Open Your Eyes (10 page)

Seth
had told Emma to wait for him outside the corner store near the front gates of
his school. He was going to a little late that day, but still he was going to
be there so they could both walk home together. They always did.

She
was worried though, she was a little small for her age, and often was bullied
by the older kids. He had told her she would be fine though; he wouldn’t be
long and the corner store was always safe. It would be safe enough for her.

Alas,
he was wrong.

He
put himself in front of the older kids. He told them to go away, to leave her
alone. They were older than him, bigger than him, so they didn’t.

As
the blows rained down upon Seth he told Emma to run. She didn’t. She couldn’t.
They held her as she watched her brother be beaten by a gang of teenage thugs,
all because he wanted them to leave his sister alone.

They
left him alone eventually, face battered and bruised, wrist broken. Seth spent
the next few days in hospital. Emma never left his side.

She
knew something changed in him that day. She tried to convince him that it
wasn’t his fault, that he didn’t mean to leave her alone that day. Still, he
wouldn’t listen; he let her down. He was going to let everyone down.

But
because of what he did, she was always going to be there for him.

Emma
opened the door to her brother’s room. He was already awake, lying back on his
bed, caught up in his covers and his nose buried in his mobile phone as usual.

Noticing
her presence, he puts it down next to him.

“Hey.”
he says to her.

“Hey.”

“You’re
alive.” Seth tells her.

“And
why wouldn’t I be?” She smirks; it quickly disappears. “I uh... I just needed
some time to think.”

“Understood.”

“So
how are you feeling?” she asks him.

“Still
a little down, but otherwise I’m OK. I’m stable.” A  moment. “I’m getting
better. I always get better after a while.”

“I’m
sorry for all the things I said.”

“You
don’t have to be. It’s just... it’s hard you know?”

“I
know. And I’m not jealous of you. I forget it’s always a struggle, a never
ending battle for you. I guess I was expecting too much of you. Way too much.
Superman never had to deal with this real life shit.”

“He
didn’t. But he put up with his own share of problems too. He had to. I don’t
know if I ever will.”

“I
think you will Seth, I think you will.” She gives him a reassuring smile. “So I
hear you’re going back to work?”

“Yeah.
I had enough of sulking at home. I’m seeing the boss later this week.”

“That’s
good.” A moment. “Do you want me to make you some breakfast?”

“Yes
please.” Seth says with a grin.

“Lazy
ass.”

Emma
laughs as she shuts the door behind her. Seth again reaches for his phone, only
to put it aside. Getting out of bed he goes to one of the piles of clothes
strewn about on the floor.

He
pulls one outfit out: the grey hoodie. Slips it on. Looks at himself in the
mirror. Pulls the hood over his head.

He’s
there for a while.

From
the kitchen, his sister calls out his name. Seth pulls off the hoodie, and
starts to make his bed.

The
scrambled eggs smelled good as Emma piled them onto the two plates. Seth was
already salivating at the thought of them; he hadn’t had a good meal for days.

“Do
you ever do this for Pete?” he asks her. “Cook him breakfast in the morning?

“Of
course I do. He loves it when I mother him.”

Putting
the hot frypan in the sink, Emma sits down across from Seth. From his pocket,
Seth very deliberately puts down a small pink pill in front of him.
Desvenlafaxine.

He
pours himself a glass of juice, pops the pill in his mouth, and washes it down.
Emma gives him a thumbs up in silent acknowledgment. They finally dig in to
breakfast.

“So
how’s the eggs?” she asks him.

“They’re
good.” Seth speaks, still chewing on them. “Really nice
mouth feel
.”

“Oh
shut up!”

Grabbing
the remote, Seth turns on the TV in the kitchen. Morning news: breaking news
about a terror cell in the suburbs being found. Explosives, bomb parts,
firearms uncovered. Seven bodies, all shot to death. No signs of entry or
escape, no explanation why. An apparent inside job...

Emma
looks to Seth, concern in her eyes.

“Did
you do this Seth?” she asks her brother.

“What?
No!” he protests.

She
stares at him, still not entirely convinced. Seth shakes his head furiously in
denial.

“No
Emma, I didn’t do this. I swear to God. I haven’t been out for days!”

She
turns back to the TV. “Then who did then?” she asks him.

“I
don’t know,” Seth tells her. “But I really want to find out.”

He
struggled to escape the ruins of the bunker. The fire inside him caused him
pain.

After
the blast, the hooded stranger’s power had somehow transferred into him, putting
his shattered body back together, bringing him back to life. What was inside that
stranger was now inside of him, and brought with it more. Much, much more.

The
fire inside him caused him pain, but he will soon see it released. He will find
that hooded stranger’s home and see it burnt down to its ashes.

He
had a new name. He was no longer The Scimitar. He chose a name more appropriate
of his rage, his vengeance. The pain. The fire burning inside.

“I
am
Jahannam
.” he muttered to himself. “And I will be his hell.”

Blink.

H.
J. Rethuan hails from the isolated city of Perth, Western Australia. A long
time writer, his first short novel, the romantic thriller “The Runaway
Assassin”, was released in May 2013.

Other Books and Short Stories by H.J. Rethuan

The Runaway Assassin

The Man From China              The Sky Is Falling

Rocket Rider   Two Killers

The Hunt For The Demon God Warrior

The Girl Between The Blooms

The Dragons & Machine Guns Series

Dragons & Machine Guns

Masters of the Sky

Queen

For more information, visit

hjrethuan.com