Falk's Summer

Devin Forsberg—youngest child of The Forsberg, sat on a brown ottoman with a novel in his hands, a mystery-romance novel. The fireplace warmed his skinny body while the firewood cracking melody harmonised with the vague chitchats of his relatives. Diaphanous aura in the villa’s living room loosened his anchor on reality. ‘Huh?!’ he flinched and stomped a foot on the carpeted wood.

He blinked and looked around. His aunt and female cousins were still on the sofa, gabbing and ignoring the TV. Night summer sky hung outside the windows and his novel didn’t move a page. ‘I swear I read a couple pages.’ Devin rubbed his weary eyes and stood up. He closed his novel and wished a wonderful night to his relatives before leaving them in the family room.

Upon reaching his shared room with his big brother and male cousins, that weren’t there, Devin batted a brow and shrugged. He figured they’re still upstairs playing Wii with their younger cousinss, but likewise he closed his novel; his sleepy blue eyes wanted to sleep for the night. The fourteen year old washed his feet, brushed his teeth, closed the curtains and laid his slim body on the queen-sized bed.

23:47 p.m.

The lad sighed. Every summer holiday The Falk extensive family gathered somewhere for family time. This year’s lucky place was Boo, still Stockholm—his city. Although those gathering were fun, Devin always felt like their family vacation was a grand drama stage for everyone to either impress or benefited others’ pity. Sure several stayed natural, but most of them played roles and it didn’t help Devin that Falk bloods, from youngest to eldest, were born to act.

The family play still rolling outside, vague chitchats, laughter, clinking glass and scent of tobacco sneaking around the villa like a burglar. Devin’s parents were still out there too, but he’s tired of wearing a mask. He wanted freedom; he aspired to be true to himself, only in slumber he can and thus he desired a dream now. The lad exhaled and rolled on top of his covers. The moonlight penetrated the curtains, illuminating just a tad of the dark room. He had no clue when his mind would stop weaving, maybe never. Devin shut his blue eyes, hoping to sleep until someone woke him up.

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Zrrashh!

Devin’s face scrunched. Seel lights pierced the curtains into his room. ”Hej!" he sat up, looking at the windows. With fretful steps, he approached the windows. Devin sheared off the curtains, but it escalated his problem because nothing stood between him and the light source. The boy peered through his fingers. The car parked in front of his bedroom window turned on its lights, all the lights including the spotlight, blinkers and inside lamp, but that’s not all. Its doors were wide open, even the trunk, with nobody anywhere near the car.

Devin groaned and inspect the car type, license plate and colour. “Wade’s car!” he said through gritted teeth.

Sleepy and annoyed, Devin tramped to the front lawn and lucky him, Wade Falk was among the older male relatives on the porch. They laughed with vintage wine and fancy cigars in hand, repelling the dewy scent of forests and mists he adored. He saw his father—David Forsberg was the centre attention for now, but ignored him and climbed down the wooden stairs of the porch where he saw the car at the far end of the parking line, precisely in front of his room, shining and wide open.

Devin glared at the owner and Wade noticed the laser eyes right away. “What’s the matter, Dev?” Wade parted from the gents.

Even without cigar in hand, the smokes clinging onto Wade’s sinewy frame. “Your car is on! Devin said, covering his mouth and nose with his white zipper hoodie.

The brown eyes popped, “No way!” he dashed down the stairs but stopped, “No, it’s not.” He looked back at Devin.

“Huh?” Devin approached him.

Wade’s right, Devin was wrong. The silver car laid dead like other cars in the lot. Devin’s gaping and his breaths shortened. “Hey, you’re probably exhausted.” pushing Devin’s lower jaw shut with two fingers and massaged the boy’s shoulder. “Rest your blue eyes and keep your immune strong. We had a tight schedule tomorrow.” Wade ushered Devin inside.

