The Shadows Within Us | Grethan

12

grayson's point of view

Alex.

He's breathing...but it's labored. He's laying in his own pool of red blood that seems to be hours old, at the least. The tears have come, as I thought they would. My eyes burn from the salt, but I push forward, getting as close as I can to my dying brother. I slip to my knees, crawling towards him, getting drenched in his own blood that is profusely pouring from slashes on his naked chest and back. A simple touch to his skin has him grinding his teeth together and groaning in pain. I don't think he realizes its me. He's too far gone. So far into the light of salvation.

"Alex," I whisper, "it's me. Your baby brother, Grayson." I pet his hair back, touching more wounds on his head as I move his hair that is maroon red from the blood. It makes me sick, the stench of ammonia, Alex's blood, and the beginning of death. "G-Grayson?" He questions, voice weak and hoarse from screaming. I knew it was him screaming. I knew. "Yes, Alex. It's me." I sob, not wanting to see him in this state. I thought I had already begun my grieving. Now the feeling of losing my only brother again was ricocheting through my body like a bullet. "H-How d-did you g-get h-here? I-I thought I-I took you f-f-far enough a-away?" Alex's words were barely audible, his occasional gasp for breath, and hiccup. But I understood. I did. He and I had our own little language back when we were kids.

"You did. I was saved by a man named Ethan. Oh Alex, you would love him. But Mom and Dad, well, they sent people to find me. They brought me here to kill me." I gently touched his cheek, my tears landing on his scared chest. I'm sure if the salt of my tears was either soothing or making the pain worse. I used my other arm that I tried to not get soaked in blood to rub my face. "C-Cheeky b-bastards." Alex joked, a puff of air coming out as his laugh. "Yes. They are. Mom is dead. Ethan shot her in the stomach and she died. I feel no remorse though." I explained to him. Alex was the closest thing to a best friend- no he is my best friend. I could still make simple conversation, even if he was dying in my arms.

"G-Good. Sh-She's n-not worth it. K-Keep on liv-living, G-Grayson. Y-You know I-I'll be look-looking over ya-you." Alex looked up at me, and as I looked down at him, I could see the light leaving his eyes. The tears hadn't stopped, as they increased ten-fold. But I let out the most important words, "I'll love you forever Alex. You'll always be my big brother." I watched, sobbing silently, as my brother smiled at me-weakly- before his eyes closed and his head went slack. I could only sit there with him for a few more minutes before I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted to bring Alex with Ethan and I, maybe possibly burry him in the backyard and plant some flowers near his grave, but his body would be decaying and going through rigor mortis any time now, and I didn't think Ethan or I could stand the stench of death.

And I knew I, couldn't handle my dead big brother coming with us to the police station. I made a promise to Alex that I would make sure he ended up with me, either in ash form, or in spirit. But I knew that he was already there, sitting next to me, watching me wail over his dead body. He wouldn't want me like this, he didn't want me like this. He wanted me to keep on living, and living was not being here with him when I had a man that I loved and I knew loved me waiting for me at the end of the hall. Before I stood up, I kissed Alex's cheek. From then, I stood up, and left the room.

When I came out from the other side of the door, Ethan was facing me and his eyes widening. He ran towards me, asking me twenty questions. I think he assumed I was the one bleeding. I only had to say a few words for him to understand. "Alex died in my arms. It's his blood." My voice, void of any emotion but sadness, spoke to him. Ethan nodded, understanding my state right now. I knew he had some major issues as well, maybe not holding his brother in his arms as he died, or his mother trying to kill him, but I knew he had some shit too. Although I was covered in blood, Ethan brought me into a hug and squeezed me until I couldn't breathe. I liked it though, made me feel like he was squeezing out the sadness.