Prologue

Four brothers loving, laughing, and fighting together as a family. No one could be so happy. The bond we shared would never be torn apart. Even through betrayal we still remained strong. No one could ever predict our future. So as lay dying by myself all I can think about is their deaths and how soon I’ll rejoin them. This is our story of Valor and winning against the odds. Close to death, my memories comeback to me. This is my story that will last for ages to come. Actually, to be more precise, this is our story.
“Come on guys lets’ play outside!” said Dunn. He’s the loud mouth of the group. Though he is selfish and begs for the limelight, he means good. Also, he’s known as the badass of the group. Always wanting to be like Rambo after he saw the movie. “It’ll be the death of him,” we always tell him. He never listens. “Lets play…. ARMY MAN!!!” said Dunn. Me, being unselfish for him I ask Jabari, “Do you have any games you wanna play? You never decide what game we play.” He just shook his head “No”. Jabari was the newcomer of the group. He moved from Africa, and his name means brave and fearless. To be honest, he lived brave and fearless. However, he also lived to be a genuine guy and to be the funniest guy you’ll ever meet. Dunn was the funniest at the time.
“Hey, I call recon guys!’’ said Mac. Still, even in death I haven’t figured out Mac. Even though I knew him his whole life. The ‘’lady killer’’ of the group, and the smart-ass. From the angriest to the happiest guy in the blink of an eye. If life was a superhero comic and he chose to be bad. He’d be the worst villain ever, even worse than the Joker. So thank god he chose to be the person who was there when no one else was.
“Jabari and I will be the infantry team… I mean if you want Jabari?” I asked. “Yeah, I don’t mind actually.” As soon as I was about to say something, I was interrupted by Dunns’ foolishness but then again, we were just kids then. Soon enough we’d become men, so I guess we had enjoyed our childhood. “BOOM, IM RAMBOOO!” says, Dunn. Responsively I say with a sigh, “God, you watch to much Sylvester Stallone Dunn.” Angrily he yells, “I AM THE LAW!” Then he tries to break down a fake door and falls on his face. Jabari looks at me and says, “Look at Mac, he looks yell at Dunn.” Laughing I say, “Agreed” and together we count down and realize that Dunn’s embarrassing him in front of a girl across the street. “DUNN SHUT UP IM TRYING TO GIVE HER MY LOOK!”
Hoping to attract her attention, he ends up making himself like a fool. Laughing at Mac, we all decide to go inside and watch TV… Worst mistake of our lives.
As we walk through the front door we see my mom is crying and my dads face filled with fear. It scared me even more cause my dad never gets scared. “What’s going on?’ I say with my voice faltering. My parents’ turn toward me quickly. My mothers’ red, tearing eyes look towards us. I could tell she was trying to pull herself together. However, unable to, she falls into my fathers arms. My dad who was staring at the ground, stares at us. He says, to my friends,” You guys need to go home.” I look at my friends in wonder, sadness, fear, and anger. They all look at each other and then at me. I know they had the same reaction, and then they left for the door. I look at my father who is again looking at the ground. My father kissing my mothers head trying to not only comfort her but himself as well. Still standing in front of the door, I could hear people screaming from the TV. I ran toward the TV to see what was happening. This would haunt me for the rest of my life and there would be nothing I could do about it. People scream in terror, trampling over each other only to save themselves. People running as if trying to find a safe places… that don’t exist. My Dad steps in front of me and tells me to go upstairs. Then we hear these words that ended the chaos, and created total Anarchy.
“Oh my god, oh my god. What’s that dropping from the sky?” I look toward my dad and ask, “Where is this happening?” He takes a slight pause and responds, “It’s New York.” The man on the TV screams in his final moments, and my mother cries even harder. In an instant the object lands and all of New York was gone. The TV goes blank and we lose power. My father holds my mom and I to protect us. The house was shaking vigorously and then it just stopped. I push myself away from my father and run out the door. I never knew where I was going or where I would go. I just kept running, running, and running. I crash to the ground and begin to cry uncontrollably. There were so many tears that I could have watered the grass. I look up at the sky in search for a faulty god to give a sign. I received nothing and so I was slapping myself to wake up thinking that this was a dream. That was the first stage of my grief… Denial.
Six days later, without a single glimpse of my future brothers, without a single smile or laugh. Six days later without a single word said, only pure silence. Maybe from time to time, a faint sound of my mother crying again and again. Even if my parents were in the same room as I was. I’ve never felt so alone, by myself in darkness without light to guide me. Once again, I find myself thinking of the tragedy that struck the world.  The explosion that trembled my house that could have fell on top of us. The tears of my mother that could have represented each person’s inevitable death. With the fear in my fathers face, thinking about what could have been his families’ fate. These haunting memories kept us awake for several nights. The people running and screaming in terror, trampling of each other despite how useless it was. However, the one memory I’d never get out of my head was a child. A dirty, blond child with tears streaming out down her face, and like everyone else, screaming. Not for god to save her but screaming for her parents. Calling their names endlessly and sadly her parents were gone. With no hope left, she stared at the ground and then looked up to the cameraman who was asking what was falling from the sky. She just stared at what felt like me, with the green explosion behind her. Then that’s when the TV went blank and we lost power. Every time I closed my eyes, all I was that child, asking me to save her from the end.  I try and suppress these feelings one more time and start to close my eyes. Then suddenly the TV flickers, as if trying to come to life to tell us something. For a few minutes it buzzes and a dark hooded figure appears. It tries to say something that is very unclear, and then hauntingly it says, “We are here.”
