Sticks and Stones by Emmy41 (books recommended by bts .TXT) 📕

(Him)

"Get down here! Now!" Dad called. I groaned, rolling off my bed. I pulled on some jeans, and then had to take them off when I realized they were backwards. I stumbled downstairs, musing my already disarrayed hair. I skidded to a stop as I say the neighbors in the living room. Our new neighbors. The girl id seen last night was strangely missing.

I had snuck outside last night to… do some business that needed to be done, and had seen a dark figure framed by a soft light, almost like candle light, in the window. I could tell it was a girl, and could also tell it wasn’t the one standing here between the two parents.
“ Hello, my name is Allysa, and this is Brian, my husband. This is our daughter, Tracey, and we wanted to welcome you to the grove, as we call it.” The mom smiled warmly, but something scary flashed behind her eyes. I nodded, and dad rolled his eyes.
“ His name is Baron. Don’t mind him. He’s not a morning person.” I laughed lifelessly.
“ Or a day person. In fact, you could say I hate anything but pitch black.” I met the girl’s gaze. She was a year younger then I was supposed to be. She trembled, and I turned away abruptly, bored.
“ I’m going to go out dad, see you later.” I left, only to back pedal.
“ Do you have another daughter?” I asked. The mother frowned, shaking her head, tightlipped. I nodded, jogging upstairs. My dad apologized for me, and then ushered them out. He stormed upstairs. I was already in bed, the heavy drapes in place and the lights off.

“ Do you always have to act like that.” He asked mildly from the door. I groaned into the pillow.

“ I was out late. Can’t you let me sleep?” I asked, pleadingly. He huffed.

“ if you listened to me, you wouldn’t be so tired. Who where you concentrating on this time? Your mother? Your sister, Sara?” I shrugged.

“ No one. I was thinking.” He sighed, but left the doorway, closing it soundlessly. I groaned again. I buried my head in my pillow, and slowly let my larger than normal hearing range expand, until it included the other house. The mom was hissing something under her breath, but the dad was talking in a normal tone to someone.

“- You need to get dressed, sweetie. Get up, and I’ll make you breakfast. How does biscuits sound? And bacon?” a low moan came from whoever was with him.

“ Mom wont allow that, and you know that.” The dad sighed, and then light footsteps got closer to the area that they’re voices was coming from.

“ Mom said that she needed to get up and start cleaning up. She also said that she had better make sure that she was in the basment by midnight, because it’s supposed to be a full moon tonight. She’s staying at a friends tonight.” The dad sighed again, and the same soft voice that had answered him said

“ It’s alright, dad. I’ll be fine if you to want to leave, too. I’ll make sure everything is secure.” There was some silence, and then the sister I now recognized said brightly

“ Well, I for one don’t want to be around. So can I go over to Kaseys?”

“ Yes. I guess you can, but you should be proud of your sister, Tracey.” She huffed.

“ Why? She’s the one who brought it to us in the first place!” feet stomped off.

“ Let me see what’s wrong, sweetie.” The dad said softly. There was some rustling, and then a short gasp.

“ Sweetie! Why didn’t you tell me?” there was a low groan.

“ it’s fine, dad. I’ll be fine. Can you hand me something to wear?” she asked. The dad moved away from her.

“ so, how’s the family across the street?” she asked. I concentrated further, and tried to gently probe her mind. A firm block slammed in place, and it made me dizzy enough to slip out instantly and cradle my head in my hands, my hearing range back to the normal range. i cursed under my breath, then hissed as more pain erupted in my head. now i knew she was a strong telepathic, that she was inflicting pain on me deliberately.

(her)

I groaned as I straightened up, not trying to touch my back. I knew it was ripped from one shoulder to the opposite hip, and knew that at least one of the three rips was infected already. I swiped at my white hair impatiently, knowing if I didn’t clean faster than mom would scowl me. Ever since my mistake on my fourteenth birthday, almost two years ago, all she ever looked at me with in her eyes was hatred, and, once, absolute terror. As if on cue, I heard her yell

“Sweetie! Get in here now!” I groaned again. my mom used to love my name, but now she said it with enough acid to melt steel.

“ Honey, calm down. Did you see how bad she was injured last night? Give her-“

“- a little slack? Some lame excuse? My condolences? Why? she’s the one that brought this horrible torment onto herself and our family. If she couldn’t handle it and her responsibilities I give her here, then she shouldn’t have brought it onto us.” My mom hissed. I turned into the library, and she gave me an Icy look, and dad winced when he saw me grimace as I tried to straighten up, causing pain to shoot along my back.

