CHAPTER 1

"Dad, hey dad! It's the police, they have brought Lynn, again. Who would have thought...", Lana yelled as she opened the front door where two police officers where standing along with Lynn who had mud all over her clothes and two stitches on her forehead.

"Oh Lord, what did she do now?", Lynn Sr. lamented as he climbed down the stairs and went to confront the trio that was standing at his front door.

"Well Mr. Loud, she got into a fight, for the sixth time this month, which is now a record for a sixteen-year-old girl. She broke the boy's right arm and you or your insurance will pay the bills for his recovery. Fortunately for you, the boy's family won't sue you, you're just gonna pay the bills. Now, I suggest that you have a talk with your daughter to calm her down or she will end in prison, just so she can feel what will happen when you live a life of violence. Have a good night sir", the two cops nodded as they left. Lynn entered the house and her father slammed the door so hard that it made her twitch.

"Dad, I-", but before she could even continue, Lynn Sr. rasped at her to go to her room and kick out Lucy if she was there. He's gonna have a talk with her.

Lynn was always the toughest and most aggressive of the Loud siblings. Even Lana paled in comparison to her. But in the last few months, her behaviour had drastically started to get worse: her grades, which already weren't in good condition, were getting even lower, she was getting into more and more arguments with her siblings, especially Lincoln, and the most scary thing, she was a regular visitor in the Royal Woods police station. She didn't choose who to fight, were it a he or she, older or younger, she got angry in seconds and just started to pick fights which didn't even concern her. Her parents have tried everything to try and somehow help their daughter but it was all in vain.

"So, what happened to Lynn? She was once again with the police", Luna asked at the dinner table.

"What do you think? She got into a stupid fight again, only causing more problems for all of us. Dumbass", Lana replied as she started to eat.

"Lana, language", Rita warned her daughter.

"Sorry mom."

"Where is Lincoln? Why doesn't he come to eat?", Luan wondered.

"He's probably watching those shitty Chinese cartoons again, what a fucking loser", Lola said as she was slurping her soup.

"Okay, this is the last time that I'm gonna warn you for your language. The next one who swears won't leave the house for the next week except for school. Is that understood?", Rita slammed her fist on the table, causing the Lily, Lisa, Lola, Lana, Luan and Luna to twitch from their chairs.

"Lola, you're factually wrong again. First of all, they're not Chinese, they're Japanese, in most cases at least. Secondly, they're not 'cartoons', they're called 'anime', thirdly and lastly, they're not the 's' word that you called, they are art. I suggest that you watch some before speaking the same nonsense again", Lisa pointed her right index finger at her older sister. Lola just shrugged her shoulders.

A few minutes later, Lucy climbed down the stairs and took a seat on the dinner table without saying word (it's not like that wasn't unusual for her).

"What's wrong Luce? Where is Lynn?", Luna smiled at her younger sister.

"Dad's talking with her in our room. I have never seen him this angry, he threw me out like a dog. Sigh.", Lucy sighed for real now, and started eating her soup.

"I can understand his anger. He has to be sharp towards Lynn if he wants to finally calm her down and prevent her from doing any more stupid and reckless things", Lisa adjusted her glasses.

Meanwhile in Lynn's and Lucy's room…

Lynn Sr. walked from the door to the window, with his hands clumped behind his back and looking at the ground with his brows furrowed. Lynn was sitting on her bed, her fingers entangled with one another, her right knee was nervously twitching and she glanced at her father from time to time. If there was one thing that Lynn Jr. was afraid of on this world, was her father being angry.

"So Lynn, it happened again, even though you gave me a promise that you would stop getting into fights that didn't concern you. Even when it concerns you, you should always try and solve the problem with words, dialogue, conversation. Using your fists is only the last resort", Lynn Sr. finally stopped walking in a straight line and sat on Lucy's bed that resembled a large coffin with black sheets. He had crossed his arms and looked straight at his daughter's eyes, causing Lynn Jr. to move her head a little bit back. Her father's eyes were mixed with both concern and anger.

