The Metal Children

06 Of Dirty Hands

Haru was a little girl again.

Maybe six, maybe seven. She was surrounded by molded concrete, but above her were a splurging colours of sunset sky, the colour of pink rose, orange tan and whale blue painted together. The breeze that swept through her hair was cool, but the rugged concrete under her barefoot feet was warm.

Dried blood flaked on her dry palms, and bits of sand and earth grated between her toes. Her oversized t-shirt was stained with what looked like ashes and soil, and her messy lock of hair hung against the nape of her neck like fine roots. Her breathing was intense, as if the air surrounding her was lacking oxygen. She realized that she was sobbing, when she felt tears streamed down her cheeks.

In front of her was a boy of her age, a boy she was so familiar with. He was a little taller, but still thin and lanky, mop of hair nearly covering his eyes under his spectacles. He had the same eyes as Haru does - dark brown, with a hint of bronze when sun rays reflected on his pupil. He had the same thin lips as Haru does - pale pink, though chapped and dry. His eyes bore a confusing look of both sympathetic and hatred, but his lips called out her name softly. "Haru."

"No!" She found herself yelling, her childlike voice echoing as if the sky above her was a cave instead. "Get away from me!"

"You're sick! And I want to help you-"

"I'm not sick!" Haru's sobs began to get louder, and as the boy advanced forward, she took a step back. "Don't come near me!"

Darkness began to surround the two as she yelled, and what was once a beautiful sky, became a deep, dark black canvas with flashes of light. Thunder roared in the sky, and there were loud noises of what sounded like hundreds of crows going mad.

"I'm good," she said in between her sobs. "I am good..."

"Yes, you are!" He held out a hand towards Haru. A bead of tear started forming at the edge of his one eye. "And I believe that-"

"No, you don't!" She yelled again. Crackling thunder continued roaring in the sky. "Just like you don't believe mom is good!"

He froze, as if her words had mentally slapped him hard. "Mom is... Mom..."

"What happened to mom, will happen to me too!" She was crying so hard now, she could feel her chest heaving as if it was about to burst. "You will hate me as much as you hate her, as much as you hate people like me and mom!"

"Shut up, Haru!" The boy ran towards her and caught her both her wrists. He was way stronger than her, and she felt nothing but weak and fear. "I've already lose mom and dad, I'm not gonna lose you too! You're my only family member left! Haru, I'm your brother!"

But she struggled against his strong grip, feet stomping onto the concrete, where waves of vibrations hit her feet like it had somehow reflected. She was able to do this, to sense movement through earth, through sand, and through concrete through the vibrations she had received. They were coming. They were coming, and they will kill her, and maybe, they will kill him too.

Haru struggled for the final time, yanking her wrist away from his grip, and with one sway of her hands upwards, a concrete block detached from where they were standing, and had hit the boy hard against his chest. He flung backwards, but made no sound in pain.

"You're not my brother anymore," she said to her, tears still streaming down her cheeks like an endless river. "I have no brother!"

She jumped off the parapet, one leg leading another, as if she was about to fly. But she wasn't flying, and below her was all pitch black, as if the building she previously was on, was the only surviving building of a thick darkness. She felt lightweight as she fell, wind buzzing in her ear and strands of hair crossing her face. The thunder roared louder and the noises of angry crows were as loud and painful as needles dropping onto her eardrums-