Shattered

Enlightenment

Mason opened his eyes and looked around. A kid again, standing by the road with Liam approaching the street, crying his eyes out. You just can't let go. Mason dropped the umbrella to the ground and charged forward toward Liam, reaching forward and pushing him out the way just as the car appeared. Mason could feel his insides get crushed as his body was sent flying through the air, ending with a thud on the pavement.

...

He opened his eyes again, and once more he was at the edge of the street waiting for Liam to cross. "Liam, stop!' Mason cried, running forward again. He leapt forward and wrapped his arms around his brother, sending him to the ground out of harm's way. They both landed on the ground, and Liam gasped. "You are hurting me!" Liam cried, pushing his brother off. "Did... did I do it?" Mason asked. Liam chuckled and looked at his brother. "GIVE UP! THERE IS NO SAVING HIM!" Liam reached forward and grabbed Mason's throat with unbearable strength, and he found it hard to breathe as Liam crushed his throat.  

...

His eyes opened again as Liam cried across the street. Mason let out a low growl and clenched his fists tight. The rain bounced off his shoulders and the thunder boomed as he charged forward, pushing Liam off the road and holding his hands out in front of the car. Still, despite his best efforts the car didn't stop, and his body was sent flying into the road. Mason groaned in pain and cried as he dragged his mangled body out of the street, leaving a trail of watery blood behind him as the rain tour through his skin, searing his body with every drop. He reached forward, grabbing the concrete and pulling himself farther and farther away from the area of impact. "Please... I won't give up!" Mason coughed and blood flooded his mouth as he came to a stop at the feet of his little brother, who was gazing down at his brother in horror. "I- won't... give... in." Mason's head dropped to the ground, and the world went black again. All that stood there was Liam. And then he was gone, and he was back by the street. 

You can't save him. Mason looked at his brother and reached out his hand, prepared to try again for the tenth, or was it the eleventh time? There is no saving him. Mason paused and listened to the voice in his head as Liam made it to the center of the street. You keep running from the past... Mason looked at his hand, then at his little brother, and he realized. "Mason, save me!" Liam cried. Mason slowly shook his head and looked at his little brother. "No..." "Mason!" Mason took a step back and ignored his brother's cries for help. And then the lights appeared, and the car was there. "I love you Liam," Mason whispered. And then the car passed by, and Liam was gone...

...

With a strange feeling of accomplishment, Mason dropped to the floor in pain grasping his throat as he struggled to breathe, then he looked at Liam, who was lying against the wall in pain. Mason sighed and slowly stood up, approaching the gun and picking it up. "You... you can't do this..." Liam sputtered, coughing as Mason raised the gun to his side. "I told you... I know how to save you," Mason said. Mason grabbed the alcohol and took a long swallow before grabbing his lighter. "What are you doing?" Liam asked. "Saving you. Saving us," Mason said as he emptied the bottle on the floor around them ignited the lighter. "It is time to let go," Mason said. He raised the lighter high and took a deep breath before slamming it onto the floor. The floor and soon the walls burst into flames and smoke soon filled the room.  

Mason coughed into his hand hard and approached Liam, who was still sitting in pain against the wall as the room was engulfed in fire. "This won't stop me. I'll... come back for you. You can't escape!" Liam growled. Mason shook his head. "I don't plan to," he said. Liam paused, surprised as Mason stuck out his hand. "I'm staying right here with you." Liam's body jerked, then he let out a croak, and then he slumped over. Soon his head raised back up, and he looked at his brother. "Mason...? What's happening?" Liam asked. Mason lowered his hand and dropped to his knees next to his brother. "Don't worry, Liam. I'm right here with you," Mason said, wrapping his arms around his brother. "I'm right here with you..." 

...

"What's going on?" Mason's mother cried out as she approached the house. "Mason is in there!" Julia screamed, approaching at the same time. "What did he do?" Mason's mother asked. "He said he had to keep a promise. To his brother," Julia explained as the firefighters pushed them back. "Please, save my boy!" the mother cried. "Sir!" The firefighter spun around to see another fireman exiting the building. "There's only one victim!" "Keep searching. There should be another," the fireman ordered. The other shook his head. "No, sir. Just one..." 

Soon the firefighters rolled the stretcher out and the mother and wife quickly made their way over to Mason, who was coughing in pain with a tape recorder in his hands. "Mason! My God, what did you do?" the mother cried. Mason reached forward and placed the tape recorder in her hands. "I kept my promise... he's real, I know it." Before they could say anything else, Mason's hand dropped. A medical unit tried CPR for several minutes but it was no use. The mother dropped to her knees and cried in sorrow, knowing that her son was gone. Julia covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to cry. The mother looked down at the tape recorder in thought, then hesitantly pressed the play button.

"What exactly is this plan?" "To let go of my past, and you." "No! I'm not letting you take him!" The mother gasped at the sound of the two voices, and her voice trembled as something clicked inside her head, and she realized she had made a grave mistake as she looked down at the tape. "Liam?" 

End