"But this time it did really concern me, it concerned our family! Some idiot was talking shit about Lincoln, calling him a wimp, a weakling, and even though he's true, I still can't allow someone, anyone, to talk shit about family around me. I had to take action dad, I'm sorry but that's just who I am. I act first then think only after the deed has already been done", Lynn Jr. just shrugged her shoulders. She knew that she had done the right thing, protecting her family's honor, but still, everyone called her a barbarian, a bully. Nobody seemed to understand her and her feelings.

"I know Lynn, you can't stand injustice, mockery of your family, and that's a good thing. But everything has limits, even that. You can't just go around the town and beat up people who talk bad about. If I have done that when I was younger, I would probably be in jail right now or be an invalid from all the injuries I'd have sustained fighting pointless fights. And that also brings me to another point...your own health. You really want to suffer an injury that would mean an end to your sports career? You want that to happen", Lynn Sr. again stood up but this time he put his hands in his pockets and looked at his tomboyish daughter from above.

"You're too afraid to admit it, aren't you", Lynn sighed as she shook her head.

"Admit what Lynn?", her father narrowed his eyes on her.

"That your only son, your middle child, Lincoln Loud is a pussy, a pathetic weakling who allows everyone to just trample on him, use him any way they want and when they have no more use for him, just throw him in the trash or laugh and insult him like the worst thing in the world...", Lynn also stood up, looked up to her father with a dead serious expression.

Lynn Sr. raised his right hand, as if he wanted to eat his daughter, as he ground his teeth. She just stared at him.

The worst part about all of this was...that Lynn Jr. was right. The truth hit the father of eleven children like a hammer in the head. Lynn was Lincoln's closest sibling in age, they were two years apart yet they seemed to be the two most different people in this world. Two polar opposites.

"Don't call Lincoln like that! He's your younger brother, and it's your duty to protect him and make him feel happy that he was fortunate to be born with this many sisters, not to make him loathe of ever being born in a large family like this. I know that Lincoln is softer than other boys of his age but that doesn't mean that we should discriminate him based on that. What if he knows some things better than his peers, but we just don't them yet. Give him time...", Lynn Sr. sighed as he put his hand down.

"We gave him three years dad. Three long years and he only seems to be getting worse. He didn't have a girlfriend since he broke up with Ronnie Anne, his best friend is an ever bigger nerd and failure than him, Clyde and none of his friends has any redeemable qualities. If you want him to become a true man, you have to act now or you will lose your son forever", Lynn tightened her right fist.

Her father stared at her for a few moments, then opened his mouth as if to say something but instead chose against it.

"All right, we're finished here. Let's go eat, your mum is probably angry that we are so late at the table", Lynn Sr. nervously chuckled as the two of them left Lynn's and Lucy's room. There was so much that Lynn Sr. wanted to tell his daughter but frankly, he didn't have the energy to do that as he was too tired from work. He just had hoped that Lynn Jr. would stop getting into fights.

Despite Luna knocking on his door and calling him for dinner, Lincoln was still lying stomach-first on his bed and watching, as Lola called, "shitty Chinese cartoons", only stopping when he had to go to the bathroom. He had tons of homework to do but he ignored it, as he had hoped that his younger sister Lisa would do it for him. Lincoln was covered from head to toe with his blanket, Clyde had called him several times and left him messages on his phone but he didn't hear it as he had set it to vibration only.

During the last weeks, whenever a phone would ring near Lincoln, he was getting startled like someone poured a bucket of ice cold water over his head. For whatever reasons, he also got fearful of prolonged exposure to people, even his closest friends and family. He visited Clyde's therapist Dr. Lopez several times and it went really well, he felt much better, much more secure...until he got home and then it all started again. He lost in things that he once liked, he self-esteem had hit an all-time low, whenever Lynn would burst through his door so that he can practice some sports with her, he would curl himself into a ball and start sobbing.

Luna was the one most concerned for her little brother. She felt sympathetic with him, as she considered them both outcasts, considering how everyone treated her after her relationship with Sam got public. Luna knew that her parents were religious, conservative, but she always had a small ray of hope that they would soften up for her daughter if she told them that she had found true love, even if it was with someone of the same gender as her. But unfortunately for poor Luna, she was met with disgust and anger from most of her family. The only one who actually showed some support for Luna were her grandfather Albert, her roommate Luan and Lincoln. In fact, it looked like whatever she seemed to do, Lincoln would always show his support for his sisters.

