Eldon Jimary
In the subdued glow of my room, I'm engrossed in a game of Valorant with my online friends. On my desk, an opened bottle of Coke sits along with a bag of potato chips. In front of me, I have two monitors attached to my PC-One dedicated to the game and the other playing YouTube videos. The glow from the screens is the only source of illumination.
It's not night, mind you. I simply prefer the dark. The curtains are perpetually drawn and the door remains closed unless I have to enter or leave the room.
Some might argue that I'm too long in the tooth for these games and this carefree life. But as long as Aurelia Markz, my girlfriend, is by my side, I see no reason to alter my course.
Aurelia... we crossed paths during high school. Had I chosen to further my education, perhaps other faces would have entered my life. But the education system, in my view, is a futile exercise in rote learning, a task better suited to the internet. But, of course, surgeons can't watch tutorials mid-surgery.
The sound of the front door intrudes upon my thoughts. "Gotta bounce, guys. We'll pick this up tomorrow."
"Alright, see ya, Eldon," they respond.
I remove my headphones and stand up from my chair, stretching my limbs. The cracking of my bones echoes in the silence as if I've awoken from a thousand years of sleep.
As I approach it, the door to my room swings open. The harsh light from outside assaults my eyes, rendering me momentarily blind. I shield my eyes with my hands as the room's lights flicker on. My eyes sting, and all I see are dancing specks of light.
"Hey," a soft, feminine voice greets me.
As my eyes adjust, I take in the sight of her. A beautiful young woman with waves of rich chestnut hair and emerald green eyes that wrap me in an air of comfort. She's clad in a loose bittersweet sweater over a black tee and her legs are hidden by dual-colored jeans - one side sky blue, the other dark.
"Hey, Aure. How'd your day go?" I ask, studying her face. There's something different about her today. Normally, after a grueling day at work, she'd enter my room, and jump to bed for sleep. But today, she merely stands there, a hint of a frown etched on her face.
"I think we should discuss this later, okay?" she says, exiting the room.
I trail behind her to the kitchen where she fills a glass with water and drinks.
"Dinner's ready if you're hungry," I offer, opening the fridge.
"Do you think I should eat something?" she asks, meeting my gaze.
"Yeah, why not."
At the dinner table, she sits opposite to me. in front of me on the other side of the table. Her younger brother, Liam Markz, sits beside me. We dine on mac and cheese.
Liam covertly scrolls through his phone, attempting to keep it hidden under the table. Our eyes meet, and he silently pleads, "Please, don't tell Aure." I nod in agreement.
My gaze shifts to Aure, who seems unusually listless, her focus solely on her meal. She briefly meets my gaze before returning to her food.
"I think I'm going to head to bed," she says.
"No, you're not. Not until you finish your food."
"Alright then."
After we finish our food, we head back to our room. She moves to her side of the bed, pulls up the blanket, and slips underneath it.
"Aure, aren't you gonna change? You're awfully quiet. What's going on?" I ask, taking a seat next to her on the bed.
She peeks at me from over the blanket and says, "Promise me, promise me you won't be upset if I tell you what happened."
"Promise? No, promises. Just, tell me what happened."
"You have to promise first! I can't just spill it without your promise."
"Alright... fine. I promise."
"Alright, so listen... You know my boss, Viro, right? The one who's always so rude? He came into my office and demanded to see the Excel sheet I was working on last time. I asked him why, but he didn't give me an answer. He looked really angry. So, I showed it to him, and it turns out, I mixed up the barcodes with the prices..." she says, her eyes welling up.
"And then?"
"He said that this was the worst day of his life and that it was all my fault. He called me unprofessional and an embarrassment. So, I couldn't help myself, I yelled at him to shut up, and then he told me that I was fired..." She starts weeping like a little baby.
I pull the blanket down from her body and gently pat her face. "Hey, hey. Pull yourself together. This isn't something to cry about. You should be proud you got fired from that dumpster fire."
"But that's not why I'm crying!" her voice trembles and she starts to hiccup.
