Clouds muddy the outside. Powerful winds sock the trees with their howls. Bright flashes corrupt the darkness and interrupt the clattering rainfall. The decrepit finger of Death taps my window, begging for shelter from the cold Autumn downpour; attracted by the warmth of my room. But if I let Her in the heat I've trapped will escape. Without this vehemence what remains of my room? Chilling gusts would blast my closet door open, unleashing the mess trapped inside. The freezing air would peel back my skin, rot my nose, and tear off my fingers. So then why, why do my warn fingers reach out to open the window? Reeling my fingers back in, I retreat to the comfort of my bed.
"You okay?" Roku asks, spinning around to face me. Her eyebrows sag, and her smile wains. She was in the guest room, but the storm led her here- under my covers. I don't see why she feels the need to push herself...
"Are you gonna be okay?" I ask her, peering out of the window. A streak, hot as the sun, runs its course downwards. Growing swiftly, dying rapidly; spiraling down into the starless, moonless night.
"Wh- why do you ask?" She replies.
"Thunder in three seconds. 3... 2... 1..."
The sound of the sky tearing apart rings through my ears. The sound of lightning, an unstoppable force of nature, collapsing to the ground. Roku moves closer to me, too close- she starts shaking. The chilling wall presses against my back.
"I used to be scared of thunder," I tell her, "That fear faded once I grew to understand and predict it. Once you recognize that lightning inhales and exhales, rises and falls, lives and dies- you will never fear it again." Roku's shoulders begin to relax, but her eyes remain weary.
"This is usually around the time... 2:30 am..." She tells me, her eyes swelling.
"Time for what?" I ask her, my eyebrows pinching with a painful curiosity.
"Around the time... he comes into my room..." She says, tears coursing down her cheek. There's nothing for me to say. Her tears slowly sink into the pillow.
"I need to go to bathroom," she tells me, anguish wrapping her face. A sudden sharp pain arises in my chest. Ah, this, yeah... The toilet flushes. This is what made me. The toilet flushes again. Tomorrow, I will execute my duty as Zero.
...
Morning dew soaks the window. I nearly roll over Roku, forgetting her presence underneath the covers. I crawl out the back end of the bed. Marking my blissful escape with a yawn, I make my way towards the kitchen. The clock says 12:00 pm. Today is Saturday, August Eighth. A stormy presence lingers, but still the sun shines through. Sunny side up it is.
The grill sizzles as heaps of pale smoke arise. Behind me, bronze toast springs forth. I hear a door open and close. Weary footsteps draw closer and closer, until finally they linger at the kitchen entrance.
"Did you cook all of this?" Roku asks, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, we're eating bacon, toast, and eggs. I hope you like'em sunny side up," I explain, placing it all onto a white platter.
"Oh, I- I'm not hungry," She tells me, backing away.
"You will eat." I command, shoving the plate into her hands. We sit down at the great oak table and begin eating. I call for my Mom to come downstairs and get her breakfast. She snags her plate and heads back upstairs. She enjoys eating her breakfast in the comfort of her bed and her soap operas.
The clock ticks melodically. Only the sound of scraping and chewing interrupt the joyful ticks. Roku finishes before I do.
"Seconds?" I ask her, pouring more salt onto my eggs.
"That was sooo good, but no thanks," she answers, smiling. I make her another plate anyways. She eats with a wide grin.
"It's almost like..." Roku begins, "We're married..."
"No, I don't think it's like that at all." I respond, wiping my mouth with a handkerchief. Roku sits with a doubtful frown.
"This jus' feels so natural though, being with you like this. It just feels right, yah know?" She explains to me, but no- I don't know.
"I'm taking you home today," I tell her, snatching her plate and taking it over to the sink. Water erupts from the faucet.
"Bu- last night... you said..." Roku says, her voice cracking louder than the rusty pipes.
"I know what I said. I have a plan in mind, but it cannot be realized until I see your house and meet with your family," I explain to her, scraping scum off of the dishes. The sound of gushing water fills the room.
"Can't I just stay here?" She asks boldly. Of course she could, but how long will it take her parents to figure out that the last place she was seen, was at my house yesterday- at my birthday party. The fact they have yet to call is neglectful. I turn to her, and say,
"You can't run from thunder, Eva."
"Hmph, bet! I can just cover my ears like this!" She says, squishing her palms against her ears. I walk over and politely smack her upside the head.
"You know what I mean!" I say, but she just giggles. Why is she giggling? I discover a smirk besmirching my own face.
"See, it just feels so natural," She says, glaring up at me with amber eyes. I guess... we had been talking for three years online.
Finally, we leave for Roku's house. She actually lives right down the road, next to the projects, but not in them. She lives in a small shack-like house. I ponder on what strings keep it from collapsing. Nature has flailed the poor house, leaving nothing but chips and pale blue dust. Random bricks scatter the ten foot yard. Two of the three steps leading to her front door have been split. A once small, unique, and colorful home has disintegrated into a broken mess. Perfect.