After those unpleasant moments, Luna was forced to break up with Sam. The first few months were like hell for her, literal hell. The young rocker started smoking, drinking alcohol and even tried her first weed. She had never felt happier in her life after she had smoke her first blunt. But, it was only a temporarily illusion, and the cruel and harsh reality hit her just as the effect wore off.

"Lincoln, please bro, come and eat, anything. You haven't eaten all day", Luna's raspy voice could be heard again as she knocked on Lincoln's door. Lincoln sighed, quickly closed his laptop, and opened the door.

"Oh, Luna, it's you. I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood right now, I don't have any appetite", Lincoln forced himself to smile. But before he could do anything, Luna leaned in and wrapped her hands around her little brother, hugging him tightly. Despite her being eighteen and Lincoln fourteen, they were roughly around the same height now. He was always tall for his age and it was only showing now as he had surpassed his older sisters Lynn and Luan in height, even if just barely. Lynn Sr. and Rita were almost too sure that Lincoln and Lucy would be the tallest of the Loud children when they grew up.

"Linky, please, you're making us all worried for you. Go and eat something, even if it's against your will", Luna whispered into Lincoln's right ear, causing all of his hairs on his body to raise straight up. Even the recently grown peachfuzz on his face.

"Okay then, fine. I don't want to make you guys angry", Lincoln smiled as Luna broke the hug, pat him on the head a few times and went to her own room.

It shouldn't be that hard, right Linc? Now just to try and return to my room without any harm…

But just as he stepped out of his room, closing the door, Lynn climbed up the stairs and went to her room. Just as she put her hand on the door handle, she noticed her younger brother standing in front of his room, looking like he was petrified of fear from seeing her. She narrowed her eyes at him and started to walk towards him, stopping just a few centimeters away from him.

"Finally decided to step out of your cave? Good for you Lame-o. Now take a good look at what your incompetence has done", Lynn groaned at him, as she pointed at her two stitches on her forehead that no-one seemed to notice.

"You got into a fight again? I don't see how that's my problem though...", Lincoln calmly said. He was already taller than his sixteen-year-old sister by a few centimeters so she had to look up to match his eyes, but Lincoln always had the feeling that she was taller and bigger than him. Or was this all just in his head?

"Why, you little shit...", Lynn rasped and slammed her younger brother against the closed door of his room, grabbing his throat with her right hand.

"Lynn, please stop, you're hurting me...", Lincoln cried as tears started to form in his eyes.

"You're a pathetic little pussy, you know that? You're not even worth the effort, my effort, as I'm trying to make you an actual man. Get out of my sight", Lynn hissed as she let him go finally and went back into her room. Lincoln just stood in the same place for a few moments, his hands were shaking, but he managed to wipe the tears out of his eyes before they had started to move down his cheeks onto the rest of his face.

What did I ever to do her? Why is she hurting me like this, her own brother...siblings should take care of each other, not fight.

Shaking his head in negation, he finally descended the stairs into the living room. His parents were watching some old Western movie with John Wayne along with the nine-year-old twins Lana and Lola. However, nobody seemed to notice him walking down, they were too focused on the action scenes. He turned his attention to the kitchen and the dinner table, were his youngest sister, the four-year-old Lily, was eating ice-cream.

"Linky! My big bro is here!", Lily leaped from her chair and jumped into Lincoln's arms, nearly knocking him over. He managed to stabilise himself, before smiling and returning the hug.

"Where's my favorite little sister, huh? Come on, we'll eat together", Lincoln carried his youngest sister to her seat, putting her down gently, kissing her on the forehead and finally sitting on his seat. His soup, boiled potatoes and a chicken meat were already cold, but he didn't mind it much. The one good thing to his depression was that he ate any and all types of food, even some that he had hated eating when he was younger.

"So, Lily, what did you do today in kindergarten?", Lincoln smiled as he started to scoop his soup with the spoon.

