Note: So, only one chapter left to go. I hope you will enjoy the end.
CHAPTER 14
YOUNG AT HEART
They were wrong. Arnold knew that, when he looked into Phoebe's eyes. It wasn't over - not by slight chance.
"Oh my god!" - she screamed as she stood up - "Everybody out!" - she said.
"What?" - Bob asked.
"Out now!" - she screamed, as she was running toward the stairs - "This whole place may blow up to heaven!"
"Then where are you going?" - Arnold asked.
"I ruined the life of that poor guy. I am the one responsible for his current state of mind. The less I can do is try to save Brainy!"
"No." - Helga said. As she stood up. - "We're all going."
"Yes." - Arnold said, as he run to the stairs too - "Gerald, get the Patakis out of here!
"No way dude. I'll rather deal with the bombs than Big Bob." - he said, as he looked at Phoebe. He almost lost her, and he didn't wanted to risk losing her again. Someway they all knew everything they did, everything they went trough, led to this moment. He knew if they go up on those stairs they probably won't come back. And still, they will all go - just like they did in the old days.
"This is my doing!" - Phoebe said - "Get out while you can!" - she looked at the others with begging. There were tears in her eyes again.
"Olga, get them out." - Helga said to her sister. - "Keep them safe, and try to evacuate the neighbors too."
"Okay Sis." - Olga said, but she was in a shock. For a moment she, and the rest of the Patakis were able to see Helga, for what she really was. They've seen the fire in her eyes. Her real self were only shown under extreme circumstances. She was a natural born warrior. Without a word the family followed her orders and left the building.
"There is a beeper connected to a bomb in the basement, and there are other explosives all over the house, reacting to heat. If the first one blows up, this house will turn into a torch within minutes." - Phoebe said, as they reached upstairs.
"Remember me to never piss you off again." - Gerald said.
That's it, joke about it. - Arnold thought. - Like we were only kids again. Let's pretend that nothing really matters.
"Why didn't he blow up the place yet?" - Gerald asked, as they were searching the rooms.
"He must be hesitating." - Arnold said.
"Or wants to see our faces when he does it." - Phoebe said. It was Paige's logic talking from her of course. It sounded creepy.
"You're both wrong." - Helga said, when she was reaching the ramp that lead to the rooftop. She used it all the time when she was a kid, and wanted to shoot birds or football headed puppets with her slingshot on the roof. - "He don't want to let me any choices. He still wants me to kill him."
They found Brainy on the rooftop, just like Helga predicted. He was watching the sunset on the edge. He knew damn well this is the last sunset of his life. He will end the pain tonight, one way or another. There was all five of them, looking at each other, on the top of the Pataki house, bathing in the red light of the settling sun. It all came down to this. Four friends, who spent their childhood and adult life together, and became a family, and the one, who never had any friends or family.
"Hey Brainy." - Helga said.
"Hey Helga." - Brainy answered. His wheezing was gone completely. He was perfectly calmed down. The knowledge of sure death was so liberating.
"Sorry Brainy." - Phoebe said - "What Paige did to you... What I did to you..."
"Yeah, he poisoned me, to become a nut-case. More of a nut-case of course." - he said, as he sat down to the berm. He looked at his cell phone - "You think I didn't know that? I've shot myself with that stuff in the last days."
"But why?" - Arnold asked.
"It eased the pain." - Brainy said with a sad expression. - "I wanted it to happen you know. It made me feel... feel like being one of you. I... had my place at last." - he said - "I was your enemy... an obstacle standing in the way of your love and your friendship." - he looked on the four people. - "And I was damn good in that, wasn't I?"
"Yes, you were." - Helga said. She hasn't seen any possibility to take the phone from him, before he can press the "call" button.
"It's funny you know. If I press this button I can vanish it. The whole thing. Your happy days, your sad days... they weren't matter. Like we were never born. Any of us!" - he said. He had tears in his eyes.
"You don't have to Brainy." - Arnold said.
"You don't know how it's like." - Brainy said. There was no anger in his voice, only pure sadness. - "You are all so beautiful. Smart. Full of wit. While I am just... so ordinary." - he said
"It's the Salvazin talking from you." - Phoebe said. A sad smile appeared on his face.
