I thought I heard Ant's voice last night. Like screaming for help. Screaming for his big brother.

No sign of lil' Ant. His useless big brother can't even tell which direction his voice be coming from.

I ain't got no use left in the world. I miss that bugger. Don't mind getting him out of trouble every now and then. If he be alive, I'd be as happy as pie.

First time I cried in years. I was too much a macho bastard to admit at first. But no, nothing could hide how sad I was 'bout my lil' brother not being here no more. Ain't cried when mum and dad got gone. 'Cause I still had Ant, and he was crying my tears for me. Now ain't got nobody to cry my tears for me no more. None nobody but maself.

God no.

Please god no.

Where the heck is Ant?

This is my fault. Shoulda ne'er left him outta my sight.

I'm hearing rumours of 'em being gobbled up by the darkness. I don't believe 'em. They be just trying to scare me.

He be just probably playing around.

But then, Ant is too clever a boy to be leaving this group all alone.

I remember he said somethin' about a lil' playground at the back of the house. Thought it'd be best let him play, since he's a lil' kid and all. No chance of the darkness coming without someone noticing.

How fecking stupid was I? Stupid.

Stupid stupid stupid.

I was reading them Grimm tales, and got too caught up. Forgot my responsibilities. I'm his big brother, s'pose to protect 'em from that evil darkness. And there I was reading kiddie tales letting him be gobbled up by 'em darkness.

Stupid.

I was so stupid.

Mum and dad w'be angry and all with how irresponsible I was. This is major. I messed up real bad.

Ant's gone now because of me. My fault. My stupid brain. All this muscle and not an ounce of thought for his own lil' brother.

I ain't got nothing left now.

Ant asked me for a chocolate today. Well, what was I s'ppose to tell him? It's like the end of the world, and he be asking for a chocolate.

I said to him, boy, we ain't got no chocolate left. You see any chocolate round here? We best make lemonade out of them lemons. No matter how full of stink them lemons be.

Then he said that Natalie girl got some chocolate left but won't even consider sharing. Got me all curious and all. Where she got them chocolates from? It be the end of the world and she be eating them chocolates for tea time.

So I told lil' Ant, no boy, if she says no, then you ain't got no choice. She probably did a lot to get that chocolate, boy. She ain't gonna give it to a lil' boy she barely knows.

Ant got quite after that. I went back to me book. I found a library in the house, but Nala was there too. Reading something about crime and stuff. Ne'er knew she was into the whole detective and murder stuff. Always thought she was the smart 'un who reads stuff by Shakespeare and all those dead poem writers.

Book I got was like them fairytales I used to hear from my dear mum for bedtime, but it was like twisted. Book got 'em gore and stuff. Ne'er knew kiddie stories can be so violent.

I ain't got need to wonder why they call themselves the Brothers Grimm. They more grim than the Grim Reaper himself.

Ant woke up early morning and woke me up. He heard them faraway screams. Like they be gobbled up by the darkness. I said you too young to worry bout these things. Me, I'm his big brother, I suppose to worry for 'em. I do the worrying, I told 'em straight in the eyes. You just go back to sleep, boy.

True enough, I was worried like a cowboy who just lost his horse. Betcha I was worried even more.

I told Ant I love 'em. And I do. My lil' brother is the only person I have left.

It be me and Ant now. Just two of us. Sure there be other folks riding along, but they know nothing about us people.

Ant all I got. Me mum and me dad, fecking darkness gobbled 'em up. Saw it with me own eyes. Ant too. Musta been horrible for a lil' kid like Ant. He ain't deserve seeing his mum and dad gobbled up like that. Not nobody deserves that.

Ant getting himself into trouble sometimes. 'Specially with that Natalie girl. Know nothin' about her. Looks angry all the time. Never seen someone as young as her look as angry. Bet her mum 'n dad got gobbled up by them darkness too.

I told Ant a million times now, leave the girl alone. Or at least be nice. But nothin' works. He still gets to trouble now and then.

He just a lil' boy. None nobody can blame 'em. He ain't got no proper friends. None his age.

And no mum and dad too. None nobody can blame 'em.