Sunshine and Mercy were waiting with a cart in hand when I finally returned home. My heart finally slowed down as my gates closed shut behind me, and I took a long, deep breath when the garage door closed. Travelling with an unconscious man in the back of my seat would not look good, considering the fact that he was bleeding from the site where my bumper had cut into his thigh. Thankfully, the roads were clear and there were no traffic officers on my way back. The universe was going out of its way to enable my plans, or at least it was doing nothing to impede my progress.
We wheeled my brother to the renovated basement for his much-delayed meeting with the consequences of his actions. He was still out cold, but he wouldn't be for long. I had been lenient with his friends playing mind games and fighting the invisible seams of their minds. I would not extend the same mercy to my brother; he was going to be present for each second of what was to come, and he would wish for something as mundane as an overdose.
It had taken us a lot of time and unbelievable effort, but we had managed to install industrial hooks on the ceiling of the basement, complete with hanging chains. There was a plain black table at one end, and on it was an almost comical display of sharpened knives, machetes, along with other dangerous-looking objects. The setup was purely decorative, I wanted to cause my brother pain with nothing but my hands and other blunt objects. I wanted his bones to break long before his skin ever did, and I wanted him to be in agony long before he began to bleed. His skin would eventually break, and he would definitely bleed some more, but that would be hell to experience first. I wanted to break him in every sense of the word, but most importantly in the literal sense.
It took a lot of effort to string up my brother upside down. The chain rolled back under his weight several times, I was honestly grateful that he was unconscious. I did not want him to seem e struggle even if it was under his weight. After almost an hour of pulling, tugging, and maneuvering, Brian was properly hanging his head, almost touching the floor. After that intense cardio session, I was more than ready to call it a day. Our duty for the day was done, and when the big lump finally woke up, he would find his whole world upside down, literally.
It was only three in the afternoon on a Monday, and with the rest of the day left to kill, I went down the beach eager to have the tumbling waves soothe me with their on of chaos. The one thing I loved about the ocean was the fact that it was never still. It was a world completely independent from a majority of human interference, yet it boasted the most vibrant ecosystem, and even more thrilling still was that the vast majority of the oceans were unexplored. The body of water held its occupants and its secret close to her, even a species as invasive as human beings had a hard time claiming it. A whole different world on earth, yet filled with more life than we could comprehend.
A commotion downstairs had him out of our bed and through the door before his warmth vanished from my body. A minute later, a chill settled in the room, and without having anyone beside me to hold, I pulled the covers and settled for snuggling with a pillow. I didn't get the chance to get back to sleep before he came back and yanked me out of bed. Gone was the gentle and assertive lover, and in his place was this unrelenting man who was all but dragging me across my room.
I let him drag me past a group of our men who had floor plans as well as a map of the ground spread out on the table. Of course, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we had to fight, but I had hoped for a longer period of peace. I was unceremoniously pushed into the safe room, and the steel door was locked behind me, leaving me alone with around thirty-two monitors that displayed different angles and sections of our property and the surrounding area. He had not skimped on any of our security measures, and I had more than enough money to buy anything he needed or even wanted. If he felt that a private plane was the best move to make, then I would simply provide the funds for him. I did not need to question his motives, he had proven time and time again that he was trustworthy.
My gaze shifted from monitor to monitor until I saw a suspicious movement on one of the cameras. It was subtle and faint like a big snake making its way slowly towards our compound. The area was deserted and bordered a cliff, making it impossible for anyone to walk to that location without triggering some alarm bells. our intruders had taken their sweet time climbing up that steep cliff. It was a dangerous endeavor, but one that saved them a lot of time. If I hadn't been in that panic room, I may have entirely missed them, and judging by the lack of response from the occupants of the house, who were busy putting on armor and taking their weapons, they had not spotted the intruders who would be at our door soon.
I pressed the panic button, the only way to communicate with anyone outside, and to no surprise, he was the one holding the receiver. I let him know what I was witnessing and the progress of the intruders. For the first time in a long time, I was not part of the fray, but I could not look away from the ongoing scuffles. Of course, my men had the advantage of being on home ground, and with the intruders no longer relying on their ambush, they were losing fast. it, of course, did not help that they had been boxed in at their point of entry, which happened to be a cliff. one by one, they were sent over the edge until only our men were left. I spotted a lone figure from the opposite end of where all the chaos was...
"Melissa!" Mercy jolted me back to reality, only to realize it was dark outside. Time had once again slipped behind my cognition, and for the first time in a good long while, I did not mind that my mind had once again wandered into the land of dragons, having my brother tightly within my grasp brought me a world of peace. Although his friends had hurt me, they were about as intelligent as a bar of soap, allowing themselves to be led astray without any thought of consequences. they had taken something from me that was intangible but vital. What my brother did to me was nothing short of wicked; his friends did not know me, but Brian had been there for my birth and was with me every step of the way until I got to sixteen. he had seen my struggles growing up, and he thought the most hilarious thing on earth was to show me how bad my life could get. I was only returning the favor.
Sunshine was beside us a few seconds later, her hair was wrapped up in a black bonnet that fighting for its life against the strong winds that threatened to blow it into the ocean. The stars were already out in their full glory, unmarred by pollution from artificial lights. I wanted to stay under the night sky for a little while longer, but it was hard to miss the way Mercy was pressed up against my body, choosing to say nothing after getting my attention. Sunshine, for lack of a better word, loomed over us, her tall frame drawing us more given our proximity. She signed nothing, choosing to focus on the dark rippling waters.
It was a brisk walk back to the house. We were welcomed with a scream coming from the monitor we had set up on the dining table. My disappointment at not getting to see the night sky quickly vanished as the chance at real gratification presented itself. I put my hair in a bun while walking to the basement. I needed him to start contemplating his fate as soon as possible, and I needed his pain to be immediate. He had gone for far too long without knowing what true pain was, and I felt it was my solemn duty to show him that new and terrifying world.
As soon as I stepped down into the basement, Brian's eyes locked with mine. Although he was upside down, I saw his face go slack, causing his features to slightly turn downward, giving off the world's most creepy smile. I did not let his stupid face put me off, it would be bloodied and blue, an unrecognizable mess. He started struggling again, his cream echoing off the walls, and I just stood there and let him get it out of his system. I watched as the remaining blood drained from his face, his skin turning ashy.
You know, most people in this situation would start asking why I am doing this to them. I mean, your friends couldn't even fathom why I did what I did; that's why I never crossed their minds as a suspect. Not you, brother dearest, you know exactly why this interaction is long overdue. Karma can be late, but it never misses, and I, for one, am not willing to wait for your next generation. In fact, by the time I am done with you, there will be no future generation; you do not deserve to be a father ever. Let's not mull over the future when I am not sure I want you to leave this house alive
He started screaming again, bending and twisting his body, trying to get loose. He did not need to struggle; he would only hurt himself, and that was my job. I understood the need to save oneself. He needed to give it his all before he abandoned all hope. I made my way out of the basement, his screams ringing in my ear long after I shut the door.