I can assure you that no matter how long you have lived, you've never had such a burning desire for revenge as I have. It was six months ago when it happened, the air was cool and crisp after a sudden rainstorm. My family had been in the living room playing party games with my cousin Andrew. His face was still dirty from their air-soft war earlier but wore a smile as shiny as a pure white diamond. I heard something loud, like a gunshot but not the same pitch. I saw Marcus, my younger brother laying on grass in the back yard. I would have ignored it. I wouldn't have been prepared. But I hadn't forgotten the way Marcus made a fuss about the stains on his white collared shirt. The vision of his reddened torso sunk in as I ran from the window. Blood? I questioned naively. I was ready to go downstairs, to scream, to shout, to warn them. But, I held it in, and a few seconds later I heard my sister Carrie scream. My eyes dashed from my bedroom door to my ajar closet. No time for hesitation. The souls of my feet beat alongside my heart and the sound of someone approaching. Connor, my oldest brother ran for my baseball bat, slipped on my wet swim trunks from earlier and fell onto his back. I couldn't look away, I stared into his eyes but couldn't speak. Red fingers shot into my vision and ripped Connor from the ground. I could tell that despite the red hue of his armor his hands were soaked in a much more lively scarlet liquid. Connor and I locked eyes as the figure snuffed him out completely. "Henry" the static, distorted voice said. As he called to me I never moved, even so close to the end I was unmovable. I resent that fear, that weakness. Even as I watched them all die I sat cowering. Thinking about it boils me up. I was never an angry kid, but now whenever I think of that man, I can't help but burn.
In that house everything had settled and the only thing that moved me was my own heart. Blood. Blood. So much blood! The blood pooling under the door frame never left my sight or soul. I wouldn't and couldn't look away or else I would turn to dust. I could feel every single drop inside me as their blood pooled, it was like my own blood was shaming me. When they found me I remember being picked up, rushed to an ambulance and examined without saying a word. Things after that became ever the more hazy. I had to have been put in a police car but all I remember is repeating the words "Why them?" over and over again. Every other bit of chatter from the first responders vanished, I couldn't think back to it even if I tried for hours. I do remember the cold chair of that box room, the one with the walls that seem normal but hides a pane of one way glass. The detectives asked me for any details, tried to see if maybe I had done it but I was of no use to them. I had nothing to add, no clues, no motive and nothing else that could help them. My neighbor Miss Mayweather had been the first to call the cops. She had seen Marcus get attacked from her porch window. Her arms were warm and though the embrace comforted me it brought out my darkness. I let out all my held in pain, I didn't care if the whole police department heard me. Whats sick is the reason behind it. I only let out that anguished cry then and there because somehow that warm feeling reminded me of the coldness of my own loved ones. I had taken their warmth away.
Hate boiled in me after that day. Mayweather was nice enough to let me stay with her and her husband while everything was settled. They fed me, let me shower and gave me a bed to sleep. The food was good, shepherds pie, grilled fish, lots of other kinds of pie actually. Sitting with them and talking like everything was normal made me realized how abnormal everything was. Each night was like laying on a rock though not for lack of comfort. I really tried too, but sleep wasn't something I wanted, it's overrated anyways. But Miss Mayweather wanted me to sleep and try to get back to normal. I didn't want to heal or recover though, I wanted to turn back time and bring them all back. Those kind of wounds never heal anyways. With time travel out of the question I knew I had to confront him, the source of my pain, the Red Man had to face me once again. And this time I would fight till my blood pooled around my feet or blood pooled around his. I took tiny details from the case, watched as similar attacks went unsolved and took leaps in logic to find a half assed theory. It's wrong. That's not where he's going. It's pointless. Until it wasn't pointless. After weeks of searching I finally compounded my little bits of info. I found one family that fit all the details. They were his next victims and I was sure of it. All the way in Founders City on the east coast of the country was the Gilbert family. I left one night while the Mayweather's were asleep and hopped on a nonstop plane to Founders. I knew if I wasn't there before Friday night, the only night the killer attacked, then I would miss my chance.
