Red flashing lights lit up the night, glinting off the glass window of the room that Alex and Cathleen shared.
Alex had found entertainment in continuously tapping the end of one of the pens that his younger sister used for her writing and listening to the clicking noise that could barely be heard over the wailing of police sirens.
The last he had seen of his little sister was right when they were sprinting away from the park. Why she had wanted to go there was beyond him, but he could swear that the people there had somehow known that she was coming and were waiting for her.
He couldn't believe that he had let himself lose her like that, who knows what happened to her? She was probably kidnapped and being held for ransom, he was sure of it and it was all his bloody fault. He'd bee in the paper for sure and be known as 'The Idiot Who Let His Little Sister Get Killed' for the rest of his life.
As soon as he had gotten home and she wasn't there already, he called the police and reported her missing. He didn't even think about waiting in case she took a detour to throw the freaks of their trail. All through their childhood, the two of them always had each other whenever times were tough, they were lonely or when they needed help. Caity had always looked up to him in the most adorable way.
And he'd just let her go like that.
Frustrated, he hurled the pen onto Caity's bed. It's sheets were carelessly thrown onto the end as she never bothered to make her bed since it would just get messed up again in the night. The two siblings both them shared that kind of laziness.
Maybe that's what made you lose her. He bitterly thought to himself, Maybe you're just that slothful, you let a bunch of freaks kidnap the closest person you've ever had to you.
He couldn't imagine what his father would say to him, Caity had always been his favourite and Alex knew it. Despite that, he loved her more than anything and she didn't go on about how their obviously father liked her more. He liked how she was so modest about it and didn't rub it in his face.
The chief policeman had spoken to him when the police had arrived at the apartment and their talk was freakishly serious and intimidating. The officer seemed incapable of saying anything without making it look like he was discussing where to hide a body. All the same, Alex knew that no matter how creepy the police were, no one would be more creepy that his father when he found out what had just happened.
He sighed and stared out the window at the police car parked right outside. He knew that three others were patrolling the street, searching for his taken sister, but he knew in his heart that they wouldn't find her.
The screaming of the siren seemed to get louder and louder, increasing in pitch as it did.
He winced, raising a hand to his ears in an attempt to block out the whining noise, but it was no use. The screeching got louder and louder, higher and higher and he doubled over as it began to hurt, drilling though his brain.
You couldn't protect her! Pathetic!
What are you doing now, just sitting her and letting her captors do whatever they want with her?
You're so dead, Alexander. If your daddy doesn't kill you, your guilt sure will.
I can see why Cathleen was favoured all her life now.
"Shut up!" Alex shouted furiously, punching the wall over and over, "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!"
There was a loud cracking noise as his fist went right through the plaster and he swore loudly, pulling his arm out and scratching the back of his hand on the jagged edges of the hole he had created.
He hurriedly tore Caity's NiGHTS poster off the wall and stuck it over the hole, praying that no one would discover it anytime soon. If his father found out that he'd have to pay what little money he earned on repairing the wall, nothing would be able to save Alex from his wrath.
Wiping blood off his hand, he thought about getting something to cover it up when he heard the front door being unlocked and opened and footsteps entering the apartment.
Holy crap, I'm dead. He thought to himself.
You deserve it. Came a voice from the back of his head which he tried his best to ignore as he warily glanced over at the poster he had used to cover up the hole and wondered it he should stand in front of it to make sure that his father didn't see it.
The sound of footsteps began to grow softer and he heard the door open and close once again. He sighed in relief, so their father wasn't going to kill him.
Yet.
The door swung open and he swore loudly, immediately paniking before he realized that it was just a police officer who gave him a dirty look and muttered something about kids these days.
"Your father wants to talk with you." The policeman growled, glaring at him, "And you shouldn't swear at your age, it isn't cool, you know. Back in my day-"
Before he could continue, Alex shoved past him, not wanting anyone to make him feel guiltier than he already was.
He cautiously checked the living room of the apartment, that was where most of the family's intimidating talks took place and it was the first place that he thought to look. It was empty.
The police officer appeared next to him, making him swear again, "He's outside." The officer told him and then added in a disapproving voice, "And swearing is very bad, you can get arrested-"
"Nice to know, bye." Alex muttered, stalking out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Once he was out of the room he sighed and leaned against the door, he was doomed. He was so flipping doomed...
There's no getting out of this. He thought, pushing himself off the closed door, Might as well get it over with. And he got out of the apartment before the police officer could appear again and tell him off for swearing once more.
Tobias Winters was the splitting image of his children. Or maybe his children were the splitting image of him. Everyone in the Winters family looked more or less the same with light brown hair and blue eyes, so everyone was pretty much the spitting image of everyone else.
At that moment, he was standing in the street, having what looked like an extremely serious conversation with a police sergeant. Alex wasn't sure whether or not it was the same person who told him off for swearing back in the apartment. In his opinion, they all looked the same.
Alex made his way toward them, hoping he's still be able to keep some of his dignity during what was to come.
"Alex..." His father began.
Goodbye, Mr Dignity.
"Come over here, please."
All his pride vanished in an instant as he hesitantly walked over to them. All thoughts vanished from his head except I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!
His father observed him for a moment and then said, "Can you tell us exactly what happened when Cathleen went missing?"
He's playing Sherlock Holmes... Alex thought to himself as he re-told the entire story to them, Bad sign, bad sign...
