A family reunion

"Jesus Christ, why do you have a gun?"

There's the sound of something metallic hitting the ground. Normally, Tom would curse himself for his shaking hands, for dropping his knife, but there's a gun pointed at his face and there's honestly nothing else he can think about.

It's night and it's dark. Tom's back is covered in sweat. His hands are in the air, pleading his assailant to not use the weapon he's holding. The world is spinning, maybe because Tom hasn't eaten all day, maybe because of the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

The person standing in front of him should have recognized him by now. He should have lowered the gun.

With trembling lips, Tom says, "Seriously, Chris, get that thing out of my face!"

"It's not funny, standing on the other side, is it?" his three years younger brother says. There's nothing on his face but the complete lack of emotions.

"Chris, what are you talking about? Get that thing away from me!"

"I know you have been following me." 

"I'm worried about you!"

"You don't have to be, Tom! You just can't help putting yourself in the spotlight again, can you?"

"Jesus, Chris, the fact that you're still pointing that freaking gun at my face proves I have reasons to be worried."

"Yes, well..." Chris lowers the gun and examines it in the orange light of a lantern. His soft fingers follow the barrel of the weapon, a soft caress on a cold night.

Tom's breathing is heavy. He pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to think, to understand. "Chris," he says, "you're freaking me out."

Chris looks up, a flash of anger rolling over his face. "I didn't want it to come to this, but you just couldn't keep your stinking nose out of my business, could you!"

"I swear, whatever it is I have done, I'm sorry. We can talk this out."

He just needed to catch his little brother off-guard. He would only need a second to snatch the gun from his hands. He could only hope his hands wouldn't shake so much he'd fuck it up.

"All you ever did, was be the good brother."

"What's wrong with that, Chris?"

"It made me the bad brother."

"That wasn't my intention!" Tears were streaming down his face now. God knew he was terrible with handling stressful situations. God knew he just tried his best at - everything. At coping, helping, figuring out how to live life.

"It made me kill mom."

The air was sucked out of the alley. Sucked out of Tom's mouth and ears and nose, the pull so hard it choked him, left him cold and empty on the inside. His need to breathe got so strong he dropped to the ground and coughed, blood and other body fluids forming a puddle underneath him.

But he wasn't on the ground. He was on his feet. His hands not shaking for the first time.

"Dad killed mom," he mumbled, his lips feeling numb and his eyes unable to focus on the person in front of him.

There was a shot, or maybe two. Suddenly, Tom realized he was lying on the ground. Had he fallen, or had he imagined being on his feet? The streetlights were brighter than a million suns. They made him want to close his eyes. He was sweating like crazy. He could feel it sliding down the sides of his chest. His whole chest slowly started to feel wet, actually. And hadn't he been with someone?

Oh right, Chris. Chris who had a gun. Had he been shot? Was this what it was like to be shot?

"Chris," he said, recognizing the face that appeared above him, "did you kill mom?"

He saw the boy nod, but couldn't make out the expression on his face.

"Because she murdered dad," Chris said.

A memory shot through Tom's skull. Two bodies lying in blood. Their parents. A mysterious murder, or maybe two suicides. The case had never been solved.

"Chris, I murdered dad," Tom mumbled, struggling to move his mouth. "He was going to kill you."

Was there a moment of silence? Or was Tom imagining it? He didn't have enough time to figure it out.

"Tell him he succeeded."

Another shot rang loud and clear. Chris's face disappeared from view. Tom's thoughts were sluggish as he lay there, bleeding to death in the alley. Just before he lost consciousness, he managed to figure it out. They would finally all be together again.