All of us were in a state of flux, as none of us knew what or who that was. Then as my father went to mouth something to me the rest of the house comes alive. I looked around the room confused, taking in the light I haven’t seen in six days. I looked around my house, dazed and feeling as if I was going to fall over. I, for some reason, couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel anything. My senses were gone but slowly come back to me. I heard my fathers’ faint voice yelling at me, telling me to call an ambulance. I looked toward him and I saw my mother huddled in the corner frightened and unable to cope with the devastation. The dark hooded man on the TV screen. I quickly called the ambulance, but the phones were busy. I tried calling over and over, until my father said “Here take the keys get to the car, NOW!” I asked why unable to see reason and me being stupid. Angrily, he told me, “Start the damn car and wait for me.” I did as I was told, I ran as fast as I could to the car. I started the car and climbed to the passenger seat. He came running out of the house and in a second, he was already at the car. He opened the back door and laid my mother down who had fainted when I left the house. He kissed her hoping the kiss would help her. We rushed to the hospital as fast as we could, but it felt like the ride took forever. We reached the hospital the doctors took her. My father and I sat in the lobby waiting for the doctor to tell us she was ok. He came up with an idea to ease our stress, so we went and got some pizza across the street.
We had a great time and some how, it felt as if this brought us closer together cause we knew we had each other. After all the fun, we headed back to the hospital in hope to see my mother there at the front door. My father lead the way but I walked beside him standing as tall as him in hopes to be like him. I looked up toward him, and then looked forward to see the doctor standing before us. My dad looked directly into his eyes and said,  “My wife is fine isn’t she. She’s strong she was only scared, right.” The doctor said stuttering, “Um your wife she is strong but…” Responding with cracks in his voice, he said, “But what?”
Taking off his glasses the doctor said,” I’m severely sorry sir, but your wife is dead, while she was unconscious or so you thought she was dead. When you told me she was shaking before you got to car, she was having a seizure. Due to shock over recent events, it took a toll on her. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Days later, at her funeral, I stand in front of a casket that now hold my moms lifeless body. Standing in the rain with Dunn, Jabari, and Mac letting the rain soak our suits. I feel Macs pressed on my back, I see him open his mouth in an attempt to make me feel better. However, he closes it right away and turns around slowly, takes a deep breath and walks away. Dunn says, “We should leave him alone guys, lets go.” I let them take a few steps and tell them to wait. They walked back to me, and I started to break down and they hugged me. I looked to find in the distance that Mac was looking at us. He looked to the ground then back up at us. Both our eyes met and Mac mouthed, ”I’m sorry Kev,” Then walks away once again. Finally, we end the long hug as well as tears. I asked them to go because I wanted to be alone. I stood in the rain with my hand on her casket. I talked as if she could hear me, like she was alive and well with me. I told her I was sorry for taking her for granted, sorry for the arguments, and not telling her I loved her enough. That day, I realized what I had to do. I gladly welcomed my anger again and it never let left me. “I will find who or what did this Mom. I will avenge you and never stop hunting. I will never stop or give up on myself for you. I will be more than what anyone could predict. I will avenge you.”
  After that, I imagined that she said,” I will always be here in your heart, Maybe not in my own body but in your mind and memories. I love you.” I shed a tear and said, “I love you.” I turned away from the casket and walked away remembering her always and forever.
I walked to the exit of the graveyard, across the fresh green grass. Staring at the names as I walk passed the other graves. “Beloved father, beloved brother, mother, husband wife child.” I kept shedding tears but tears mixed with rain streaming down my face. As I reached the gates of death that everyone enters and some may never leave. I finally take my eyes of the ground and up at Mac. He hugs me and says, “I’m sorry I had to leave but just know I’m always here for you. I know she meant a lot to you. She meant a lot to me too.”
We walked home together, me without a word, and him telling jokes in an attempt to make me feel better.  Surprisingly, he never quit trying which made our bond stronger. I looked at him and said, “ Bro, not to sound mean, but stop. I’m tired I haven’t slept in a while. Don’t worry I’m fine, thanks.” Laughing he said, “You want me to carry you home?” We both laughed and carried on home, with smiles on our faces. Five minutes later, we arrived on the road to my house. I stopped suddenly as if I saw a ghost. Confused, Mac said, “Are you ok? What’s wrong dude?” I stared at him for a moment and smiled, I said, “Lets race to my house.” Questioning me he says, “What, no I’ll get wet, remember it raining.” Now with a bigger smile, I say jokingly, “What are you afraid of Mac? Is it cause you no you’ll lose?” He stares at me identifying my face knowing that I was pushing for him to race me. However, he was unsure whether or not he or I would win. I knew I deceived him and used his own competitiveness against him. He closes his umbrella and tells me, “You got me, but are you prepared to lose?” Something about made me feel free in my mind. Somehow this would make me become competitive as well. Mac and I would always try to out do each other, with everything. He lined himself next me, then went into a stance. “Ready?” I asked him and with a smirk, he says, “Always ready to beat you.” We looked to the “finish line” which was the curb that cuts off my yard into the road. We both looked at each other with readiness and the thirst to win. Now smiling, I say, “3,2,1… Go.” We take off running as fast as we can. It felt as if we’d rip through time itself, faster than the Flash himself. Even though I was just at my mothers’ funeral, I’ve never felt so alive. It’s only cause I knew that she was here with me, in my mind, body, and soul. Even though I stood over her casket crying, promising, and apologizing to her, made me realize she was still here. I realized, through anger, pain, and sadness that there was more. I knew that I would fall, I will bleed, I will shed tears and there is more pain ahead. However, it’s the memories that will keep me going, striving for a better future not for me but for others. Just as she did in her life, in which was making a better world for others. I realized once again that, she could live through me; I can embody her but maybe be better. My brothers in bond and arms, Mac, Jabari, and Dunn, made me keep this mentality. I was always wiser than how I acted. Secretly all this would be in my mind. My Mother, Father, and brothers the things I would fight for all my life. Forever.