A Journal of Undergraduate Research at ECU As I head back towards the house, I am acutely aware of Aberdeen trailing behind me. When I manage to get the f ront door open, I shove past it and toss the paper to Thomas who somehow catches it in mid-air. Af ter hearing my stomach growl, I decide to head into the kitchen to make some lunch. At the kitchen table, Aberdeen is sitting with a glass of water. She turns to look at me, and then hands me the glass of water. I stare suspiciously at the water. “Thanks,” I say as I take one long drink.
Nell died twenty-four years ago. So did Thomas, Hunter, and Margaret. I know what you are thinking, that I killed them, right? Af ter all, I f ooled you this f ar. Don’t worry, it wasn’t hard. Every morning when Thomas had his coffee, I would slip a little more acid in his mug than the day bef ore. It was the same with Margaret. Why do you think that I always offered to get her apple juice? She was the easiest out of the f our. Hunter was a bit more difficult since he was out of the house most of the time, but I would always be waiting with his beer when he came inside. Mixed with the alcohol, he was the f irst to go. Nell was the hardest. She was the smartest out of all of them, and the most suspicious of the house, but even she was f ooled. Why did I do it, you might ask? For the same reason that Margaret locked herself inside that decrepit closet. The same reason why Thomas could never sleep. The same reason why Hunter always stayed away f rom the house. The same reason why Nell never took Margaret to the “f ucking mental ward” as Hunter so tastef ully phrased it. I did it because the echoes made me. My name is Aberdeen. I have always made a sound.
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