When Your Childhood Dies

Invy’s POV

“Come on, Daniel! Pick a card!” I screamed. My deck of thirteen Tarot cards only had two different cards. The Fool card, and the Death card. I heard Elly running up the stairs and I quickly turned to lock the door, locking her out. I pulled out a crystal, twirling it around my hand, almost like Jareth from the Labyrinth, except I did it better. He was frightened. I could tell, I was in pain, he’d gotten a good shot at my face, punched me hard in my jaw, bruising it. I was furious, my temper well past gone. I pulled out my cards. “Aren’t you going to fight back, Danny boy?”

I threw a card at him, turning it over. “Death!” I screeched. “You hear that Daniel?! You get to die!” I ripped out my exacto knife, shoving it into his hand, then into his arms. The way he’s tied though, not much blood arises.

He whimpered.

“What’s wrong, Danny? Do you regret it yet? Do you see now who killed all your friends?” I snarled. “You sicken me you son of a bitch.”

He whimpered again, and I remove the gag, “I’m sorry, okay?!” he screamed.

I stab the exacto into his mouth, pulling it out just as roughly and then pulling a lighter from my pocket, lighting his skin, burning his hands, his arms, his neck. I kneed him roughly in between his legs, then again, stabbing him in his chest, anywhere I’d know it hurt.

“Do you know the pain you put me through, brother?” the word was like acid. Finally my sister broke in. She ran up to us, grabbed me off of him, rocking the chair he was in.

“Dad called the cops, we’ve got to go.” She snarled. I kicked and screamed, fighting her, I needed to kill him. The blood that covered me was enough to show what mental state I was in. I knew the BAU would soon follow the cops, if they weren’t already here. But I had to kill him. He started it. I had to finish him. I ripped from her hold, shoving my foot between his legs, hearing a sickening crack, I shoved him and the chair out a third story window. My eyes flared as I watched him fall to his death, screaming all the way there as the cops rounded the corner.

My sister grabbed my arms, dragging me backwards. I turned, running with her, out the back door, she already had a change of clothes for me. We stopped outside the neighborhood in the forest. I stripped from my clothes and slipped into the black skinny jeans and tank top, along with a leather jacket she’d brought. I felt my Tarot Cards and a crystal or two in the pockets, hidden until I needed them. I also knew that there was spark cotton in the pockets, I could light my hands on fire easily and not get burned.

She turned towards me, breathing heavily. “What the hell got into you?”

“He tried to do it again.” I murmured. “I got scared, and then I got angry.”

“No shit!” she yelled. “We’d better walk the sidewalks, go back home. Dad won’t rat you out, he knows I’d turn on him so fast he’d be in for life.” I nodded, leaving the clothes in a heap, my mind far from ease.

We stepped onto the sidewalk, walking home, I stayed about a foot or two behind her the whole time. When we got there, cops, ambulances, and the BAU were in front of the house. I grimaced, “Ella, Ella I’m panicking, I lost my cool—I didn’t mean to—”

“Invy, hey, shh. Listen to me, alright? You’re going to be fine. I’m going to be right here with you all the way.” She grasped my hand. I nodded, and she continued, seeing as we were getting close, and my behavior would set the BAU off like fireworks. “Invy listen to me, we aren’t done yet, okay? You’ve got to listen to me.” I hugged her tightly, trying not to let the tears fall.

Suddenly a flashlight was shone on us. I screamed, jumping away, starting to run, but Ella grabbed my hand, jerking me back to her, “You scared us.” She explained, knowing that I wasn’t in the best state to speak.

Emily Prentiss was staring at us suspiciously. “Can you girls please come with me?” she asked.

I just nodded mutely, and my sister said, “Yes, of course. Did something else happen?” she asked.

Emily looked back, “I’m afraid your eldest brother Daniel is dead.” A tear streaked down my face.

Ella gripped my hand tighter, “How?” she asked.

“Too many injuries to notice.” Prentiss stated.

My gripped tightened so much Ella squeaked in pain. “Sorry.” I mouthed.

We finally reached the group of BAU agents and my throat constricted as I saw Daniel, dead. Part of me wanted to scream, to pull out my exacto knife and slit his throat, stab him, again and again. Even though he was dead, I wasn’t done yet. I’d been too nice.

Hotchner and Morgan turned away from the body to face us, as did Dr. Reid. I always figured he’d be the one to figure us out, but I wasn’t all that attracted to him, yes he intrigued me, but my developing crush was on the strong and untrusting Agent Derek Morgan.

My hands began to shake as we got closer to Daniel, my sister tried to keep me pinned at her side, but I couldn’t help but notice, Daniel’s face looked peaceful.

“What happened here?” Morgan asked.

I shook my head, “I—I don’t—know.”

Ella quickly intervened, “We weren’t home, Agent Morgan. We were on our way back when we saw the cops and the lights.

I could tell he knew we were lying. They all did, subconsciously at least.