Chapter 7:

Chapter 7 [When the rains is clear, who is left]

Tasteless


The sky finally clear and it pains me to disturb our moment like this, but the sun is setting. I don't want Lina mom or my uncle to worried about us. I look to Lina at my side, her face shows sadness as reality set in. No matter how much we want to stay like this, eventually we have to live our life. We can't just be selfish and left out the other people in our lives but sometimes, I wonder is it wrong to be a little selfish?— The answer is Yes.

I sigh deeply.

Regretfully, I turn to Lina and place my hand on top of her head which cause her body to stiffen.

"W..hat!?" she stutters.

her cheeks begin to redden and her shoulder slouching. I never know this but I am slightly taller than her. She always seems taller than me but at this height, she is a little shorter maybe because of her leaning on to my shoulder.

"Haru?.," she asks confused.

I just realize I have been staring at her for quite a while, she squirms under my hand and her face bright reds.

"Oh sorry, I just lost in my thought for a second ago," I said.

"What I was about to say are, we should get going. It getting late" I said releasing my hand from her head.

"I thought you were gonna.. never mind," she said then shakes her head vigorously, "you right, let get going," she said.

Lina walks a few feet away from me then turn her body facing me, her hands interlocking behind her, she smiles at me and starts walking backward toward her motorcycle. I look on and smile then follow her. As I walk to the motorcycle a single butterfly flew in front of me, then it circles around me. I look at it mesmerize by it beautiful purple wings, I try raising my hand to let it land on it. 

It worked it landed on top of my finger, I examine it closely and it felt familiar like I have met I have seen this butterfly.

"What wrong, Haru?" Lina asked, she already sitting in the Motorcycle waiting for me. Lina's voice caused the butterfly to leave my hand and flew toward the orange vast sky.

"It nothing," I said.

I then continued walking toward Lina, and we get on the Motorcycle and ride it back to our home. It was an uneventful ride, as we pass through the town, it was already dark and many of the shops are closed only the bar, a few diners and the twenty- four mart are left open. The shops that are open help shine the dark street also the street lamp beginning to light up the street.

I held the back of the motorcycle while looking at Lina, her helmet reflects the street light and her cloth being blown by the wind. I already miss my chance to confess and that suck. Prom is coming soon if I this keep going, somebody will probably ask her first, what if she accepts somebody else to go to prom. My heart in my chest begins to ache as I think the possibility of it happening. I take a deep breath, It okay you still have a chance Haru, my thought help reduce the ache in my heart.

I sigh under my helmet, I noticed we are exiting the town and entering our home neighborhood, As we approaching the three-way junction that separates my way home and Lina way home. I tapped on Lina's shoulder and she looks at her side mirror, then I made a gesture with my hand to stop the motorcycle.

Lina's stop the motorcycle at the side of the road then I get off the motorcycle. Taking off my helmet, Lina then lifts her visor up. " I think this is good enough, I can walk the rest of the way," I said.

"Are you sure? I don't mind sending you home" Lina said.

"It's okay, besides I like walking at night," I said the look up the starry skies,  "I can see the star from here," I said.

Lina also looks up to the night sky "Haru..?" Lina said.

"Yes?" I said

"The past three years we have spent together, you have always been there," Lina said then grabbing her left arm with her right hand, "Even after you find out about my power, you didn't put me on pedestal or get scared by my power, you still treat me like a friend," Lina said.

"I want to say thank you," Lina said, and I can feel her eyes on me "Don't turn softie on me right now because if you cry, I cry," I said jokingly then my head drop down, looking at her. Lina let out a soft giggle, but there a small amount of water on her eyes lid.

"It started two years ago, I have been having this feeling about you. I.. I.  I actually" Lina stutter, I can see her taking a deep breath.

"I actually L..Lo... want you to cut that hair because they really don't suit you," she said then let out a laugh, turning her head I can see her hand reaching her face.

"Oh my god Lina, I promise tomorrow I go to the barber and get it cut," I said then grunting, after a few seconds I also laugh.

"It late, go home" I shoo Lina, I don't want to keep her here too long, it getting dark.