"It was so awesome today, you should have seen! We were tasked with drawing pictures with our brothers, so I drew you and me playing your favorite video game. I really wanted to show you the picture but we had to leave it there as a memory, so when we're older that we could reflect on our drawings as kids. But don't worry, I'm gonna draw another one with you", Lily laughed as she finished the rest of her ice cream.

Lily, you really deserve a better brother, not a complete failure like me…

Lily picked up the empty plastic cup and spoon, throwing the cup into the garbage can, the spoon in the sink, then she came over to Lincoln's side and whispered to his right ear:

"You're my favorite sibling but don't tell that anyone. You're also the one who yells the least at me, even covering me up when I do something bad. You're simply the best Linky!", Lily kissed her big brother on the cheek then sprinted off to her room. Lincoln confusedly touched the spot where his youngest sister had kissed him.

I am being someone's favorite? This can't be true, can it...I'm just trash, useless trash…

Lincoln, you're worth more than you think you are. Stop hurting yourself so much.

Lincoln gasped, as he got startled.

What is this voice, it's coming from...inside me?! Am I hallucinating or what…

But before he could think anything else, a large hand on shoulder brought him back to this world.

"Where's my big man Lincoln huh? It's good that you came down to eat, your mom and I were getting really worried about you, please don't do that again, okay?", his father patted him on the shoulder several times then went back to watching the TV.

"He's right, I should get back to eating before I have lost my appetite again...", Lincoln whispered to himself. He grabbed his spoon and went on to finish his meal.

However, just as he was getting ready to go back to his room…

Lincoln, you're doing it again, stop your self-loathing…

It's that damn voice again! I'm going completely nuts...like I haven't already…

Lincoln finally got up, and started to walk towards his room. Just as he stepped on the stairs…

Lincoln, running from your problems isn't gonna make them disappear. Remember that.

"Stop it already! Get out of my head!", Lincoln screamed and ran to his room, nearly stumbling on the last step but managed to enter his room and lock the door behind.

"What's happening to him?", Lana asked, panicked.

"It's just a phase, it will pass. He just wants us to pity him", Lola groaned.

"Still, I should go and check him out, maybe he's gonna hurt himself", Rita got up and went to his room. Lola rolled her eyes.

Upstairs, Lynn, Lucy and Luna were already standing in the hall, whispering between themselves just Rita arrived.

"Lincoln's making a show again, how original...", Lynn shook her head.

"Do you live in his head? What do you know about him, what he's going through right now? Stop talking about things that you don't understand, dumb jock", Lucy coldly stated.

"You little bitch...", Lynn furiously raised her hand but Luna grabbed her hand before she could strike Lucy.

"Woah, dude, calm down. Not now, please", Luna tried to calm down the situation. Lynn sighed and went back into her room. Not waiting too long, Lucy followed her and closed the door behind her. Luna and Rita could still hear some bickering from their room.

"Those two again...by the way, what happened with Lincoln? I had my headphones on but I could swear that I heard him screaming...", Luna scratched her head.

"It was nothing really, he just, uh, hit himself in the fingers, you know how that hurts", Rita laughed nervously.

"You sure mom?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go talk with him, just go to your room and relax. Don't worry about him", Rita smiled at her third oldest child. Luna nodded then went back to her room.

"Linc, are you okay? Can you let me in?", Rita knocked on her son's door several times but to no avail. Only the ticking of his clock on the wall and his breathing could be heard.

"All right then, I'll leave you alone, so that you can collect your thoughts. Just take it easy, okay", Rita said as she went downstairs again.

I'd hate calling a doctor for him, he's still too young, but if that would be enough for him to be the same old Lincoln, than I would gladly do it, Rita thought.

Lincoln curled himself up into a ball, and was lying on the ground. He stared blankly at the emptiness under his bed.

"That emptiness summarizes my soul right now...", Lincoln whispered. Normally stuff like that would only come out of Lucy's mouth but this time it wasn't a joke. Lincoln was genuinely feeling it now.

