Leonardo Welt was a man of British nationality; his life being currently dictated by the adjustments and responsibilities of his bachelor’s degree.

  He had up until this point lived around 18 years, and to explain his life would take 18 years in itself.

  But, it could be described as the average “overworked and neglected middle child”.

  Marcus and Oluwatemilulu Welt, also known as Leo’s parents, had both fallen due to incurring fatal injuries in a highway accident. Despite their souls departing from the mortal world, their bodies were the least valuable of what they had left behind.

  Leonardo was but of 3 siblings. A middle child showered in affection as the revered youngest until shelfed and replaced as the supposed family “baby”. Most of his life an ornament, habituated and relished during holidays but cast and forgotten on the average day.

  Unlike an ornament, he had responsibilities. Responsibilities to succeed in all fields be it academics, sports or art. He felt almost felt like cement, used to fill in the cracks left by his delinquent elder sibling. Flowing to a predicted end, an end that satisfied the notion that his parents had “succeeded” raising a successful child, sealing any evidence of a broken home.

  Upon hearing about their deaths, he felt sick. Not because he had lost his parents, but because the only feeling he had felt was relief. The stream he’d travelled along blindly his whole life had finally opened into a vast ocean. Yet, he found himself awkwardly floating with no direction.

  University was a logical choice. Gain a qualification and decide where you want to go. It was what his parents wanted him to do, but it had made sense, a place where he could find himself, and learn what it meant to be free.

  Now, with a new goal, he prepared- or pretended. Though, leading up to this adventure, a growing feeling loomed in the back of his mind. Clouding his thoughts, gnawing at his resolve. No matter, the vitamins, or workouts or distractions, he couldn’t escape this sensation.

  And so, he read it. The note left to him by his parents. He had chosen to leave them in the past. To not let them dictate his future any longer. Surely the note was just more instructions he thought. But, to his surprise, it was an apology. An apology for all they had done, an apology for the pressure they applied, an apology for the love they withheld.

  Throughout the letter, they explained that they were scared for his future, and they wanted to make sure that he’d be strong, educated and smart enough to survive. They didn’t want him to end up like his sister, they wanted their baby boy to become a strong man that could survive on his own. Only putting him through it all because, he was strong enough.

  After finishing the letter, the sensation dispersed. A well of emotions crept up and released in a stream of tears. He fell to his knees, yearning to see his parents again. Cursing the him that truly felt relief after hearing of their demise.

  The moment shattered- his phone buzzed. He ignored it, letting it ring to voicemail. But the immediate redial led to him answering, and listening to what the caller had to say,

  “I’ll be there soon…”

  “I- I can’t believe this…”

  Befuddled was but an understatement for the enigma of emotions festering within him. Thousands of thoughts and questions clamoured into one large cyclone of confusion.

  Tremor-like twitching enthralled his entire being, almost as if the paper now crumpled between the crevices of his fingers was an eldritch horror, unfathomable to the much less complex human mind. He couldn’t look up. Looking up signified he had read its entirety and acknowledged its contents, leaving him vulnerable to the repercussions of the knowledge.

  “Judging by the expression on your face, you think it’s a bunch of bull shit as well”

  “Leo there’s no way you didn’t edit the will”

  The two voices stabbed through the silence, shredding his attempt to stay small and pinning him under their glare. Hesitantly the boy lifted his gaze upon the bitter glare of a young woman and the wide uncertain eyes of a teenage boy.

  “Well, let’s just put our heads together, and sort this out. We are siblings.” Leonardo joked.

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  “Siblings”. That word felt sickening, almost as if misplacing the wrong condiments on food. The overbearing hostility radiating from his sister made it almost absurd to use such a friendly term. Adversary, or even rather enemy was a much better fit.

  “I feel like this issue can be easily sorted, as the eldest, I should be given full control of all assets.” His sister declared.

  “Eh! Are on you fent!?” The youngest retorted, his voice trembling with frustration.

  “The adults are ta- “

  She was in the process of shutting down the youngest of the three before Leonardo finally decided to challenge his sister,

  “There’s no way the CLOWN, that got herself booted from the house, thinks for one second we’d even think to allow that.” Leonardo objected.

  For a moment, silence fell. So quiet, Leonardo heard imaginary hums. Then her laugh cut through it like a knife. “Me a clown? When your whole life’s a joke, all you do is go yes mummy, yes daddy.”

  “I-“

  “Oh- You? What? Yeah, when you learn to be more than a computer, or better yet get a fucking job, come to talk to me yeah? You don’t even have the slightest clue what it means to be an adult”

  “The- Your-“Leonardo stuttered. He was angered, yet something held him back.