I reach out to ring the doorbell, but it appears to have been shattered. So I knock tepidly. No one answers. I knock again. No one answers. I knock louder.
"Okay, okay, I'm comin' Jesus H-Christ!" I hear a man's voice yell. The door swings open, revealing a short, pale skinned, "big boned" man. He's young, no older than twenty-five. Tattoos mark his body. An attractive face and slick hair. The disgusting smell of cigarettes. His eyes squint at the sight of Roku, and then they gape in fury at the sight of me.
"You son-of-a- what've you been doin' with my step-daughter?!" He says, stepping forward, chest puffed.
"Oh, is that Eva! Eva honey! I'm so glad your okay!" I hear a woman's voice announce from inside. I await the neglectful mother's arrival, before explaining,
"The party lasted longer than we intended, and my Mom insisted Eva stay at my house since it had gotten so dark,"
"Well, why didn't yah just call?" The mother asks, her eyebrows uneven with doubt. But before I can reply, Eva responds,
"My phone died, and this dumby doesn't have an android charger."
"Androids are for losers," I reply casually. Good, the lie is more believable if it comes from her. The Dad laughs and says,
"I've been tryna get them to switch to iPhone for forever now man, I feel yur pain! Name's Enny!"
"My name's Adrian," I tell him smiling. What a simple man.
"Well, so sorry for being rude! Come in- come inside!" The mother commands. The inside of the house is messier than the outside. Beer bottles litter the floor. Ash settles on the couch, sitting just outside of their tray's. The mother apologizes for the mess. I can only imagine what their closets look like.
Enny walks over and kicks the gas heater. The fire erupts. Enny curses at the heater for burning his toe. Warmth fills the minuscule living room within seconds. Roku's mother prepares snacks and refreshments in the kitchen. Roku, her head dipping, snags the back of my jacket. The vibration of her trembling fingers tickle my spine, raising my neck hairs. I peek back at her, and smile- I'm not going anywhere. The dad flops onto the couch, lights a cigarette, and peers up to me.
"Want one?" He asks.
"No sir." I reply.
"So... What's yur relationship with MY step-daughter, Mr. Adrian," He questions in between puffs of white. The smog drifts straight up into my face.
"We're- *Cough* very good friends," I explain, covering my mouth.
"Really... what'd ya'll do last night?" He asks, he eyes squinting, as though that will help him see the truth.
"We, well- can I be honest with you sir?" I tell him. Roku glares at me confused, but I just smile back at her.
"Of course yah can buddy," He replies sarcastically.
"We had sex last night. I didn't use a condom," I say, with a straight face. The cigarette drops from Enny's mouth and onto the mattress. A plastic cup smacks the kitchen floor. A moment of peace before the storm, the dad jumps up and goes to hit me. Before the punch lands, Eva dashes in front of me, taking the full impact.
"You lil' shit!" He screams in a fit of rage. He goes to swing again but Eva's mother dashes in and stops him.
"You fuckin' skank! I want you outta here! Take yur shit and leave!" Enny commands. Roku obeys, tears soaking her swollen face. I follow her to her room.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going? Ya'll ain't gon' fuck in my house! You hear me!" He yells, punching at the air.
"Calm down honey bunny," Roku's Mom says, before catching an elbow to the face.
Roku's room is the only clean portion of the house. Screaming rings from the living room as she stuffs clothes into a trash bag. She packs the clothes frantically, tears sinking down her face. She picks up a picture of her, standing proud in a softball uniform. She holds it tight to her chest before placing it into the bag. A softball bat leans against her dresser. I pick it up, and hand it to her.
"So, what's the plan now?" She asks, almost sarcastically, but deep down she craves order- a sense of control.
"We're going to kill your parents," I explain to her. Her eyes expand with disbelief. I stand, and pull three knives out from my pocket. One for the abuser, one for the neglecter, and one for the victim.
"Wai- but.." Roku protests meagerly.
"Hmm, I thought you were supposed to be a general? This is what you requested of me, isn't it? Freedom. And now, I'm providing you with freedom, and you hesitate? No General of mine would ever hesitate at the chance for freedom. Are you truly Roku? Or are you just some pretender named Eva?" I tell her, my expression cold. She grips the baseball bat, and stands tall.
After Roku put on an extra layer of clothes, we creep into the living room. Enny's sitting, pressing a towel to the mothers blodied face. He's apologizing over and over. Kissing her on the forehead and promising he'll never hurt her ever again. Yes, he's always had temperament issues, and he's working on it, she's helping him work on it. He turns to me and apologizes for his outburst.
"Roku, put your things back, you're staying here. With us," He says, walking forward with his arms outstretched.
