Ride Or Die

Three - Xavier

I lean against the door, silently cursing myself. Why did I react like that? Usually I don't have a problem with people asking questions like that. But hearing it from her… I walk down the hallway and enter my room. It's cold and dark, just like the rest of my house. There are no pictures, no keepsakes, no photo albums, nothing. No evidence of a family living happily in this house, all of the memories and good times gone. I lay down in bed, wondering what’s wrong with me. I'm literally being paid to kill her, and some guy was going to do it for me. No, I think I just kept her alive because I would hate to see her die before I could get my revenge. Evelyn, why can't I just kill you? I lay my arm over my eyes and fall asleep.

* * *

I'm ten years old again as the rope bites into my hands as I kneel on the ground. My breath comes in heavy, sporadic bursts. I can't seem to draw my eyes away from the heavy, wooden doors that lead to my father’s study. I feel myself moving as they drag me to my feet and march me towards the doors. They open, and inside I see my family. My mom, dad, and brother are all tied up and kneeling on the floor like I just was. I see the tears on my brother's face, the panic in my mother’s and the betrayal and determination in my father’s.

There is a squeaking as she turns in the chair that my father should be sitting in. She stands and walks towards me, her heels clicking against the floor. A gun appears in her hand, and I feel my panic grow. I strain against the ropes holding me. There is a click as she cocks the gun. My father glares at her, hatred seeping from his very being. Smiling, she presses the gun to his head.

“You could have been great. Better than even me. But you chose to be good and honest. Which is why you and your family are in this position. Any last words?” My father doesn't flinch at the gun being held to his head. Instead, he spits on her feet. She grimaces and shifts the gun away from his head. In two quick shots, she puts holes through my mother and little brother’s heads. I feel my world collapse around me as their bodies fall. Blood spurts from their heads and pools on the ground around their bodies. My father doesn't move as his wife’s body falls next to him.

“No last words? My, I thought you would at least go down with a fight.” The gun clicks again and she presses it to his temple. Then, she whispers something into his ear that makes the blood drain from his face as the gun goes off for a third time. Blood splatters my face as he falls next to my mom and brother, his favorite teddy bear laying in the blood of my mother. Someone starts screaming, and I'm pretty sure it's me. I lunge towards that insane murderer who can barely be called a human. My grief echoes around the room at the screams and sobs that are being wrenched from me. I grab her hair, yanking her backward as I grab the gun. I release her as I point the gun at her, my hands shaking. She smiles, curiosity lighting up her eyes that makes me want to puke. Someone yanks it from my hands and pushes me to the ground.

She walks over to the bookshelf and grabs one off of it. The book in her hand is my  favorite book that my father used to read to me. She grins as she pulls out a knife from the inside of her suit coat. I hear the tearing of the pages as she cuts the binding away. I feel my soul break with each slice, each tear in the precious pages that are my childhood. By the time the last page is gone, I've stopped crying, stopped feeling. She lets the last page fall into the blood of my family. She walks right up to me and grabs my face, her long manicured fingernails digging into my face.

“So strong. Not even a single tear now. And you fought. I like you, so I'll let you live. It would be such a shame to put out a spark that has the potential to become a raging fire. A fire that I will control. A true force of destruction.” She wipes the blood splatter off of my face and takes a step back. She walks out of the room, stepping in the blood of my family. Her shoes leave bloody footprints as she walks out of the room. Hatred such as I had never felt before courses through me, consuming me from the inside out as I stare at the doors she just walked out.

* * *

I jolt awake, sweat dripping down my back. My hands are clenched into fists so tight that my knuckles are white. I slowly relax every muscle in my body, letting out a sigh. After twelve years, the nightmares still haven't gone away. I grab my glass of water and take a long sip, the coldness of it helping to bring me back to reality. I go to lay back down when I hear the guest door squeak open. I freeze, waiting. I hear soft footsteps as Evelyn makes her way down the hallway. I see her phone flashlight shining outside of my door, and I wait to follow her until she moves farther down the hall. I only allowed her to keep her phone because I already went through all of the information on it. I get dressed quietly. It isn't until I look down that I realize that I've dressed in all black again, which has become a weird habit of mine. I guess black is harder to see in the dark, but it does make it seem like I'm dressed for a funeral. Tucking my handgun into the hidden holster, I silently open the door and watch as she walks right out the front door. She looks at her phone again before hurrying down the street.

A few turns later, we arrive at a run-down building. It must have been impressive and beautiful once upon a time, but now it looks as if it's been abandoned for years. She looks around a few times before ducking inside the old building. I sneak in behind her before the door closes. It's dark, but there is enough light from the moon for me to see. I follow her up flights of stairs, careful to keep my distance. She finally gets to the top floor and walks down to a room at the end of the hallway. Evelyn bends down and grabs something out from under the carpet. She inserts it into the lock and the door creaks open. Light spills out onto the roached carpet in the hallway. She walks into the room and the door begins to close, so I rush forward and slip in behind her.

I blend into the shadows in the corner of the room. I see Evelyn going into a back room. I follow her as the smell of cooking food grows stronger. There are voices coming from there. A girl a few years younger than her who looks like a slightly different version of Evelyn with lighter blond hair stirs a pot full of something over a stove. To be honest, I'm surprised that this building still has power. I’ll stay and watch them for a while and then finish my job. Just as this thought crosses my mind, I feel like I'm being watched. I look up and see her sister staring directly at me. But that’s impossible. No one can see me right now. She tilts her head.

“You're just in time. Why don’t you join us for dinner?”