Shocked and dumbfounded, Devin followed Wade’s order like a thrall. The lad, however, stopped by the villa’s kitchen; few relatives gossiped there. ‘Seriously? Get real and go to bed, people!’ Devin manoeuvred around them and brewed himself a glass of chamomile tea. None took interest in the boy sitting with his tea. Devin wished on his tea’s steam that his big brother or one of his cousins or all three got down, so he wouldn’t be alone in the room and blew off the steam. After the glass emptied, his wish ended in smoke, so Devin washed his glass and braved himself to sleep alone.

The lad even stopped by the room where his mother slept, looking at her sleeping with dream flowers blooming around her. How envious Devin was, but he couldn’t hop onto her bed like a child between her and father anymore. So, he left the room.

‘Goodnight sleep was never this challenging before.’ He entered the lonely room again, closing half of the curtain with an irises pattern, just in case his big brother tag-teamed Wade into pranking him. Devin laid on the bed again, using a hand as a pillow on top of his pillow as he slept facing the windows.

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Crreak-BUGGH!

Crreak-BUGGH! Crreak-BUGGH!

Devin scrunched his face again, calming substances of the chamomile tea evaporated from his boiling blood.

Crreak-BUGGH! Crreak-BUGGH! Crreak-BUGGH!

“HEJ!!” Devin leaped off his bed with red-cracked eyes, but he froze stiff. A creature of greyish skin kneeled on top of Wade’s car, its freakish long arms reached both sides of the car’s doors while opening and slamming them shut effortlessly but the most heart-stopping was its headlessness…

The lad gasped with a twitching body, begging them to run or do anything they can. The creature, although eyeless, noticed Devin and extended its extensive hand, tapping the glass window. “My head....” echoed in Devin’s ears, as if the entity whispered beside him. The boy finally reconnected with his nerves and dashed out of the room.

BURGGHHH!

“Where are you going?” Devin looked up from the chest he bumped into. Although late, the chamomile tea wish came true. Dane Forsberg—eldest child of The Forsberg, held Devin’s shaky shoulders.

“Ther-her-her-sss-ssom!” Devin mumbled before Dane clapped his cheeks and kneaded them like a pizza dough, soothing him down. Devin found his voice again. “There’s something outside!” he indexed to the window, but from where they stood, they couldn’t see anything except the silhouette of Wade’s car.

“There’s nothing!” Dane stroked his little brother’s wheat strands.

“Swear to God, Satan was on Wade’s car!” Devin stomped.

‘Don’t you mention Jesus to me!’ Dane rolled his blue eyes, ”Pappa told me you’d lost your horses when you’re tired,” despite Devin’s effort to harden his stance, the older brother pushed Devin with ease into the room again. “So let’s sleep.” the dark circles on Dane’s eyes spoke for him.

“Wait a minute!” Devin revolted from his brother’s hold; looking to the window again, there’s nothing. The boy wanted to escape the room, but his brother was having none of that. Dane pulled down Devin’s black shorts, making the boy shriek of embarrassment before draping it over Devin’s head, then he cradled Devin like a koala bear and dumped him on the bed.

Devin gasped as he removed the pants off his head. Dane closed the door, shut the curtains, and shed his grey tee. Devin shuddered to the bedside, closer to the door. If anything, he wished Dane saw what he saw and understood how terrified he was. Dane joined Devin under the blanket and trapped the younger in his arms, so he wouldn’t stage a drama in front of The Falk Family during their big family summer holiday.

Silence choked the room as the moon halted its orbit, radiating Wade’s car and drowned the room in the daunting shadows. Dane could wander into dreamland, but Devin’s trembling body and unsound breathing held him back. The big brother turned to the window behind him, but like he checked earlier, there’s nothing bizarre.

Only Wade’s car…

Dane fiddled his brother’s wheat hair and drew spirals on his forehead down to the glabella, hoping to shoo his disquiet. Devin caught Dane’s palm and grasped it close to his chest. Tears streamed as the boy pacified his body and released his soul to wonder, erasing that horrifying encounter if God’s consent.