His dark possession

House Of Silence

Carlos regained consciousness to the icy sensation of cold water splashing against his face.

His eyes fluttered open as blurred faces surrounded him.

Someone helped him into a chair while another person handed him a glass of water.

"Carlos."

The familiar voice made him look up.

It was Aunt Linda.

The doctor had invited her in after speaking with her privately about the situation.

Carlos accepted the glass with trembling hands, taking a small sip.

His head throbbed violently, and the room continued to spin around him.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

That couldn't have been Mom.

How was this possible?

Why was this happening to him? Why his parents? Why couldn't it have been someone else?.

Unable to process everything, Carlos remained silent.

A few minutes later, Aunt Linda gently led him outside and helped him into her car.

"Stay here for a moment, dear," she said softly. "I need to speak with the doctor."

Carlos nodded without saying a word.

As soon as she disappeared, he reached for the medal necklace hanging around his neck.

It was the necklace his mother had given him on his twelfth birthday.

She had always smiled and told him it would protect him wherever he went.

His fingers tightened around it.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as memories of his mother's pale, lifeless face flooded his mind.

A wave of nausea suddenly overwhelmed him.

He leaned forward and vomited beside the car.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Aunt Linda returned.

Her eyes were red from crying.

"Oh, Carlos... I'm so sorry."

She gently helped him clean himself before getting into the driver's seat.

The journey home passed in complete silence.

Carlos stared blankly through the window while flashes of memories replayed in his mind—the argument he had with his parents before they left, his father's disappointed expression, and his mother's gentle voice.

Each memory pierced his heart.

After several minutes, Aunt Linda finally spoke.

"Why don't you come and stay with Drake and me for a while? The house is big, and you'll have someone to keep you company, just like old times."

Carlos slowly shook his head.

"No, Aunt."

She sighed softly.

"Then maybe Drake should come and stay with you instead."

There was no reply.

Carlos rested his head against the window.

Outside, the world continued as though nothing had happened.

Shop owners arranged goods outside their stores.

Children laughed as they chased one another along the roadside.

A woman carefully balanced a basket on her head while weaving through the crowd.

A group of men stood beneath a tree, deeply engaged in conversation.

Life moved on.

But Carlos felt as though time had stopped.

His reflection stared back at him through the glass.

He barely recognized himself.

He looked exhausted.

Broken.

"Carlos," Aunt Linda said gently.

"I know this is hard."

He remained silent.

"No words can take your pain away, but you're not alone.

You still have family."

Family.

The word echoed in his mind.

Yet it felt strangely empty.

His mother's pale face flashed before his eyes once again.

Then came the image of his father during their final argument.

A sharp pain tightened around his chest.

If only I had gone with them.

If only I had apologized.

Maybe things would have been different.

Maybe they would still be alive.

The reality finally settled over him like a heavy blanket.

His parents were gone.

Questions filled his mind.

Where would he begin?

He had no job.

No money.

No idea what the future held.

Lost in thought, he didn't even realize the car had stopped.

"We're home," Aunt Linda said softly.

"If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me."

She hesitated before continuing.

"The family will be meeting at my house tomorrow to discuss the next steps."

She reached over and gently kissed his forehead.

"Try to get some rest."

Carlos watched as her car disappeared down the road before finally walking toward the apartment.

The moment he stepped inside, silence greeted him.

He slowly made his way toward the dining room.

His eyes immediately fell on his father's chair.

It was still pushed slightly away from the table exactly as he had left it.

Carlos froze.

For a brief second, he expected his father to walk in and sit down.

But the chair remained empty.

His gaze shifted to the table.

His mother's cup still sat where she had left it.

The memory of seeing her lying motionless at the hospital struck him all over again.

A chill ran through his body.

The house no longer felt like home.

It felt haunted by memories.

Unable to bear it any longer, Carlos slowly walked toward his bedroom.

As he passed the hallway, he noticed his mother's slippers neatly placed outside her room.

His chest tightened.

Every corner of the house reminded him of what he had lost.

For the first time, he truly understood the weight of his reality.

He was alone.

He would never hear his mother's voice again.

Never see his father's smile.

He had become an orphan.

On the wall hung an old family photograph

Carlos stared at it for what felt like forever.

His parents smiled back at him.

His throat tightened.

Maybe if I had gone with them...

Maybe they would still be alive.

Or maybe... I would have gone with them wherever they are now.

Since hearing about the accident, Carlos had refused to eat or drink anything.

His phone suddenly vibrated beside him.

The screen displayed Aunt Madison's name.

After several seconds, he answered.

"Hello?" he whispered.

"Hello, my dear. How are you?"

Carlos couldn't respond.

"Carlos? Please talk to me."

Silence.

"Have you eaten?"

He closed his eyes.

Still nothing.

"Carlos..."

Her voice trembled with worry.

"Carlos?"

"Can you hear me?"

The only sound she heard was his quiet breathing.

Eventually, the call ended.

She tried calling back several times, but Carlos never answered.

The next morning, loud knocks echoed throughout the apartment.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

After the fifth knock, Carlos dragged himself to the door.

Standing outside were his father's siblings.

They quietly entered the living room.

After everyone had settled down, the eldest among them spoke.

"We've come to a decision."

Carlos looked up.

"Your father... our brother... and your mother will be buried tomorrow."

Carlos stared at her in disbelief.

"What?"

"The burial will be tomorrow," she repeated calmly.

"The family has discussed everything."

Carlos stood abruptly.

"Tomorrow?"

His voice cracked.

"How can you bury them tomorrow? I haven't even had time to accept that they're gone."

Silence filled the room.

"We understand how you feel," one of his uncles said gently.

"No, you don't!"

Carlos shouted.

"Nobody understands how I feel."

He began pacing around the room.

"They were alive two days ago.

My mother was talking to me.

My father was arguing with me.

Now you're sitting here discussing burial arrangements as if they're just names on a piece of paper."

Aunt Linda quietly wiped away her tears.

"Carlos, please..."

"How am I supposed to calm down?"

His voice echoed throughout the house.

The eldest uncle sighed.

"This isn't easy for us either.

We lost our brother."

Carlos looked away.

His chest tightened painfully.

"We're doing this because it's what's best," his uncle continued.

"The longer we wait, the harder it becomes."

"They're my parents," Carlos whispered.

"And they were our family too," Aunt Madison replied softly.

She walked over and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"This is what your parents would have wanted.

They wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life trapped in this pain."

Carlos lowered his head.

The tears he had fought so hard to hold back finally fell.

Without another word, Aunt Anthony pulled him into a warm embrace.

Carlos buried his face against her shoulder and cried.

The sudden vibration of Aunt Linda's phone interrupted the silence.

"Who's calling?" the eldest uncle asked.

"It's the officer," Aunt Linda replied quietly.

She stepped outside to answer the call.

An uneasy feeling settled deep inside Carlos.

Something wasn't right.

Less than an hour later, a police vehicle pulled into the compound.

Aunt Linda quickly stepped outside to meet the officer.

Unable to ignore the feeling growing inside him, Carlos quietly followed.

He remained near the doorway, careful not to interrupt them.

"Good afternoon, Madam," the officer greeted.

"Good afternoon, Officer. How are things going?" Aunt Linda asked anxiously.

Carlos listened carefully, catching only pieces of their conversation.

The officer lowered his voice before speaking.

"We need to investigate this case further."

Carlos's heart skipped a beat.

Investigate?

His parents' accident...

Wasn't just an accident?