"Roku, go put your things outside," I tell her, staring into Enny's eyes. She runs past him and out of the house. Enny's pupils dilate like a deer in headlights. He's knows he's losing control. What he doesn't know, is that he lost control the second I told him Roku and I were having relations. He's demonstrated to me what kind of person he is. An idiot who's really good at manipulating even bigger idiots.
"The fuck? Aye, get back in this house!" Enny commands, marching to the door. I launch a knife at his hand before it can reach the door handle. The blade chews straight through his flesh, causing Enny to release a man-scream. He jerks toward me, but Roku slams the door into his face. Before he can recuperate, she slams the metal baseball bat against his head. He drops, a gush of blood streaming from the side of his skull. But he's not dead. Still, I didn't expect Roku, who was hesitating moments ago, to follow through so efficiently. She could've easily let me do most of the heavy. But... the wicked smile on her face tells me that was never going to happen. Roku is finally revealing her true self.
Roku's mother begins screeching. But her wails reach no one. The neighbors have grown too accustomed. I pick up a dirty sock from the floor and shove it into her mouth.
"Shhh," I whisper, "I don't want to kill you. Well, actually I do- I despise bystanders. But in the end, aren't we all bystanders? All of humanity, collectively, is watching the planet slowly bleed out. But we can't just stop using gas, now can we? We witness our government rack up 'collateral damage' and turn a blind eye, because it's for the 'sake of democracy' (really it's just for oil). So then, what's your reason? Hm? What's your reason for turning a blind eye as that man, the one resting in a pool of his blood, assaults your daughter? You may speak," I tell her, yanking the sock from her mouth.
"I didn't kn-" she begins to say, but I interrupt her with a swift slice to the side of her cheek. I turn to Roku, awaiting her verdict.
"You- you walked in us one time... remember?" Roku says with an unwavering smile. She starts to giggle.
"No-no he was just putting you to sleep. That's what he said. He was just putting you to sleep, yes, because you have bad dreams," the mother rationalizes. Roku bursts out laughing as her mother drops to her knees, weeping. Well, she's broken.
Enny moans, attempts to roll over on his back, and fails. I walk over and squat down next to him.
"I'm taking this back," I say, yanking the knife from his hand. Enny groans, gritting his teeth. He glares up to me, his face churning with a wicked fury. Before he can move, I stab him in his other hand. With my other knife, I tear through his Achilles' tendons. Finally, he lets out scream and begs me to stop.
"Confess." I tell him, twirling my bloody knife around.
"Confess to what?" He asks, reaching to take the other knife out from his hand.
"Confess." I repeat, stepping on the knife, driving it through the wooden floor with all of my weight.
"Eva, Eva, please help me! You know I love you, you know that? So please!" He begs. Tears stream down his face, slam onto the floor, and mix with his blood. Eva stands across the room, guarding her broken mother. She's holding her stomach, gasping for air, as she laughs with all her heart.
"Confess." I repeat, my eyes cold.
"Cmon, Eva, you know you wanted it. Why else would you just take it like that?! Get this fucker offa me! Please! EVA!" But Eva can't hear him anymore over her own laughter.
"Confess!" I yell, kicking the furnace. The flames strengthen, its tongues reaching further; it wants to taste everything- the wood, the stone, the bricks, the dirty socks, the fabrics, the curtains, and the flesh of man.
"Yeah, I did it! I did it! Why are you doing this?!" Enny weeps, "What'd I ever do to you?!"
I bend down. Bringing his head up with the tip of my blade I force his gaze into mine. My eyes, a murky green, stare straight through Enny.
"What'd you do? Why, Enny, you created me," I say to him.
Suddenly, Roku screams and drops to the floor. I spin around, only to be met with Roku's mother swinging the baseball bat at me. I guard with the knife, but the bat is too heavy. My balance shatters and fall on my back. She veers up for a powerful, final swing, raising the metal bat above her head. Then, she pauses, jerks, and coughs up a wad of blood. She turns around. Roku stands behind her, a bloody knife in her hands. The mother reaches out for her daughter, but it's too late. She collapses and bleeds to death. Roku turns ghostly, shivering, coughing, and gagging. I walk to her, and outstretch my hand. She slowly outstretches her bloodstained palm. Ever-so gently I unravel her fingers from the blade.
"Wha- what are we going to do with the bodies?" She whispers to me, exhausted. Roku just killed her own mother, yet she remains calm... she truly is a general.
"You got everything you need right?" I ask her. She nods. "Okay, then take this towel and get outta here. Go to my house. Oh, don't forget to shed," I explain. She nods, taking baby steps out of the house.
"Hey, you fucker, let me go! I swear, I won't tell anyone! Jus let me go! Hey!!" Enny begs, crawling towards me.
I stand up and kick the gas heater with all my might. It explodes into a fiery blaze. Heat nearly melts my leg. I sprint out of the house as fast as possible. Fire consumes the house within seconds. Even a block away, I can hear the cracking and crashing of wood as the building collapses in on itself. The flimsy structure finally gives in.