"Genesis"

Chapter 2

Krystal screamed, I locked my arms protectively around her, pulling her away from the car doors and into the middle of the seat. As the two vehicles impacted so we were thrown against the backs of the front seats and into the far side panels. When my world finally stopped rocking I raised my head. Krystal lay slumped upon the floor. I moved forward and winced with pain. Something wet trickled down the side of my face and I had acquired a thumping headache. Forcing myself to ignore the hurt in my head I reached down to Krystal and was relived to see her eyes start to flicker open. Dazedly she blinked and I watched as the pupils dilated before coming into focus.

"W..w..what happened, Jay?" she asked.

"Another car hit us," I replied. "Are you okay?"

She sat up carefully. "I think so. Just a bit sore." And as if to prove the point she began to rub her arm. She looked at me and her eyes clouded with shock. "Jay... you're hurt," she exclaimed and moved her hand towards my head.

"Ouch! Don't touch... that's sore." I said cringing back and raising my own hand to my head to check out the damage. My fingers came away wet and sticky. I groaned as the ache got worse. I turned, hearing Krystal rummaging around in the glove box and winced again as my ribs protested against the movement. "Great!" I muttered, "That's all I need with the basketball season coming up. A few cracked ribs..."

"Got it!" called Krystal as she waved the small first aid kit that mother kept in the car in the air. She scrambled back over towards me and proceeded to empty the contents onto the seat. Before I could object she had soaked a piece of gauze in antiseptic and was attempting to swab at the cut on my scalp.

"Arghh!" I yelped as the stuff began to sting. I vainly swatted her away.

"I have to clean the wound or it will get infected," said Krystal looking hurt.

"I don't care!" I retorted. "Let it get infected, just stay away from me with that stuff, it hurts more than the cut!" I raised my hand over my head protectively.

Krystal pouted and then her look softened. "I'm sorry, Jay. I didn't realise it would sting so much. I didn't want to hurt you, I was only trying to help..." her voice quavered as it hushed.

I looked at my sister and saw just how scared she was and sighed. This was her way of dealing with the shock of what had just happened. "It's gonna be okay. I promise," I said and reaching forward I took her hand in mine and squeezed, then I tilted my head for her. "Go ahead, fix it up." I gritted my teeth as she continued with the clean up of my head.

The doors to the bank burst open and the ear piercing wail of an alarm cut through the air. Two men who appeared to be guards came running down the steps and ran into the carpark. Each banished a gun and was looking wildly around. Watching them my blood ran cold and an uneasy feeling rose in the pit of my stomach. Then I was staring into a pair of pale blue eyes that were wide with fright.

"Where's mom, Jay? What's happening? Why doesn't mom come back? Jay... I'm scared."

Krystal looked at me, waiting for answers that I didn't have as tears began to slide down her face. I hugged her close to me, my muscles jerked involuntarily as she pressed against my sore ribs, but I ignored the pain and pulled her closer, trying to soothe her troubled heart and willing my mother to come to us.

Krystal suddenly stiffened and screamed. I turned to see the face of one of the 'guards' at the window behind me. The guard motioned for us to wind the window down. I shook my head. "No." I mouthed.

He looked a bit annoyed and motioned to the door again.

Once more I shook my head in defiance and pulling Krystal with me, I scooted across to the other side of the seat where I proceeded to exchange angry glares with the guy.

He changed tack and tried wheedling tactics, using a soft, tempting voice. "Come on son... open the door. We aren't going to hurt you but you need some help."

A voice that I recognised graced my ears and I stared around trying to locate the owner. Then the face of my father's co-worker and friend appeared at the window.

"Come on, Jay... Krystal... Open the door and let's get you fixed up. It's Uncle Howard. Remember me? I came to your place for dinner last week. Come on, open up, I won't let any one hurt you," he spoke in a quiet, calm voice.

My head began to throb more and all I wanted was my mother. Tears broke from behind dark lashes and ran unchecked down my face. I reached for and unlocked the door.

Big strong arms encircled me and lifted me from the vehicle. Hands gently began to explore the extent of my injuries as I huddled closer to that warm chest and let the tears flow. I raised my tear stained face and looked for Krystal. She was in the care of an elderly looking lady.

"Uncle Howard?"

"Yes, Jay?"

"Where is our mother?"

"Umm. She's inside the bank, Jay."

I noted the tremor in his voice as he spoke. Something was wrong. "What about dad? Is he in the bank too?" I managed to say.

Uncle Howard looked at me really funny and cleared his throat. Even so, when he spoke his voice was huskier and thick with emotion. "They are both in there, Jay, together..."

