The Devil's Possession

Chapter 1

Sunday was gloomy as if the sky was mourning too. Everyone was sad and sorrow filled the air as they were about to say their goodbye to someone they loved. Claire could hear soft painful cries everywhere.

"Condolence Viv," Karina sadly said. Her nose were red from crying. Mary was her bestfriend since childhood. She never thought of losing her in an accident.

"Thank You! I never thought that Mary and Justin would leave us this early," Claire's aunt said while crying. She was Mom's twin sister and her only relative we knew.

Claire looked down when she felt someone's poking her. "Sisi!" her brother Xian smiled at her. She smiled bitterly and carried him. "Where's mom?" he asked while playing with her dress.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at them with pity. Don't cry! I wanted to run from everyone here. I don't want them to look at us with sadness.

"Sisi?" he touched her face. He doesn't know that their parents were gone forever.

"Dad and Mom's in heaven now little boy," she answered while fighting her tears back. She doesn't want to look weak. I needed to be strong!

"Yeay! Tell Mom to bring me ice cream, just like before."

She was stunned by the words he said. He was so innocent and fragile. She hugged him and cried silently. Her tears flowed generously. You will be forever in our hearts.

Since then, her aunt Viv and uncle Carlos took care of them.

All their parent's assets were legally named after her and Xian but since they were still minors and doesn't have the idea to manage anything, her aunt Viv took care of everything.

3 YEARS LATER...

"Claire!!!!!!"  her aunt shouted. Her voice boomed around the house.

Claire flinched upon hearing her voice and hurriedly went upstairs. Here we go again. What made her mad this time? She knocked twice before her aunt opened the door. 

"I told you to look for my bracelet! Where is it?" she shouted to her face. Correction, Mom's bracelet! Duh!

"Maybe you forgot it somewhere. I looked for it everywhere but..." She didn't finished what she was saying when a slap landed on her face. Outch! Her brain almost got out. She didn't prepared herself for that. 

"Your useless just like your Mother! Get out!" her aunt was so mad again. She was about to step down the stairs when Viv called her again. "After you finished cleaning the kitchen, vacant your room," she ordered. What?

"What do you mean auntie?" Claire asked while holding her face. 

"It's going to be Maye's room starting tomorrow. You can use the stock room downstairs, serves you well," she answered. She can't do that! This is our house!

"But..."

"No more buts!" She slammed the door closed.

They're not contented enough when they took my parents and Xian's bedroom. Now they're about to take away mine too! She don't want to do it but she doesn't have any other choice. Her aunt will punish them again if she disobeyed. Just like when she protested when Viv took all her Mom's jewelries. She locked them at the attic for a day without any food or water. It's okay if it was just her but she couldn't let her little brother to suffer too.

"Sisi, what are you doing?" Xian asked. He was playing with spiderman, his favorite toy. Since the accident, Claire became his mother and father at the same time. 

"Come, help me pack our things." 

"But why?"

"We'll transfer downstairs. You remembered the tiny room near the kitchen where we used to play before?" she excitedly asked. Call me pretentious but I don't want my little brother to feel what I'm going through.

"So that we can sneak food at night just like johny johny?" he excitedly whispered. He was so pure. For the past three years, he became her happy pill. Without him, she might already be miserable at this time. 

"Yes! You like that?" she whispered back. He nodded and helped her packed his toys.

She took out her secret box under the bed. She had her valuable things well-kept here. She opened it and stared at the bracelet. This was mom's favorite. "As if I'm going to give you to aunt," she whispered. She got this when she cleaned her aunt's bedroom. 

She gave her one last look at her room before closing it. At least it was her cousin Maye who was going to occupy it. Maye was 2 years older than her but they chatted a lot before. She was her childhood bestfriend. She was quiet sad but excited to see her too. Its been three years since Mom and Dad's funeral, the last time she saw her.

___   ___

She baked Maye's favorite cake as her welcome present to her. They used to baked this together so she wanted to surprise her. Unlike her auntie, Maye was generous and kind. She always spoiled her with presents. It's time to return the favor.

"Maye!!" Xian shouted as he saw her entered the house. Her body tensed with excitement. She run fast to her and hugged her but Maye just smiled and went upstairs. She just ignored us? Maybe she's just tired.

She went inside the kitchen and grabbed the chocolate cake with Maye's name on it. Time for my present! She can't resist this! 

Knock! Knock!

"Welcome home!" she greeted when Maye opened the door.

"What's that?" she raised her eyebrow.

"Your favorite! My welcome present to you!" Claire smiled.

"Sweets?! Don't like that." She turned and shut the door closed at her face.

Maye ignored her since then. Claire always tried her best to please her but to no avail. Seems like she was mad at her. She thought things would get better now that Maye was here to defend her but it got even worst.

She was busy washing the dishes when she heard Xian cried. She immediately went upstairs.

"I told you to play downstairs!" Maye shouted while holding Xian's tiny face. He grimaced in pain. The sight got Claire lost her temper.

"Maye! What are you doing!" she run fast and slapped away her hand from her brother's face. 

