Write to Rank 2023

Drought Canyon

Remember, Adam - you need to be quick. You can't let anyone see you, or else they'll kill you and they'll probably find me and everyone else in the rebellion too. The quicker you can take him out the better. Actually- take this hood. Your mother used it to hide like you're going to... now, go.
  That was what dad had said to me before I'd left. We'd taken a spaceship to the planet Eartha, and the plan was to get me (in secret) to the largest city on the planet - Drought Valley.
  I was supposed to assassinate the enemy's boss. I was small. I was discrete. I could get in, easy.
  At that moment, the train I was on was almost empty, seemingly an anomaly according to dad. The hood protected me from the limited eyes as the train stayed stopped. I watched people getting on and off idly as they went about their lives. I was glad that I wasn't subjected to their eyes...
  If I was, they would know that I was the enemy's boss' brother. I was public enemy number one - he had made sure of that.
  We hadn't seen each other in many years. He had been offered power. I'd never expected him to just take it when he got offered it like that. He turned on me, and dad, and mum.
  He was so selfish.
  I could never forgive him.
  He was a tyrant, and he had discarded us to the stars just like everyone else had on Eartha.
  My thought train crashed as another man, in a hood like me, sat down beside me and I watched his head roll to the side as he, what, drifted off to sleep? When the train started moving, I saw him sit up again. He then turned to me, but I still couldn't see his face. His hidden gaze made my blood run cold, and I turned away. All I needed to do was get to Asteroid Canyon without any hiccups. This guy screamed hiccup.
  "I know you don't want to kill me," the man started our conversation smoothly.
  It was him. His tone of voice had always been that way.
  "I don't have a choice," I replied, turning away.
  "There's always a choice. You're just too afraid to take it."
  I shook my head subtly. I couldn't be dealing with this right now, I couldn't kill him whilst he was toying with my emotions like this. Maybe it had been years since I'd last seen him, but it still felt wrong; especially with so many witnesses.
  But what he did next suprised me - he got up, and started to leave the carriage.
  In that moment, I decided I wasn't done with him.
  I placed a hand on him, "Wait, don't go."
  My brother turned around sharply.
  There he was. Memphis. He looked tired and he had a scar on his cheek I didn't recognise.
  Memphis had that unbridled rage on his face which I recognised from dad as he stared at me. It was agonising, but from his painted expression more for him than me.
  That didn't stop him from proceeding to kick me.
  And he would've done it if I hadn't been fast enough to dodge.
  I pulled out my knife. I had to follow up the attack, and now was a good a time as ever to finish things. When people started to run out of the carriage, I made my move, pouncing on Memphis with remorselessly. I held the knife up against his kneck as he looked at me.
  I knew this look.
  He was playinh with me, again.
  "Kill me then, if that's what you want," Memphis chuckled grimly.
  I looked into those deep, dark eyes I'd looked into so many times.
  And I closed my eyes, and removed the knife from Memphis' neck. I was unable to be under his shaded gaze any longer; I got up and started to walk out of the train carriage. I sighed through my nose. All I was doing was delaying the inevitable; what was wrong with me?
  "Just know you can't run from me forever," Memphis grinned behind me, lying, on the floor.
  I closed my eyes again and responded, "I don't need to run from you forever. All I need to do is run long enough to remove you from the equation."
  I didn't want to stay on the train anymore.
  He'd been more extravagant than me all my life.
  It was my turn to do my own thing, and so I turned away from the door to the carriage. I stood on the chair beside the train window.
  I took one last look at Memphis' confused expression, before I lowered my hood, kicked the window until it shattered and jumped through it.