"I want to see them..." I struggled to get out of the restraining arms.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Jay," said Uncle Howard.

"Something's wrong... why wont you let me see them? Why don't they come out here to us?" I demanded and tried again to break free. " I WANT MY PARENTS!" I screamed, and with a twist I managed to slip from those arms and as soon as my feet hit the ground I was running.

I dodged a couple of guards and made it to the doors, I grasped the door with both hands and pulled hard. The door opened and I shot inside before anyone could stop me. The doors shut softly behind me and I quickly darted into the shadows unseen. I looked around as my eyes adjusted to the gloom, the coolness of the air touched my skin causing an involuntary shiver. Quiet... everywhere was quiet. I could hear people talking in subdued whispers and from far off there came sounds of sirens. I made my way forwards, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection. There was a crowd of people up ahead. They were gathered together. I inched closer.

I heard the doors open again and saw Howard enter, I melted back into the shadows. I caught snatches of the conversation within the group.

"Such a waste... No need for this to have happened... Why them... Those poor children... Yes, those poor little mites... Who's going to look after them?... Who's going to tell them?..."

Confused, the thoughts ran through my head, What did they mean? Who were they talking about? Once more I began my forward journey. A couple of people in the group moved and I managed to get a look at what lay on the ground...

Stunned at what I saw I could only stand with my mouth opening and closing in mute protest at what my eyes were telling me. Finally I found my voice... "NO!" I screamed and then everything went dark.

When I came around I was lying on a couch in a small room with a cloth over my forehead and a smiling lady was sitting next to me. I groaned. She reached across and removed the cloth.

"Glad to see you are awake young man. You gave us all quite a fright there."

I looked into her kind, brown eyes. "M..m...mom?" I whispered.

The lady touched my arm briefly. "There's someone who wants to see you, and someone else who wishes to speak to you," she said quietly and then moved towards the door.

A small, blonde whirlwind engulfed me and I cried out in pain as my ribs received yet another bruising.

"Sorry," said Krystal. "Are you all right? I was so worried about you Jay. I was feeling all these funny things inside and then you disappeared."

I knew exactly what she meant. I felt her pain just as she felt mine. The curse of our connection I suppose. I looked up as Uncle Howard entered, he wore a look of disbelief and pain on his face. I could sense unease radiating from him and instinctively pulled Krystal closer.

Krystal stared at him. "Uncle Howard?" she questioned.

He sighed wearily as he sat down next to us. Absently he ran his fingersthrough his hair and then began to clench and unclench his hands. Sadly he looked from one to the other of us and choosing his words carefully, in a shaky voice he began. "There's no easy way to say this kids, believe me I have tried to find one. I just don't know how to begin..."

I reached forward and touched my hand to his arm. He looked at me, eyes pooled with unshed tears. "It's mom and dad, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"Something awful has happened to them, hasn't it?"

He swallowed, hesitated, then nodded again.

I hung my head.

"There were two guys... they tried to rob the bank. Your... your father wouldn't open the safe so they took a hostage and said they would shoot if he didn't. He went to open the vault but something went wrong and the hostage got shot. Y...y...your father tried to tackle the thieves but the gun went off again..." Howard covered his face as fluid ran from his eyes. "I'm sorry kids... I'm so sorry..."

Krystal stared at me. "What does that mean, Jay?" she asked in a whisper.

I shook my head. "Uncle Howard... who was the hostage?"

No reply

"It was our mother, wasn't it?"

The man slumped forward as his tears flowed unchecked... "I tried to save her... and your father..."

Beside me Krystal turned as white as a sheet and gripped my arm tightly. I looked at her trying to come to terms with what I was hearing, but failing.

"Mom and dad... they aren't... they're... Oh god, NO!" screamed Krystal as the truth hit home, then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out.

Numbly I tried to understand the information. Mum and dad... gone. They would never come home to us again. No more hugs in the morning, no more bedtime stories, no more trips to the park, no more snuggling up on the couch as we watched tv together, no more cheery smiles or swings onto my dad's shoulders... We were orphans... Our parents taken... I wasn't aware of my tears until the moisture splashed upon my hands that now lay clenched in my lap.

I flexed my hands, those bastards... they would pay... one day I would make them pay for what they had done. In the space of a few minutes my world had been pulled apart and shattered, two of the three things that were dearest to me ripped from my life and all that was left was this void.

Sobs wracked my body. I was aware of arms encircling me, but I beat at them with my fists, taking out my anger and grief in the physical way. The arms stayed and took my pummelling until exhausted, I could neither fight nor cry any more. Hands soothed my brow and stroked my hair, then mercifully darkness came to claim me again.

tbc...