But that most important thing now was, that mysterious voice. What was it? Has a demon possessed Lincoln? Lucy and Rocky would think that it's cool. Maybe Lincoln would also have thought the same...hadn't it been on him. Was it all just a voice that he subconsciously created so that he could combat the loneliness that he has felt for so long, which is frankly speaking ironic, considering his many siblings. Or was he going completely crazy and this was him entering the final phase of the deterioration of his mind. But how did it all start, what did go wrong…

I should backtrack a little, to the happier days…

Leni had finished High School in April. Her grades were solid, just enough that she could finally go to a decent Fashion Design College, she managed to get accepted in New York City, and it was relatively close to Royal Woods. And it really seemed so, at least in the beginning.

But when she actually went there for real, to her new flat, that's where reality kicked in. Leni would be gone for several years, leaving alone, away from her family. Maybe it wouldn't be that much of a problem if not for Leni's personality. She wasn't a bad, a vile person, far from it, she was probably the most pure, kindest and innocent being on this planet. But she was, quite literally, a blonde ditz. Sometimes she couldn't grasp very basic things, that even Lana or Lola already understood. So logically, her family was worried, but as time passed, that worry had also passed. Leni got used to living on her own, she was happy, which was the most important thing for her. That at the beginning of September, and currently, October was drawing to its end.

So, everyone was happy, Leni was studying for her dream job. A perfect situation for everyone, right? Well, not for everyone...not for Lincoln unfortunately.

Out of all of his sisters, Lincoln always had a soft spot for Lily and Leni. The reason for Lily, well it was pretty obvious, she was the youngest, the one who grew up around them, and her personality was gonna be based on one of her older siblings. They could only hope and work on being good role models for their youngest sister. Leni's reason was also pretty well known, she was the most vulnerable of his sisters, even though she was the second-oldest, and was supposed to take care of her younger siblings, helping Lori, their oldest sister, in doing that. Instead, her younger siblings, and especially Lincoln, were really protecting her from outside interference, he couldn't bear the thought of his sweet but naive sister getting used by some manipulative bastards. That was the main reason for the start of his depression, anxiety, angst, and general fear for his sisters.

But before that, Lori got pregnant with her boyfriend Bobby and that's where the chaos started. It happened two years ago, when she was eighteen. Even though she was older than the age of consent in her State, (which was sixteen), the fact that she was still in High School and not married, was reason enough for her conservative and Christian parents to get furious with her. When Bobby arrived in the Loud house to explain the things to Lynn Sr. and Rita, all of the Loud siblings and Rita were forced to hold Lynn Sr. from shredding Bobby to pieces with his bare hands. This was a sign enough for Bobby and Lori what to do. They married the next day but the situation got barely better. Lori's dad ordered her to leave the house and go live with Bobby wherever they wanted.

"I will not raise a bastard under my house, is that understood?!", Lynn Sr. rasped at them, sending a clear message to the two young soon-to-be parents. Even though they had married, Lori's parents still considered their daughter's unborn child as a bastard. All of the Loud kids were very sad and shaken because of this. They tried to talk their parents out of it but to no avail.

But when little Diego Lynn Santiago was born, their views at the new member of their family had changed. Bobby returned from Great Lakes City to his old house in Royal Woods, the house was on sale but luckily for him, it wasn't bought by anyone. Bobby and his new family settled there. It wasn't easy leaving his vast family behind but he realized now that he had a new family now, the one that he needs to take care of. Their relationship with Lynn Sr. and Rita changed but were still shaky. Still, they did have a spot for their new grandson, and tried to help Bobby financially but he refused them. Not because he hated them but because he didn't want to depend on anyone else for the support of his family. He cycled between various jobs to sustain them, it was tough at first but they have managed somehow to pull the strings together.

When will you start solving your own problems Lincoln?

Lincoln's body suddenly jerked. That damn voice again…

He slowly got up, sighed then laid down on his bed.

Are you not gonna answer me?

Lincoln just stared at the ceiling. If he ignores it, then maybe it will go away.

I won't go anywhere Lincoln, not as long as you keep being this stubborn. I only want to help you.

Then good luck at a pointless job…

However the voice had suddenly stopped. Lincoln sighed in relief, grabbed his laptop and turned on his favorite show. It was about giant robots, piloted by humans, fighting against various aliens to defend humanity.

