Russia To Death

II

August 13, 1995

    It was a cool summer day and the sun was shining. The birds were quite tasty because the only sound that could be heard was gunshots.

" Okay, you always aim at the head to kill, the heart for drama, and the leg to wound, Got me!"

Jon stuttered out a yes sir as he and his brother took to their marks and aimed. He looked over at his brother, not trembling as he was. His brother fired first to cause the shaking to worsen for him. " Jonathan! Are you scared or some shit?" " No sir" "So shoot the goddamn fucker" he aimed again Arthur fired another shot at the target the scent of gun power started to burn into his nose. He took a deep breath like he had seen Arthur do a million times aiming for the target.

Another pop went from Arthur's shotgun; he was three shots ahead of his father and wouldn't be happy. Aiming the gun and taking a breath he pulled the trigger waiting for the thunderous pop sound bracing for the impact but it never came. Arthur looked over at him, waiting to take a step back.

" Misfire!" Arthur shouted to Dad who was up range by the house  " God damn it, Jonathan!"

His father got up and took big strides over to his children.

" What did you do?" " I don't.."  ' Give me the gun" Handling the gun over to his father, Jon took a step back "Oh Jonathan you idiot you put the safety on. " his father single-handedly pumped the gun and handed it to his brother " here you try to sense your brother can't" Arthur persecuted to shoot a perfect bullseye " good job " he patted Arthur on the back "Jonathan did you see what your brother did he will make for a great marksman or sniper" his father spoke with the biggest smile he didn't hear his father anymore.

" Lunch!" his mother Margaret yelled from the back porch his father whirled to greet her  " Honey Guess what our son did?" "What?" " Four bullets three bullseyes" he looked to his father and brother and saw the pride in his father's eyes. " I should tell the associates at work to get you into a better school."

He could feel the anger start to bubble within him.  He made his way past his mother who looked at him with concern 

    "Jon honey are you hungry?"  he stopped on the stairs turning to his mother.

" no Mom" She still smiled brightly at him with the warmth a caring and loving one should have for her children

"Okay, I'll save you a plate if you change your mind."

He turned towards the stairs heading up to his room. As he closed the door to his room the anger that he was trying to keep down began to bubble up in his chest. Feeling as though everything was in slow motion like he was standing in the depths of the ocean under the pressure motionless and in a void of nothingness he flopped on his body with a tired body as he laid his thoughts whispering in his head of what ifs? He shook his head trying to shake the thoughts away from him like a spider on the hand.

He knew that it wasn't the honorable way to go, not in his world. Would it even hurt them if I was gone? Images of his mother weeping filled his head. He sat us straight in his bed. " no" was all he could say to himself as he heard a tap from the balcony window looking up to see the person he least expected at this moment. Marcy was like other girls on the outside with her cropped black hair that framed her face, her baggy black jeans that were one size too big for her black zip-up hoodie that I loaded her a year ago but this time there were more holes in it. 

    He got up from his bed and trudged over to open the window a bit to hear her. " Hey you want to hang out?" he shrewd at her before opening the window door to let her in all the way when giving her a hand to help she swatted his hand away " I may be a girl but I'm a big kid you know" she was one year younger than his brother and two years older than him. Once she made it into his room he finally spoke to her. " Does your father know you are here?" " No of course he doesn't, how do you think I got out of that damned house".

His family knew that her father wasn't a kind man and her mother was too soft to say anything. So they opened up their lives and their homes to Marcy. He walked over to his bed and flopped over again laying on it. She just looked at him with a smirk he couldn't see but could feel "Let me guess you missed the target " she paused for dramatic effect "Again?"  an awkward silence filled the space. The only thing that broke it was his laugh "Yes" he spoke voice dry " HA! Thought so" She smirked at him but it didn't meet her eyes. 

    She sat next to him on his bed the height difference was obvious to him even at the same age he didn't know if it was her pride that made her sit so tall compared to him.

" Jon...Jon!" i looked at her hand on my shoulder "Jon you were spacing out again" "Oh sorry-" "Jon listen to me i have something to talk to you about". He paused, taking in a breath unsure of what was to be said. " Did they ever tell you about the school Atlas?" "Yes the school for people like us" "Well my father is sending me there" he stood up in shock "What? You can't leave Arthur isn't even old enough to leave till his birthday" she looked down at her hands in her lap not saying anything" no mercy you cant it is a death sentence "My father" her voice quivered clearing it with a cough she spoke with confidence.

" My father is sending me when Arthur goes in hopes he will keep an eye on me and keep me out of trouble."  " I'm going with you!" John realized what he said and the weight of it clung to the air around them. " Jon, you are only thirteen, you are even younger than me" She grabbed his hand, pleading not wanting to see her friend have the same fate. Determination rose in him, holding tightly to her hand  " I will meet you there within the year. I will ask my father to let me go early." she looked up at him and shook his hand "You have a deal! But before I leave we are training you" he agreed but looked at her confused "I am helping". Jon didn't notice the opening in his door there stood Arthur " Jon I know we don't see eye to eye often but I don't want to look after the both of you because she is enough by herself" he motioned to Marcy she just laughed bedding he agreed to their deal.