When I arrived at dawn the house was empty, no signs of anyone going in or out. The large blue house was in the middle of a development and was surrounded on all sides by other houses. Another packed street filled with houses sat directly behind it. The tree line between the two roads was so thin that you could clearly see the neighbors grilling on the other side of the woods. How anyone could live so close to someone else is beyond me.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and let out a sigh. It was hot, even for late afternoon and I was starving. When a pizza delivery drove by earlier I could feel my stomach twisting up. That had been hours ago, now the only thing taunting me was that neighbors hamburgers. I was hiding in the tree house across the street. I had to do battle with a raccoon to get this spot. Believe me I had weighed my options, but at the end of the day Sly had to go. I didn't kill em' I just scared him off that's all, I'm not a monster. Given how the landowners neglected this small lofted lookout tower it seemed like I wouldn't be noticed. Especially if the racoon hadn't been after what had to be years. It was perfect place to hide for hours. I tried to nap knowing I'd wake up at the sound of anyone returning home but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I kept seeing them, laying there. It had been the same for every night since. I will make things right, that I'll promise you.
I could hear something in the distance, like a lock or some kind of mechanism clicking into place. When I looked up I saw it and my heart sank. A girl about my age was riding her bike up the road, backpack still on. Don't turn. I thought. Please just go past. But she didn't, she couldn't have been anyone else. She was unsuspecting, a smile hanging on her lips, clean clothes and polished bike. I watched as she opened the garage door and passed through the house without turning on any lights in the downstairs. As she turned on the bright white light of a tv in her room I felt errie similarities.
"She's me." I said feeling awestruck. As she had opened it I spotted an empty garage, no cars, no one home but her. I wanted to punch myself when I felt that feeling in my stomach. No it wasn't the hunger. It was despicable, how could I even feel this way again after everything? But there I was, in a tree house, watching and feeling like I had that day a whole lifetime ago. I jumped out of the tree house and headed across the street. I could feel the weight of my breath as I looked up at the reflection of screen in the window above me. All of a sudden the end of the street was filled with rays of light. A car was approaching. I looked back at my hiding spot, knowing the backpack was in there and so was my weapon. It was getting closer, but I never moved. Like an idiot locked in his own stupid fear I was letting things repeat. All this just for a suicide, for an end I could live with. To go down swinging knowing that there was nothing I could have done. Thats all I wanted. And yet here I was hesitating?
The car was only two houses away and seemed to be slowing. Now or never Henry, do you press the doorbell or run to the tree house? By the time I had made my decision I could hear the car's tires were rubbing against the pavement. A few rapid and anxious bells chimed as the car reached the mailbox. I heard someone casually making their way down the stairs. They headed towards the door as the rocky sounds reached their loudest. The door opened and a cat ran outside into the street. My eyes followed it, and I saw as it darted past the car moments before it had pulled into the driveway. Only it wasn't at this house but the one directly across from the house I was standing at. That meant maybe there was still time. When I turned around the girl and I were a lot closer than I was expecting. Here I was, spinning around, anxious beyond belief, sweaty, probably smelly and with bags under my eyes. She didn't seem to mind luckily.
"Do I know you?" she asked seeming confused. At that moment I was truly at odds. I wanted to blurt out the first thing that came into my mind but trust me that was a bad idea. The universe reached out and made the girl extra patient for me to avoid that embarrassment. I must have stood in silence for a minute or two before she spoke again.
"Oh." It was a deep sort of regretful "Oh". What someone says when they realize something terrible. "I saw you on the news. I'm really sorry for your loss."
I nodded politely, as if anyone else being sorry for your loss mattered. Even if that red bastard was sorry I probably wouldn't have cared. Scratch that, it would just make me madder.
"I have something important to tell you, can I come in?" I said looking as if I was at the end of my rope. She rubbed her double crystal necklace for a moment then nodded. The door closed behind us welcoming me to her neat and tidy house. She had no idea she let me, the man who was sleeping in a tree house, into her life. Too be honest with you I never expected that to work. She raised her hands up as if to make me stop before scampering off to the kitchen to retrieve some water. We sat on the wooden stools of her kitchen. I rested my elbow on the marble counter-top. That girl looked at me with eyes of pure dread like I had never seen in anyone, not even… never mind that. She wore preppy clothes and had braided hair died two tones. I gulped the water down quickly as I scanned the room for exits.
"The man who… did this to me, is after your family too. I never wanted to get involved here but I figured you deserved the chance."
She had lost all her color, "a chance for what? To go call the police?"
I sighed, afraid of something like this. She really didn't get what was going on from the news did she?
