skin was drained from all life, instead it was sucking itself against his bones, making him appear too skinny to be alive. Which he wasn't. But that's besides the point.
Beta during the whole process felt nauseous from the sounds, so much he felt bile build up in his throat. He swallowed it down. There was no point in making more of a mess.
He tried to focus on packing, his backpack wasn't that spacious so he could only settle for a couple of pants and some shirts. He grabbed his phone and Senpai's to put in the bag. He was sure that where they were going there would be no place to charge them but having them just in case would probably be beneficial.
He had to be sure to turn off the location on both of them later.
"Are you done?" he heard Beta ask after sniffing, his eyes just as lifeless as Senpai's.
"Yes. Although, I cannot consume his solids yet. I will need some time to convert all these nutrients into demonic energy."
"Fuck," was all he got in reply. "What will we do with him?..."
"We either leave him here or bury him somewhere. Your choice. I suggest giving him a proper burial, it will help you mourn easier."
"I don't know... I-I think I have some garbage bags that I got once from my roommate..." Beta whipped his tears with his sleeve. "Fuck man, wait let me just cover him with a blanket."
He pulled off the blanket from his bed and threw it over his brother. This simple fact made Beta feel a little better. It was like he was sleeping or something instead. He could at least pretend?
Luckily, he eventually did manage to also find the bags somewhere underneath the trash. If Fred had to be honest, they could probably hide Senpai under all the junk in Beta's room - but that would be a rude thing to say right now. Maybe also not the best idea because the police could investigate one day. Yes, this would be the best solution.
With Fred's help and some tape, Beta managed to pack Senpai's corpse into the bag. He quickly changed his outfit after that, his blood splattered clothes were too suspicious to walk around in. He packed those clothes in the backpack with him. He had to try and leave as little evidence as possible. He washed the blood off his hands using some half empty water bottles.
Swinging the backpack over his shoulder, they were both ready to go.
Beta picked up Senpai and threw him over his shoulder as well, he picked up Fred too with his free arm and climbed through the window. Luckily he lived close to the ground, so he could easily jump out without his ankle complaining like last time.
Heh, Beta remembered the nurse and how bad he left upon hitting him - if the innocent guy only knew what he was up to right now... He was sure he'd never get his number.
Fred closed the window behind them, looking into the small and dirty room one last time.This was the place where it all started, where he was awakened and where he met with Beta for the first time. Now they cannot return to it ever again. Fred slumped against Beta's arm as he rested, transferring energy to himself was quite tiring... Beta looked back to make sure no one saw them, before entering a wooded area away from the university.
————-
Beta wasn't sure how long he'd been walking, his back was starting to ache and his will to live died down even more. Fred was asleep in his arms, and Senpai was... well...
He did not know the goal in mind, sleeping on the forest floor wasn't ideal but at this point it may be the only option. Thoughts of how he was going to eat, drink and just general care crossed his mind.
Beta stopped for a moment when he caught sight of an abandoned cabin in the woods. Wow, how convenient. He was either going to end up in a horror thriller (which he already kind of was...) or he'd get murdered on sight.
It was perfect.
He didn't wish to live anyway, so he made his way through the bushes, one branch hitting Fred quare in the face accidentally. The demon jolted awake, shaking his body for a moment in confusion.
"Beta... where are we?"
"I don't know." He grunted.
Beta dropped Senpai off at the entrance without much care, instead exploring the run down house with Fred. It consisted of only one floor with about three accessible and whole rooms. He hoped that this wasn't someone's house. It looked abandoned but someone could be living here.
"I suppose we'll settle for this?" Fred commented as Beta stood stiff in one of the rooms.
"I guess... we... we need to get rid of Sen first." he gulped uncomfortably. He set Fred down on the ground. "I don't have anything to dig a grave for him."
"Maybe you can find some tools in this house." Beta nodded at those words and searched throughout the rundown house. In the separate rooms there was a dirty rundown kitchen, a bathroom that was really just an outhouse if anything, and a bedroom which was only a mattress on the floor. There wasn't any sight of a tool anywhere. Beta decided to search outside.
As he walked around there was evidence of life. Beer bottles, cigarettes, and even a worn down couch. He hoped whoever was here didn't come around anymore. As he walked something caught his eye in the distance. It was a long pole shaped like an object. Beta hurried over hoping it was what he thought it was.
It was a rusty pitchfork. Great. It was not a tool that he wanted, a shovel of course would have been more beneficial. But it was better than digging with his hands. Beta then went back in the house to rest for a minute before slaving away outside to bury his brother.
"Great you found something Beta!"
"Shut up." He said while sitting down on the cold ground. "This is going to take forever."
"...Make sure you dig it deep enough. If you don't, the rain will run away from the dirt and bring the body back up."