"I wish. Paige said I took so much, and for so long, I became immune to it. So I took bigger and bigger doses, but I almost felt nothing." - he stood up. - "I will blow this place up Helga. You know what you have to do."
"I won't." - Helga said. - "We all knew why we came here. This is the end pal. I won't become a murderer in the end."
"Fine." - Brainy said, as he walked over a few steps. - "To be honest, I don't care so much. I'm just so tired." - he risen his phone. - "And I can't wait to see what happens next." - and with that, he pressed the button. The building started to shake, and suddenly, flames lashed out from every window of the house. They could all see, in a single moment Brainy turned into a human pile. He stood exactly over Helga's room what he filled with explosives before. He was gone in a flash of the eye. All the car alarms were turned on the street. Phoebe fell on his knees from the power of the explosion, but the other's stood stand.
"Oh my god!" - she said.
"I hate this job." - Helga said in disbelief. She couldn't believe the place of her childhood nightmares is on flame now. And they will burn soon too.
"This is not a job." - Arnold said.
"Then why the hell we're doing it?" - she said, as she helped Phoebe to stand up. The flames came closer and closer, while they were some minor explosions down below.
"We're all going to die." - Gerald said. They all knew he's right.
"There are a lot of explosives in the second floor." - Phoebe said - "This roof can disappear any moment."
"Guys... you must know I love you all. And everything I did... I'm so sorry." - Phoebe said. Helga hugged Arnold.
"I love you, you geek." - she whispered.
"I can't say I'm happy to die here tonight, but It's cool I'll go with you guys." - Gerald said. Then there was a moment of dead silence, while they were waiting to the hot flames of death.
"That's bullshit." - Arnold said suddenly. - "We can't give up like this."
"But Arnold, what the hell can we do? We will never make it to the fire escape now! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" - Arnold looked around quickly. If there was a point of his weird inner journey, it was to never give in to desperation. To use his old ideals: "If we stuck together, we can do everything." and "Never loose your optimism."
Then, he noticed, what he was looking for. The slightest, craziest chance they had. The "Arnoldish solution". There was a huge truck coming toward them on the street.
"Exactly." - he said. - "Come on! We grab each other's hand, and when that truck gets here, we will jump to it's awning!"
"That's the stupidest idea ever Football head!" - Helga said. It was getting pretty hot on the roof - thank god, they were in the open so they haven't had to worry about the smoke.
"Shut up Helga!" - he said, as he grabbed her hand and kissed her. Then he grabbed Gerald's hand too. A little unsure of himself Gerald grabbed Phoebe's hand too.
"It's too far Arnold..." - Gerald said.
"Forget it!" - Arnold said - "Forget everything that happened in the passed few years. What we did to each other. All the bad things." - he said, as he looked over his friends faces. - "We have to do this, like we were kids again. Like nothing bad ever happens. We did crazier stuff back then!" - he said. He was right. They had to believe they can do it, even if it was impossible. They needed a miracle to let it happen.
"You're right Arnold." - Phoebe said. - "Let's do it."
"Okay dude." - Gerald said.
"You're crazy." - Helga said - "But hey, at least we have something in common!"
"Let's have happy thoughts guys!" - Gerald said.
The truck came closer and closer.
"NOW!" - Arnold said, so they all started running. They knew, this is the end. Even if an angel would get them, and help them fly, it's unlikely they will all hit the awning. They will probably end up on the street, dead. But the only thing that mattered, is that they tried it. With every step they got closer and closer to the end of the roof. Arnold hold Helga's hand a little bit too strong. There was only three steps till the jump. Arnold took a peak on Helga's determined face. They all tried to focus on happy thoughts
Three steps
The time when Arnold and Gerald went down to the sewers and got back a fancy watch from a madman calling himself the Sewer King.
Two steps.
The secret dates between Phoebe and Gerald, when they made out in one of their several secret places at the age of ten. Nobody knew about them, but they never felt that happiness since then.
One step
Helga when he threatened Arnold with a knife on the schoolyard. It was the moment, when Arnold was really scared of her, but also the exact time when he really fell in love with her.
"JUMP!" - Arnold screamed, and they followed him, just like they followed him as kids. Right in that moment, the world seemed to blow up behind them.
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LAST CHAPTER: TIME AFTER TIME
