Who Killed Blue Jones?

Chapter 9: Secret

My eyes burned as I felt the bright sun on my face. I sat up and looked around and I realized that I slept in her room.

Gosh, I promise I'm not a stalker. But... oh, you must think I'm a creep. I swear I'm not! I'm a nice guy... well, that's what my mom says. She even calls me handsome which I don't think you'd agree on. Would you?

I walked out of the room and went into Caden's to find him sleeping with his arms and legs spread across his bed.

I shook him by his arm"Caden, wake up. Caden." He moaned"Five more minutes, Mr. Stark."

Is he... dreaming about iron man?

He again said, "I'll be right down with you to help fix JARVIS." I rolled my eyes and shook his shoulder"Wake up!" He rubbed his eyes" What?" I said, "We need to go." He sighed"Where? It's Saturday. Leave me be." I held his arms and started pulling on it"No! I need you as my witness while I wanna tell my dad what's going on." I pulled him but he was glued to his pillow. I said"Caden!" He sat up on his bed" I'm up! I'm up! Can we get some breakfast?" I scrunched up my nose as he wreaked of alcohol"You can eat breakfast in my house after you shower now and brush your goddamn teeth." He sighed"Okay."

X

We drove to my house and went in.

Dad was in his usual place at the kitchen island and mom was making pancakes because it was Saturday. Dad looked at me and then at Caden. I introduced them"Mom.. dad... this is Caden. Whose party I went to yesterday." Dad smiled and stood up to shook his hand and mom walked to him too with her usual smile of being proud of her child for actually making friends. Caden smiled"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Asher and Mrs. Asher."

Mom said as she had the same spatula in her hand that helped me with Margaret"Why don't you join us, Caden?" He nodded his head with a wide smile.

I hope mom made enough pancakes.

Mom and dad were sitting at one side while I and Caden sat at the other. Caden ate all his pancakes and his eyes were on mine as he finally asked"Can I have one of yours?" I didn't have an appetite to eat at all"Knock yourself out." He grabbed my plate and started eating that too. Mom noticed and asked"Sage? Honey, you okay?" I looked at Caden as he looked at me and I sighed.

I wanted to tell them what was going on and I was happy that Caden was with me.

I said as I took a sip of my milk"Dad, there's something wrong in this house." Dad left his fork and took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose"Sage, please... I told you to stop it."

"Dad, I'm not lying. I see people walking around this house. The first night I saw a woman named Margaret too. And after the first day of school, I saw a man standing in front of the shower door. And then yesterday, there were six people in my room. Some had bullet wounds on their forehead. I can even see Caden's sister."

Mom and dad looked at Caden as he choked on his pancake"Well, I haven't seen her yet but I don't think he's lying." Dad stood up from his chair in exasperation"Great! Now you pulled your friend into it too." He looked at Caden"Caden, I'm sorry for my son's behavior." Caden's eyes were wide at what dad said. I tried to reason"Dad! Just listen to me. Please!" Dad cut me off"Where is it? The things you keep seeing? The people... where are they?" I looked around and there was nobody at all. I stayed quiet with my mouth shut. I looked at mom"Mom, I am not lying. You know that I'd never lie." But she was quiet. Dad said"Sage, stop. For your sake and mine, please stop. I don't want you to turn into your uncle Gabriel in the asylum-" but he stopped mid-sentence with wide eyes behind his glasses. He gulped and said, "Never mind." But that piques my curiosity" Who? Who are you talking about? Who's Gabriel?"

All my life, I only knew one uncle. Uncle Drew. That's it. My dad didn't have other siblings. My dad is the oldest. As far as I know.

Dad said, "Forget it." But mom held dad's hand"Tony, I think you should tell him now. He's sixteen. He should know." Dad sighed as he sat back on his seat and removed his glasses again. He looked at me and said"There is something that I haven't told you. Yes, you have an uncle besides uncle Drew. My older brother Gabriel." I asked, "Where is he?" He exhaled"Locked in an asylum. I don't know if he's dead or alive."

"What happened?"

"The same thing you're talking about, Sage. Papa and Mama used to live in maple town. Uncle Gabriel, me and Uncle Drew... we were born here." He smiled as he remembered his old days"Gabriel was the popular kid at school, I was the nerd, and Drew... he was more of a jock. Sometimes I would get in trouble with some of the guys at school and Gabriel always was there to beat them up for me. He even got in trouble with the principal because of me."

His smile turned into a frown"On the night that I turned seventeen, I remember Gabriel coming in the house from school and closing all the windows and doors, hiding in his room, under his bed. He didn't come out for three days. Missed my birthday and missed school a lot. My parents would go in and try to talk to him but he'd be quiet all day. Wouldn't eat. Wouldn't sleep. Wouldn't dream. If he did sleep, he'd wake up with a nightmare and scream just like you did last night." He looked at me as did Caden and mom.

He continued"After some days when he finally came out of his room, he started making up these stories about he could see people in the house. People that tried to attack him. People that just stand staring at him. My father wouldn't believe him and nor would my mother or Drew. I somewhat did just for the sake that he was my savior. He started telling everyone at school, the neighborhood couples, and kids. To the point when all the town knew that Gabriel Asher is mentally ill. My father being in the army, he was a hard man that he had enough of his son and threw him in the asylum because he didn't have anything to do with him anymore. And then in just one night, my father told us to pack and we moved to New York where he started his tobacco business. We haven't seen Gabriel since then."

I was speechless. Shocked. Angry and emotional.

I looked at mom"You knew?" She nodded"Your father told me all about it when you were born." I looked at Caden and even he didn't have anything to say at all. Dad said"Sage, I don't want you to end up like Gabriel too. Please stop it." He stood up and went upstairs.

I have an uncle that is in an asylum for being crazy.

Am I the same? Am I going to end up like him too?

•••••

I hope you loved this chapter too.

Another uncle? Did you saw this coming? Tell me in the comments and some forget to vote!

I'll see y'all in the next chapter soon.

bye!

Love, Hope
♥️♥️