Chapter 7 - Vol.19 Ch.414 - Beware the skinwalker

"Hey." I knocked on the door to the room.

"I never gave you permission to enter my room." Latham groaned.

"Yeah well, it used to be my room, so I'm not exactly gonna ask for permission to enter it." I said as I casually approached him, "Look, mom and dad said we should get along better as brothers, and I think we both know they're right."

"I bet you're just here to snag the inheritance or something shady like that." He assumed falsely, "Thus, I have nothing more to say to you."

"Really, an inheritance scam? I already got a house of my own in Centralis. I don't need any more." I replied.

"Hey, you still remember the letter I sent you?" He laid back on his couch with an annoying smirk, "It clearly says I don't care."

"Sigh, well okay..." I then gave up before inspecting the room a bit, "Man, you really changed the place up though."

"Mnn..." He tried his best to ignore me and make me leave as soon as possible.

"Yeah, really digging all those plants near the windowsill." I pointed across the room, making his head turn in a scoffing manner.

"What the hell are y-?" His face then grew surprised, "H-Huh? But, I never had plants...?"

"Huh, really?" I shrugged, "That's odd, but maybe mom added them. Ahh, but anyways, that poster's also new. I didn't know you listened to those emo bands."

"Alright, at this point you're just taking the piss out of me." He rolled his Eyes, "I don't listen to any of that emo crap, and I also never hung anything up on that... wall."

Pff! Just look at the face he's making! That guy's totally horrified! Man, who knew all it took to spook him is a bit of Materializing? I wonder how far I can take this little prank?

"Wait, you didn't hang that up?" I feigned looking kind of spooked myself, "Wait, then how long was it there for?"

"I already told you, it's new." He grunted, "Y-You're probably just messing with me by putting it up there while I wasn't looking or something."

"Ohhh, this is bad..." I paced around the room anxiously, making him start to worry a bit as well, "Then, you don't think it's a skinwalker, do you?"

The look on his face suggested he knew nothing of this mythical folktale nightmare, which was perfect for me, cause it gave me more creative liberties I could take to sell it better. Skinwalkers aren't real, but given their nature in the folklore, it's obviously very difficult to disprove their existence completely, and you're about to see why.

"Get the hell out, I'm not interested in your stupid horror stories." He shooed me away, but I ran to grab him by the shoulders and shake him up a bit, "Ngah!?"

"You idiot, don't underestimate that thing!" I warned with a panicked voice, "Crap, they're only native to Cardina, so how come it's here now!?"

"W-What the hell are they!?" He shouted back, "Don't tell me you brought it over with you, you damned idiot!"

"Gasp! It couldn't have been...!" I jumped back on my feet before running out the door, "Barricade the windows and door, right now! That thing, it's obviously considering you his prey, so don't let your guard down!"

"Pshh, whatever." He immediately lost interest in my little tale before lying back down on his bed.

Great, all according to plan. The chances of him immediately believing in my horror story was always practically slim, but this way, now that he's all alone in his room, I have free reign to scare his socks off!

"W-What the!?" His voice cracked from the other side of the door as I Materialized yet another poster right in front of his Eyes, "Don't get scared, Latham... This is just him pulling a prank on you... somehow... Eep!"

Following up the poster with a couple of dull knives, then some random plates, then another row of plant pots arranged on the floor to spell the word "DIE", it honestly surprised me how forward he was about screeching at the top of his lungs like a girl. Quietly laughing at him from the other side of the door, I had successfully completed part one of the plan. But just this much wasn't enough. He's spooked, but I want him to be so terrified he either doesn't get a wink of sleep tonight or he pisses his pants. I won't accept anything less, which means it's time for phase two...!

Taking a deep breath before loudly banging on the door of his room, it took him a while to actually answer it, presumably out of either caution or fear.

"Y-Yes?" He barely creaked open the door to see me grinning at him eerily from ear to ear, "Y-You...! Ha-ha, I'll admit this was a super well done prank, so just stop already and help me clean up."

"Why didn't you barricade the door?" I asked, still grinning, "The skinwalker might get you."

"What the hell does a skinwalker even look like?" He asked as he ushered me into the room and locked the door for safe measure.

"They take the shape of people you know to lower your guard down." I refused to let him walk past me as I explained, "For example, mother, father, that girl and her son..."

"O-Oi, back off...!"

"Or perhaps even a newfound older brother that tried to diligently protect little ol'... you." I put my hand out as I cast Spark a few times, "Now, will you lend me your skin, please? It's awfully cold..."

That evening marked the first time in ages that Whitehood heard such a bloodcurtling scream. Heh, I think I'm starting to get why this kid likes pranks so much, this is fun!

***

"What the hell do you want from me!?" He started throwing everything in the room at me, from harmless pillows to the more dangerous plates and pots I had Materialized, "H-Healing!?"

"Ah, you ruined your brother's skin..." I inspected the cuts he gave me before immediately Healing them in front of him, "Oh, so cold... Please, your skin might be warmer, so won't you lend it to me?"

