Who's really to blame? Pt. 2

Years pass and to the boards surprise, the day after their first physical encounter, the couple stormed out of the resort. Arm in arm. To make a new life for themselves far away from this lavish peninsulas coast. Beyond the town, county and even the republic. To a place hidden deep within a remote town that fed off of the land. A country town. A real back to basics transition of social living. A place where they were accepted as young adults taking a chance at love and happiness. With open arms to the small neighborhood took these strays in. Becoming part of their regular regime of this heaven on earth.

Siyah denounced his position, leaving the resort to his best friend Eladio. Venus gave her political powers up by using her enactment into adult to choose another path other than one of the predetermined contract. She just wanted to live a life of her choosing, not of their dreams. Siyah enrolled to become a town police offer, Venus became a teacher. Of course nowadays they go by their new names. Mr & Mrs Beck.

Nine years later, two kids (8 and 5), one dog and a hand-built ranch. Venus dropped her steaming mug of black coffee on the tiled floor when she caught the sound of her eldest child screaming "mommy!" from the back yard. She ran to the sinks window before calling her husband, who was in the attic, to get outside immediately. Her face flushing, hair whipping in the racing winds as she strode in her flowy night gown, she pushed aside hung wet clothing, searching for the source of the scream. As she broke into the other side, she notices her youngest child stiff in confusing fear, her eldest shaking their family dog. The dog heaves with a whistling exhale. Gurgling and red liquid flowing from its mouth. The golden hair singed amber. She peels the child from the hound, finding a small hole where the blood spurts from. John breaches, peeling his children back, picking them up in each arm.

That’s when the trouble started.

“No luck John. We couldn’t find or better yet, didn’t find anything out fo the ordinary on your property. We got boys who can stay here overnight just in case it was or is still intentional. We’re- “The sheriff depresses in confusing. “not sure who or what or why. There’s a hole in the pup but no bullet. No exit wound. Your kids said they only heard the pleading whine from the pup and then the poor thing falling. There’s no tracks in the tree linings, we got scouts searching these ways back-“ John cuts the officer off.

“It’s okay Gerald. I know, they will scout, I’ll get 24-hour protection, we appreciate it all. We really do.” John extends a hand, grasping the sheriffs firmly.

“Take the next two days off buddy. The station will be fine for 48 hours. You’ll be with your kids. Be with your wife. Okay?”

John nods in agreeance. The sun beats down on the commotion on Red Oak Drive. The neighbors visited one by one, stopped by officers before let through to family. John dealt with the questions and released himself from the pressing questions. In the kitchen he found his wife cleaning the staining coffee from the grout in a nervous manner. Swashing around a soapy bucket, knelt on all fours, vigorously terrorizing the black grout with a black brush until it turned back white.

“Venus- “

“That’s not my name John. You know that.” She threw the brush in the bucket. Kicking up water that drooled to the floor. The bottom most of her gown soaked as she kneels.

“June.”

She didn’t answer, she just continued to clean.

John looked around, something was off.

“June?” He asked with caution. “Where are the kids?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions. The sheriff told me to send them to the neighbors. He told me you already knew; they will stay with him for the night. They think someone is after you. They could- “

A moment passed where they both fell silent. In an instant June kicks the bucket as she rose to a scrambling stand. Somethings wrong. That’s when John played the final couple words from the sheriff back in his head.

‘You’ll be with your kids. Be with your wife.’

June crushes her stopping arm against the wall as she rips the receiver from its handle to dial 911.

“Hello!?” She yells into the mic as the ringing stops.

John races to the fireplace mantle, punching in a code hidden behind the false light switch. The family picture pivots out, like a door, he opens the paintings hidden back cabinet. Hidden weaponry. Equipping a packed double breast holster, he grabs two extra clips of ammo which he shoves in between his crotches' skin and belt loop. After he breaks into the closet to grab his over coat and a shotgun laying within the hollow floor panels, he holds it by one hand. The front door cracks open.

“Where is the sheriff, Danny?! If he’s there, stop him! He has my kids!” June drops the phone to chase after John.

The police station is vacant upon their arrival. Trooper cars that look like they’ve been abandoned. The front glass doors bricked open. Desks cleared of individuals. The phone, Danny the front desk man, left off the hook. A disconnected tone blaring through he wired receiver. That’s was the only sound other than their light breathing and cautious footsteps.

“What the hell?” John says from the farther point of the precinct. June makes her way over to him. With her chin pressed to his arm they both stare at the written over white board. It reads:

“Happy 31st birthday Venus.

- Redd.”

John shakes with anger. His pistols juggled by his rapid breathing.

“What does it mean?” He balls his fist, spinning to grab his wife by the upper arms. “Where are our children and what does- how do they know your real name?!

“We know everything about her Siyah.” The sheriff enters from the deep extent of the single floor plan. A out of sight hallway where he approaches, but not too close, with both of their children under his wing. “You as well.”

They stand cross room, separated by a line of desks. John yells over June as she reaches for her cowering children, their mouths taped shut, arms in zip ties.

“Honey, - “her voice whimpers “mommy is going to keep you safe just hold on, okay? I promise- “

“What the fuck is this, Gerald! You let go of my babies now!” John rips his button up open, grasping a right-handed pistol, actioning the hammer as he keeps the sheriff’s forehead in the line of sight.

“You don’t have the stomach for it poster boy.” His snarky reply dug into John. “Siyah Starr, the last piece to the puzzle. But you never could see the real picture.” John was questionable, the sheriff smirks, John lowers his weapon. Visually pacing, checking the extent of the room. “Or did the love of your life not tell you why she even chose your private villa to celebrate her birthday? She was part of the board, there was no reason to visit a place she was destined for the entire time.”

