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CHAPTER SEVEN

Once, I was a child, then one day, I grew. I put away childish things.

Victor Mairo

  "Wait wait wait.. So, what you're trying to say is, in a few words, we're all going to die. That it?" Tyler asked looking from me to the twins. "You know, I'd always suspected to be played a fool, yes yes, I get the joke. Pretty wild I'll give you that." Tyler said laughing. 

  Damn, he thought it was a joke. Now that I think about it, it all seems like a pretty elaborate joke to me. But this time, I knew deep down it wasn't. I saw it, I was there. I caused it.

 " C'mon Dean, let's head home. After all of this. This joke is over. Pretty good joke there though." Tyler said grabbing my arm, walking forcefully to the door. I resisted, sure of what I'd seen. "Ty, calm down. For real. You have to listen to this. To me, to them. Have I ever lied to you before?" I said hoping I'd strike a nerve. I had. He stopped dead in his tracks and muttered.. "Well, yeah. You don't really lie, maybe one or two times...eh, I suppose I could listen. Wouldn't hurt." he ended feebly. I gave him one of my best smiles, and hugged him.

  "This means the world to me, you know?"

  "Yeah yeah. Let's just get it over with. Or don't you think so? Tyler turned towards me looking into my eyes. I was lost in the depths of his eyes, inching closer...

 I heard a sound from behind me. I looked back and I could see Briana looking at me with that fake innocent expression I knew. I raised one of my eyebrows, and after a few seconds of silence, she started talking all at once

  "Well, I saw you two lovebirds bicker back and forth. It was soooo cute to watch. I didn't want to interrupt. But now that's over and done with, I have something to say. So does Brian but, as always, ladies first," she said with a smirk. "You'd need to sit down for this though, trust me." she said as I wanted to keep standing. I was already late, doesn't hurt to stay for a few more minutes.

  "Okay, spill. What have you got?" I said as I plopped down on a chair. Tyler followed suit.

  "Comfortable? Good then. It all started a hundred years ago...."

* * * * * * * * * * *

  "Stop playing with that! You're going to hurt yourself," Mrs Brown, mother of the most rascally children in the world, at least in her opinion. "Davis, drop that pin, you'll prick your fingers," she promptly snatched it from his hands. "No no, George, that's not a chew toy!!" she confiscated the rubber duck he was obviously chewing on. They may have been just three children, but they wreaked the worst of havoc. One thing can be said of Mrs Brown, there was never a dull moment around her. The children kept her very very busy. Greg, Davis and George. The notorious three. Brothers, companions, true friends. There was a bond there, cemented by years of being together, each taking his turn to frustrate his mother. I suspect it was all a joke to them, but the bond forged was one of the greatest bond ever, a blood bind.

  It happened, unplanned, on George's 18th birthday. The trio have grown up to be the heartthrob of girls everywhere. Dashing good looks, sarcastic to a fault, and a lackadaisical attitude that girls found alluring. They were outstanding, in whatever they do, brilliant minds, albeit, not for academics. Each of them, were just a year apart. Rarely did their age difference show.

  "Hey guys, I'm feeling stifled by all this attention. Let's go someplace else." George whispered to his brothers. They immediately stood up and, after a ruckus or two, were on the highway, headed to an unknown destination.

 "Well, where do you want us to go? You've been awfully quiet on this whole journey. What's on your mind?" Davis asked George, not even slightly tipsy. If one thing can be said about the trio though, it's that they have style in excess and they look after their own.

 " Well, remember what you said to me, that day I cried because of that boy's words? That instead of you to, I don't know, beat him up or something, you showed me something I'd never forget. You took me by the hand that night, and three of us, pointed out the constellations. It was so much fun, I forgot about what he said. And you reminded me, that love, in its purest form, family, erases all pain. Oh sure, you could have easily threatened him, or did something damaging, but you didn't. You showed me a way, a better way." George told his brother Davis, apparently having mulled about it for a while. Davis was speechless.