  “Eu, Uh, ah. Learn to speak.”

  “I was just trying to say….”

  “Eu. Uh, ah”

  “Ok that’s getting- “

  “Speak up.”

  “What I’m trying to get at.”

  “I said speak up”

  “FOR FUCKS SAKE SKYLER SHUT THE FUCK UP. For one fucking second. You’re a fucking drop out, who barely can hold onto a job. How do you not vomit from absolute fucking shame telling me you’re an adult. Do you know what mum and dad told. They told me ALLLL ABOUT YOUR BOYFRIEND and don’t even get me started about the DRUGS!”

  Skyler’s face froze. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in her eyes. “That’s- Leo, w-why”

  “Eu, ah, uh. Now who can’t fucking speak. You stupid fucking bitch.”

  The younger brother glanced between them, his voice small. “Drugs?”

  “Yes Drugs Will, Drugs. At first, I was scared of it. But realistically, this paper was only going one way and we ALL know it.”

  Leonardo objecting was imperative. After all, the contents of the will declared most of the assets would go to his name. Why? Because he was the most competent of his siblings. Skyler was a truant, a troublemaker, unreliable. Any name following along those guidelines would suffice to describe her character. She refused to claim her responsibilities, forcing them upon others. The “others” in question were her parents, correcting her at every step and doing their best to guide their child in the correct path. But as mentioned before, even they got tired of her antics. Now in the case of the other sibling Will, he was far too young, though brimming with talent was too na?ve and inexperienced to take any real adult responsibility. And so, that left Leonardo.

  “People make mistakes Leonardo. And it’s not fair that you just walk all over them. I’ve changed.” Skyler’s voice cracked as she stepped closer, her knuckles whitening around the railing.

  “I’m sorry for shouting but, there was truth in what I said…” Leonardo instantly lowering his voice, noticing her strange movements.

  “I see” She briefly uttered. Though, yet brief, her words had a weight that belted down any courage Leonardo had managed to build.

  For a moment, her face twisted with rage, then something shifted. A smirk crept across her lips. This caused Leonardo’s stature to shrink as he began to back up along the withered railings of the oak bridge, it’s wood vibrating underfoot, as if the river below sang in a language no human could hear. Sadly, his efforts to create distance were futile as a long stride from his sister closed the gap once more, and like a serpent restricted him by the collar, grasping on it with a shaky fist.

  “Release me!” Leonardo squeaked, his voice barely rising above the wind rustling through the oaks.

  “Guys stop it! We’ve already lost, I don’t want to lose any more family!”

  Skyler’s fist loosened, her shoulders trembling as her breath slowed. For a fleeting moment, Leonardo thought Will had reached her. The tension in her stance faltered, and her knuckles softened against his collar. Relief washed over him—but only for an instant. Prompting Leonardo to let his guard down and then, something in her eyes shifted—an ember flared into a wildfire.

  “Make me.” She barked, whipping her fist against the bottom of his jaw, causing it to twist and cackle.

  “Skyler, please stop!” Leonardo pleaded. His heart racing as he peered in her eyes. Her two-toned gazed devoid of sanity.

  “You aren’t mum” She said, replacing the full stop of her sentence with a strike forged of resentment to his nose, “or father” She said repeating the action once more.

  “So don’t lecture me!”

  “I’m sorry Sky… p-please, let me go.”

  “Sky he’s sorry, he won’t do it again!”

  “You’re lucky you’re a good punching bag” Skyler joked.

  “Get off him already” Will barked, pushing his sister to release her grip.

  Annoyed, she shoved back- knocking Will aside but, the force jerked her grip loose. Leonardo stumbled, tailbone cracking against the banister.

  Before he could react, the world spun. The sensation of freefall overwhelmed him, and the next thing he knew, the icy grip of water wrapped around his body and stole the breath within his lungs. Cold pierced his skin, cutting sharper than any words. To his memory the pond was waist high and so he tried to shift himself to stand. However, his foot felt no sign of a surface or riverbed no matter where it stretched. He then began to swing his arms in desperation. However, the water wasn’t just cold—it felt alive. Tendrils of frosty pressure wrapped around his limbs, dragging him downward with a force that defied logic. A faint hum echoed in his ears, growing louder, as if the river itself whispered his name.

  ---Am I dying?

  This was the only thought constantly racing through his head as he attempted to battle against the currents. But with every stroke his vision seemingly grew dimmer and darker. Above, the surface blurred, its light fading into nothingness and becoming but a memory.