Scared
Nancy caught her breath. The feet were slowly moving down the stairs, unevenly, as if the person was just learning how to walk. Or as if they were drunk. The smell hit her before her eyes adjusted to the face in front of her. It was who she expected but it was shocking nonetheless. Her brother Kevin looked at her in the darkness. She suddenly felt like she should have grabbed something, anything, to defend herself. If her brother was the one who neglected their grandfather out of spite and jealousy, she didn’t know what he would do to her; the person her grandfather loved most.
“I knew you would come.” Kevin’s voice sounded cold and his speech was slurred. Nancy looked at him defiantly. She would not let him see how scared she was. “You knew I would figure it out? The fact that you are responsible?” A look of confusion flashed across Kevin’s face. “Responsible?” he asked. Nancy looked at her brother. He seemed genuinely surprised. Like he did not know what she was talking about. Could she be wrong?
But she never would have expected to hear what her brother told her next.