After two days without eating and drinking any water Vance is finally finished with his plan. His room looks like a pig pin and his plan is all over his wall.
"Step one," Vance heads down stairs to his parents. They both look shocked at his unhealthy appearance.
"Mom and dad, I would like to have dinner with the both of you on the deck outside." Both of his parents look perplexed at his request but then stand up and embrace him. Vance stands still and firm and his parents think that it might be a good idea if they do spend sometime with him.
"Sure, Vance." He let's a breath he didn't know he was holding out. He goes back up stairs and checks step one of his list.
"Step two," Vance opens his sock drawer and rummages through its contents and finds a hand gun his grandfather gave him for self defense. He tucks it in his pants and makes his way down stairs out to the deck. His parents bring out dinner and they sit down looking at Vance. Vance has no second thoughts. He sees in his parents eyes worry and sadness. "It's for the best ." his mind says.
"Your right it's for the better, step 3," he pulls out his gun and points it at his parents. They both look shocked and tell him not to do this. He pulls the trigger and shoots his father. Then he points it as his mother and shoots her as well. What Vance doesn't realize that they both are bleeding out but will survive with medical help. In his mind he thinks the deed is done and they are dead. His mind applauds him but on he outside he shows grief. What has he done?
The red and blue lights flashed and the whales of neighbors filled the no longer silent street. The realization hit Vance again and again. His brother was dead and it was all his fault. There was no way to fix and another death wasn't going to fix it. His or someone else's. How was he to deal with so much grief and pain? Was life important to live anymore and if so what would he do. Life was a mess, and so was the room upstairs...
