Between The Walls

Chapter 16

Brahms didn't gave any outward reaction. But inside, he's jolly. He loves making deals. Deals mean that he gets to take what he wants. Deals also mean that the person he's making a deal with is now bound to him until they finish fulfilling their part of the deal.

Where are the parents, though? he asked himself.

I would slap you if I could, he snapped back.

His wonderful thought process was interrupted by Isabelle's voice. Not that he minded. She has such a lovely voice.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. No." she backtracked. "Not another deal, but a new deal. I will stay, and take care of you as per my job description, but you don't have to stay on your wall anymore, provided that you will not hurt me or anyone." she finished, smiling at her idea.

Brahms pondered over this new offer.

Brahms gets to stay out of the wall, and Isabelle will still stay with Brahms. Brahms gets to linger around wherever he wants, and Isabelle will still take care of him, he ponders. Oh, how good of a deal it was. So he did the most logical thing to do, he declined.

"No." he said. "You're trying to trick Brahms."

"What the heck am I going to try to trick you for?" she sputtered. How did she suddenly became the villain?

"You made a deal you knew would be tempting for me to say yes. And then what? Brahms would stay out of his wall, and then people would see Brahms, and then they would punish Brahms and hang him, and then you get to leave with Malcolm." he said, devastated by his discovery, yet quite proud that he had guessed her plans so early.

Isabelle was, for lack of a better term, stupefied.

"What?" she asked. "What does Malcolm even have to do with this?"

Brahms only rolled his eyes from behind his mask and huffed.

"And first of all, no one would see you, Brahms. No one ever comes to this house except for Malcolm, and he goes by a schedule. We know when he would turn up. Second of all, punish and hang you? Why would anyone do that to you?" she asked. She probably should've taken Malcolm's offer to give her a little bit of history lesson about the Heelshires. She thought that she was being a good employee by not digging her nose into their business. Who would've thought that the Heelshires themselves that would shove her in it.

"Brahms did something bad." he finally answered in almost a whisper. "Why would you even want me out? Wouldn't it be better for you if I stay cooped up in my wall?" he asked.

Brahms never looked so vulnerable in her eyes then. In the two previous times she had met him, he always looked so strong and powerful. His eyes seems to be always piercing through whatever they land on, and his stature always tall and proud. Even when he was fighting those two intruders, he still possesses that commanding aura.

"Because it's not fair, Brahms. This house is yours, not mine. Why is it that I get to be comfortable while you rot away in this cold, dreary place?"

"Brahms did something bad." he repeated.

"What did you do, Brahms?" she asked, trying to prepare herself for the worst. But how does one even prepare herself for a criminal confession?.

"I killed the neighbor's daughter."