BRIZO 2 | 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

37

I look at Pope, who's beside me, eyes wide with horror. Then, we turn our faces at JJ who's leading the way. He's looking ahead of him, knees partially buckled, prepared for an attack.

"Let's go, let's go." I urge them to keep moving.

It doesn't take us long to finally come face to face with my brother. The situation is not the best, I'll admit.

My father is sitting on a rock, gripping tightly his side, grimacing, which can only mean he's gotten himself hurt somehow. The sight of distress in his face makes my heart beat faster, but it's only when my eyes focus on John B stepping forward, letting Ward point his gun straight to his chest that my heart stops beating.

I feel JJ's hand gripping tightly around my upper arm and pulling me back down with the rest of them. It's his touch that brings me out of my trance. I hadn't realized I had grabbed the machete and took a step forward.

Sarah tells her father to put the gun down, clearly annoyed that he's gotten here somehow. Ward tells her to shut up while my breathing pick up and my heart hammers inside my chest.

"You have it all, don't you, John?" Ward asks, "Now you get everything, uh?"

Ward limps towards his daughter, and takes something from her hand. For what my eye can catch, is a huge rock that shines with golden light when the rays of the sun hit its surface. Which can only mean one thing - they found El Dorado.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Ward says, taking the gold from Blondie, stepping back. His words are not for her anymore though, as he resumes his speech, "You get to go home, back to Kildare. Live happily ever after."

But Ward's words sound opposite to that. They sound like all the things I had visiones and planned for me and my family were never going to come true.

"With your son and your daughter," He kept rambling, "that love you." Ward takes a minute to breath, and then keeps on speaking, "And my daughter... who hates me."

It's hard to explain how I know, but John B is about to make a very stupid decision.

I think I know it because I know him. I've grown up with him. I've been next to him every second of his life. I know what he likes, and I know what he hates.

Neither of us knows what the world looks like when the other one doesn't exist. We got here together and I've said this a million times before, but I keep wondering if we will leave this place together.

I think there's a bond between siblings, something deeper and much more complicated than what science or spiritualism can explain. Of course, not all families are the same. I got all the luck with that. I got to be best friends with my brother, with my twin.

And I think it's because of that, that I know what he feels like. I know what he thinks. I can feel it, somehow. I can see it in the way his jaw clenches, and I can see it in the way his eyes have slightly squinted, making his decision firm.

"I'm sorry, John. I can't allow that." Ward finishes.

"All right, so, what are we gonna do?" Pope asks right behind me.

"Is this ride or die?" JJ says under his breath.

There's no doubt in that answer. I made my decision at the exact same moment JB made his.

John B and I may be siblings by blood, but life has made these people our family too. And I'm not even talking about marriage, romantic relationships or anything like that. Not even friendships. I'm talking of something else.

There's a bond between us that no one will ever break. You just can't. It's impossible.

I see Sarah Cameron there, slowly sliding towards my brother and my father, eyes set on her father and his gun. I know she'd die to protect them. So would I. And these people next to me? Cleo, Kiara, JJ and Pope? I would take a bullet for them any day, any time.