"Shadows of Doubt"

The sun had barely risen over the sleepy town of Mudshut, casting a warm glow over the rows of quaint houses. But for one family, the dawn brought no comfort. In a small house on the outskirts of town, 15-year-old Henry trudged through the front door, his eyes cast down at the floor. His brother, Peter, 12, looked up from the kitchen table, where he was eating a bowl of cereal. "Hey, Hen," Peter said, his voice filled with concern. "You okay? You look like you've had a rough morning." Henry forced a weak smile, trying to reassure his little brother that everything was fine. But Peter wasn't buying it. He'd known Henry his whole life, and he could spot a fake from a mile away. Henry's eyes darted around the room, his gaze lingering on the long sleeves of his shirt. It was a habit he'd developed over the past few months, wearing long sleeves and hoodies even in the sweltering summer heat. Peter had noticed it, and so had Ralph, their classmate and... well, Peter wasn't quite sure what Ralph was to Henry, but he knew they were close. As Henry made his way to the fridge, Peter caught a glimpse of a faint bruise on his neck. It was the latest in a series of injuries Peter had seen on his brother over the past few months. At first, Henry had brushed them off as accidents, but Peter knew better. He'd seen the way Henry flinched when his parents touched him, the way he avoided eye contact. Peter's gut told him something was very wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He'd tried talking to Henry, but his brother had just shrugged it off, telling him he was being paranoid. Ralph, on the other hand, seemed to sense that something was off. He'd been asking Henry more and more questions lately, and Peter had noticed that Henry was becoming increasingly evasive. As the morning wore on, Peter couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. He wanted to help Henry, to be the good brother he'd always been to him in his own little ways. But every time he tried to get close, Henry pushed him away. The tension in the air was palpable, and Peter knew he had to tread carefully. He didn't want to push Henry further into the shadows, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing either. As he watched Henry pour himself a bowl of cereal, Peter noticed that his hands were shaking. It was a small thing, but it was enough to make Peter's heart skip a beat. "Hey, Hen?" Peter said, trying to sound casual. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Henry looked up, his eyes wary. "What's up, Pete?" Peter hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject. But he knew he had to try. "I just... I want to make sure you're okay, that's all. You seem a bit... off lately." Henry's expression softened, and for a moment, Peter saw a glimmer of the brother he used to know. But then, the mask slipped back into place, and Henry was once again distant and guarded. "I'm fine, Pete," Henry said, his voice firm. "Just a bit stressed out, that's all." Peter nodded, but he knew he wasn't buying it. He was determined to get to the bottom of things, no matter what it took. Little did he know, the shadows of doubt that surrounded his brother were far darker than he could have ever imagined.