Blaze

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

I sat in front of the television with Greg by my side. He was watching the news, and I had no choice but to join him. It was either that or homework. I had nothing better to do, and homework wasn't a preferred option.

Greg was a man with a shiny scalp, beer gut, and forever-pink-skin. He always wore his golden wire-rim spectacles, which doubled up as sunglasses because of the flip-up shades that were now turned upwards to let him see in the badly-lit living room. He wiped some food particles off his thick, greying mustache.

The ceiling-light flickered every so often. An insect kept thwacking against the glass cover over the light, I watched as it finally dropped to the ground from exhaustion.

The news anchor read off his script as pictures of a dark alleyway, it seemed almost familiar to me.

"An unidentified vigilante took out two gang members earlier this evening in the Castling area. One was found with bad burns..." I sat up at that. "...a witness, Gabrielle Barnes, who was being assault by the gang members at the time, described the vigilante to have been wearing a biker suit and mask, as well as Kevlar body armor. At the current moment there is no solid information of where he acquired military-grade and how he burnt the gang member. Police officers are currently..."

"Hey, Lisa, did you see this?" Greg called out.

Emily looked up from her novel. Mum poked her head out from kitchen, a frustrated look on her face. Today was her turn to do the dishes.

"What is it?" she yelled.

"Some guy went off and beat up some of the Rooks just now. And he got away!" Greg said, a smile appearing on his chubby face. "I'll bet they're gonna find his body floating in the Thames tomorrow." he laughed heartily.

I felt the color drain from my face. It was the first time that I weighed the factors in this. By doing this, I'd just declared war on the Rooks. I'd just put not only my own life at risk, but also my family's. Bile rose up in my throat, and my stomach felt odd.

"I don't feel too good, I think I'll go to bed." I got up from the couch and went to my room, receiving inquisitive looks from Emily and Greg.

I shut the door behind me and sat at my desk, where a laptop and my Xbox were placed, beside a shelve filled with books and disks. I felt sick with fear, but it was too late to back out now. What was done, had been done. And I would never be able to forgive myself if I cowered and shrank away from this. I was probably the only one who would ever go up against the Rooks. Now was the time for reform, and I would be the one who set it off.

My little mental pep-talk eased my uneasy mind and I checked my phone for texts. One text from Helena.

HE FINALLY DID IT.

I was unsure what to reply.

IM SORRY :(

A moment later she texted back.

ITS NOT UR FAULT.

U FEEL LIKE TALKING BOUT IT?

NO. BUT I WANTED TO SAY THX FOR STAYIN BY MY SIDE THE WHOLE TIME, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. IT HELPS ME THRU ALL THIS.

ILL STAY BY UR SIDE FOR AS LONG AS U WANT ME TO.

She didn't reply after that. Had I just crossed the border of acceptable? I didn't know. Frustrated at myself, I placed my phone down and slammed down onto the bed. For a second time that day, I fell asleep from exhaustion.