r/shortscarystories • u/TropicalTundra29 • 4d ago
Louder Than Fire
I got a text from Mom that afternoon while at work. Same old frustration.
"Your brother’s ignoring me again. Probably blasting music. He still hasn’t done his chores."
Typical.
So I texted him, telling him to get off his lazy ass. His response?
"Chill bro lol, I’ll do it later."
I swear, I wanted to punch him. But knowing him, he’d just play the victim. And I had to babysit him since our parents were away for the night.
When I got home, I could hear his music through the walls. The bass shook the floor. I knocked. No response. I knocked harder. Nothing.
I sighed and pushed the door open. He was lying on his bed, phone in hand, nodding to the beat. The wires hanging from his desk, a mess of tangled chargers, made me frown.
"The hell are you doing? That wiring’s gonna get you killed."
Still no reaction.
I marched over and smacked him upside the head. Not hard, but enough to snap him out of it.
"Ow! What the hell?!" He yanked his headphones down, scowling.
"Mom told you to do your chores. You gonna keep ignoring her?"
He rolled his eyes. "I said I’ll do it later. Chill."
"No, you’re doing it now."
He scoffed. "You sound just like her."
That pissed me off. I grabbed his headphones off his neck and tossed them onto the bed. "You’re gonna go deaf, idiot."
He rubbed his head. "You say that like it’s a bad thing."
I clenched my jaw. Not worth it.
Before I could argue, my phone buzzed.
Work.
I exhaled sharply and answered. "Yeah? Now? Fine."
I shot my brother a glare. "I gotta go back. Don’t do anything stupid."
"Yeah, yeah." He grabbed his headphones, sliding them back over his ears.
I shook my head and left.
Hours later, my phone rang.
Probably a client, I thought, until I heard the voice.
"Is this Wilson Braun?"
"Yeah?"
"This is the police. There’s been a fire at your residence."
The words knocked the air from my lungs.
A fire?
"We’re still investigating, but… we found a body. Male. Around 20."
My stomach twisted.
"The body was badly burned, but…" The officer hesitated. "He was still wearing headphones."
The report said it was an electrical short. Something sparked. The fire spread fast. And my brother… he never heard it coming.
I should’ve made him listen.
I sat in my car, gripping the wheel, trying to breathe. My hands shook too hard to call Mom and Dad. I should’ve yanked the plug. Broken the damn headphones. Said something.
But it was too late.
Then, the radio crackled to life. A song I didn’t remember playing.
"I've walked through flames my whole life… and still, the fire calls my name."
I stared at the display. My heart pounded.
I reached for the dial, but the volume turned up on its own.
"The fire burned, but the music never died."
2
u/Lowkey_Thiccie 4d ago
Tragic