Chapter XII - The Reveal
1235 Words
ELLIS
“Son, I think it’s time we told him everything and stopped keeping him guessing.”
YMOR
“Lehci and I were supposed to tell him. I promised her that we would do it together. We were supposed to tell him on his third birthday but the accident happened and I begged Lehci to step down.”
ELLIS
“Why so early? He would never remember.”
YMOR
“Mom, you know Lehci and her beliefs. She believes so strongly in the supernatural mystic about the number three that she was convinced by telling Fofo about his future being foretold, she would be able to decipher his demeanor from his reaction after being told.”
ELLIS
“Your wife never ceases to amaze me. I do not know what could be worse, to be stranded on an island with her or to be a permanent resident of hell with Lucifer?”
YMOR
“Mom, I do not want to break my promise to Lehci.”
ELLIS
“How many promises has Lehci broken? As a matter of fact, Lehci has been breaking one of the greatest promises known to man. (Distancing herself from Foley and taking Ymor with her) Lehci has not been such a faithful wife. But it is truly not my place to tell you if you cannot see it for yourself.”
YMOR (Whispering to his mother to prevent Foley from hearing the bad news about Lehci)
“Mother, are you seriously insinuating that my wife has been cheating on me?”
ELLIS
“Ymor just have a talk with your doctor. But for now, we need to talk to Fofo and tell him about our family secret.”
YMOR
“What?!”
ELLIS (Almost in a whisper)
“Son, we will talk later, now we have more important matters to take care of. Tell Fofo now; you owe it to your father!”
YMOR (Approaching Fofo as he starts to talk)
“Fofo, before I start, I want you to know that I love you very much. Nothing that I am about to tell you is final. We all have free will. We can choose our own destiny. Everyone is responsible for their own choice in life and will ultimately live with the consequences.”
ELLIS (Getting closer to both his son and his grand-son)
“My son, the free-thinker, you are so exceptional.”
FOLEY
“I have sensed that there was something mysterious about our family for a long time now. I am ready dad. I am ready to know.”
ELLIS
“Ymor, I think he is ready.”
YMOR
“Fofo, I do not think you will be too surprised to learn that our family carries a secret so dark with us.”
ELLIS
“Foley, you have to understand, it was not your father’s or your father’s father, but your great-grand-father’s secret deal.”
YMOR
“Like grand-ma stated, your great-grand-father, Fink Neptenu, made a deal with the devil to become a rich and famous writer in order to marry the woman of his dream.”
FOLEY
“What does that have to do with the rest of the family, dad?”
YMOR
“Everything.”
ELLIS
“Fofo, your great-grand-father altered the lives of all of his male descendants for the worse and by doing so he also changed the Neptenu family’s fate forever.”
FOLEY
“How so?”
YMOR
“For every deal, Foley, there is always a catch. The catch is that every third son of a Neptenu, born on the exact same date, will murder his siblings and parents on his 30th birthday. If the third offspring is a girl, the family will inherit a world of wealth beyond imagination. Nonetheless, if the third child is a boy with the mark on his body, on his 31st birthday, he will bring a changed world.”
ELLIS
“We were never sure about the change, if it would be either good or bad.”
FOLEY
“I do not understand. You were the third son and you are over thirty. You did not become a mass murderer, dad?”
YMOR
“Very clever Fofo, I was a third child but not the third son. I had two older sisters.”
ELLIS
“Fofo, but you, my precious, are a third son. You have two older brothers all born on the same day as you. April Fool’s Day.”
YMOR
“And you, my third son, have the mark.”
FOLEY
“What mark?”
YMOR
“The beauty mark on your neck is the mark.”
FOLEY
“So, how can we be so sure that it will happen?”
YMOR
“Fofo, my dad, your grand-father, was a third son without the mark, on his 30th birthday, he murdered his parents and his siblings.”
ELLIS
“Fofo, your grand-father was a great man. He was the most caring and loving man. He tried his hardest by moving away from his family on his 30th birthday, but it happened anyway. He tried everything under the sun. When I say everything, everything you could think of. But this curse seemed to be all-knowing and pushed back."
YMOR
“Fofo, it was a really tough time for me. I loved my father still do. I never thought he was capable of such deadly acts. I advised him myself to go hide somewhere and wait out his birthday away from the family.”
ELLIS
“It was as though he became possessed on some level, as he backtracked his way back to his parents and siblings as he killed them one by one on that faithful day.”
FOLEY
“It is a bit confusing, dad. If they knew all along that he would become a killer and end their lives, why did they not beat him to it?”
ELLIS
“They loved Ymoryo; they never truly believed that their own son would become a murderer or, even worse, their murderer.”
YMOR
“Fofo, I am exactly like them. I cannot believe that you, my son, would become a murderer or, even worse, my murderer.”
ELLIS
“Fofo, your story is different. You are the one who will be bringing about a changed world.”
YMOR
“Exactly. My mother had to tell me about the family secret again because when my father told me, I was very young and confused; ultimately, I forgot part of the story.”
FOLEY
“Is that why my mother and my brothers treat me the way they do?”
ELLIS
“Fofo, they are scared of you. Scared people act in the worst way.”
YMOR
“I love you, son, as much as your mother and your brothers may also love you. They are afraid of you like your grandma puts it and they do not know how to react to the potential threat that you impose.”
FOLEY
Dad, this is all so confusing, but it makes perfect sense. I guess I understand now.
YMOR
“What do you understand, Fofo?”
FOLEY
“I finally understand my life so far.”
ELLIS
“Do you feel better about yourself? Knowing that you have an important role to play on your 31st birthday?”
FOLEY
“A little bit. I’ve always felt different from other children. Now I have confirmation.”
- Writer
