Toxic

Toxic: Chapter #2 | Family

Zach's Past

☣ ♡ ☣

One thing I want to tell you about before I get too far in is my family. You may think, based on what I've given you so far, that perhaps my family wasn't great, but I assure you that couldn't be further from the truth. I am the second oldest of five children. Mainly because my sister Zoe insisted on being born first with me following her and lastly came our brother Zeke. Yes. You read that correctly. Triplets indeed. For three years it was Zoe, Zeke, and me.

Then came our brother Noah. He was early by a month and a half. I guess he couldn't wait to meet the rest of his siblings. Then, finally, another two years later, came our youngest sibling, Alec. Now he may be the youngest, but he makes up for it in other ways. I know what you're thinking. 'That's all fine and grand, Zach, but come on, there must have been sibling rivalry or squabbles at some point.' Yes, there definitely were. I think that's to be expected in every family. It was like this: I looked after Noah and Alec while Zoe looked after me and Zeke. We're close, all five of us. Mom and dad had their hands full that is for darn sure.

Most of our childhood mom worked nights and dad worked odd hours, including weekends. He also traveled. It wasn't like they neglected us. Far from it. In fact, every spare minute they had they spent with us. On Fridays, if we'd all been good, they'd take us out for pizza and ice cream at Chuck E Cheese. Yeah, I know that by the time Alec was old enough to play the games one would think that the three oldest of us, Zoe, Zeke and myself, wouldn't be into it, but oh were we ever. Zeke and I especially are extremely competitive. We would take turns on three different games, trying to see just who could get the highest score. Zoe would smile and shake her head at us while she helped Alec and Noah figure out some of the other games.

There are a few memories that really stand out to me for various reasons and I want to share those with you now.

One night, I remember the phone ringing suddenly. It was nearing ten at night when the shrill sound echoed throughout the house. Zoe answered while Zeke and I paused the movie we were watching. Mom was calling to say that the storm had gotten so severe where she was and that a tree had been struck. It fell, crashing to the pavement and took over the road, thereby blocking the only way to the house. We weren't in the middle of nowhere exactly, but we had a smaller country type road that led to where we lived.

Zoe listened carefully and after mom assured us that she was okay, Zoe told her goodnight and hung up. Then the three of us did what we always do. Zoe went to check on Noah, Zeke went to check the weather reports and to make sure all of the doors and windows were secure, and I went to check on Alec. At the time Zoe, Zeke, and I were ten, Noah was seven and Alec was five.

I can't really tell you why it was always paired up like that: Alec and me, Zoe and Noah. Such a division might have seemed unfair to some when it meant that Zeke was left without anyone but we didn't view it that way. Zeke was very much our father's son in almost every way. He preferred being the odd one out though he was always there if and when we needed him.

That's just how it was, but I digress. That night, Alec had been standing by the window looking out when a loud clap of thunder sounded. He was frightened and stifled a scream. Quick as he could, Alec leapt into bed and pulled the covers over his head. I saw him hiding under the covers and went over to his bed, kneeling down. "Did you know that when you hear the thunder, it's just the Angels bowling and when you see the lightning, it's the Angels taking pictures of all the amazing things on earth and you are one of those things," I said in a soft voice.

Alec peeked his head out from under his covers, looking at me with wide eyes and still afraid but growing less so as he listened to me explain.

I stood and then carefully sat on the edge of the bed as I continued. "See, some of the Angels are like me and think they are the best bowlers ever, so they compete and see how many strikes they can get. Then the other Angels are like ZuZu (That's my nickname for Zoe.) and think they take better pictures than anyone else. So, the Bowling Angels and the Picture Angels look at each other and the competition begins. They take a picture, and they bowl a strike. They compete back and forth, back and forth, until there are no more pins that day and until they run out of film. The clouds disappear and the sun shines through."