Teardrops show through the pouring rain when your brother leaves you alone when he tried to save you. ONESHOT.
Italics - Flashback
The day he did that changed my life. And his, for that matter. Actually, his slipped by so fast I couldn't see it. It was all a blur.
The lights sizzled and everything fell dark. I could feel him shaking. Or was that me? We were so close, it was hard to tell. I could see people huddled behind turned over chairs and tables, even in the shadows. The door slammed open, and gunshots flew everywhere. People dropped and were left for dead, even the people who actually had a chance of surviving. After about a minute, me and my twin, we were two of the few that actually hadn't been hit. Then the gunman slowly came forward…
I looked sat on the step of my home, while it poured with rain, and I felt presence behind me.
'Is this place taken?' came a soft, gentle voice, which I soon realised was Maddie.
'Go ahead. The person who used to sit there is gone anyway.' I said, blinking slowly.
'Cody…' Maddie trailed off. 'I don't want to say anything. I'm scared I'll make it worse.' She swallowed as she sat.
'Nothing could make it worse than it already. I'm even more alone than I was before. He was my only friend.'
'Buddy—'
'Don't call me that!' I said sharply.
As he moved slowly forward, I could feel Zack's breath tickling my neck.
'I'm scared.' He whispered.
'Shh.' I said, trying to duck down further, our backs leaning against the couch we'd turned over.
'Come out; come out, wherever you are…' The gunman spoke softly.
Though it would sound the three little pigs all over again when he said that, it still made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It sounded eerie and seemed to echo in my head. My own breathing mixed with my brother's and felt faint when the gunman crept towards us. We gasped as the couch as ripped from our backs and fell back onto the floor, with the gunman's creepy face right in ours. He pointed the gun at my chest, but there was a weight and darkness on me before the gun went off. I didn't know what happened…
Maddie sighed, but didn't push it. 'Cody…he wasn't your only friend. You have me…a-and London…a-an-and…and Max, and Tapeworm. We're your friends.'
'It's not the same. He was my twin, Maddie! I can't just let that go!' I said, turning away from her.
'Cody…I know you miss him, really I do.' I was angry. I didn't just miss him, I missed Mom, I missed all the people who were killed. It wasn't just Zack, Mom was dead, Arwin was dead, Esteban was dead…there were so many people.
'Hmm…not who I was aiming for, but he'll do.' I heard the gunman murmur. I heard him walk off, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I realised that there was something on top of me, or rather, someone. I rolled them off of me and looked at their face.
'Oh, my…Oh, my…Oh, my God! Someone help! Please! Zack!!' I cried at my lifeless brother.
No-one helped. The only people in the room were us, the gunman, and the people who were dead, or close to dying. I shook my brother, but he didn't do anything.
'Zack…' I pleaded, hoping that a breath, a word, anything would miraculously happen.
I laid my head on his chest, feeling for a heartbeat. I couldn't find one. 'No, no, no…' I carried on like this for a good 10 seconds. I heard more gunshots and looked up, watching as Mom fell onto the floor. Everything was going so wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this…
'You don't know anything!' I shouted, as London came over. It was surprising that she actually knew what had happened with her intellect. She sat down on the other side of me and they both hugged me. I don't know why, but I felt warm with both their arms wrapped around me. It was as if Zack and Mom were hugging me like they used do.
'Zack and Carey were very special to us, Cody. We both know that they meant more to you, but everyone in Boston lost a relative or friend or something along those lines. No-one got away without being scarred, even if they weren't shot.' London said. She's never said anything like that before. It was quite touching really.
'You saved me, Cody. You saved a person's life. I know you didn't save your family, but me and London are willing to be as close as want us to be.' Maddie said, comfortingly.
I never got to really tell Zack everything I always wanted to say. I slowly got up from my sitting position on the floor next to my twin, and walked to near where the gunman was pointing his gun at the Candy Counter. He shot twice at the counter itself. The glass shattered everywhere and I could now see Maddie hiding, or trying to hide, behind it. Shards of glass stuck into her skin and mine, which added to the blood already on me, belonging to my brother.
'Hey!' I shouted, getting his attention.
He turned round, as Maddie got up quietly and gave me a look which crossed with worry and a 'What are you doing?' gaze.
'What do you want?' he said, sounding bored.
'I want you to kill me.' I said, looking darkly at him.
'Cody, no!' Maddie screamed, as I walked slowly forward.
We both ignored her as he continued looking at me sceptically. I thought he was considering it for a moment, but he wasn't.
'I don't kill anyone who pleads for death.' He said, looking at me pityingly.
'Why not? I thought your aim was to kill as many as possible.' I said to him, as Maddie slowly walked near to where I was.
'It is. But only the ones I want to kill.'
'You wanted to kill me! You said 'Not the one I was aiming for, but he'll do.' You wanted to kill me!' I screamed.
'The only person I want to kill right now is…' he paused. 'Her!' He pointed his gun at Maddie and shot. I didn't know what I was doing…I just wanted to be with my brother…so I jumped…sudden pain…
I touched my small scar on my stomach through my clothes. I hadn't known what I had been doing, but when I got shot, I almost felt at peace. A tear that had wanted to fall eventually met the floor.
'Oh, Cody…' Maddie pulled me close to her, and I knew at once we were both thinking about what happened next.
'Damn it.' The killer whispered, just so I could hear.
'You…you little…' Maddie lunged at him, knocking him over. The gun fell out of his hands and skidded near me. I picked up the small pistol and aimed at the gunman. I shot and prayed that my target was the one I shot. Maddie rolled away from him, as he grew limp. She gasped and looked at me. I ignored her stare and crawled over to my brother again.
'Zack…Zack, you can wake up now. He's gone. He's gone now, Zack. You can wake up.' I whispered, lying over my twin.
I heard Maddie behind me. 'Zack…stop pretending. I know you're alive…because twins aren't supposed to leave each other…wake up!'
I felt Maddie wrap her arms around my chest, careful not to touch my wound. She pulled me away from Zack, as the energy left in me began to take hold.
'No! Let me go! I have to get my brother!' I screamed at her, as paramedics burst through the door and some lifted Zack into a body bag.
'Zack's dead, Cody. I'm so sorry.' Maddie said, as her tears fell into my hair.
It suddenly came to me. My brother was dead. Truly dead. My twin was dead. My other half was dead. He was never coming back. I would never see his eyes happy again. I would never fight with him again. I would never play pranks with him again. I would never touch him again…
'I'll never see Zack again. I'll never see Mom again.' I kept repeating the same words over and over as Maddie rocked me back and forth. I was crying. I knew she was too.
'It's alright, Cody. It's alright…'
'It'll never be alright, Maddie. I've lost my family.'
'I'll be your family. And London. And Max, and Tapeworm. We love you.'
I didn't stop crying for a long time.
It was still raining.
I know, I'm very, very, very, very, very sorry that Zack had to die, and Carey, and Arwin, and Esteban...and everyone else!...but I like tragedy! I'm sorry. Please review!