Inbox (1)
Alfred blinked, his grip on the phone loosened and he almost dropped it again. Unable to contain his excitement, he clicked on the hypertext.
feverishsparks: None of my works includes a preface. You would know that if you were a real fan of my work.
Right after he had read the last word, the screen lagged for a second, before transitioning into that of an incoming call. Alfred almost exploded into a ball of fury at having been interrupted but he was cut short by the name of the caller. Worry hinged on the edge of his stomach as he answered the call, placing the phone next to his ear.
Noises. There were lots of noises; screaming and loud wailing. But most noticeable of all were the sirens of an ambulance. Alfred's chest tightened.
"…Matthew?" Alfred called out, his tone a tinge of uncertainty.
No response. If any, the sirens became louder. Unsure if he should speak, Alfred waited. He noticed the screaming subsiding a bit and that was when he heard it: Matthew's erratic breathing.
"Matthew, please tell me what's going on," Alfred took a few deep breaths to calm himself before the revelation.
"…Alfred. I-It was t-terrible…" Alfred gulped, he could sense the seriousness of the situation. Before he could implore for more details, Matthew started speaking again. "Someone… w-was shot…" Alfred blinked. This time, tears forming in his eyes. Just enough to obliterate his vision. Yet not falling off, much like the way the two brothers tried to hang onto whatever shard of hope they still had despite having almost everything taken away from them.
"S-Stay put, Matthew. I'm coming to get you." Alfred's own voice was almost incoherent at this point, though he knew had to be strong for both his brother and himself. Hanging up, he started running in the direction of his brother's school. His brother's school was on the left side of their apartment while his was on the right. At the very most, the distance between either school to the apartment was only a mile.
Alfred had to reach Matthew, fast. He couldn't leave his brother alone. He was thankful that his athleticism came in handy, since he had always felt useless for most of the time. At least this time, just this once, he could do something in return. This was one of those opportunities that allowed Alfred to actually be able to do something. But at the same time, he felt horrible. Yes he could comfort Matthew, but so what? It's not like he'll be able to undo the shooting. He couldn't possibly undo what happened all those years ago. He couldn't change the past.
Still, Alfred wanted to do what he could do. Nearing the corner, his breath hitched as he saw a large mob of people standing outside the school; comforting each other. And there his brother was; outside of the circle, his messy fringe covering his face. Alfred stopped dead in his tracks. And then he ran towards Matthew, arms outstretched; pulling him in for an embrace. A hiccup escaped Matthew's lips as he buried his face in Alfred's shoulder. Tousling Matthew's hair gently, Alfred spoke, "It's alright, I'm here…"
After stepping back a few steps, Matthew looked straight into Alfred's eyes, his own violet ones glimmering. "Thank you," He muttered, the irrepressible sincerity of every word clearly displayed. And Alfred could feel every bit of it. He beckoned for Matthew to follow him as they set off towards the direction of their apartment, leaving the large mob of people behind, for their struggle was one no one besides them could truly grasp. The air between the two of them was filled with sorrow of the past but they knew that it would slowly condense into an unimpassioned fragment of memory as time passed.