John looks down at his softly clinging wife. Unresponsive, she shakes her head in disbelief.

“Go on Venus. Give him a taste of your flytrap. What happens on your 21st birthday? You don’t just get put onto a legacy board by chance. Tell him about the contract. Son you are in possession of the one thing we can use to always win the war against-”

“No!” Her voice fights the muck of truth blasting from this towering cowboy’s accent. “You shut up with your superstition! That's not real! I took no oath! There's no evidence!”

Now confusion consumes John. He becomes internally absent. Gerald continues.

“The first mission forces you find every aspect worth living for. And then realizing it will all- comes to an end. Just to begin again but this time, care free and invincible. But there's a price. And we all find out that price and make a choice out of the ultimatum. The point in the first and only mission is to become the building that still stands when it all, falls, down. And now it's your time.”

The lights drowned. Well, that’s how it felt to Siyah and Venus as they became stuck by flying sedative syringe. Venus remembered a hazmat suit made of red lugging her through the precinct on a stretcher. She woke inside of a cold slow flowing of water slowly and groggy. Her back shivering in the chilled wake of liquid. The floor was hard and dense. The room was barely lit. The air smelled of recirculated trapped air with a heavy dose of stagnant water. Trickling and flows of liquid swallowed her in a circle blanket of noise. She found Siyah next to her, curled, soaked and squirming. She popped up quickly, stunned as she calls his name aggressively before noticing the man just beyond her feet standing.

I can tell you right now, I didn’t see this coming at all either.

Venus prayed. Obnoxiously loud, a deafening recycles of hymns as her mouth and nose spew saliva and blood. Her blemished face, a purple welt that drew life from her golden cheeks and eyes. Her jaw chattering in the shock of fright, in the presence of a tragic ultimatum. Her body curls, sitting on her shines, baby posed to the ground. She would come up every ending line, gasping for air, pleading for her husband’s safety, he laid besides her barely conscious oozing puddles of amber. She wheezes, clutching the leg of the red suited man. She tugs with intensity as he lifts the barrel of a nickel-plated silence pistol pointed towards Siryah’s spasming chest.

“Which one? -“ He cocks the side arms hammer, the clicking forcing Venus to throw her weakened body against his legs. Only to find herself tossed by the extent of her dense curls off of his leg. Knocking the ability to plead from her voice box. She turns in pain, grabbing the side of her head. As she crawls closer she says:

“Me! Me. Please me. Not-“ The man stoops, balanced on bent toes, hovering directly over Siryah’s depressing body. “not him! Please- please! Not him.” Her voice, like a strained exhaust, crumbles as she finishes each word. “Me, I said me!”

He gives no room for explanation, unaffected by her water works she watches his mouth move behind the covering red cloth.

"Now, repeat after me." He begins. "You were kidnapped by this uh- prophecy here. Held hostage. The love was fake. He had a problem. A power complex. If he couldn't have you in luxury he was going to in poverty.-"

"No...please no that's all fake!" Venus shouts over the man. He stops as he's interrupted. Continuing as he stares at Venus for her silence.

"Thank you. Now, if I could finish.' He clears his throat. "Your children were forced conceptions. Your name change was pushed upon you. The dog was the first sign of insanity, he broke quickly, becoming erratic. He chased all the officers out of the precinct, relieved your children of their vitality, led us on a hunt after dragging you here. He thought it would work. He lunged at me, I retaliated. You become the recued princess, inherit everything both of your families have to give and live that life you signed off on 10 years and 1 day ago. Clear?"

Venus gags with overwhelming emotions. Breaking her own ability to respond. She becomes stoned where she kneels. Abruptly she finds the strength to belch a few more words.

"No!" The room seems to stop. "That's not real! That's not what happened! That's- my babies." She is crushed back into silence. Eyes running faster than the trickles of waters falling from the rooms ceiling.

The man, his identity hidden behind a color matching ski mask, watches in cruel delight. His pistol lapped. He's in a space where he's balancing still in a crouch, glancing between Venus's graying face and Siyah's struggle to breathe while pitched on his side. An arm deep in a cocktail of fluids. The public works basement begins to flood as the storm tickles the lights to flicker. They must have been there for a couple of hours before Venus woke up.

"You can't do this." She reaches for the armed man. "I have a choice. I picked my choice. Please mister please-"

“You think you actually had a choice? It was never yours to begin with. It's adorable you thought so but," He stands. "the contract says otherwise- “

And at that moment, as she watched the shiny barrel swing around only to cock back with a blinding explosion but muffled sound, Venus discovered something worse than death itself.

First there was a blood curdling scream that leaped from her stomach. An immediate cry that sent armies of tears to drop from her cheek like paratroopers out of a helicopter. The puddles in front of her sounded with microwaves. Even the room reacted to the deafening shrill, the scream even attacked the assassin’s composure. A reaction he’s never felt, a pull to discontinue his thrilling smile. His mouth closed behind the pressing fabric. He holstered the weapon. Watching Venus splash, clinging to her hemorrhaging husband’s chest. The sounds of squishing that came from her aggressive gripping, the slapping of an embracing pull. She rocked with the lifeless body, fighting respiration with cries, demanding him to stay awake, help is coming. That’s what she kept saying. She paid no attention to the exiting man as she fumbles for the cellphone he placed before her before standing.

And then came the realization. The real ending to her first mission. The real lesson. The loss of the only thing she ever wasn’t ever able to have. Love.

“Siyah Starr,” she fought suffocating tears as she caressed his check with the back of her hand. “The last supernova.”