My Brother - By David Obasi

Written By: David Obasi

Category: Short, mystery, horror

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the eerie and suspenseful short story "My Brother," David Obasi crafts a chilling tale that grips readers from the very start. As a participant in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, David contributes to the world of mystery and horror with a narrative that promises to captivate and unsettle. "My Brother" delves into themes of familial bonds, eerie occurrences, and the unsettling truths that may lie beneath.

About the Work

"My Brother" explores the dark and mysterious world through the eyes of a young girl recounting her brother's unsettling actions. The story unfolds with a blend of innocent narration and sinister undertones, creating a gripping atmosphere. Through vivid imagery and unsettling twists, David Obasi presents a narrative that leaves readers questioning reality and the true nature of innocence.

My Brother

Original Submission by David Obasi

"I love my brother." she said with a smile. "I love him to bits... and I miss him so much." she continued.

The girl, who isn't more than 9 said as she sat on a stool facing the camera that recorded her every word. She looked lovely, all dressed in her Sunday best as the man sitting beside the camera took notes on his notepad.

"Thank you, Emily." he said moments later as he checked a list on the tab nestled on the table beside him.

"But, you didn't let me finish my story." she said sounding disappointed

"Your... story?" he replied, now curious as he raised his right eyebrow. "And what story would that be, young lady?" he said as leaned closer.

"Well, good Sir, if you must know, it's about my brother." she said, quickly replying.

"Oooh...? And what is it about him?" he asked smiling back at her.

"Well... you see, just like me, was born into an English home, the Perkins family. He was the apple of everyone's eye, especially my Father, Lord Frederick Perkins. And like my Father, he was... rather more eccentric, but I love him to bits, especially... especially when he's around."

"Around? Is he in some boarding school?" the man asked, interrupting her.

"No... Well... yes, so my father says anyway." she continued.

"I see, and what about your mother? You never mentioned her at all." the man asks abruptly, interrupting her again.

The girl, paused for a moment looked at him, eyes locked at him like he was prey. He felt her gaze scrape across his skin like claws on a chalkboard as he felt goosebumps all over.

He sees her squint her eyes as the room darkens, her eyes turn a bright red as her skin turns pale with cracks running all over, before lunging at him at terrifying speed.

"Hello... Can you hear me, good Sir?" the girl said as her voice jolts him from his trance... Or was it... Real?

Nevertheless, he still has to listen to the girl's story as she continued, smiling so sweetly when she caught his gaze.

"Oh, sorry... please continue..." he said as he wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief.

"Aah... Yes, my mother... What can I say, she's as sweet as can be. She's loving and caring, and smothers us all with love until we can't stand it. But, it can't be helped, she is my mother after all... well... that was until the baby... arrived, that is, that things changed." she kept on as her voice seemed to trail off as if she was suddenly lost in thought, before snapping herself back. "Why don't we talk about my brother?"

"In time, miss... Can you tell me about the baby of what happened?" he interjected.

"No..." the girl said as she pouted her lips. "Not, until I tell you about my brother.

For a brief moment, their eyes were locked in some sort of staring contest before the man gave in...

"Fine... have it your way." he said as he reclined in his chair.

"Splendid... well, as I said earlier, things were good, mother was sweet and father was father, just like my brother, until the baby arrived. My mother, no... Both mother and father gave all their love and time to... "it" and would never leave its side. Always crying and looking for attention, while I and my brother was left out. I didn't mind at first, until things started to change.

You see, my brother was very fond of games that always got my parents cross with him." she continued...

"And, what sort of games would that be?" he said, quietly interrupting her

"Shhhh... You're interrupting me again..." she said in a rather vexed tone

"Oh... My, apologies... Please, continue..." he replied mockingly.

"Hmph... Well, if you insist... I shall continue my tale." she said, pausing for a moment before going on.

"Hide and seek!!! Is what he calls it; he loves to play hide and seek with things around the house. One time, he hid a live wire from a wiring within the walls under the bath mat that somehow was thoroughly soaked, and my uncle, a nasty man he was, got quite a shock which was hilarious go watch at first, until my brother took it too far by raising up the voltage which fried our dear Uncle. He wasn't caught as it was ruled as an accident by the constables that came that day when his body was taken in an ambulance.

Poor, Uncle... I really will miss him. The second was when my cousin who came to visit the estate was playing by the garden and had quite a nasty tumble by the rose garden. No one knew where she was until she was found, properly hidden by the hedges with her head greatly smashed like a grape under a huge rock, with my brother close by with a bloodstained shirt, holding a bloodied piece of rock. This scene left a nasty mark on my parents who decided to fetch the doctors to help him, they said it was a condition and that he needed to stay with them at the clinic in order to get better. And so, he left and I was alone with my parents and the baby... Ugh... I had no one go play with.

Sometimes, we got to visit my brother at the clinic, and you could say, he was really getting better unlike the other times he would stare at me with suspicion. I guess crazy people did that, but in time, he soon began to smile and talk with me again. And oh, my cousin was buried within the estate grounds quietly, as it was also ruled as an accident, but this time, it was all hush-hush to avoid any sort of rumor. Few months afterwards, my brother was allowed to return, and we were a happy family once again. Until, it happened again, and this time, rat poison was found in the soup bowl meant for... us; which got my parents worried when they found out."

"And how did they find out?" the man quietly asked as he leaned a bit forward on his chair.

"Why, when I screamed and alerted them..." the girl responds almost immediately.

"And what happened next, when your parents found out? Did they call for the Doctor?" the man asked again, more inquisitive than earlier.

"No... He was now kept locked up in his room, indefinitely..." the girl replied.

"I see..." the man replies as he scribbled something down in his notepad.

"Okay, so you know I told you about the attention the baby gets from both my parents, yes? So, that one night... he somehow got out of his room when my parents were asleep, dead. Got hold of the baby, tossing it into the microwave. It was my mother that found him when she saw him... holding it, a pile of cooked mass of flesh in his arms as he wept. This time, the doctor's said his stay might be permanent, which devastated my father the most as my mother was already distraught over the death of the baby. I on the other hand was deeply disturbed as I won't be seeing my brother again for a long time.

I miss him so much and can't wait for him to come back so I can stop being the good girl again." the girl said with a devilish grin.

The man's eyes widen as the girl finished her tale. This was no mere tale, he thought as he composed himself. It wasn't a facade created by a child dealing with pain and loss, it was a confession... And he knew who the true culprit was as he stared at the girl, who in turn had a grin that ran ear to ear like the Cheshire cat in Alice in wonderland.

Running to grab her, he discovers, to his horror he was immaterial as his hands phased through her like air. The girl, who began chuckling pointed behind him prompting him to turn... In an instant, his world crumbled as flashes of earlier events came up... The trance actually happened as he saw... himself still seated with a huge chunk of flesh ripped out of his throat that still bled. He was dead, and the truth was dead with him as he watches the girl quietly leave his office, but not before placing a bloody cleaver in his cold, dead hand.

He could hear screaming outside as the girl pointed to his office door shaking and bloodied as people piled up to know what's wrong...

The End...

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, serves as a prestigious platform for writers worldwide to showcase their talents. With a focus on diverse genres, the competition encourages creativity and storytelling prowess, offering participants the opportunity to share their unique voices and narratives with a global audience.

We extend our sincere thanks to David Obasi for sharing "My Brother" with us as part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. His story captivates with its intricate mystery and suspenseful elements. We look forward to seeing more of David's creative works in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.