Beta just buried his face into his knees. It was like Senpai was an object now. Just yesterday he was breathing and yelling at him. How can things get so bad so fast? A ping coming from the direction from his bed brought his face up. He crawled over to the bag and unzipped it, grabbing Senpai's phone - he did not even bother to check his own. It was a text from their mom.
"Hey sweetheart I am just texting you to wish you a good day! : )"
Beta's stomach hurt as tears built up in his eyes more. He sighed as he unlocked the phone with Senpai's usual password and texted back.
"I did have a great day mom! I love you. : )"
He was such a monster.
————
The dirt caked his face as he dove the pitchfork in the ground. His arms hurt more than it ever had in his life. He stopped to breathe and pulled out his strawberry clock to see that about two and a half hours have gone by. He had made a decent dent in the ground but it surely was not enough to cover a body correctly.
He could only be thankful that Fred wasn't with him right now. He told him he wanted to be alone doing this and thankfully the stupid plant understood. Right now Beta could only see Fred with hatred, just a day ago the thing was his favorite thing in the world but now...
Now he was the reason everything was going wrong in his life. Beta dreaded the fact that Fred was apparently now going to be part of his whole life haunting him.
Beta leaned against the old tool as he caught his breath, why in the world didn't he just kill himself while Fred wasn't here? The plant would probably know if he tried to pull something, it made Beta shiver - he felt like he was being constantly watched, both by the demon and by Senpai's dead eyes.
He was so lost in thought he barely registered a rain droplet landing on his cheek. He shook his head in confusion before looking upwards. The sky was turning dark grey... Beta let out an even more defeated exhale, going back to work as more droplets crashed down on him.
By the time he managed to lay Senpai in a decently sized grave, it was already getting darker - and with the sun being shielded by the clouds above, the world appeared crueler than ever. The heavy rain was pouring down on him, but Beta didn't mind, this was his punishment after all.
"I never wanted this to happen..." he spoke to Senpai, looking down into the grave. "-I'll n-never forgive myself.."
Beta's eyes started to water again, his tears mixing with the rain as he hung his head low. "-You didn't deserve this... I should've been the one going down under... Not you... Ugh, why wasn't it me?... Why?"
Speaking to absolute silence only made the situation feel heavier. What did he expect? Did he think Senpai would miraculously stand up from his grave and say; "I forgive you, Beta"? Of course that would never happen, Senpai was dead. He wasn't in some fairytale where everyone lived happily ever after...
He decided that it was better to shut up now. He wished that he had something to remember from him. Beta was hesitant before he crawled down into the grave trying his best to look away as he pulled aside the bag and blanket.
He eventually was able to pull it aside to reveal his chest and the tangled up tie he was wearing. Beta reached to pull it off and sling it over his shoulder before quickly pulling the covering back. This felt a little dirty but a tie was a perfect keepsake.
If anyone asked him what his earliest memory was, it would be a tie. His dad taught both of them how to tie. It for some reason was like the signature of the Senpai family - even with Beta being a mess he wore one often. Keeping the one from his late brother may make him feel like Senpai is with him. After giving one last look to Senpai, he started the process of covering up his grave. Luckily, this part of the deed went by a lot faster and smoother than the first one.
Beta stomped on the ground a few times after he was sure to cover everything up, checking to see if the ground would loosen and reveal anything. Luckily, it didn't. He was free to go... home.
Making his way back, covered in rain and dirt from head to toe, made him finally remember how hungry he was. He was filled with so much shock and adrenaline he forgot that he was originally going to make some food before Senpai interrupted him.
How would he eat?
After wandering for a few minutes, he wasn't sure how he managed to find his way back to Fred in the dark. I guess it was the plant's demonic energy that kept him from swaying away from the path.
"Ah, there you are, Beta! I was starting to get worried for you. How did the burial go-" Fred striked up a conversation, but Beta couldn't process what was being said to him. He dropped the pitchfork near the entrance, before making his way right past Fred to the mattress on the floor.
He touched it a few times, luckily it seems dry and free of insects for the most part - Beta decided to do what he was always best at. He curled up into a fetus position, hugging his legs uncomfortably; his whole form was still drenched, but he'd make ends meet somehow.
He was so tired that the sleeping conditions did not bother him, his eyelids closed by themselves as he managed to successfully fall asleep within minutes.
Fred on the other hand stared cluelessly at his human, he knew humans made powerful bonds with each other but this was starting to get ridiculous. Beta always claimed that he hated his family, he even told Senpai to get out of his life at their last moment together.
The demon didn't understand... This is all Beta could have ever wanted - a life far away from anyone that could judge him, without his family bothering him and one less problem to take care of.
Was that not enough?
Now it could just be the two of them.