No Strings

How do you Love Puppies? (Part 1)

I shake our cereal box within my brother's arms. He squeaks excitedly; is there another toy? I snuggle close to him on the floor, switching the channels to our Saturday morning cartoons. We fall into a fit of giggles and merry jokes played well into our daily chore of a keeping.
"I'm the keeper, and you're the seeker...," I grin, popping in a couple of cereal pieces. They're boring old squares, dull, but cinnamon - so we love them.
"Y-Yeah..!" He smiles, nodding enthusiastically. I play this game with him; just so he doesn't know...
"Go seek..," I nod, smiling and trying to hide the bleak heartache in my eyes. He hops up and scampers to the window. I wish he knew. I don't know if his is a worst fate than mine...
The storm rages and I sense electrolytes flying at cars, spinning in the rain... One car veers sharply on a steady path by a drunken mother... It gallops, flying and seeking, beeping with a small red circle of a monitor, like an antennae. Fearing the fresh authority of police.
He blinks a few times, swallows. I know he knows just enough to know what hidden horrors will occur when she arrives... I try to play it off.
My breath quickens just a stir; it's tires screech as it slides down an alley way. These eyes I hold are reflecting the light... Giving me insight into what's coming. I can hear everything she does clearly, from the tired swirl of a cup, to the soft dribble of alcohol assessing her slow throat. I hear and see all, yet I can do nothing... I guess that's only for the man upstairs.
Joseph tumbles into me, mumbling at how he doesn't like this game anymore.
"No...," I whine, "Play again and maybe you'll be right..." I want to feel like I'm not the only one who foresees. It's a lonely existence in this pathological world.
"P-Play... For m-me...?" My throat tightens; my eyes sworn with sulky tears and he slowly stands, plopping in front of the window, sighing like a man on the night shift.
"Th-Thank you, Joey..." I murmur. "I will tell you when I'll Keep." He turns to look at me and the hair on my neck stands on end. His eyes are full of rain, dark circles of rain, clouding the brown of his pupils and forming an ominous, insisting cloud of dark blue ferocity.
There is no light in his eyes. I blink and I hear a snap as he falls over, his body going limp.
"J-Joseph!!" I shriek, racing up to his fragile body that's encased in cool sweat.
"M-Monty..." His breath comes in heavy pants and I whimper.
"No... Don't do this to me..." I weep, hot stains of acidic tears leaking down my cheeks. My mouth is filled with my own agony, "You have to stay! I need you!"
Snap. His neck breaks.
I drink in the blazing red of a canyon. Structures gallop over me, behind me... Almost like they're within me... There's reds and oranges and roses and maroons and pinks and... Browns... Just like Joseph's eyes! Oh God, where are you in disguise?! Help me!
I fall to my knees and plead in a prayer, the entirety of my body shivering with cold anticipation...
"Game Over, MONTY." I hear a photogenic voice beep and slowly lift my head to the forgotten sky - ever blue in the purest form, cloudless... It gives not a damn for what's happened. Till the end of time, it's heart dies with the indifference of a sinner...
I feel the ground melt and I gasp, stumbling to my feet but feeling it sloppily sink around me. Even the earth is against me... It's gooey joyless rejoice engulfs the contours of my weak frame, wearing it down to a skeleton until I'm enrapt in a deepest hell...
Buried alive. Above me, the sun blares a crimson song of hate and stretches it's yellow wings so bright of a light it turns into night.... I blink - no color, no light, nothing.... I am eyeless and blind....
"Joseph! Where are you?!" I shriek, looking around and my brother is there again, on the floor... Sitting, gloomy like the rain that pours and holding onto the window for the curse we fear...
I crawl to him quickly, wrapping him in my shaking arms. "Oh my God, I thought I lost you forever!"
"W-What do you mean..." He gazes at me with powerful brown eyes, innocent as can be. He frowns and wipes a tear from my eye. "Mom should be here by now..." He pouts.
I bite my lip, fighting the wail raging within my core. "Y-Yes she is...," I whimper, sniffling and hugging him tighter in my arms, "Don't worry, she'll be here soon..." I kiss his forehead, blinking as I envision a familiar car roaring down a familiar road... "She's down the street...," I whisper into his ear, kissing his soft face over and over again.
I suck in a breath, trying to compose myself. What a frightful thing! I cradle him.
"Why are you crying?" He asks, innocent, yet again, and I chuckle.
"Don't worry, buttercup..," I shake my head, "I will tell you all about it when you're older..."
"O-otay..." He murmurs, confused, but kisses my nose and I calm down.
"Joseph the Joey..."
He cracks a smile, genuine and forgetful. "What?"
"How do you like puppies?"