Against The Sun

On A Gathering Storm Comes A Tall Handsome Man

The blood was spreading across the sterile white tiles of the kitchen where his parents both lay, eyes open and pale as ghosts. Their throats gaped open, dark, wet and vivid. It didn't feel real. It looked like the red graffiti he had seen not even half an hour ago. It didn't feel real. Like he had walked into someone else's life.

Mikey jumped and whimpered quietly as they both heard a thud on the stairs. Looking down at his brother he couldn't deny the reality of what was happening. Mikey looked terrified.

Gerard grabbed Mikey by the hand dragging him into the kitchen and pushing him into the pantry cupboard. It looked like whoever was coming down the stairs had already searched through it, the shelves were a mess and food was scattered all over the floor. He pushed Mikey to crouch down amongst the spilled cereal and pulled the door almost shut behind them.

In a matter of moments Gerard watched through the crack in the door as a tall, bald man walked calmly into the kitchen. He was dressed immaculately in a long grey jacket and a crisp white shirt, stained red at the wrists. His clothing was flamboyant in a way Gerard was not used to seeing on Better Living employees. The man crouched down next to Gerard's father and poked him lazily in the chest white a stark white laser gun.

"Where have you hidden them?" the man spoke in a low, chillingly calm voice.

The man stood and took a few steps towards his mother, looking down at her appraisingly. Slowly with a booted foot he turned her lifeless face to the side. Her dead eye's were now staring directly at Gerard, he stopped breathing terrified to make a noise. The man stood up suddenly, turning away and bringing his hand up to his face.

"The Ways have been terminated," The man spoke into a wrist communicator.

"Did you do it as instructed?" a woman's voice replied. "We need it to be... messy."

"When the bodies are found it will definitely send a message."

"Good," the woman replied in a business like tone that was so foreign to the reality of what was happening.

The man exhaled before continuing. "There's no sign of the documents."

"The Way's were smarter than we gave them credit for."

The man paused before he spoke. "And the boys are not here."

Silence

"Return to base. The boys are inconsequential, I'll have a citizen reform team look for them".

The man hesitated.

"That was an order Korse," the female voice sounded irritated.

"I'll return immediately," the man replied and disappeared from view.

A few moments later Gerard heard the apartment door click shut and he let out the breathe he had been holding, his head spinning slightly.

This couldn't be real. He'd been seeing things today. This was just another hallucination. A really fucked up, scary hallucination. But looking down and Mikey, Gerard knew this had to be real. The way Mikey was holding onto his arm, white knuckles and bloody hands, his breathing uneven and shaky, there's no way Gerard's imagination could of come up with something like that, not even in his worst nightmares.

Gerard wondered for a moment about how he was so calm before deciding it was probably for the best. There would be time to break down later. Right now he needed to get Mikey out of here. The voice on the communicator said they were sending our a reform team. Gerard had known some kids that had been taken to the reform centre. Most of them didn't come back, and the ones that did weren't the same.