Mass Killing

 The ceiling was dark and dirty, stained with blood and mud. Father had called me and Red to the slaughter house.

Julius had died a month ago, we were told his mission had gone wrong. Julius was the underboss of the mafia, so when he died, there was a power struggle for who gets to take his place. In the end, both Red and I had risen up the ranks until we were at the very top. Both of us were likely chosen to be the next underboss. We were just 16 years old.

“Alright, first let me congratulate you two on making it to the top.” Said Father. He had his gray hair gelled back, and his hands in his pocket. He was walking ahead of us and spoke without ever turning around.

None of us spoke. We were both disgusted by him.

“But, before I can appoint one of you the underboss, I need you guys to do one more test. Aren’t ya excited?!” Said Father in his low voice, it was rough and boomed like thunder as it echoed across the hallway.

None of us answered him. Whatever goes on in the slaughterhouse, it’s never good. I remember visiting here a couple times with Julius and Red. This was where we tortured captured gang members and politcians. Sometimes we kill them.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” Roared Father. I jumped as Red clenched his fist. However, we remained silent.

“You’re no fun. Alright, enter this room. You may do whatever you want, prove to me that you are fit to be the next underboss. Don’t disappoint me.” Said Father as he led us to a rusted metal door. He then left, never turning around to even look at us.

We both took a deep breath. I reached my hand out and touched the cool metal handle. It was rough to touch as it had rusted. I clenched my teeth as I felt a sharp sensation against my palm. I had jabbed myself against a chipped piece of metal. My hand was bleeding.

I turned the doorknob and we both walked in. The room was pitch black, however, it had the suffocating smell of blood, piss and shit. Red found the light switch and turned it on. The sight made us bend over, gagging, and our eyes lit up with fear and anger.

Julius! Eiko! Momma!

All three of them were here.

Julius was alive, or so I thought. He was shackled to the wall, his body hanging from the chains. He had burn marks all over his body, he was branded.

“Traitor” Said the brand. It was scarred into his forehead, all over his chest. They were still fresh and haven’t healed yet. Yellow pus was oozing out, mixing in with the dark crimson of his blood. He was cracked all over, like a broken porcelain doll.

A closer look and we saw he was missing 6 fingers. They were cut off forcibly. The blood had already clotted, turning into dark scabs that clung onto the whites of his bone. His toes were still bleeding, the toenails were peeled off, revealing the pink and raw flesh underneath. His big toe was turning black, it looked like it was infected.

Julius had his eyes closed. His hair was messy and long, covering his eyes. His chest was moving slowly, taking in shallow breaths. Underneath him was a lake of crimson.

Eiko and Momma were also shackled up against the wall, they were a little bit further into the room. Both were sound asleep. Their hair was undone and let loose, strands of it were sticking onto their skin from their sweat and tears. Both of them were wearing short jeans and sports shirts. I was relieved to see that they had remained unharmed.

I looked behind me to see Red had fallen onto his knees. He was holding Julius’ bloodied hands.

“Eiko! Momma!” I called out to them. Their eyes fluttered open, and it took them a moment to recognize me.

“It’s me, Gray!” I said as I hugged them. I quickly took out my paper clip, and picked their shackles. They came free after a couple seconds. Next, I picked Julius’ as well.

Eiko and Momma embraced me, while Julius’ body was limp against Red. We all cried.

“Men aren’t supposed to cry” Whispered Julius. He had opened his eyes, Red brushed Julius’s long crimson hair to the side so that he could see us. I can tell it was taking a lot of energy for him to speak, his breathing was raspy and he bent over to spit out blood.

“Your Father found out about us” Said Julius as he lifted up his ring finger. Hugging it was a ring of diamond. He had married Momma last year.

“He had everyone scout for where your sister and mother could be… while he tortured me for information.” Said Julius.

“I gave them nothing. As you can see, I’ve endured every form of torture they had” Julius raised both his hands, and gave us a bloody smile.

Meanwhile, Eiko and Momma bursted into tears.

“You did well, dad.” Red whispered to Julius while combing his hair with his hands.

“Alright, let’s find a way to escape.” I said. We have everyone here and we’re all still alive. If we can escape, and run to another country, we can live a happy life together! There’s still a chance!

“We can’t!” Screamed Eiko as she cried. “They made us swallow bombs! Father has the remote, he can blow us up anytime!”

Both Red and I froze.

Fuck.

Was there anything we could do?

“Kill us” Said Momma, she wiped her tears.

“Kill us” Said Eiko, she clenched her fist.

“Kill us” Said Julius, he lifted his head to stare us in the eye.

“AHHHHHHHHH!” Screamed Red, he bashed his head against the floor. Again, again. I rushed to stop him. I hooked my arm under both his armpits and lifted him up. He thrashed against me, his eyes were wild and drool was coming out of his jaws. His head was bleeding.

“Idiot! Bashing your head won’t do anything!” I shouted, however, Red still screamed and kicked. I couldn’t hold him and we both fell.

“Red!” Screamed Eiko as she ran towards him.