Man, if only this was real, I wish that I could ride of those.

Lincoln didn't even notice that hours had passed as he watched it. When night had finally fallen, Lincoln noticed his eyelids getting heavy. His head started to hurt, so he turned off his laptop, put it on the table and went to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

"Going to bed this early? Not typical for you...", Lana scratched her head as she left the bathroom for her room.

"I just feel so damn tired...", Lincoln lamented as he entered the bathroom, washed his teeth and went back to his room. He had to get up early for school and that was the worst thing that could have happened. He only wanted to sleep a little more than usually to finally relax.

When he laid down in his pajamas, the same thing happened as every night. He couldn't get himself to sleep.

Lincoln found out that crying himself to sleep was very effective to falling asleep if you're having problems to fall asleep. The downside was, however, that his eyes would be red tomorrow and he would get ridiculed by everyone for being a little crybaby. But he didn't get mad, he didn't mind it at all actually. Deep down in himself, his shattered mind and soul, he knew that he was just a useless crybaby.

It was midnight and Lincoln was still staring at the full moon that was peeking through his window.

Should I count some sheep? Maybe that would help…

Lincoln chuckled to himself. Like hell, that would work. He could freely add insomnia to his ever-growing list of health problems.

Trash like me probably deserves it...better me than some innocent guy…

Again with the self-hate, it's getting dull at this point, just stop, seriously.

Great, you're the last thing that I needed.

Maybe staring at the full moon would help him finally fall asleep. It probably wouldn't, but it was worth the try. He didn't know what else to do.

Lincoln slowly got up, yawned, then moved the curtains on the window to the sides. The light from the full moon made him narrow his eyes a little but he soon adjusted to it.

So, what now? I just need to stare at it like a moron?

Lincoln shook his head. There were probably some pills in the kitchen or the first aid kit to help him sleep. But was it really worth it? He was still to young to get addicted to drugs, a fourteen-year-old boy should have no problems sleeping. Unless his name was Lincoln Loud it seemed.

But with the full moon's light, it was very visible in the dark, even from Lincoln's room which was located on the second floor.

Just as Lincoln was getting ready to return to bed, a black flash started to walk over their yard.

Did he see right or was this all an imagination?

He rubbed his eyes with his hands, and took a closer look at the shadow in his yard. Indeed, it was humanoid and it was walking away from his house, into the street.

Wait a second, it looks familiar…

When the figure was gone from his view, Lincoln froze on the spot.

No way...was that...Lucy?! What is an eleven-year-old girl doing outside, alone, and at midnight?!

She couldn't be connected to the recent events at the Royal Woods Cemetery, right? The last few days, the grave digger, a tall and creepy looking man, had spotted a group of people walking around the cemetery at late night, carrying some weird staffs and bag, speaking some gibberish and even attempting to dig some graves. The grave digger wasn't able to catch them or get a closer look as he was lame in his right leg so he wasn't fast enough to go after them. After he had contacted the police, they were waiting to set up an ambush and catch the grave robbers, but they had no luck. They didn't arrive at all the next few nights, instead appearing at other, smaller cemeteries. They cleverly used hit-and-run tactics on the cops, frustrating them to no end. At last, the police had given up, at least for now. They needed a new strategy to combat them.

As for the poor grave digger, he could only arm himself with a double barrelled shotgun and wait for them come so that he could deal justice on his own way.

You think Lucy would do such things, Lincoln?

No, not really. I mean, she's creepy sometimes and likes those sorts of things, but this is just too extreme. Plus, she's too young to be doing stuff like that.

Yeah, I agree with that.

Glad to hear that...wait a minute, why am I talking with you? That way I acknowledge your existence, which is the last thing I want to do. Good night freak.

Good night Lincoln. Sweet dreams.

Should he go tell his parents? Maybe it would be better to solve this quickly, so that Lucy doesn't get hurt, but then again, what if he was wrong? He would just raise a false alarm, and with his family already thinking that he's going crazy, it wouldn't help his case at all.

Let's just go to sleep now, I have a feeling that tomorrow will be a long, boring day.