The sun had begun to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. The mother sat beside the father on the grass, organizing the items inside the picnic basket.
Near the lake, children's laughter filled the air, and a gentle breeze swayed the branches softly. Hiren, five years old, held a small kite, trying to launch it into the sky, while Rafael, six years old, stood beside him holding a small video camera, trying to help him stabilize the string.
"Wait, I'll help you!" Rafael said with a smile.
But Hiren laughed mischievously, "No! I can do it myself!"
The mother watched the scene with love and pride sparkling in her eyes. She pulled out an instant camera from her bag and called out,
"Hiren! Rafael! Look here!"
The two boys turned to face her. Hiren smiled brightly with childlike joy, while Rafael stood beside him, gently placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"One… two… three!"
She clicked the shutter, and the instant photo slid slowly out of the camera. The mother watched as the image gradually formed, the details of their small smiles frozen forever on that little piece of paper.
"This is so beautiful!" she said, waving the photo gently to let it dry.
"Yes, Hiren looks so happy," the father replied with a loving smile.
Hiren stretched out his small hand eagerly. "I want to see it!"
The mother smiled and handed him the photo. He grabbed it and ran toward Rafael, waving it proudly. "Look! We look amazing!"
Rafael laughed, taking the photo as well. "Yeah… it's really beautiful."
Moments later...
"Did you pack the water bottles?" the mother asked, looking around.
"Yes, I think we've got everything," the father replied, busy folding the blanket.
As they spoke, the mother suddenly lifted her head. From a distance, she spotted Rafael moving closer to the lake, his small steps quickening toward the water.
"Rafael! Don't go near the water!" she called, but there was no response.
The father held her arm, trying to calm her down. "He's just playing near the edge."
She looked at him, puzzled. "But he's afraid of water."
He reassured her with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."
But the unease in her chest continued to grow. Before she could stand up, she saw both Hiren and Rafael vanish beneath the surface of the lake.
"Hiren! No!" she screamed and jumped to her feet.
The serene moment turned into a nightmare within seconds. A small scream shattered the calm atmosphere.
"They went into the water!" the mother yelled frantically, pointing toward the lake.
The father sprang to his feet, seeing the children's bodies disappear beneath the surface. It was unclear who had entered first, but the image in his mind was clear: Hiren had followed his brother, and now they were both drowning together.
He ran toward the water without hesitation.
"Grab their hands! Hurry!" the mother cried as she ran after him.
The father dove into the water, desperately trying to reach the boys. He spotted them, one pulling the other down. Their movements were frantic, desperate.
The cold water stung Rafael's eyes as he felt his body grow heavier, sinking further. With great effort, he opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first, but he managed to see his father's silhouette reaching out toward them from above.
He caught sight of his younger brother, Hiren, tangled among the chaotic waves. He watched as his father surged toward Hiren first, grabbing him firmly and lifting him out of the water, trying to pull him to safety.
"Save... Hiren," Rafael cried out internally, trying to move, but he was helpless. At that moment, he saw his father glance at him briefly. "Yes, Dad, I'm here too," Rafael whispered faintly in his mind, his gaze filled with a mix of relief and a silent plea for help.
But his father's eyes weren't filled with despair or fear for him. Instead, they seemed fleeting, as if a clear choice had been made: "Save Hiren first."
At first, Rafael didn't feel upset. But as he began to succumb to the cold water, he watched his father's figure grow distant. He tried again to swim to the surface, but his legs wouldn't move, and a heaviness overtook his entire body.
The darkness crept into his vision, and all he could hear was the slowing rhythm of his heartbeat.
When Rafael's father finally pulled Hiren's frail body out of the water, the boy was motionless. His eyes remained closed, his small frame lifeless.
Placing Hiren on the shore, the mother collapsed beside him, frantically attempting to revive him with every ounce of strength she had.
"Rafael...!" she suddenly remembered, looking back at the lake. But the father was too exhausted to dive in again. Fortunately, a nearby paramedic intervened quickly.
Rafael felt something strong grasp his body. A firm hand pulled him up by his underarms. He opened his eyes briefly and saw a paramedic's face, blurred by the water's haze, dragging him from the depths. His vision flickered as he spotted his parents at the edge of the lake, clutching Hiren's body, not sparing him a glance.
"Hiren..." he whispered weakly before losing consciousness entirely.
The mother wept uncontrollably over Hiren's small body, which remained unresponsive despite all her efforts. The father held her close, their eyes full of tears and despair.
The paramedics arrived, trying to calm them down and took Rafael, who was barely breathing.
"How did this happen?" the mother murmured, her tears streaming down her face.
"It's his fault... I saw him go in first! Hiren must have followed because he wanted to play with him!" she cried in anguish.
The father said nothing, but he couldn't shake the image from his mind. Rafael had started it. Perhaps not intentionally, but he was the reason.
At the hospital...
After a grueling hour, the doctor emerged, exhaustion etched on his face. He looked at them solemnly and said quietly, "I'm sorry. We couldn't save your younger son. But the elder one... we managed to stabilize him, though he's in a coma. He needs time."
The mother collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hands, her sobs piercing the silence. The father stood motionless, his gaze frozen as if he had lost the ability to comprehend what had just happened.
Two days later...
As everyone was preoccupied with Hiren's funeral, Rafael lay in his hospital bed, tubes connected to his frail body. His face was pale, like the moon in a starless night.
Inside Rafael's mind (during the coma):
Rafael felt trapped in a dark, endless void. He screamed at the top of his lungs, but no sound came out. The place was empty—no color, no sound—just an infinite, hollow void.
"Hiren... where are you?" His voice echoed in his mind, searching for his brother, remembering his small hands.
He began to hear distant voices, like faint whispers:
"It's your fault... you're the reason."
"If you hadn't hesitated..."
"Why did they save you? Why weren't you the one to go?"
to be continued..