I slide my arm under her back, pulling her towards me. I wrap her in a hug and say, "Stop crying and tell me what's really bothering you."
She tries to stop crying and her breath hitches. "Breathe. Breathe," I whisper in her ear. "I'm here, Aure. You're gonna be okay."
"Eldon, I miss my parents... I miss them so much. I don't want to deal with the world anymore. It's too harsh for me. I wish the money my parents left me could last my whole life, but that's not even realistic. Please, tell me what to do... I don't know anything anymore." Her hiccups continue.
I pat her back and hold her shoulders, pushing her away to look into her eyes. "You know, I always guide you. I always have and always will. I won't leave you unguided. You'll stay happy as long as you follow my advice."
She blinks and tears trickle down her cheek. "I love you. Thank you for being here with me," she says.
"I love you too," I reply, pulling her towards me, and kissing her forehead.
After a while, she falls asleep. I'm on the bed beside her, watching the seconds tick by on the wall clock. 9:13 pm.
Why is this comfortable darkness becoming suffocating tonight?
I get up from the bed, making my way to the bathroom. The harsh light bounces off the blue tiles, illuminating my reflection in the mirror above the sink. My jet-black hair falls messily over my face, my ice-blue eyes staring back at me. Dark circles under my eyes, a thick beard hiding my jawline.
I push my hair back, taking in the sight of my unkempt appearance. I need to get in shape. This... this isn't conducive to progress.
"Progress?" my reflection echoes, a hint of mockery in its tone. "What progress, Eldon? You're aimless. Worthless. Even your father doesn't care about you. Your girl, Aure, she got fired. That pathetic excuse of a boss fired her over a minor mistake. And what are you going to do about it? Nothing?"
"What should I do?" I retort, my voice steady, cold.
"You know what you need to do," it replies, a smirk playing on its lips.
I clench my jaw, "You know what I'm going to say."
"Good," it says, the smirk widening. "Then pick up your gun, get in your car, and drive to Viro's office. He leaves at 10. The rest is up to you."
I turn the tap on, splashing water on my face. The talking reflection disappears, leaving behind only my reality.
After exiting the bathroom, I pack a bag of potato chips, a half-empty bottle of Coke, and a revolver into my backpack. I pick up the car keys from the side table.
I move slowly, ensuring Aure doesn't hear me. I sneak out of my room, and then out of the house. I open the gate, drive the car out, close the gate, and drive off. The hardest part is over.
I crank up the music, immersing myself in the beats of phonk. One hand on the steering wheel, the other in the bag of potato chips. I finish the bag one chip at a time, washing it down with the remaining Coke.
The city is unusually quiet at this hour. What a dull place to live in.
Eventually, I arrive at Aure's workplace, a towering building of several floors. The time is still 9:50 pm. I turn off the car and wait for Viro, that motherfucker, to leave his safe zone.
The only other car in the parking area is Viro's Civic. I just stare at it, waiting for time to pass. Then, it hits me. What am I doing? I'm here to murder a man for exercising his right to fire an employee.
I take a deep breath and adjust my rearview mirror, looking into my own eyes. My reflection speaks to me, "After coming all this way, you doubt your judgment? Be a man, Eldon. Do what you must. No one should ever hurt your tools."
"But..." I start.
"There are no buts. You have no choice. You have to do this. This is the only way you can truly be a man," he retorts. I push the mirror away and open the bag, looking at the revolver.
The engine of the Civic starts. Someone is inside it. It must be Viro. I have to decide quickly. Should I retreat or should I become a man?
How can I ever forgive Viro for firing Aure? I can't. I must seek revenge. I must prove my worth and protect my tools.
I grab the revolver and step out of my car. The Civic begins to reverse. I approach it, standing beside the driver's window.
The car halts as Viro looks at me. He lowers the window, saying, "Hello, Eldon. Long time no see."
"You fired, Aure. Do you even know how to fire someone? This is how," I respond, pointing the revolver at his head, and firing multiple shots. The sound reverberates throughout the area. My ear starts ringing. My hand and face are splattered with some of his blood.
* * * * *