Ethan- An Open Heart Story

Chapter 13- Night

15 years ago....

"Do you know why I hate guns?" Blondie said, grimacing at the site of the arsenal we had just raided near the Garden District. As usual, it was late midnight and the sky was clear just without the blaze of the moon. Thousand stars did line up in the sky.

"Because they make you lazy." I answered as I kicked one of the nasty weapon in front of me. The house we had busted looked totally uninhabited to the residents of the neighbourhood but only a few like us knew what kind of reticent works underwent in this large and polished villa. Garden District was full of such antique looking buildings looming beautifully in the region. It was hard to distinguish who was what because there was a stud saying here, 'Everyone has their own kind of secrets'.

The area was an expanse of nearly 200 acres of fine land including a ravine nearby which led towards the bayou. Well technically everything led to the swamps but this was directly on the edge of the forest emergence.

The night was silent, totally opposite from the other corners of the town. A tourist would wonder such contrasting differences with a pleasant sigh because both the sides had their own kind of beauty. But one should know what deadly beauty both of these sides actually harboured. Deadly. Lethal. Killer.

My answer brought a grin on his face, "No. Its because we can evade it."

"Evade a bullet streaming towards you?" I raised my brows. Our training had taught us to survive and shelter. It had taught us to live in the harsh world but what he was saying, deflecting a bullet just by standing was something even I couldn't comprehend. Considering our training was about to complete its year course, it was hard for me to believe him.

He observed the uncertainty in my expression, "You don't know yet but there is this theory I have."

I waited for him to answer but his eyes suddenly darted over my shoulders, on the door behind us. Without even glancing, I knew he was observing those inhabitants which actually resided here along with the mafia functioning. Their presence would now answer how this mafia just vanished into thin air.

I cringed on the inside and prayed that the powered substance covering the floor would be just the dirt and dust. Not vaporised....bone.

But looking at the ashen surface it was a damn confirmation of the worse.

"It is painful?" I asked, jerking my head at the incorporeal figures standing near the doorway. They stood like they were blocking our path but since both of us belonged to the same faction, they had no quarrel with us. Plus if one of them dared to touch a cell of my skin, I would surely exorcise them.

He chuckled, "I am sure the experience would be similar like getting blown up by a nuke."

"So, what about that bullet theory?"

He blinked as if we had discussed that a long time ago. Sometimes I wondered if our job was taking a toll on him. He wouldn't ever say it but I could just feel. And he was my best friend. My brother.

"Oh yes. I just call it...Mothman Effect."

I rolled my eyes, totally feeling unimpressed, "That's the best you could come up with? Mothman effect? We don't live in the hills."

The figures disappeared from the doorway after having lost their interest in our conversation.

He was bemused, "Its true. I have heard the elders talking about this. Its like..." he motioned in the air, "Someone is aiming at you. Doesn't matter which gun but the target is you. And you can see the barrel and see that you are going to die. But then there is this thing...call it something in our blood or such extensive training, but there's this...ability. This power to just wave it off."