Sibling Rivalry

Shana stood near the fax machine watching as it beeped and spate out pages and pages of forms. She grabbed the papers and started organising them in order or some semblance of an order. Shana looked up as it made an error beep. She moved over to it and read the screen, memory full. She reached to the side and opened the fax machine up and looked at it to see what was wrong. Her brother came in behind her.

“What’s wrong with it?” He asked her, moving to stand beside her. He watched as she fiddled with a knob and then closed it. Reading the screen he added “The paper is jammed.” He pushed the button to stop it.

“Don’t, it’s still sending pages” She told him, but he had already stopped it. “Oh great, now look what you have done” Shana moaned. She opened the machine up again and twiddled the ink knob and closed it.

“It was only sending the same pages through” Bert yelled, anger crossing his face. He looked at his sister and yelled “Don’t fucking tell me what to do!”

Shana looked at him shrinking back “well don’t touch it. You had no business touching it and stopping it.” She shrank back further when he started yelling at her some more and threatened her.

Bert stood over his sister and had his fists up threatening her. He was really angry now, stupid bitch, he thought. “I can do what I bloody well want to and you can’t stop me.” He sneered.

She was scared, he had hit her before. She had the scars and x-rays to prove it. She stood her ground and said “Just go away and leave me alone. I know what I’m doing” She looked at him and then started to do things with the fax machine again but he moved closer and pushed her hard. Shana stumbled back and looked up scared. “Stop it, if you fucking hit me I’ll call the cops” She managed to get out, her voice wavering.

He moved closer, his fist moving and stopping just short of hitting her “Go on then, call them, there’s nothing they can do.” He taunted.

She held back the tears and said “Fuck off”

“You want me to hit you? Well shut up then” He yelled at her. He feinted hitting her again.

Shana shrank back and said “Go hit me and see what happens”

He had been going back to the lounge room to continue watching ‘Angel’ but he turned around at her words and said “I fucking will then” He smiled as she shrank back further. “That’s what I thought.” He turned and went back into the lounge room and continued watching the show.

She stood there as the fax machine started beeping and spurting out pages of information and forms. She got the courage then, yelling from the kitchen at him “Get the fuck out, no body wants you here. Everyone hates you, even your own grandmother doesn’t want you here.”

His reply from the lounge room “Whatever”

Shana wiped away the tears, and continued, “You're nothing, at least I know the family loves me because grandma gives me things and doesn’t give me rules. And your friends are just stupid little drugged up thieves like you.”

He just laughed and continued watching the show.

She picked up the phone when it rang and was glad her aunt was on the other side. “Hello,” she said.

“Hey. I was just ringing to let you know I won’t be able to clean grandma’s house tomorrow as I have to get back for Kerry’s formal photos” her aunt said.

Shana walked out the back door while she had been listening, “oh ok, but you’ll be at Aunty Cassie’s?” she asked needing to see her aunt.

Her aunt replied “Yeah, is everything ok?” Her voice full of concern as she asked this.

“No I had a fight with Bert and he is threatening me, now my arms hurt where he grabbed me to push me.” She started to cry again.

“Oh, well call Cassie, ok. I’ll let you do that now. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye” She finished.

“Ok, I’ll do that. See you” She said and then hung up. She dialled Aunty Cassie’s number and waited as it rang. Her Aunt Cassie picked up the same time as the answering machine did so she waited for it to finish its message.

“Hey, how are things?” Cassie asked.

“Not good” Shana replied, sadness in her voice.

Cassie’s voice full of concern and worry “Why? What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Bert’s pushed me and threatening to hit me. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to stay here alone” She managed to get out in a small voice.

“Why? Where did he go?” Cassie asked.

“Oh he’s here but what I meant is I don’t want to stay here with him.” She started to cry again.

Cassie said “You can come over here”

“Are you sure it’s ok?”

“Yes, just come over” Her Aunty Cassie said, reassuring her.

Feeling better she replied “Ok, I’ll be over soon. See you then”

“Ok, bye” Her aunt hung up.

She wiped her eyes and cheeks and went inside, starting to gather her bag and keys. Once she had then she went into the lounge room and ignored him as she went over to the DVD player and opened it while he was still watching ‘Angel’. She jumped as he hit the box of the series and they fell to the floor. She bent down and picked them up. She watched as he stalked of to his room and start gathering his wallet and things together. She ignored him and continued to pick up the DVDs. Once they were in the box, she stood up and placed them in her room. Shana then got her cat and put him in the room and shut the door. Knowing him he would be a bastard and let him outside she thought. She stood in her doorway as he went past and outside the back door. Shana smiled to herself and went outside, and got the outside spare key and took it inside and locked the back door. She hung the key up and then went to the front door after picking up her bag and keys. She then double locked it and went outside, slamming the door behind her.

After an hour or so at her Aunt’s, Shana headed home. She looked around before getting out and once she was sure it was safe she got out. She went in through the back door using her key. Once inside she locked it again. Then she went about closing all the windows, to stop him from pulling the gauze off and climbing through. She went about cleaning the kitchen up, washing up and also getting the dog and cat food ready, as well as her own dinner.

Once everything was cooked and fixed up she ate her dinner and watched TV. She jumped as she heard him knocking at the back door. She just sat there and listened.

“Let me in or I’ll break this glass” He threatened.

She just yelled back “Yeah and grandma would kill you” She jumped again as she heard him punch the door.

“You just wait when I get in this house your going to get it, Dog” He yelled at her.

She listened and heard him leaving. She heard the side gate open and she got up and saw he was leaving. She relaxed slightly. Now she had finished dinner she went into the kitchen and sat her plate on the bench. Shana went back and sat down watching a movie after unlocking all the doors.

A little while later the phone rang and she picked up “Hello”

“You know your going to have to let your brother in? He wants a jumper as he is freezing” Her Aunt Cassie said.

“Mhm. It’s unlocked.” She replied, pausing the movie.

“What?” Muffled voice, “she said it’s unlocked” Then clear again “Did you unlock it after he left?” She asked her.

“Yes.”

Talking away from the phone “The house is unlocked and you promised me you wouldn’t hurt her. Promise me again” Back on the phone “He has promised not to hurt you. Ok call me if there are any problems” Shana’s Aunt Cassie said.

“I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up and started the movie again.

About 10 minutes later the front door opened. She was still scared but chose to ignore him. She waited for a punch but it didn’t come. She was tense the whole time he was there.

After he left she relaxed and picked up the phone when it rang. She had a good talk with her grandma, not mentioning the fight with her brother. That would only spoil her holiday. She finished up the conversation with I love you and then hung up. Feeling tired Shana turned of everything and changed into her PJs and jumped in bed. She took a little while to fall asleep.

The next day her Uncle knocked on the door, to let the boys in but there was no answer. He knew she was still home and thought she had just overslept. He knocked again and when there was still no answer, he went to her window and knocked. He looked in the window and went pale at the side of blood covering her and the bed. He told the boys to stay back as he called the police and an ambulance. Her Uncle them went to the cupboard for the spare key but it wasn’t there. He pushed and shoved at the backdoor finally getting it open. He ran into the house and into Shana’s room and nearly fainted from the blood. He touched her neck to see if there was a pulse but there was none. The police and ambulance arrived soon after and looked over the place. They found a blood trail into her brother’s room and upon entering they saw no clothes or bags. He had gone. The police took statements and declared from the evidence they found. A bloody knife and clothes in the bin, and from statements from the family, that Shana had been murdered by her brother.