“If you do this to yourself, I will be angry forever, even after I’m dead” Said Eiko as she gently cupped his cheeks with her hands.

Red stopped.

Everyone was silent, the atmosphere was somber and crushing. This was what despair feels like.

All I could do was clench my fist, I was deep in thought. Emotions were blurring through my mind.

“Father said to do whatever we want to prove that we can become the underboss” I said. Everyone else turned their gazes at me. I kept going.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to kill you…” I was about to go on, however, Julius shouted for me to stop.

“That won’t do shit! Your father will cut off Eiko and Shirase’s tongues, then leash and chain them. They will become his slaves. That’s what usually happens if prisoners aren’t harmed.” Said Julius.

My blood ran cold.

“And my fate is death. I won’t last long now, the infections from my wounds will kill me in a week’s time.”

There is no way out of this. We were checkmated.

I sat down against the cold stone wall, I buried my head in my arms and wept. A blanket of warmth covered my as Momma brought me closer to her. Eiko came behind me and hugged me from behind. I felt two round and soft things pressing against my back… Eiko has really grown, it reminded me that she’s no longer a little girl now, however, she would never get the chance to fully grow up and experience life.

I peeked through my arms and passed Momma to see Red and Julius huddled close together. They seemed to be whispering about something. Then, Julius gave Red a push away from him, smiled, and flashed a thumbs up.

Red headed our way, he was wiping his tears as he walked. He stopped right behind Momma.

“Eiko… ummm can you come over? I need to talk with you.” Said Red as his body trembled and shuddered.

“Umm ok” Said Eiko as she sniffed and walked towards him.

Then, Red got down on one knee and we all went silent. No one was sniffling nor crying. We were all watching the pair.

Eiko’s face turned red as tears started streaming down.

“I- ummm” Red started getting flustered. Gosh, I can just tell he was going to do something stupid now.

“I uhhh dropped something on the floor and uh” Stammered Red, while Eiko looked puzzled.

“Idiot!!” I shouted. Red stood up and looked at me, wide and teary eyed.

“Be a man!!” I screamed as I stood up and looked Red in the eye. I took my right hand out and thumped my chest twice.

For a moment, Red stood there, dazed. However, he soon smiled and returned the gesture. He then turned towards Eiko and got back onto one knee.

“Will you marry me Eiko?! I know we are still underraged, but now it doesn’t matter! I love you!!” Screamed Red with all his might. He took out a small box from his pocket, opened it, showing the glistening Ruby ring nestled inside.

Eiko’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushed redder than any time I’ve ever seen them. She buried her face in her hands as she tried to hide her ugly crying. “O-Of course,” Stammered Eiko.

Red then stood up and grabbed both her hands. “I like it when you’re not hiding your pretty face,” Whispered Red as he slid the ring onto her finger.

He then took a step back while holding Eiko’s hands. He reached out one hand to brush aside a loose strand of her hair. “Till death and beyond shall we never part…” He whispered.

“No matter where, no matter how long after, you will always have my heart.” Red pulled Eiko close to him, and he kissed her on the lips. They stayed like that, their faces were wet from tears, red from embarrassment and happiness.

Eiko’s arms wrapped around Red’s body, she held him tight. Red did the same.

We all erupted into cheers.

Their mouths finally parted, however, they still hugged each other tightly. They were crying on each other’s shoulders. For today will be the last day they would see each other, and their first day as a married couple.

I couldn’t contain all the sadness and joy. I cried as well, along with everyone else.

It was an ugly cry. Ugly tears, ugly wails. So ugly.

Yet so delicate and beautiful.

“I can die happy now,” Said Eiko with a smile as she kissed Red again and again.

I spotted Momma and Julius together, their fingers were interwoven and they had large smiles spread across their faces.

“Atta boy” Said Julius.

“Remember moments like these, burn them into your hearts. This is the vile mafia. This is how things always end up.” Said Julius as he smiled at us.

“Never forget this moment, yet never live in it either. You both need to move on. I hope and wish that you both won’t end up like your father.” Said Momma as she wiped her tears.

“You can’t forget love and pride. You can’t forget the past. But I wish you both can live happily, and make others happy too.” Said Eiko as she stared into each of our eyes.

“In my heart of hearts, I know I can never love again. Everyone and everything that matters to me, I’ve lost it! I’ve lost everything that matters in this world!” Wailed Red as he cried into Eiko’s chest.

“You don’t really mean that, silly.” Whispered Eiko as she ruffled his hair.

“I’m ready now. I’ve said what I’ve had to say. All that’s left is, well, I had a good run in this life heh.” Said Julius. Eiko and Momma nodded to his words. Now they were staring at us.

It’s time to kill.

Red wasn’t in any condition to do anything right now, he was hugging Eiko and never letting go. I guess the deed is up to me to complete.

I reached for my gun, and took it out. My fingers squeezed the cool metal, and my hands shook and trembled. I walked up to Julius first, he was in the most pain so I figured I would start with him.

I pressed the gun’s barrel against his scarred forehead.

