Crimson Liquid & Grey Eyes

One moment your life is perfectly normal. The next moment your life is flipped up side down & you're completely lost in the world.

I mean, I'm a girl that lives in Eastern Mississippi in the smallest town in the state. Nobody should get hurt. Everybody knows each other. It's kind of ironic, what used to be my safe haven is now my living nightmare. No words. No words to describe how much horror I felt that day.

It was November 2, 2005 it was like any other day, watering the pasture, feeding the cattle. My brother wanted to get something to drink, & the pick up was running low on gas.

My brother was tall, a little muscular, just your average Southern cowboy. He was wearing old Wrangler jeans that were so worn they had gaping holes at the knees. A blue faded teeshirt, & his brand new boots that he took so much pride in.

As we were walking in to the convenient store there was a group of adults about their mid twenty's, they were dressed casually, yet fashionable. It was very unusual because we hardly had tourist in the little town because there weren't many roads leading into it. They all looked dazed & confused as

they walked inside the store. It was apparent they were lost.

The little convenience store was dimly lit by only a few of the necessary lights that should be in there. There were lots of rows of aisles filled with dusty old candies, & refrigerators filled with semi-cold drinks.

There two people that stood out of the group, one was wearing a bright blue, almost neon tee shirt with tight jeans & a pair of Vans. She was walking with one of the men that had came in. He was wearing khaki shorts, black Converse, a black hoodie, & a neon pink shirt; it had a jumbo black logo that I couldn't see in the dim light. The most vivid thing I could see were his grey eyes, they shimmered in the low light. They were so pale they almost seemed white. It was one of the most amazing things that I had ever seen. His eyes pierced right through my soul, & made my heart melt. Yet there was something very sinister, something that scared me.

By the time I caught myself staring at the man with the grey eyes, my brother was at his favorite little section of the store. It had shelves filled with monthly issues of car & truck magazines, & accessories for 18-wheelers.

I went to get something to drink for my brother and I, Gatorade & a Arizona Tea. That's what we always got.

Suddenly I heard a muffled groan from near where my brother was. I heard some movement & then it went silent. You could hear a pin drop if there was one. I heard loud crunching sounds it was horrible.

"Jonathan," I said.

No answer.

"Jonathan?"

No answer.

"Jonathan, I don't have time for this!"

I had moved to an aisle near where my brother was. I stopped to hear a sound, but all I could hear was the group of people paying for the drinks. I looked down to see crimson liquid flowing a couple of inches from my shoes into a drain.

I instantaneously started laughing.

"Good one, Jonathan," I exclaimed.

It was one of the best jokes that my brother had pulled on a me in a long time. Just then, the man with the grey eyes popped up as he were hiding with my brother & he said, "have a great day!" He smiled & walked away.

I walked to the next aisle & saw my mangled, bloody, & almost not recognizable brother laying on the floor, as much as I wanted to move I stood still. I didn't know what to do; scream, yell, cry, or just to completely shut down. I stood for a long while until the cashier came, & that's when it hit me.

My brother was gone.

The next couple of days were a blur, between the funeral, all the crying, people giving their condolences, & more crying.

Something happened that I could never forget. I woke up. I woke up bright lights shone in my eyes, even blinded me. I was wearing a neon orange prison jump suit, I was also shackled to a twin bed at my ankles & wrists. I could see dried blood in my nails. I didn't have any cuts nor bruises. I thought aloud, "where could have this blood come from?"