'bang bang your dead, 50 bullets in your head...'

my 7 yr old brother Mason shouts down my ear, holding a cold hard grey toy gun near to my temple.

He shoots, and an orange plastic bullet shoots out, hitting me hard. I wince at the pain, but I know not to get mad at him.

'Ok M,' I sigh. 'You got me, but I'm not going to play out a painful dramatic death for you...'

'Aw! no fair! Your no fun Maddie, at all, you want to be an actress, yet you can't even do this for me' he mumbles,

sitting down next to me and folding his arms in a childish fashion.

He looks up at me, and I stare straight on ahead, unfazed by his 'puss-in-boots I want you to play a death' face.

He continues to stare, eyes tearing up.

I ignore him and stare around the garden, at the flowers and the hammock and the swinging chair next to the vegetable patch, which our aunt breaks her back

putting hard work into (not that we eat the veggies anyway.)

Were at our aunt Felicia's house for the weekend in 'sunny' new zealand (sunny being an overstatement.),

where all I've had to look at is sheep, and Mason playing scrabble with Mum.

I keep telling her that im bored and that I want to go home now, back to ontario.

she just shushes me and tells me that it's only for the weekend, and that Im not bored, Im boring.

after that response, I normally go into a sulk and go back to the spare room which has,

for now, become my home from home till Monday.

I take another look at Mason.

I can see his mouth turning down into a frown from the very corners of my eye.

He strokes the soft grassy ground beneath him ans sighs, then, giving up, he slowly gets to his feet.

Giving me one last glare, he turns around and starts to walk back towards the consevartory of the house.

I turn to glance at him walking, feeling bad to have upset him, then, I pretend to choke.

He turns around in time to see me falling to the ground, gasping for air, kicking and thrashing around.

I reach towards Mason and say 'I love you, my dear brother, never forget that...'

then I let my arm fall to the ground hard, and fix my eyes on the memorial bench for grandad,

and lie there on the grass unmoving, my mouth slurred to one side.

Mason stares at me, as if mesmorized, then starts to applaud, a smile spreading across his cheeky little face,

brown eyes small and happy.

then, all of a sudden, his face falls. he creeps closer to me, looking slightly scared.

'Maddie?' he says, waving a hand in front of my face.

I don't dare blink.

'Maddie, please answer me' he whimpers again, creeping closer.

I stay still, eyes still fixed on the bench.

Mason starts getting worried.

'Maddie, please talk, your scaring me.'

No reply.

'Mum!' he cries, running into the house.

Crap.

I spring up off the grass, brush myself off quickly and plonk myself down on my aunts swinging chair.

My mother comes running out into the garden, looking flustered and angry.

'Maddison Fletcher!, What do you think your doing, terrorizing your poor brother like that?

You've scared him half to death!'

I take another look at Mason, who has tear-stained cheeks. I stare from my Mom to my brother, then back again, looking stricken. Realisation creeps onto Mason that im worried that I may get into trouble, so he looks at me, then stares up at Mum with a reproachful look, and smiles.

Then, he strokes Mums arm and says 'It's ok Mum, Maddie just happens to be a really good actress,

don't be stressed and don't punish her for it please Mum, im sure she never meant to scare me like that,

she was just trying her best, weren't you Maddie?' he shoots a look at me, along with Mum.

I nod at Mum, and smile at Mason.

'Yes, that's right Mum, Mason's telling the truth, honestly, it was a just an act,

I never intended to actually frighten him...I was...just testing my acting skills', I say.

Mum looks at me as I blush, then sighs and says,

'Fine, Maddie, I can't be bothered to punish you becaue of your little antics with the amount of stress on me at the moment,

I'll let you off the hook this time, since Mason seems so intent on saving you from trouble.'

I look at Mason, and he winks and smiles back.

I love my brother. I really do.

'Maddie, come on into the house, it's time to pack your bags.

Were leaving tonight instead of tomorrow night,

I think Felicia's getting fed up of us whining all the time.'

I look into the kitchen window and see my auntie chopping meat,

staring at us meaningfully, eyes cold, meatcleaver in hand.

Mums right, I think it might be best if we leave now...