My index finger wrapped around the trigger. The gun was preloaded, so all I had to do was press the trigger.

I tightened my jaw and clenched my teeth. I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again. They were now the eyes of a beast. Throwing away all my humanity would be the only way for me to do this. In front of me wasn’t Julius, it was a traitor. That’s right, a fucking traitor who was caught!

This was the GrayWolves underboss! He supported Father, and helped him ruin so many lives. That’s right, Julius was a killer, and a traitor!!

“Now, please don’t look at me with eyes like that. Smile for me, son.” Said Julius as he bared his fangs in a wolfish grin. Momma had tightened her grip on his bloody hand, she was squeezing the blood out of it. Her eyes were terrified.

I took a breath, stepped back and pulled the gun away. Right, this was Julius! He was the one who visited us every week to bring supplies. He was the one who asked for Momma’s hand in marriage. It’s Julius. I felt water slide down both sides of my cheeks. My chest and face burned, I trembled and my body wracked and shuddered. Unbelievable sadness and gratitude towards everyone.

I forced my lips up. Smile.

Goddamnit smile.

There we go. A smile, a token of appreciation for all that Julius, Eiko, and Momma had done for me. My final parting gift to them, my smile.

I pressed the trigger. Julius’s head lashed back violently, a burning hole had opened up on his forehead. He slumped against Momma, spilling his blood and brain matter all over her.

Up next was Momma. Through so many hardships, she never stopped being kind, never stopped loving and caring. She never let the bad things ruin her life. I lifted my gun and pressed the barrel against her forehead.

My knees dropped. My hands lowered and the gun clanged on the floor. I tried moving my body, however I couldn’t. I bit down on my lip, drawing out warm trickles of blood, they dripped down my trembling jaws, and scaled down my neck, staining my shirt.

“Send me to Julius, please.” Was all Momma said.

I gave her a smile. Right. I won’t be killing her. I will be sending her towards Julius, where she will have a beautiful and youthful body, where she will be able to dance and laugh and love. That’s right, I’m liberating her from this harsh world.

“Enjoy your trip, Momma,” I said while smiling. I pulled the trigger. Momma’s head didn’t lash back. It exploded, her skull fragments bounced off the walls and onto the floor. My gun and my face was red from her blood. My eyes stung.

Finally, Eiko. Red was still hugging her tight, their lips still pressed together. I walked over, my legs were trembling and my steps uneven. My vision was getting blurry, my thoughts were getting hard to make out. I was breathing heavily.

Red and Eiko didn’t move from their embrace. I came over, and pressed the gun’s barrel to her liver. Instead of letting go of each other, they just held on tighter.

I’m happy for you Eiko. Sad for you too.

I’m happy for you Red. Sad for you too.

Two lovers being separated and never to meet again.

Eiko, my precious and cute sister. She was frail, however, she was always full of life. I know she tries her hardest all the time, which makes her stubborn. She loved it when I blew my leaf for her, she loved it when Momma told us stories, she loved it when Red came over to play.

“Take care of Red for me. Knowing this loyal fool, he will probably always dwell on this moment. Make sure he is happy. Make sure you are happy, and to stay friends forever. Please. Promise me.” Said Eiko as she lifted her head away from Red’s kiss, and looked me in the eye. She was a strong and stubborn girl to the end, and always worried about us.

The last shot rang, echoing off the walls of the room. Blood shot up Eiko’s mouth, her eyes dimmed and she fell limp in Red’s arms. Red slowly rested her on the ground, next to Julius and Momma. His hair was covering his eyes, and his face was down.

He turned around, he was smiling to himself. It was a devilish, monstrous grin.

I smiled as well. Laughter roared from my belly, up my throat.

Both of us laughed as the three bodies behind us exploded in unison.

We stood still, and were showered with blood. Then, three arms flew out of the explosion and landed in front of us. They had their hands attached to their arms. 3 wedding rings shone and glinted. Momma and Julius’ fingers were interlocked, and Eiko’s hand had her pinky up, that was from our pinky promise.

We stared in silence at the three arms, and the three rings.

Hilarious. Hilarious. Hilarious.

Sad. Sad. Sad.

I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to…

Damn.

What’s done is done.

It feels so bad, but we’ve tried our best.

Fighting tooth and claw and this is the result.

I wish we can turn back time, what was once happy is now sad.

This is killing me inside. I feel like my world is ending right now.

The door opened and Father walked in.

Both Red and I smiled. It was an ugly smile. We laughed. It was a wicked laugh. Our eyes were wide. Our faces were covered in the blood of our loved ones.

“Congrats on becoming the next underboss of the GrayWolves.” Said Father, his voice boomed and echoed.

We said nothing.

I screamed.

I screamed.

Right. My promise to Eiko.

Right. Red never left my side ever.

Right. Aoi had supported me all this time, loved me even.

Right. Evan always backed us up, no matter how dangerous or stupid things get.

Right.

We’ve all been through so much. An argument like this won’t end our relationship.

I have so much to be thankful for, and so much to apologize for.

Right. I’m going to make things right.