Free The Black Lake: Tales of Melancholic Horror by Jon Athan Page A

rare like you like it.” He diabolically chuckled, then said, “The meal of the day is... Mary. The meal of the day is love. Welcome home, sweetheart.”

Pick The Least Favorite Child
     
    The scorching sunlight caressed the bustling cul-de-sac with a blistering heat. The pavement sizzled with a mere droplet of sweat. Birds happily chirped from the lush trees in front of every home. Kids happily scampered across the street, bickering and bantering as they played hide-and-seek and freeze tag. The parents stood on their porches, sipping pungent lemonade with rapidly melting cubes of ice clanking in the liquid.
    “I almost had you!” Richie Caldwell shouted as he smiled and stomped his foot on the kempt grass of the backyard.
    6-year-old Richie pranced along as he played with his older siblings – Jonathan and Cecilia. His black sneakers squished and thudded on the grass with each hurried step. His blue jeans were rumpled and begrimed like his black short sleeve shirt. The soothing breeze whooshed past his buzz cut dome. His brown eyes glimmered with joy and innocence.
    As he ran ahead in a curve, 9-year-old Jonathan glanced over his shoulder and shouted, “I don't think so! You're going to have to be faster than that!”
    Jonathan stood four-seven with a lean figure. He had black curly hair completely obscuring his ears and his forehead. He wore a red-and-white striped long sleeve shirt tucked into his denim jeans. His black sneakers were muddied from the rousing game of tag. He had piercing, baleful black eyes, like black holes waiting to absorb anything in their path.
    From the sandbox at the farthest corner of the backyard, 12-year-old Cecilia hopped and waved towards Richie. Her blue sundress swayed with her frantic movements and the refreshing wind. Her bare feet sunk deeper into the sand with each bounce. Her elephantine ears protruded from beneath her short black hair.
    She inspected the game of tag with her lustrous brown eyes. She pointed forward, then drew Jonathan's path with her fingertip for Richie. Richie grinned as he darted to the right, then lunged forward and tapped his brother's shoulder. Grass and mud spiraled into the air as Jonathan skidded to a sudden stop.
    Jonathan glared at Richie and sternly said, “You cheated.”
    Richie shook his head and responded, “No, I got your fair and square.”
    “ You cheated. You could never catch me. You're not fast enough. It's impossible. Admit it, Richie, or else. You cheated, didn't you?”
    Richie huffed and crossed his arms, then asked, “Or else what?”
    Cecilia skipped towards the bickering pair. The ambiance had suddenly shifted from merry to gloomy. Clouds formed from nothing, blocking the dazzling sun and drenching the backyard with melancholy – from cloudless to overcast within seconds.
    Acting as the mediator, Cecilia said, “Richie's right, Jonathan, he got you fair and square. I saw everything.”
    Jonathan glared at Cecilia with a soul-penetrating stare – a menacing scowl fueled by hatred and fury. Cecilia shuddered from the mere sight of Jonathan's wicked eyes. She could see the malicious thoughts running through his mind, she could feel his malevolence. Her brother was sinister.
    Jonathan glanced back at Richie and said, “Fine. I'm 'it.' No more cheating, though.”
    Richie nonchalantly shrugged, then scurried away. Jonathan inhaled deeply and smiled, then bolted towards him. Cecilia swallowed the fear clogging her throat as she slowly walked towards the sandbox in reverse. She glanced up at the skies. The clouds were slowly dissipating with Jonathan's bad mood.
    Cecilia glanced back at Jonathan and whispered, “I knew it...”
    Jonathan ran as fast as he could, slipping and sliding on the grass as he chased after Richie. Richie was quick and nimble, able to evade Jonathan's grasp by an inch with his sly movements. Every time the pair reached one end of the backyard, Richie slipped past Jonathan and hurtled towards the other