Sitting the book down on the nightstand, I slowly shook my head. I didn’t like the sheep in the barn, they were noisy and stupid, and the human versions that lived in this house were no better. Someone needed to cull them from the herd, and as far as I was concerned, they’d get whatever they had coming to them.

A memory of hunting season drifted through my mind. It was this past season when dad had gotten lucky. He’d shot two deer, and their dead carcasses were hung in the shed, and with the memory came the rich metallic scent of fresh blood. There was something about the scent of blood that stirred desires in my young body, desires I didn’t fully understand, but I knew I wanted more.

My tongue ran along my teeth as I felt every rough ridge and sharp point. What would it be like to have fangs and be able to tear the flesh right off the bones of my prey?

My parents were my prey.

I mean, they named me Cain and my brother Abel. What did they expect to happen? I always thought it was funny that my parents were the smiling and faithful parishioners that prayed to a fake god while I was the devil planning their deaths. I suspected that my brother had the same urges. He seemed to enjoy the little games I’d ask him to play as a test. ‘Pull the wings from the little bug’ was the first game. Abel was so enthusiastic that I turned the game into ‘pin the kitty to the board.’ He excelled at that, but my brother was erratic. That was what my parents called it. I saw it, too. He needed to be guided, but if he had someone to point him in the right direction…

I smiled at the thought.

It was too hot to sleep. Untangling myself from the white sheet, I padded my way down the hall and stairs to the kitchen for a glass of water. The fridge light was bright as I opened the door, and I blinked as I grabbed the clear thing with water that mom liked to keep in the fridge. She said it made the water healthier to drink. I just liked that it was really cold. Pulling over the stool, I climbed on top and opened the cupboard for a glass. I didn’t like using the kiddy plastic ones with farm animals all over them and instead reached for the clear adult glass. If mom saw me, she’d freak out and squawk like a chicken about to have its head cut off.