“ Look at this room and tell me why it isn’t clean yet, Sweetie.” She spat, I flinched away from her accusing tone, obediently casting a lazy glance around.

“ Because I haven’t got here yet?” I said lightly. I heard the crack of her hand before I felt it.

“ Get cleaning. And don’t smart mouth me, young lady.” She turned and whirled out of the room. Dad sighed as soon as she was gone.

“ I’m so sorry, Sweetie. You know not to provoke her. Come here, let me see your back again.” I sighed, but obediently took a step towards him, keeping my eyes down. I knew he found my mismatched cobalt blue and moss green eyes unnerving. He chucked me under the chin gently.

“ You should let someone else replace you.” He said softly as I removed my shirt so that he could see my back. I gasped.

“ No! Dad, you and mom aren’t fit enough, and you know that Tracey would never do it!” he was silent as he studied my back.

“I never said someone from this family, Sweetie.” I growled lowly.

“ I am not subjecting this onto an unsuspecting citizen of a normal life.” He was quiet for a long time again.

“ I’m going to pour some stuff on your back, and it’s going to burn like hell.” He said a second before my back exploded in pain. I let my breath out in a low hiss, closing my eyes. Someone shoved through my block, and I slammed a firmer one in place, a ghost a frustrated hiss in my mind.

“ This person I’m thinking of, they aren’t normal.” Dad said abruptly. I sighed, letting my head fall foreword.

“ No, dad. That’s that. I did this, drew it to me, and I’m not passing it on.” We’d had this discussion twenty times before. He sighed.

“ I knew you’d say that.” I pulled my shirt back on, turning to face him.

“ Thank you for trying, daddy. Really.” I hugged him, but he held still, not wanting to touch me.

“ the people, across the street, there not… right, are they?” I asked softly as I began to clean slowly, my back stinging worse than before, but I didn’t mention it dad. He sighed.

“ don’t worry about it, honey. And I’m sorry, really I am, but… I’m going over to Carl and Maceys tonight.” I gave him the best smile I could muster.

“ of course, dad. I understand.” wouldnt want the monster in the basment to get him, would we?


"bye, Tracey." I said as her friend pulled up in the drive. she gave me a nasty look before turning to mom.

" I'll be home before tomorrow night, alright? love you." she kissed her forehead and then was gone. emediately mom stood up.

" I should get going, too. Frances and Wane are waiting for me." she headed to the garage, so that me and dad were the only ones at the table. it was 8, and soon i would have to start setting up the perimeter guards, making sure nothing would leave, or come into, the house, especially the basment. dad gave me a sorry look, then he was gone, too.

(him)

“ are you sure you want to do this,Baron?” dad asked, giving me the fruit basket that he’d bought at work. I nodded vigorously, glancing at the house across the street again. he gave me a long look, like he knew I was up to something, but nodded, opening the door for me.

I sighed in relief, glad he didn’t notice how everyone that had come over had left. I strode across the gravel road, and reflectively glanced up at the black window that had been lit up last night. A shadow moved, and I grinned, knocking on the door.

Nothing happened.

I frowned after a few minutes, then I glanced back at my house. Emidately I searched for dad, and found him immersed in his work in his study. I pulled my lock picking kit out of my pocket and, in my record time of ten seconds flat, had the door open and was striding through the house. Emideately I felt the air shift to my left, and had a split second to turn before I saw the gleam of something metal arching towards me. I grabbed the wrist holding the knife and spun low, knocking the person off there feet. I heard them gasp as the air flew out of there lungs. I flicked my hand, and the lights turned on in the narrow hallway. I automatically pinned the hand I’d held above the head, and then I glanced down and froze.

Suddenly I was swimming in blue and green eyes, anger gleaming in them. I had to blink a few times to realize the pale, beautifully sculpted face was etched in pain. I eased some of my weight on her middle, studying her. Her hair was uncharacteristically saint white, and cut to just above her shoulders. I pried her fingers off the knife, catching her other hand as if flew up to hit me. She made a small sound of protest as I removed the knife successfully and pocketed it, holding her hands with one of mine high above her head. She gave me a very icy glare that made me grin.

“ well hello there. This a wonderful way to greet your guest. Is everyone treated this way, or am I special?” she hissed lowly.

“ your not a guest. You broke into the house. I could have you arrested, you know.” Her voice was surprisingly low and