Everything was ready. Clothes, food, money- just the essentials, packed in three hold-alls by the door. Adriel unlatched the hand-made locks carefully, and slipped outside, letting the crisp breeze brush over his face and hair like a loving parent.

The phone box was just a short way from the apartment that he and his younger sister had made their home. Its glass walls were a little stained, or broken by careless people, and the machine inside was past its time. But it would suffice for what Adriel had to do. His slender fingers gripped the phone, lifting it to his ear as he dialled the number, the number that he’d read inside his head over and over again.

Ring ring…. Ring ring… ring ring… “pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up…”

“Hello?” The reply was bright and sunny, full of life.

“Hello. This is Adriel.”

“Ah, Freya’s brother?”

“Yes, you’re right. I want to ask if I can meet up with you, on your way back from school. There’s something I have to give you, but I don’t want Freya to know about it.” Adriel looked down at his free hand, currently resting by his side.

“Um, okay.” Her voice wavered a little.

“It’s very important for Freya, so please come as soon as you can. I’ll be at the park entrance at four.”

After a confirmation, Adriel stepped back outside. The sky above was beginning to grow grey, so he had better hurry to finish what he had started.

The sound of laughter was common here in the park. Kids playing on the trees, or maybe the swings; and sometimes there was the occasional parent or dog. After all, it was the end of school, so who could deprive them of their fun right now? That reminded him, Freya must be on her way home by now. It would still be a good half hour by the time she would finally reach the apartment, especially with all her looking through the shops as she passed them. So that left Adriel just enough time.

“Hi, Adriel!” The boy jumped a foot, before turning to see that she had indeed arrived on time. “Ah… did I scare you?” She laughed lightly, as Adriel began to recover, swearing loudly enough for the children on the swings to giggle and whisper to each other.

“Ugh, I hope you won’t be doing that again…” he mumbled, half to himself. Looking at her now, he could just see why Freya liked her. She was all smiles and sunshine, and pretty too- he had to give her that. But this wasn’t the time to be thinking of such things.

“Anyway… follow me,” Adriel said briefly, looking into the direction of the trees as he started walking. He would rather look anywhere than that face of hers, those trusting eyes following him further and further through the park.

After a minute or so, the laughter could no longer be heard. Most of the kids had ran away from the advancing clouds to the safety and warmth of their home, and those that were left were too wrapped up in their games to leave.

“Adriel… where are we going?” Her first sign of doubt reached him, and he wavered a little.

“Just a little further.”

Finally they reached it- several trees shaded the leaf-covered earth, and a crumbling brick wall ran along by a ditch, blocking the area from any view of the playground. It was deadly quiet here, only the brief squawks of birds broke the empty silence.

“Adriel… there’s nothing here,” she laughed, stuttering a little across her words as she looked back at him, expecting a sign of some sort. “What am I meant to be looking at?”

“Just down there,” he motioned towards the wall casually, looking at the tree behind him instead. “See that hole down at the bottom? Look through there.” She stumbled down into the ditch.

“I don’t see anything… is this some kind of joke?”

“Just keep looking,” he mumbled in reply, reaching behind the tree, his hand fumbling. There it was, the handle. It felt cold and solid in his sticky grasp, sticking to him so that he could not let go.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes…” his heart was pounding, his head spinning, but he had got so far, so far… he couldn’t stop now. She was a couple of feet before him, one foot, so close; he couldn’t prevent the laughter, the triumph coming from his lips as he raised his hands high above his head.

“Wha-“

SMASH.

Down on her head, turning to see him.

SMASH.

Down on that pretty face of hers, the one that caused his sister so much pain.

SMASH.

Again, again, crying, laughing, he couldn’t stop, couldn’t stop now. Not until it was all over. Not until he could finally put an end to her, he would not stop.

Adriel’s breath came in sharp and painful gasps; leaning back against the wall was painful. But he had done it, done what he’d come for. The wooden handle slipped from his grasp, landing with a thud on the scattered leaves, as he looked up to the sky. He had never felt so alive.

The water from the stream was cool, and refreshing as he cleaned his arms of his sin, watching it flow down and glisten in the sparse sunlight that peeked through the trees. His cleansed weapon lay in the dustbin; her body beneath the leaves. It was all over. Now all that was left was Freya and himself. The children had all gone as he returned through the park, and he only passed a couple of people through the streets; people that didn’t give a second glance to his stained, soaking clothes, his occasional stumble. They probably presumed that he was drunk.

“Freya, are you home?” Adriel noticed her shoes set neatly side-by-side in the hallway, right by the bags that would complete their escape.

“Adriel!” A rush of happiness ran to embrace her elder brother, patting gently at his wet clothes.

“Sorry, Freya,” he laughed. “I fell into the pond fetching some kid’s ball.”

“That’s alright, it was for a good cause,” she smiled in return. There was a pause. “Adriel… I saw the bags. You don’t want to leave now, do you?”

“Freya, I found some place we can stay. You’ll really like it there; only it’s quite a way out. Down south.” He notice her face fall, “I know you’ll really like it there! You can meet lots of new friends…”

“But… I don’t want new friends… I want Lily… she was the only person here who would love me… I love her!” the sobs came louder and louder, each a stab to Adriel’s heart, hearing the noise that he had tried so dearly to protect. She was all he had, and now he was for her. It was all about them now.

The train rattled through the dark, the only sounds a few snores or rustles of newspapers turning. Adriel listened to the soft breathing on his shoulder, now that she had stopped sobbing. She had turned to Kitty, but those button eyes and sewn mouth offered no consolation. She could no longer turn to Lily. All that she had was him. Adriel knew that she hated him now, but what was it that she had left? She had cried and begged him not to leave her, to always care for her, to always love her. He wrapped the single blanket around Freya, like a baby bird nestled under its mother’s feathers, resting his head upon hers. They slept the few short hours that they could, huddled together on the moving train.