The List 41-45

Teamwork, Standing Still, Dying, Two Roads, Illusion

#41 Teamwork

            Kenny knelt down behind the stack of crates. Brett leapt over the crates and landed, crouching, next to Kenny. Kenny had already begun to reload his shot. Brett released the empty clip from his handgun and grabbed another from his belt. A few more bullets were fired toward the crates before Kenny spoke.

            "So, how are you and my sister getting along?" he asked, finishing with his shotgun and moving on to his handguns.

            "Pretty good." Brett answered, still a little out of breath.

            "Good." Kenny nodded. "You treating her right?"

            "Kenny, I can assure you, if I wasn't treating her right, she would have vocalized it by now."

            Brett leapt up from his crouching position and proceeded to shoot at the men on the other side of the hallway.

            With Brett's statement still lingering, Kenny nodded.

            "True." he said, and placed both his handguns in their holsters.

            In one fluid movement, Kenny got to his feet, stepped out from behind the crates, and began firing his shotgun at the other men. He made his way toward the small out cove Brett was in.

            "So you're really planning on becoming a Gandro?" Kenny asked, taking down another guard.

            "Do we really have to have this conversation right now?"

            Brett stepped out of the out cove, advancing again. Kenny followed firing shot after shot. The men on the other side of the hallway stopped shooting. Brett and Kenny stepped walking as well as firing when they no longer could anyone. The two stood still with their weapons pointed at where the guards had been moments ago. Neither of them knew quite what to do.

            Footsteps came from behind Kenny and Brett turned around to find four guards with rifles advancing toward them. Hearing something else, Kenny turned back around to find three more guards.

            "Did Tikki teach you how to tango yet?" Kenny asked.

            Brett smiled, staring at the guards.

            "You asking me to dance?"

            Kenny grinned.

            "I'll lead."

            Both Kenny and Brett began to count out the beat in their heads. After a moment, Brett ducked down, Kenny turned to the side and leaned back, and the shooting began.

 

 

#42 Standing Still

            Sam had finally fallen asleep after much persuasion. Dean sat in the chair opposite of his brother face the bedroom door. He stared at it intensely, barely blinking. After the boys had brought her back from the hospital, TJ had fallen asleep. She'd been sleeping for at least eight hours. The doctors said the accident had not done any real damage, she would just be incredibly tired from the medication.

            The bedroom door opened slowly. Sam did not budge. Dean stood up quickly as TJ moved into view. Rubbing her arm, TJ leaned against the door frame still facing Dean. She was still sore, but at least she was not dead.

            Dean could not move. He looked mesmerized, his mouth slightly open. He was not conscious of the fact that his breathing had quickened a bit. Mere hours ago he had thought he had lost TJ, and there she was standing in front on him. She was just as beautiful to him as she had even been. He loved her, he knew that now. He loved TJ, and TJ loved him right back.

            Pushing herself off the door frame, TJ took a step toward Dean.

            "No." he said reluctantly, backing away.

            TJ stopped. No? what did he mean 'no'? She had just almost died. TJ wanted nothing more than to be Dean's arms. That's when she noticed Sam move in the chair.

            Sam stood up quickly, staring at Dean. Dean motioned his brother to turn around. He did and saw TJ standing in the doorway.

            "TJ..." Sam whispered, ecstatic to see her awake.

            He walked over to her, smiling. Forcing a smile, TJ kissed her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sam took TJ in his arms. He had almost lost her mere hours and now she was in his arms. He loved her, he knew that now.

            Dean watched in agony, standing still. As much as he wished he could look away, he couldn't. He was in love with his brother's girlfriend and he would suffer for it.

            TJ looked directly into Dean's eyes. She was in love with her boyfriend's older brother and she would suffer for it. A single tear rolled down her check. Unable to bare Dean's eyes any longer, TJ turned her head and buried her face in the curve of Sam's neck.

 

 

#43 Dying

            I had heard her screaming, that was why I had run back into the house. I hadn't been planning on going back home. I hadn't had to worry about checking on my family all the time since the divorce went through. But I knew that scream. I knew what it meant. Even though I did not want to believe it, I knew he was back.           

            The front door had been locked so I had to go through the garage. I heard her scream again and the banging. I quickly ran upstairs to find my brother ramming himself into my mother's bedroom door. From the other side of the door, I could hear my sister crying.

            My brother saw me and asked for my help. He told me he was in there with our sister. Without saying anything, I started helping my brother in his attempts to bash down the door. The part that I hated the most was the fact that I remembered doing this a few times before. The divorce had gone through; he had left; it wasn't supposed to be like this anymore.

