The room grew quiet, the only sound being that of my father's shaky breaths. Nicolas has gone down to get refreshments, leaving both me, Anthony, and our sleeping father. I was mindlessly staring into his bandaged hand when the door creaked open, the person inhaling a sharp, shocked intake of breath. I looked to my side and saw Hayden standing there, hand on his mouth and eyes wide open. I know, I know with every inch of my functioning brain that he had no involvement in what happened, but the fact that his father is part of the organization that did this to my dad, it makes my blood boil. I turned my head to Anthony and his face showed everything, I have more self-control than him so I won't be surprised if he attacks the little b1tch right here and now.
He looked like he was actually about to do it, but took a quick glance at the sleeping man on the bed and just walked past him down the stairs. Hayden gave one last look at the bandaged buy before walking down the steps, "Be ready to go in 15 mins." He called back as the door slowly closed. I sighed as I let go of dad's hand, still sleeping peacefully like Anthony wasn't screaming his bloody head off earlier.
"See you later dad, please get well,"
"IT'S YOUR GODDAMNED FATHER! IT'S ALL HIS-" Anthony was once again, screaming his head off like he doesn't even need it. Walking down the stairs as slowly as possible, I listened in on the chaos that was unfolding downstairs.
"It had to be done, It's for proper attunement,"
"THE F0CK ARE YOU ON ABOUT?! MY FATHER IS UP THERE, BARELY ALIVE, HE COULDN'T EVEN TALK MUCH AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS BALANCE BULLSH1T?!" There were a few steps left when Nicolas' voice came in, it was meek and hushed. His efforts of trying to calm the two down proved fruitless when their shouting only continued.
"WE WERE TAUGHT HOW THE WORLD WORKS DUMBASS!! NO ONE IS EXEMPTED!! He fell from prestige, it's a price to pay." I got to the bottom of the stairs and was graced with the beauty of it all. The only thing that us separating Anthony and Hayden from ripping each other's throat out is Nicolas' frail body that was wedged between them, desperately trying to push them apart. He looked up at me with pleading eyes.
With a dreadful sigh, I made my way towards the exit. "Let's go," Is all I said. I really want to side with my brother on this one but the fact is that what's done is done. We can't go back in the past and change what happened even if we both separately want to.
"Come back anytime if you guys want to visit," Nicolas said waving after us as we made our way back from where we came from. We were walking in a straight line, no one was talking to each other and I am completely fine with that. We made our way back to the building, back to the first district all in complete silence. Hayden looked agitated and my brother looked like he was about to burst a vein. The three of us hated each other sure, but there is an understanding within districts, if your fellow district member is in need of help, you are encouraged to help. If it's someone lower than you, then you can leave them, if they're higher than you then you are obligated to help.
That's the relationship we had, well, I had with him. Civil to the point that if you need help then we will help you, my brother, of course, has harbored an extreme grudge against the boy since childhood so he'd leave him for dead in a heartbeat if it isn't for me. But now, now a lot will change. I will also leave him for dead if I can, heck I'm wishing that we had left him at the mercy of the hooligans back in the 3rd district. We parted way with no second words being said, no thank you nor goodbye. Just separating ways like nothing had happened.
"FUUUUU0000CK!!!" He kicked a garbage bin nearby, it toppled over but made itself upright afterward. I continued walking home, Anthony following behind me with a string of curses and violent stomping. "I need to release some steam," Anthony said walking off on his own. I didn't bother stopping him, I know where he goes. One of his friends hosts a bar here that illegally lets patrons sleep with women from lower districts, some even from different civilizations. He goes there and comes home early morning, usually knackered as hell.
"Hey, Ash! Surprised to see you here!" I looked up and saw Isabelle, a long-time crush of mine who also happens to go to the same university as us. She's a beautiful redhead with freckles along her cheeks, that also goes down to her legs and shoulders, I only saw it one time but it was enough to carve itself into my memory. She has beautiful grey eyes and peachy pink lips that are so full you just want to kiss it all day long. She's one of the girls that I strictly told my brother to stay away from, or else he'll be dead to me. "H-hey Belle, what's up?"
"Oh well, nothing much just heading to Madame Lily's to buy more plant seeds, and you?"
"Oh, uh, I can come with you if you want, I mean, I'm not forcing you to or anything but- you know just to keep you company and all," She giggled, shaking her head as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, dang I do wish that she becomes my match, it'll be a dream come true. If she's matched with my brother then he'll be dead to me either way.
"Sure come on," She nodded her head towards the opposite direction I was walking from. " So Anthony still being the rabbit in heat he always is?" Belle said with a chuckle, she once told me that she fancied my brother, the muscle the face, and the deep voice really attracted her. But I ruined it the best I could tell her all the adventures that he had with all the women that were available.
"Yep, actually ditched me to get some action himself." She laughed at that, her laugh is as heavenly as her looks, it soft and sweet, almost like chimes blown by the wind.
"I pray to the Gods that he's matched with someone who can accept who he is," The roads were silent, not as loud as 3rd district, androids greeted us like in the 2nd district but these models look more up to date and well taken care of. The cars passed by at a normal pace, none could Overspeed now that the cars can drive on their own.
"He will be," I said with not as much conviction as I initially thought. Loyalty is a big deal to people and with my brother's track record with sexual partners and relationships, everyone's going to assume that he came from the third district and was not raised in a high-class environment.
"Ah here we are," We stopped in front of Lily's botanical, an android guy with a flower crown greeted us as we entered the tiny store. Shelves were on the two walls, one opposite the store window and the other opposite the cashier. Everything was in pastel colors, the walls, the shelves, the floors, even the pots, and the seed packets were in pastel.
"Ah! Belle my dear how are you?!' Lily came and greeted Belle with a hug and I awkwardly started looking around, accidentally bumping into a tall man wearing a black coat. He stood out from everything like a sore thumb, his stature and height gave me the feeling that he shouldn't even be here in the first place.
"I don't have much time, something's going to happen to you and your brother, get out of this Civilization, go to the Dreadlands and look for this person." The man shoved a crumpled piece of paper into my pocket and walked out of the store like it was nothing happened, Lily was too engrossed in her conversation with Belle to even see the guy. I ran out after him, wanting to ask a few questions, but when I peered around to look where he was, he was gone. There was no trace of the tall man.
"Ashton, you okay?"
"Hmm? oh yeah yeah, just saw something weird," I went back into the pastel nightmare and waited for Belle to finish her shopping for seeds. Even while shopping she looked beautiful, like a porcelain doll that can't be tarnished. Walking towards the counter where Belle was paying, the piece of paper in my pocket fell out. It rolled a good distance away from me, I was tempted to just leave it there and get the burden off of my chest but I grew curious as to what could be written in it.
I walked towards it and picked it up, uncrumpling it as I read the neatly written letters on the paper.
Ken Corleone
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