"She Dies In Ten Minutes" - Blood Brothers - NAK Short Stories - Free Writing

It was dusk when I woke up. The ray of light escaping through the gap between the curtains was a dark, almost a lazy yellow now. It had been weeks, maybe even months since I had seen the sun sink into the horizon. And although I hated the word for its seeming puerility; I had to admit that napping had become an integral part of my life.

Sleep did not elude me anymore, to the point that my best times were spent sleeping. Life had come full circle to a point where everyone I met told me not to give a shit anymore. Oh you didn’t get into the college you wanted? Boo-fucking-hoo. Shit happens. Deal with it. You think you should stick to the plans you made when you were a yippie hormone driven teenager? FUCK NO! Fuck Plans. Go with what you get.

The repeated deliverance of this mantra was alluring to me, I must admit. Yet, somehow, I was still not convinced. Somehow I still believed a life plan would work. I leaned forward to see if I was still groggy enough to go back into the seductive arms of the mistress that was sleep. I grunted at the realization that I was, in fact, completely awake. I got out and up for my post nap run. The monotony of my robotic routine zoned me out until the moment I finished tying my shoes.

As I walked out of my room, I looked to the left; my brothers’ room. I realized I hadn’t met or seen him since the past week. The only signs of life I was witness to were the freshly muddy shoes lying haphazardly outside the door. As I made my way downstairs, I could hear my mother bustling away in the kitchen across from the tiny living room.

I glanced at the dying sun as I put my headphones on and headed out. The track was a couple of blocks from my house. Walking there briskly, I started to stretch my muscles for the task I was about to undertake. I started running out as soon as my feet hit the track, lost in the familiar rhythm. I had completed the run of the track twice before I lost my breath. I stopped, I leaned down to catch my breath and that’s when I saw it. It was the edge of a black glossy mirror.

As I bent to pick it up, I noticed something strange about it. It looked similar, but I had seen enough IPhones to know that I could just be overthinking. Curiosity peaked; I pressed the power button only to find it was password protected. I cursed as the screen dimmed and thought about dropping it at the lost and found office of the society I lived in. As I made my way to the building at the end of the grounds I felt a thumping in my gut. Something was wrong.

As I entered the office and caught the eye of the attendant behind the desk, the screen of the phone came to life as it buzzed in my hand. I looked up to diminish the screen again, thinking it was probably the owner trying to send a triangulation message; but something caught my eye.

The contents of the message were displayed in a green bubble in the center of the screen. I inhaled sharply as read the message. The words were straightforward enough:

SHE DIES IN TEN MINUTES

Come to the warehouse at the corner of Lexington and 3rd if you care to switch places. Try anything else… she dies.

Shell-shocked at what I had just read, I couldn’t hear the attendant talking to me; “Can I help you, sir?”
I looked up and the room was empty except for the attendant who was looking at me alarmingly now.

“Sir, is there anything I can do for you?” I shook my head as I mumbled.

“No thanks, wrong place” I grimaced and stumbled out of the sliding doors.

I was torn between alarm and incredulity. Maybe it was a prank played on the owner by a juvenile friend.
But what if it was real, asked a small voice in my head. I looked at my watch, 9 minutes left. There was simply not enough time to reach the required destination. It must be a prank I reasoned with myself again.

What if it’s real, answered the voice.

What If, What If, What If I answered, what if something horrible is waiting for me there?

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses. Don’t tell me you’re backing out of this too, asked the voice in an exasperated tone.
I pursed my lips as I dashed home to get my car and went speeding away to the corner of Lexington and 3rd. Night had fallen in the six minutes I had taken to over-speed there. I checked my watch; three minutes left. I parked the car a couple of blocks away from the lone warehouse there. I sneaked past the single door exit and crept to the back. I tiptoed to the only lit window and peaked inside. A young adult girl was tied to a chair with a gag to her mouth. Her kidnapper was sitting to her left, with his back facing me. I felt the oddest sensation of recognition; I had seen that face before. But where was it, my curiosity nagged at me.

But it was real nonetheless, I thought. This was it, time to make a decision. I swung by hands to my sides waiting on my brain to produce a decision but got nothing. I brought up the phone to reread the message but instead found something clicking in my brain. My eyes were fixed on the number as my brain whirred, trying to find the source of the recognition.

I could swear I had seen the number before. I fished around in my pockets for my phone and quickly typed in my code. I clicked the phone icon with a shaky thumb and typed the number in. I felt a twinge of indignation, was it, at the icon that displayed that the number was not in my phonebook. As the number was processed in my Missed and Received Calls section, my brain clicked and I looked up in abject horror as it all fell into place.

I now knew where I had seen the kidnapped girl from. I had seen pictures of her with my brother a year ago through my friends’ Facebook profile. I looked down at the lost phone almost wishing it were not so as I called my brothers’ seldom used number. The buzzing of the phone confirmed my horror. I looked at my Missed Calls section again and found the kidnappers’ number in my missed calls exactly a week ago. Why would he call me? Was I the intended target? As I asked myself these questions, I send a quiet thank you to my fates.

As I readied myself to charge in, I heard the voice return,
Would he do the same?

I paused in my tracks as I snorted at the question, Of course he would, he’s my brother.
Would he? You have never been close. Hell, you’re not even fucking Facebook friends. He’s never saved you from trivial things, what makes you think he’d risk his life for you, let alone your girlfriend?

I uh, uh he might. You can’t say he won’t.

But you don’t know for sure. The precedent says he won’t. What if someone takes something from him? It is only nature balancing itself. Besides, what if he kills you too? It’s your brother he wants, not you.

As I listened to those words, I felt myself backtracking slowly. As my entire sibling flashed through my life, all I could see was one thing; I had never known my brother enough to know what he would do. Should I do this for him if he wouldn’t for me? I clenched my fist as I thought of it.

For the first time, my brain returned an answer; I heard the lost phone drop before I heard the words from my mouth,
“Ah, fuck it”

A short free write piece, I hope you guys enjoyed! :)
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