"See you tomorrow, and don't be late or I will leave without you," she said seriously but I know she won't leave without me. Lina then brings her visor down and throttle her motorcycle causing her motorcycle to move. I watch Lina riding her motorcycle slowly getting away from where I stand until she turns into a corner and I don't see her anymore.

I touch the back of my hair, does having medium hair don't suit me?. Maybe I should get it cut, I look at my hand and the motorcycle helmet still in my hand. I forgot to give her the helmet. I let out a breath, I just bring it tomorrow.

I start to walk crossing the street and into the sidewalk, heading toward my house. Two years? but I only start growing this hair this year, maybe she misremembering it. I wonder.. what was she about to say. I shake my thoughts away, I just overthinking it.

I change my walk to a jog.

A few minutes later I arrive at the front of my house, I realize that the light is off. Did uncle go to sleep already, that cant be?. I walk the step until I arrive at the front door, I examine it, somebody left it open. Then I let out an annoying sigh, it probably one of those surprise attack, I'm really not in the mood right now.

"Uncle seriously stops it with the surprise attack, I getting tired of it," I said.

Grabbing the doorknob and opening the door, the light from outside streetlight, enter the living room. Then I look closely at the floor and there something laying on top of it, I walk toward it and a sudden realization hit me like a rock.

"UNCLE!!!" I yelled

"UNCLE" I called to him again.

I quickly run toward him dropping the helmet I was holding, my heart filled worried that I didn't realize it sooner. Someone was hiding behind the door, my instinct flared up like a firework. I hear the sound of a silenced handgun going off.

I can feel a thousand needles hitting the back of my neck, slowly piecing my neck and passing through the neck getting out at the front of my neck. I collapse to the floor like a log, I try to move my hand to my neck to stop the wound, but I can't. It, not just that, all the feeling from my upper torso to my leg completely gone, I can only feel the pain in my neck.

The shot severs my nerve, my whole body is paralyzed. I try to call out to my uncle but the pain multiplies causing me to cough, my breath getting thin it like I'm choking on something. I cough again this time blood spatter on the floor, I can see the blood from my eyes. 

I called out to uncle again but can't, I felt useless and despair began hitting me, my eyes begins to water and I cries like I never had before.

"You miss the shot, dumbass" someone talked, I try to move my eyes trying to see who is it but fail because of he not in my line of sight.

"I still got him, who cares he died anyway," then somebody squats in front my face.

"Boss I think he alive" I examine the person that squatting, I recognize him, he was at the bar earlier morning, the man with a purple mohawk. anger sie in me, I want to break his skull open with my bare hand and shove a stick in it.

The man with a purple mohawk laugh.

"Look at his eyes, he glaring dagger at me," he said.

"Let move we already waste enough time with this job," someone else said.

"What we gonna do with the boy?" the man with a purple mohawk said.

"Torch this place and him in it, that why I hire your right?"

"Time to get to work," the man with the purple mohawk said, licking his lip and stand up. He then moves to the center of the room. He raises both of his hand, a fire suddenly ignites and begins to envelop both of his hand. The fire getting bigger until it blazes upwards covering the entire ceiling with fire.

The entire upper floor is caught on fire, The man with a purple mohawk stop and look upward satisfied with the work he did then he moves toward the door, exiting like everyone else.

Before he exits the house, he said "See you in hell kid" then he laughed.

The fire from the upper floor begin to spread down to the living room, the curtain begins to set on fire so are the couch. The altar with my parent picture also catching on fire and saw it burn my parent picture.

The fire spread so fast to the entire house, all I can think about is how I gonna every last one of them, my breath is heavy, oxygen getting low and low making me harder to breathe and the blood clogging in my throat doesn't help either. Uncle body lay there unmoving, slowly catching on fire, I call out one last time but fail.

so much pain.

CRACK, CRACK

I hear loud cracking sound from the house and piece of burning debris fall to the floor. Suddenly the wall that supports the beam can't hold it anymore and it falls on to my back. I scream as the beam begins to burn my entire skin and hair as it lay on top of me, slowly burning me alive.

My sight getting blur, and I slowly losing my conscious. The last thing I heard was a loud crash, like something smash into the house, the house starts to shake and the world went to black.