I was sitting in class waiting for the bell to ring I always hated math and wanted to get out, finally the bell rang and as were packing up to leave my friend Jerome came up to me. “I wanted to know if you wanted to spend the weekend at my place my parents are okay with it” I was surprised because usually Jerome says his parents never let people come over in fact I never even got to see his parents before.
“Um sure my parents usually don’t care if I spend the night at someone’s house” he seemed very excited, when I got home I told my mom who said to just be careful. I then got my stuff ready and my older brother dropped me off at Jerome’s house the moment I got there though I got an unsettling feeling like something was wrong I mean the house looked normal but I don’t know why it felt weird.
I knocked on the door and was instantly greeted by Jerome who was super excited and invited me in his house, it seemed a little dusty and I thought I saw a spider web in the corner. “Ignore that my mom has been a little busy and hasn’t had time to clean” I went with it because my mom always told me it was stressful to be a mom, I asked where his parents were and he told me they were busy and then lead me to his room.
I saw he had a normal size room a few comics lying around and a computer hee said that I would sleep on the floor and said we could play some games on his computer. He then said he needed to use the bathroom and left I decided to explore his house but saw there really wasn’t much that’s when I noticed something in what I’m gonna say was his parents room I saw a man sitting in a chair with the lights off.
I said hi thinking it had to be his father but ended up getting no response or movement I thought he might be busy and told him I was sorry for disturbing him I then turned around and Jerome was standing there. I got startled seeing how I didn’t here him coming up behind me “I see you met my father” I then calmed down and responded “Yeah is he okay he’s not responding” Jerome’s smile vanished “He’s deaf” I then calmed down realizing he just couldn’t here we both then went back to Jerome’s room.
We started playing games on his computer mostly horror games, after awhile he left without saying anything and then came back “Greg dinner is ready” I paused the game and went with him to the dining room. There were two plates with ham sandwiches on them I asked if his parents were joining us but he said they already ate, so we then went on eating afterwards I asked where the bathroom was and Jerome told me.
When I was going down the hall I thought I heard water running I opened the bathroom door and saw it was coming from the shower I had assumed that Jerome’s mom was taking a shower so I quickly went to the bathroom. I ended up flushing by mistake forgetting his mom was taking a shower and apologized but got no response? so I got out of there and went back to Jerome he was in his room and saw he was drinking some beer he looked at me and asked if I wanted some.
I never took Jerome for someone who would drink “Where did you get that” he looked at me smiled and said “It’s my dad’s beer” and then took another swing “He won’t find out” he tried to get me to try some but I refused, after he finished his beer he said he had to go take the garbage and said he would be right back.
I then went back in his computer but noticed something he had saved in his documents it was a writing of how much he wanted a brother and that he would stop at nothing until he had one. There was then a picture he had saved of someone a boy that Jerome was standing next to smiling he seemed a little bit younger so this could have been a few years ago the boy had long hair and was wearing a blue hoodie.
I heard Jerome returning so I turned the computer off he came in and said that his parents wanted us to join them for a movie I didn’t want to seem suspicious so I followed him. When we got to the living room I saw his parents sitting on the couch not moving an inch just staring blankly at the TV I sat down next to them with Jerome and felt uncomfortable like something wasn’t right.
I looked over at the parents still staring at the TV still not moving an inch I then smelled something weird like it was coming from them, Jerome all of a sudden started to laugh I looked over at him he then stood up and said he was going to grab a soda and left. I looked back over at the parents and started to shake them to get their attention but they fell over on the ground not moving I was startled by this.
Jerome came back in with something he was holding a ziplock bag with something that looked to be a mask he looked down at his parents then back at me”. Jerome what the hell is going on” his smile grew bigger he then opened the ziplock bag and pulled what I had assumed was a mask but realized it was a human face. “Three years ago my brother Vince died in a car crash eventually my parents were finally able to move on everyone was I couldn’t let my brother go, my parents tried to get me help but I don’t need help so swapped the milk with bleach those bastards didn’t see it coming”.
I looked at the face in his hands he told me it was his brother’s face and that he was gonna staple it on my face. He then pulled out a stapler “Come on Greg I always thought of you as a brother now my brother can live on through you and my family can now be complete again” I backed up and called him crazy “Don’t make me kill you to” he charged at me I dodged him and ran out the door. I ran till I knew I was far enough and when I got to a gas station I called the police.
They ended up finding that after Jerome’s brother died it broke him so hard he couldn’t live without him they ended up sending him to a mental institution to get treated. But one thing I can’t help to wonder was if I didn’t escape would I be just like Jerome’s parents a lifeless he pretended were still alive like a happy family.