"I ain't giving you my skin, dammit!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ma, pop! Help me!"

Yell as loudly as you want, but I'm afraid I already told them ahead of time not to show themselves no matter what they hear. I'm sure right now they're probably dying inside as Cecily holds them back from coming upstairs to put an end to my charades, but this is the type of prank that just isn't worth anything unless it gets fully completed! This ain't amateur hour, son!

"Your parents, yes..." I muttered, even going so far as to let some drool slip out to completely sell the bit, "Oh how their meat was tender, oh how their skin so warm..."

Man, acting like I'm the skinwalker was the right play to make after all. This guy looks like he's already mentally preparing himself to jump off the second story window. Hell, it wouldn't hurt that bad, and I could easily Heal him with my Iro Ability, but right now I'm still not finished toying with him. I still got one more in the chamber!

"That's it, skinwalker or not, you're going down!" He shouted as he grabbed the dull knife I had Materialized previously from the ground and started charging at me, "Eat this!"

"Futile." I whispered, my vision growing Gray as I Went Solipsistic to slow down time and dodge the blow, "You aren't using your skin effectively. Please, brother, won't you give it to me? I can take care of it better..."

"Y-You're not my brother!" He cried out, "You're just a monster! A filthy, STINKIN', skinwalker!"

"I see you choose to fight." I then prepared the final icing on the cake as I rolled my Eyes back up into my head, "Sadly, your skin is already goneeeee..."

"AAAAAH!" He yet again screamed like a little girl before running right past me and down the stairs, "Ma, pop! Where are you!?"

Alright, that should be enough for tonight. Following where he went down the hall and towards the stairs, the sight I saw truly was interesting. The thirteen year old boy was now glued to our parents, hugging them and refusing to let go as if they'll slip away the moment he does. Cecily, sitting on the couch with Cene on her lap, gave me a bit of a peeved look. She wasn't angry, per se, but that look definitely tells me I might have taken it a wee bit too far. Oh well, all's fair in love and war!

"H-He's, he...!" Latham pointed to me as he struggled to get the words out, "He's a skinwalker, we need to run!"

"Okay, okay, calm down." Mom petted him on the head.

"It's just a prank. He was just kidding with ya'." Dad too awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, "Damn, he's totally scared out of his mind. The hell did you do, Lune?"

"I just told him a scary story." I shrugged, feigning innocence, "Didn't think he'd get so freaked out by it. Sorry."

"Just from a scary story...?" They seemed confused.

"N-No, I saw it! He's not human!" Latham begged them to believe him, "He moved super fast, he made things appear in my room that were never there, and his Eyes went pure White!"

"They went pure White?" Dad glanced down at him before rolling his Eyes back up his head as well, "You mean he did this?"

"...A-Ah!" He couldn't even muster up the strength to yell anymore as he fell back on his butt and ran away, "T-This isn't real, it just isn't! It's gotta be a dream, no, a nightmare!"

Running straight out the front door, I had actually begun to worry I might've done something super bad. It's nighttime right now, and while Whitehood is a pretty small village, it's still not that safe to wander around after sundown. Noticing my worried expression, dad reassured me that the kid'll be fine and that he's probably gonna go sleep over at his friend's house. Well, that's good then. Crisis averted, prank accomplished!

"Another job well done for Lune, booyah!" I fistpumped like never before.

"Dear, you're supposed to be getting along with him." Cecily sighed, "I don't think you really did anything here apart from exact petty revenge on him calling me a hag."

"You mention blasphemy as if it were nothing worthy of note." I replied before dropping the chivalrous act and chuckled, "Haha, ahh, but seriously now. From what I've gathered, it's an older brother's job to freak his lil bro out and put him in his place. It's just the way of this world."

"Well, if anything it seems YOU'VE taken a liking to him in one way or another." Mom giggled, "Though I do wonder how you'll handle tomorrow morning after this."

"Huh?" I tilted my head a bit, "Why, what's gonna happen tomorrow morning?"

Hearing their son ask them such a naive question, my parents both exchanged glances before explaining the situation to us. It seems whatever Latham has in store for me isn't gonna be good no matter how you slice it...

"Latham is... a vengeful prankster." Dad scratched his beard as he tried to think of an accurate description for the kid, "You could say he keeps track of each prank aimed at him and its individual severity."

"Then again, since you've been around the world and lived through so much, I think you'll survive." Mother tried to reassure me.

"How do you know I've got experience handling tricky situations?" I tilted my head, "A-And wait, did you just say survive!? What the hell is that kid gonna do to me...!?"

"Cecily told us all about your travels, son." Dad added, "Really, it's all just too hard to believe, but it seems you grew up in your own way after all."

Huh? Cecily told them all about my journey thus far? D-Does that mean she told them about... Marina, too? Glancing over at Cecily with a worried expression on my face, she immediately brushed all my worries aside as she elaborated that she only got to when I went to Shaid's dungeon. Phew, that was close! I'm gonna need to tell her to edit out some parts of the story, otherwise they might disown me.