Unknown Vengeance

Preamble

“Falen,” she whispers, “Falen please.” I tilt my head to the side, who is this Falen she pleads for?

I lift my gun higher, positioning it for a direct hit into her head. Her wide eyes stare back at me, pleading…just as they all did.

“Look what they've done to you, don’t you remember me?” She questions silently, almost as if she’s wishing the answer to be ‘no’.

I continue to stare, they’d all asked that.

“Look at me,” was I not looking at her, “you can’t tell me that you don’t know who I am. Tell me that you know. Tell me.” She grew more desperate as the seconds past.

I felt nothing; I didn't feel sorry for her, for any of them. They deserved it, I don’t know what they did wrong, but I knew they deserved death.

“My name is Tara, Tara Rush.” Why was she telling me this? I didn’t care to know her name; I didn’t know any of their names. Why should I?

I swiftly clicked a bullet into place, the movement too quick for her to catch but the noise anything but quiet. Her heart quickened as she registered the sound.

“Your name is Falen,” she paused as if allowing me to ponder her words. My name isn't Falen, why does she call me that. “Falen Rush.”

“H…his name was Dominic Rush. He was my husband. We had 4 children.” Four! The number caught me off guard but my face remained unchanged. I wasn't told about 4 children, only 2. She eyed me, almost as if she could hear what I was thinking. “Juliet was our oldest, Edmond and Demond our middle two and twins.” Twins! So, one was still alive. How could this be? Why didn't they tell me this?

“Where is he?” I spoke for the first time. Her eyes glistened and she gasped.

“Y---they killed him.” I didn't miss how she choked up over the word ‘you’.”

“No,” I shook my head taking a step closer, “you said twins. I didn't kill two boys, only one. He was short, dark curly hair and blue eyes.”

A tear escaped her eye; she didn’t bother to swat it away as more followed, “Demond.”

Chapter 1

11:51pm

The vibrant, red numbers of my alarm clock stared back at me, tauntingly. I wanted to scream at them to slow down. To stop changing, it was getting much too close. I’d sat on the edge of my bed and watched every 0 turn into 1 and every 1 turn into a 2 for the last 51 minutes. Every time it flickered, I’d shut my eyes tight and reopen them believing that maybe I’d just been seeing things. But, the number would never go back, only forward. Always forward.

11:52pm

I shut my eyes, willing time to go back, praying for some supernatural miracle, only to slowly will them open to the fiery light of 11:52. 11:51 long gone and hidden inside. I’d thought to break the clock, throw it across the room and let it smash into thousands of little pieces with the thought that 11:51 would magically pop up again. I debated to turn the time back myself and watch it become 11:52 again, only to keep doing that. But even I knew that time would just continue on somewhere else. No matter how tempting that seemed. Maybe I’d do that when 11:59 came so 12:00 would never come around.

11:53pm

If it wasn't for what was to happen tomorrow night, then maybe I wouldn't have such a huge aversion to time reaching 12:00. I wonder if anyone else was as scared as me. I knew there were going to be at least 100 of us in attendance tomorrow night, all of us waiting for our future to be decided. I could have chosen to sit in front of the clock tomorrow before it was time to leave, but I know that once 12:00 hits then there really is no turning back. I just have to face whatever comes.

11:54pm

I’m scared to leave my family, but once the time comes tomorrow, I won’t see them anymore except when it is allowed, which I've learned is only 3 times in the year you are gone. So, you have to choose those 3 times wisely. I don’t know anything about what will happen tomorrow night because they don’t tell anyone. There is no way to prepare for it, they give you nothing but a time and place and expect you to be there. The only times they have are January 1st, May 1st, and September 1st. The place is different for each date though. The only thing we’re all informed with is what we grow up knowing. Your date is already set depending on when you’re born. They only happen on those days, no exceptions.

11:55pm

I was born April 26th, exactly 5 days ago. I’d turned 17, the age you have to be to qualify, if you can say that. So, if you were born May 2nd-August 31st you must be in party for September 1st, September 2nd-December 31st then you must attend January 1st and anybody born January 2nd-April 31st must attend the May 1st. So, the date of my birth, they’d come in and handed my Mother the papers, the place not included. You don’t find that out until the morning of.

11:56pm

It’s only been rumored, so nobody knows for sure. But, if somebody doesn't show up on the date they were given then they are taken hostage and murdered. It’s never been confirmed though because nobody speaks of what happens at the place they go. Some just don’t remember. My parents went when they were younger, but they remember nothing of what happens or so they say. They also went 3 years ago with my sister, Juliet. She’d turned 17 August 16th. On the morning of September 1st someone came by the house and dropped off a package. Nobody saw who it was.

11:57pm

It was a box, inside was the location of where they were supposed to go and directions to get there. They wouldn't tell me as I sat on the bottom stairs watching, I was 14 at the time. Juliet then carried the box into the bathroom, my parents ushered me away before I could find out what was inside. They left that night at about 9’ leaving me and my younger brothers in the hands of our neighbor Mrs. James. They didn't come back until the next morning at about 6. Juliet was not with them. I’d asked them where she went, but they just told me to never ask again. Juliet came home last year at the end of December. She was different; I know she was away for 2 years but there was so much more different about her.

11:58pm

“Falen,” I looked up briefly from the clock before focusing back on the flashing numbers. “Are you afraid?” She asked. I felt the bed shift slightly as she sat down beside me.

“Yes,” I said lowly almost afraid to admit it. She didn't laugh though or mock me for my fears. Instead she picked up my sweaty palm and squeezed it between both of hers.

“I was too.” I froze at her words, shifting my eyes to her face. Her eyes were closed and she seemed deep in thought. I didn't bother to ask her to elaborate knowing that she couldn't. It was forbidden to speak anything of what happened on your date or before, even something as small as telling me her fears.

I replaced my sights on the clock begging it not to change within my mind. “I don’t want to leave.” I said breaking the silence.

“You’ll be brave.”

11:59pm

Juliet left without another word. I stared at the closed door wishing more than anything that she'd come back and tell me what to expect. That she'd tell me what was going to happen. But, I knew no matter how much I wished or hoped, she wasn't going to come back and say anything. I was to go in blind like every other kid, we'd all face the unknown together.

One minute left, I felt as if the clock was taunting me. Dragging this minute out longer than the others as I continuously glanced at it. I knew I should be sleeping but I was much to anxious. I'd never been away from my family for an extending period of time. I went to a summer camp when I was 9 but that was only for 2 weeks and I came home after the 4th day because I was homesick. So, I was not only scared but I was incredibly afraid that I would make a fool out of myself. What 17 year old gets sick because they're away from home? I can't think of one, unless you count me of course.

I imagined the clock turning back 10 minutes, then 10 days, 10 years. Until, I didn't have to worry about leaving. I've never understood what the purpose of this was, why they made us leave? Why couldn't we just stay with our families and have normal lives. 

12:00am