X-Ray sat down on his cot, thinking intensely. His mind wandered deep into his mind, muting and blinding all movement and sounds. All his visions started, long ago, when he was a yet a youth, unaware of the future that was in store for him.
But as he thought, only one word corrupted his mind, the one word branching to the main source. One simple word, painful, unpredictable and hated: destiny. X-ray never did like this word. It held a meaning behind it, a meaning that either made you be in fear or await or future. Nonetheless, this word brought all the boys in this camp to serve this punishment.
Again, X-Ray was a much respected person, very commanding and nice when you got through his tough shell of emotion. No one would think he was so afraid of the word destiny.
"Yo, X-Ray!" A voice rang. He answered with a quick startle, but hid it with a menacing snap.
"What?" He hissed, looking at the source of the voice. It was one of his friends, Squid. They both went everywhere together, and probably also Armpit, but he was eating all the time or break dancing. So Squid and he were pretty much what you normal civilians would call "best friends." But in Camp Green Lake, they were known as partners in crime.
"You got some mail," He responded gruffly, tossing a wrinkled brown envelope at his friend. Squid never messed with X-Ray. But they hung out so much, he was able to step a few feet out of what X-Ray liked to call "respect." Squid was different from the others. He knew him better.
"Who the hell would send ME some mail?" He growled, tearing the right side open. Instantly, an object came flying out. It was a tape recorder, with what seemed to be a tape with a recording in it. X-Ray instantly pressed the play button when he discovered what it was. He was grateful he didn't smash it; he was just cautious like that.
"Mr. Rex Jefferson, this is the Dallas Police Department. We regret to inform you that your brother and sister were both found dead on a bank of a river. They seemed that they ran away from there house last night and were found, bruised and beat to death. We must say that due to the isolation of the camp you currently are at, you may receive this a week after we send it. Therefore, it will be too late for you to attend the funeral. We are deeply sorry that you have lost your siblings and wish you another sincere sorry," the recording said.
X-Ray could not believe it. Automatically, he dropped the recorder as tears welled in his eyes. As he thought back to his memories and trip to the blank space of nowhere, the word came up again.
Destiny
The word haunted him, choking him with great discomfort. This was impossible; they couldn't be dead. They just couldn't. He was angry and deeply hurt. But in his mind he kept on thinking.
"No, no, no, NO!' His mind screamed in fury. Squid exited the tent without making a sound. He had never seen a boy as tough as X-Ray take the hard stuff like this. In when those matters came, the best thing to do was leave them be.
"God! Why do you do this? Why do you have to make my life worse? This can't be happening. First you punish me by sending me here and next you kill them. What did I do to make you do this decision? Why God? Answer me!" X-Ray yelled. He felt this was unusual by blaming the one who first made the decision to bring him to this earth. He finally realized what he just said and sank to his knees. This was abnormal for him. What happened to the high and mighty X-Ray, the one able to withstand pain and cross it? But again, he was a person too. And all people have feelings.
Many hours passed and everyone had long gone to bed. The tent was unusually quiet. Every night, X-Ray would entertain them with a story back from Dallas, and they would comment and laugh; but not tonight. He was in too much of distress. The stupid word kept on haunting him, killing him slowly.
Destiny
"Hmm," he mumbled in confusion, trying to go to sleep. Every benefit seemed impossible and every wrong became alive. His nightmares were taking over for no apparent reason and he knew that no on but God knew the cause of these. Perhaps because he was so caught up in his advantages as leader; he forgot the possibilities of being a common person. And every common person has a disadvantage and benefit, good and bad, physical and emotional pain, reality and imagination, life and death and most importantly
Destiny
Author's Note: Written as practice for a writing competition.