"Go get what you need and be down here in two minutes. You have to leave before he shows." I hurried up, shouting off instructions but the girl just stood there. She was shaking her head.
"Look I let you in cause I felt sorry for you but you've clearly gone mad with grief."
How frustrating. If she wanted to ignore my warning then… Fine I could leave. But no, again those strings of guilt pulled me back. Somehow in the moment even as I prepared to leave, where I might be frustrated I couldn't find it in me.
"Please don't make the mistake I did." I made sure she could look right at me as I said it. But like everyone else who heard my theory about the man in red she turned away from me, looking to the floor instead. I muttered some bitter words under my breath and left through the front door. It was open. She screamed and I tumbled backwards knocking a glass ornament off of a table. A pair of red eyes glowing through the visor of this alien being stared down at me. He was armored from head to toe, holding a serrated blade with a spinning saw for a guard. In his other hand was the weapon my neighbor had described to the police the "odd gun". I looked back, crawling towards the wall as he raised his blade above my head. Wind rushed through the room, blood was everywhere, the girl screamed.
The figure shifted his attention to the girl, as she bolted to the basement. I ducked through his legs slamming the door behind me as I stumbled up to my feet. All plans of fighting him faded, all I could imagine myself doing was running. The memories trembled within me as I heard him tear into the house. Rushing wind once again filled my ears, I shot my neck back to see a blur right behind me.
"Hop on now!" the girl screamed, no doubt alerting the whole neighborhood. She skidded to a halt on her bike, baseball bat slung over her shoulder. I always wondered why people put those pegs on their bikes. Not anymore I didn't. I climbed on, put my hands on her shoulders and watched as this girl gunned it down the hill. I slumped down so we would build more speed. I glanced back and saw fire billowing out of her house. Sirens began to blare in the distance no doubt alerted by one of the people in earshot. I felt this cold chill run through me as a sudden explosion burst from the families suburban house. I could see his red eyes piecing through the flames looking out at me even as we went deeper into the tree brush. They were like lasers tracking me. But they weren't just tracking, his eyes were moving, they were freaking accelerating.
I screamed to go faster and put one hand on the bat. I knew it was futile, but I thought holding onto the weapon would make me feel better. It didn't. His feet dug into the pavement like an animal digs into mud, boosting forwards fast enough to make a whistling noise as he soared. The cops rounded the corner to the street and a moment of relief flooded both of us. It was shattered in the next second. I felt the wind get knocked out of me as both the girl, the bike and myself were sent flying. I could feel the burning before we hit the ground but when we slammed into the hillside and started rolling everything started to get hazy. I landed on the girl and the bike landed on me, popping something in my stomach area. I couldn't move for a few moments because of the pain. I could feel something inside of me was broken and the girl who I had tried to save was crying as if she had broken a limb. I tried to push the bike but we both winced out in pain from the pressure. Instead I forced my aching arm to find her hand and grip on tight. I looked over so I was face to face with her. Her hair was matted and mud had gotten all over her nose and chin. I smiled, at least this time I wouldn't be alone.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't save you either…" I said dripping tears onto her cheeks. She forced a pained smile and squeezed my hand.
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she spoke with blood on her lips. I don't know if I would have known the difference between life and death had I not felt the grip of her hand in mine. A body slid down the hill leaving a trail of red in its wake. I saw him at the ridge line above us, the man in red was covered in arcing beams of energy crimson red just like blood. I snared at the man and in response he spun the blood from his saber. I was loosing a lot of blood and my head was still spinning from the crash but in that moment everything seemed to make sense. I laughed at him, spat the reddened spit his way and grit my teeth. As I went to brake everything even more I felt the girl underneath me lift in unison. We shoved that bike off and with our crumbling bodies, raising ourselves up. I felt the bark of the tree behind me scrape my skin and saw her twisted leg. That woman never let go of my hand though, even with one working leg she managed to prop me and herself up. All so I could have my one last moment of defiance against this red menace. I could hear a rumble in the distance, like an slight tremor perhaps.
My last words were short and breathy,"You couldn't keep us both down…"
Her words were even shorter, "Not together."
For the first time in my life I felt like I was a force to be reckoned with, as if finally after months of pain and longing I could turn to this man and fight back. In that moment I saw the light from my own eyes reflect against his visor and I knew our world would never be the same.