"Tell your damn little brother to play downstairs! I'm still sleeping!" Maye shouted to her face. 

Claire faced her with disgust. "What's wrong with you! He's just 6 years old for God's sake! What happened to you? It's not like you! I don't know you anymore!" she shouted back. My temper got the worst of me. She wiped Xian's tears and carried him. Her heart was stabbed with pain. It was hurting her everytime she saw him cry. 

"Let's just say, I'm tired of pretending that I like you, b***h of a cousin!" Maye disgustedly said. 

"What are you saying?" Claire's eyes widened in shock.

"Come on! Don't play dumb! Still didn't get it? I'm only good to you because your Mom's helping me with my studies. In reality, I despised you!" The truth slapped her hard.

Anger came over her. "All this time your just pretending?!" she shouted.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Maid!" Maye teased her.

Claire put her brother down and slapped Maye hard in the face. She was not prepared for her outburst causing her to fell on the floor. "Hurt my brother again and you will see what else I can do to you!" Claire yelled. She wanted to hurt her even more.

"Mom!!!!! Mommmm!!!!!!" Maye cried. Her aunt immediately went upstairs. "Mom! She slapped me!" she screamed. 

"How dare you hurt my daughter!" Viv came to her, tried to slap her but she dodged it and slapped her hand instead. 

"She hurt Xian first!" Claire cried. She was tired of all of this! "Hurt me but not my brother!" she shouted. She couldn't even count the times Viv hurt her and sometimes abused her physically and mentally especially when she was stressed. All the bruises and cuts scarred her body but she just let that passed.

"Your ungrateful! We took good care of you and your brother!" her aunt shouted. Claire fell on the floor when Viv slapped her three times. Xian cried loudly from what he witnessed.

"Mom's not like you! You're a monster! If only she was alive, she will never let you hurt us! You took everything away from us! What kind of auntie you are!" she cried while touching her face. She's supposed to love and care for us right?

"If you don't like my rules, then get out of this house!" Viv yelled.

"This is our house!" Claire yelled back. How dare she claim my parents house! She carried Xian and run down to their room.

"Claire!!!!!!" her aunt screamed.

She closed the door and locked it. "Are you hurt Sisi?" Xian touched her face. Her swollen face became wet by her tears.

"No one's gonna hurt you, I promise!" she cried. I wouldn't let anyone even touch a single strand of your hair. Only if Mom was here.

"Don't cry Sisi," he wiped her tears and kissed her cheeks. She was so blessed she had him. She hugged him tight.

___   ___

Claire silently opened the door and peeked if someone was still awake. When she confirmed that no one's around, she went out. Maybe they were already asleep. She sneaked to the kitchen to get Xian something to eat.

She was about to go back when she heard footsteps from the balcony. It's aunt and uncle. What they were talking about this late?

She hurriedly hide under the table when she saw them entered the sala and was about to enter the kitchen.

"So, how are we going to deal with that?" her aunt asked.

"Put all the blame to Marcos. It wass easy since he's the finance manager. No one would question that," her uncle confidently said.

Marcos was one of her mom's colleagues. I bet they're talking about our company. She felt pity for Marcos. He was going to be blamed for someone's fault.

"I am thinking about Mary's children too. Claire's getting harder and harder to handle," Viv said.

"I told you that before. If you still won't agree with my plan, she's going to be our biggest problem someday, believe me!" he replied.

What plan?

"What if someone noticed their disappearance?" Viv asked.

"Easy, we will just say they run away. Melton will took care of everything, just like what happened to their parents. No traces," he answered.

She couldn't believe what she just heard! They're behind our parent's accident?! They were monsters! Pain and disgust shot her heart. She couldn't breathed from the anger she felt. She wanted to slap them, hurt them and kill them! She wanted to shout, release her anger! Tears clouded her eyes.

"Okay! Call Melton tomorrow. I can't believe I'm having this headache," Viv said. She didn't even felt remorse from what she was saying.

How could she even say that?! Mom's her twin sister! We are her family!

And now they want us dead? Claire wanted to avenge her parents but she must think about Xian too. She must not just cry there and wait for their fate to end. I must do something!

When she heard their door closed, she wiped her tears and immediately run towards their room.

"Xian," she whispered.

"Sisi?" He slowly opened his eyes.

"I brought you something to eat." she gave him the sandwich. While he was eating, she began packing their important things. The only way she thought that could save them was to escape.

"Are we going to transfer room again, Sisi?" he asked.

"We're running away Xian. We're not safe here anymore." she looked straight into his face. "I'm not letting anyone hurt us especially you, promise." He giggled when she kissed his cheeks. When she finished packing, she went to the kitchen to get some food.

Sometimes, it was more secured outside than inside your own house. Sometimes, strangers are much safer than your own family. I'm weak, always afraid of anything and can't even defend myself. But if my love one's at risk, suddenly I could feel the courage and motivation to fight back. Even it might caused my own happiness and my life.

___   ___

Hello lovez

How are you today?

Have you ever been in this situation before?