            After a few tries, the door flew off the hinges. I fell into the room on top of the door, which was on top of him. I had begun screaming for my brother to take my sister and get out. He must have listened to me for the next time I looked up, they were gone.

            What happened next exactly was a little fuzzy. Punches flew, kicks were dealt, objects were thrown. How we wound up in the kitchen, I'll never know. I can only assume we wound up in there because it was the room right next to my mother's room. I heard a draw open, but I ignore it. I ran at him again, and that was when I felt it.

            I think I lost conscious for a few minutes after that because now I'm lying in the kitchen by myself. I think I can hear someone calling out my name, but I can't yell back. My chest hurts. He dug the knife in deep. I can't feel my legs anymore. It's not really that bad. Not as scary as I thought it would be. There's my name again. Hope they got out all right. I'm cold. I take it back.

            I'm scared. I...

 

 

#44 Two Roads

            I think the weirdest part about all of it is that I think I know I'm dreaming. I can't explain it though. It's just weird. I feel like I'm really there, but at the same time there's this surreal feeling about everything. It isn't a nightmare. It's more of one of the 'what the f**k' kind of dreams.

            It's always the same every time I have this dream. I never remember what I'm wearing, that is if I'm wearing anything. Nah, I'm pretty sure I would remember if I was naked so I must have been wearing something. Anyway, there's a small concrete walkway on the side of my house and I'm always standing at one end of it. I do remember that I'm always clutching the charm on my necklace with both hands. I'm standing there and it's night.

            There are these vines that grow on the side of my house and then there are bushes on the other side of the walkway. That's how it always is in the dream. Everything seems normal, until I start walking that is.

            I'm always walking toward my backyard, never away from it. Just as soon as I start walking, the vines and bushes change. To my left, the vines burst into life. To my right, the bushes start to die. Still clutching my necklace, I walk down the walkway, and the vines and bushes change as I pass them.

            Then it gets weirder. At the end of the walkway there's a small, rusty gate. I get about half way down the walkway when the gate springs up  to about ten feet high. By this point it's not the ordinary gate anymore. While it grew, it changed to look more like the iron gates that would stand outside an old mansion or castle. That's when I hear the voice.

            "What do you feel inside your heart? On the dark path you walk and as to which side you choose... you knows? To one side, like. To the other, death. Which side will you choose to open the door to your destiny?"

            I turn around, but there's never anyone there. And when I turn back around, the gate, the vines, the bushes, even my backyard have all disappeared. In their place, there's a cliff.

            I can never make it passed that point. I always wake up at the sight of the cliff.

            I always wish I could find out which side I chose.

 

 

#45 Illusion

            The central alarm had been sounded: security breech. Usually the criminals were trying to get out, but this time it was just the opposite. The criminals had broken in to the prison.

            The rim of her corset dress glided over the stone steps. Her braided long, brown hair swayed from side to side across her back as she descended. Just as she reached a small landing in the spiral staircase, a group of soldiers came into view. She stopped and so did they.

            At first glance, the soldiers did not know what to think about the beautiful young woman before them. It was not until the young woman gave an odd smile, as if she knew something they did not know, that the soldiers realized what she was. She was one of the ones that had broken in.

            "Hello boys." she said smoothly.

            One of the soldier's eyes widened.

            "D'Ecatrista..."

            Carmen's smile grew. Stepping forward slightly, she bowed low to the soldiers. This only increased their shock and confusion, enough for them to not notice Carmen raise her dress to reveal multiple holsters on her legs which held throwing stars. Just as they were beginning to react, Carmen already started tossing the stars. Three fell dead immediately. The other two took another star each to finally take down, but not before one of them cried out for reinforcements.

            A moment later, seven more soldiers ran up the stairs, stopping at the sight of Carmen. Her smile grew again.           

            "In the name of the king, surrender yourself!" the leader shouted.

            Carmen looked deep into the youngest soldier's eyes. Raising her weaponless hands slightly, she thrust her arms forward. In front of the soldier, a translucent figure appeared, its head hanging low. Carmen snapped her fingers and the figure took solid form. It lifted its head and the soldier's mouth dropped.

            "Brother...?"

            Carmen's eyes gleamed.

            "Kill him."

            The figure drew a sword.

            A few minutes, Carmen walked amongst the corpses, picking up her stars. After placing them all back in the holsters, she turned toward the figure. He bowed his head. Carmen snapped her fingers, and the illusion vanished.