 "And you," he called out to Greg, who was playing with a rubixcube, no care in the world. "Remember that time you stopped me from breaking Stephen's nose? Saying there are some things better left the way they are?" George continued, getting Greg's full attention. The car was silent except for the purr of the engine. "Well yeah, I do remember," Greg replied trying to understand where he was going with this, "Thing is, I found out that Stephen, the goodie two shoes, was among one of the worst gangs in the city. It was all hush hush, I found out by mistake. See, fighting him would have done far more harm, and caused carnage of unimaginable proportions. You saved me. You really did." George finished, tears in his eyes. The brothers, in sync decided to go to the one place they truly felt peace. Their father's grave.

  It was a pretty long ride, seeing as they left that town about 10 years before. The minute they got there, they killed the engines, and walked out.

  "It doesn't ever change, does it?" Davis asked staring into the horizon.

 "No. It really never changes. It still hurts." Greg replied looking down at a gravestone, inscribed, Here lies James Brown, father, husband and brother. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death. 1882-1918

  Do you remember George, when dad died? You fought tooth and nail for the latter part of that epithet. You wanted it written, and nobody could refuse you, because you suffered his loss, more than any of us. You were just eight, you felt his loss more than any of us. So, we sought to protect you. We swore. And we did," Greg took a dramatic pause, and Davis continued." We did  our best to shield you from the hurt, the pain. It worked. You were happy. Joyous. Now, it's time we make another pact, in the place where Father was buried. This is what you wanted isn't it?" Davis said motioning George forward. "Yes, yes it is." George replied loud and clear, his voice showing no trace of fear.

  "Come, together as one," George and Greg were already in position. "Good, good. Time to take the oath. Say after me" Davis held George's and Greg's hands.

  "This day, we swear." Davis voice boomed.

   "This day, we swear." Greg and George intoned. 

   "To stay together, through thick or thin." 

   "To stay together through thick or thin." 

  "Though fire may rage and burn, our bond will never be destroyed." 

    "Though fire may rage and burn, our bond will never be destroyed." 

   "If our bonds be broken, let this be the end of all worlds, destruction of all that breathes. Let this bond stand the test of time!!!" 

  "Now we seal this, with the strongest substance of all. Our blood!!!" Davis said bringing out a pocket knife. George repeated it, albeit reluctantly. Davis sliced his palm, directly over his father's grave. Greg and George did same. The blood sizzled like boiling flames. And sunk into the earth. 

  

 " Mother earth has heard this oath, Father has too. As long as we live, even after death, this oath will remain. Now, let's go get wasted." Davis said, the other two hollered. Laughing and slapping each other's backs, unknown to them, the night was a witness to the oath. And the ever present moon. The time struck 1am. They entered the car, and zoomed off. 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 " Christ! That was something. So wait, you're saying, they had a blood oath. And called the forces of the earth to be a witness to it. Well, they didn't separate did they?" I asked trying to assimilate all I just heard. It was all so.. Well, confusing. 

 "Yes, they didn't, their children did," Brian said softly, I'd even forgotten he was there. 

 "Their children? What do you mean? That was a hundred years ago." I asked looking from Brianna to Brian. I didn't look at Tyler hoping to put this off for a while. I didn't want to see what I just put him through. 

  "The brothers remained thick as thieves and urged their children to do the same. But one day, a huge fight broke out. Each of the children, three of them, took one thing and left. Names." Brianna finished from where Brian stopped. 

 "Names? I don't understand." I was really really lost here. 

 "Haven't you guessed yet? I'll give you a hint. James Olsen Evans Brown."

 "Wait, I'm Olsen, you're Evans... When you say names you mean literal names? I asked, my head reeling from all this information. 

 "I see all of you did nothing throughout, the stacks of papers, the same way I left it. No matter, tomorrow you'll come back here again. Now, get out." Mr Adams breezed unceremoniously into the class. We were all so startled at first, but we stomped it down. No use showing anxiety. I walked out first, Tyler and the twins in my wake. 

" I believe you." Tyler said as we walked home. We'd already parted ways with the twins a while back and even though we were offered a lift, I declined. I needed time to think, to collect my thoughts. 

  "Thanks for believing in me Ty. Let's go home." I held his hands and we walked together, the sun sinking into the clouds.... 

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