A man stood up from the group his boots making a sound on the stone floor. It was like someone was slowly pulling out a knife. He was holding a gun in his shaking hands. The gun was black...I did not pay attention to the man with the gun. My eyes and my mind were on something. The gun was not important to me, at that moment. My attention was else.
These people were bound to Vernon. They had to go to Vernon. The fact is that they were going to Vernon. Vernon is where they were headed.
When I saw him it was like I was a kid again. His face was the same. It brought back a lot of memories. It was like his face was talking to me but not with words. It was talking with the memories we shared. I had tried to forget the things that happened to me the times I cried when nobody was looking.. When I saw him all those things came back to me and it was very painful. The fact that he did not say anything was really loud it was like thunder in my ears. Being around him was like someone was hurting me on purpose. In a gentle way like they cared about me. It was like he was bringing up all the things from my past and it was very hard for me. Seeing him was very difficult for me. It made me think about my past about the times I was hurt, about the scars I got when I was a kid. His face, his presence it all reminded me of the things I tried to forget. It was very hard to deal with.
Then—
A thunderclap.
The man fired his gun. The man pulled the trigger. The man fired.
The bullet came out of the gun. Flew straight at me as fast as something that is going to happen anyway and as cruel as the passing of time. But before the bullet could hit my body Vernon raised one hand. He was very calm and in control like he was telling the universe what to do, including heaven and hell. The bullet was stopped by Vernon, the man who seemed to have power, over the laws of the universe including heaven and the laws of hell and Vernon saved me from the bullet.
And lo—
The bullet did what it was supposed to do.
The thing. It twisted in the air like a snake moving to the sound of a flute that its master was playing. It was like the thing was making fun of what was supposed to happen.. Then it changed direction and it found the person it was really meant to hurt. The thing really did find its victim.
The bullet hit the shooter right in the throat.
Blood came out fast it was a deep red color and it was very violent. This blood filled the air. It was a sign of death. The man screamed,. It did not last very long. The sound of his blood coming out of his body was louder than his scream. He fell down like a doll when you cut its strings. His eyes were open very wide because he was very scared. His hands were trying to grab something. Everything was already too late, for him. The blood was still coming out it was a thing to see the man and his blood.
Vernon did not flinch. He just stood there.
He looked up at the sky. Let out a loud shout. The sound of his voice was so strong that it seemed to shake the air around him:
"Whoever does something without me telling them to. They are really going to be, in trouble. If someone acts without my command that person will have to deal with me...Deal with death."
My brother used to sound so different. Now when he talked it felt like he thought he is better than everyone. Every word of his lubricated with arrogance.
I remember when we were kids we would run around outside at night and catch fireflies together under the light of the moon. That brother of mine is gone now. The person who took his place is not nice all. He is, like a ruler and it is weird because he looks just like my brother.
Vernon turned to me.
He came over to where I was. Put his arms around me. He had me in his arms now. He was holding me close and that was all that mattered.
That hug, it was not real it was a nice way of pretending. The smell of him hit me like something, from the past. It was the smell that I remembered, a little bit of dirt and a little bit of smoke. It smelled like the place where I used to live the place that's not mine anymore. For a short moment my body felt something that my heart was trying not to feel.
Then his lips came really close, to my ear. He whispered to me in a soft voice it was almost kind.
"I really missed you Akira, much. It felt like a time since we last saw each other Akira. I was thinking about you Akira and I have to say that I missed you brother, a lot.Yet thou know'st me well—I am but the curse of your life.Have you forgotten?"
His voice then became really harsh it sounded very dark and heavy like hatred was turned into the sound of his voice.
"But know this, brother—
I really hate you with all heart. Every part of me hates you. I really hate that you held back during the fight. You did not do your best when it mattered the most. The battle was a deal and you should have tried harder.I wish you had fought with all your might. The fact that you held back in battle is what bothers me the most, about you.You always love to show me weaker.You always do this."
Before I was able to say a word. Before I was even able to take a breath -
Pain.
My stomach got hit hard by his knee. It felt like something fell on me. My body just bent in half. A loud growl came out of my mouth it was an wild sound. I was bleeding from my mouth. It got all over the floor.
Vernon turned away, from the person he was talking to.
He stood with his back, to me. I was lying there all broken. He talked like he was speaking to the air not even looking at me the words just flowing out to the wind.
"I will wait for you, brother."
And then—
The he was gone.
Not with sound nor flash, but like dust scattered by an unseen hand.
Then there was silence.
The rain was all that was left. It made a sound that went all through the big empty warehouse. Each drop hit the ground like a tear that the whole world was crying. My eyes. Were puffy from sadness that I did not talk about. The rain reminded me of my tears. These tears were not just because I was sad. They were also because I was angry and felt betrayed. I was crying because the people I loved had hurt me for a time. The rain and my tears were, like the world and I were both crying about love that had gone bad.
I let out a scream.
Hell really did answer.
The fires from my body were like nothing I have ever seen. They were black and red. These flames went over the warehouse really fast. A lot of people were trying to get out but they could not. The fires were so hot that peoples skin was melting. Soon nobody could hear them anymore. Everything was ash. The people in the warehouse had done some bad things and now they were being punished for what they did. The fires from my body were like a punishment, to them.
The fire went out and the flames faded so I stumbled out into the rain. The rain was coming down. I was getting totally soaked, but I just kept walking.
Each step was a struggle. My hand was holding my ribs tight and my breath was coming out in sharp gasps like something was cutting me up inside. My legs just gave out. I fell down into the mud. The rain was hitting my face feeling like a lot of cold fingers touching me trying to make me feel something but it was not working it was not waking me up from this bad dream this nightmare, the nightmare that I was living through.
Then—
Light.
It was really coming down. Then two people showed up out of the rain.
Yura came running to me. I could see how worried she was. Her face showed it clearly. She put my head on her lap. Her arms were shaking really badly as she held me. She was crying a lot tears were falling down her face. She asked me in crying voice, "Who did this to you Aki?". She asked loudly, "Who?"
Yuna stood beside us. She had this look, on her face her eyes were narrowed. It was like she was trying to sense something that we could not see the thing that was there. Yuna was really focused on the unseen.
She said in soft interrogation voice, " I sensed Lucifer's power here , so came here but he is not here...You appear to be carrying the devils power yourself do you not?"
I did not give an answer.
I did not do it because I did not want to.. Because I really couldn't. I had no energy either to whispered.
Life was a strange and cruel journey.
My brother became the one I hated most.
And I—
I became the one he hated most.