Apocalypse Dreams

Out of Mind, Out of Sight

"You here to bring me back?" Red asked from across the room.

"No," I replied while making my way towards him slowly. The light got brighter and brighter as I started to make my way there.

"I'm sure you're too naive to answer that question," Red said while taking a sip from his glass which was in front of him.

"What does that mean?" I asked with a confused expression.

"You do not have any other choice," he replied.

I pulled up a stool which was next to his left side, the side without the gun and the broom, and sat down. The only noise in the room came from our breaths. We both faced the front, staring at the various amounts of drinks on the wall and remained quiet for a while.

"There is always a choice," I replied.
"That's what you think," he said

"What do you mean?"

"He's manipulating you."

"No, you're trying to manipulate me," I replied.

Red took another sip from his glass and said, "If you really think that, then you are blind."

"He sacrificed everything for us," I said.

"He just wants to save himself," he replied. "Trust me, when his back is against the wall... he will lie... and if that isn't enough, he will kill. It's just human nature."

"Why all of a sudden turn your back on him?" I asked. "Also, why do you seem to have a problem with me?"

The question threw him off guard for a second, however, he asserted himself and stared directly into my eyes and said, "because I made Brock a promise to protect the family. At all costs." He ignored the other question.

"What do you mean by that?" I inferred curiously.

"He saved my life," Red replied. "If I let anything happen to Jack, I'll be letting him down... especially after Lisa."

My ears perked up as I immediately asked him, "what are you talking about?"

Red slowly gulped down his drink in its entirety and turned towards me and whispered:

"The color red is all I ever saw as a child. Black and blue bruises covered my face every day...what do you know about that? Being spoon-fed your whole life, you know nothing else."

I remained silent as he continued.

"While you were asking your mother for new backpacks and colored pens, I was getting whipped by my own leather belt for just asking," Red stated while pouring more Bourbon. "While you were out in school enjoying laughter with friends, I heard my father punch my mom endlessly, while his friends laughed. While you sat at home all cozy, enjoying your shows, I had the option of sleeping in alleyways or coming home to watch another horror episode in my house. Ungrateful, is what she used to call me in her angry state."

Red's voice increased a bit as he continued, "while you enjoyed your baked potatoes and steak, I prayed to God that I would not have to force myself to eat another black and rotten banana skin."

"... I couldn't have known," I replied.

"Yeah well, there's a reason we don't get along," Red said. "I'm not the good guy at the end of this story. I'm the one that will get everyone killed in the end."

"I don't believe in that, Red," I replied. "This situation is just Ludacris, that's all."

"I killed him, Paul," Red mentioned. "Stabbed his heart out."