Brother and Sister

Dawn, the sun rises over the mountains and shines light over everything. A ray of light peers through the window and hits Damon in the eye. He turns away and yawns as he stretches his body. He sits up, still half asleep. Looking around the room, it takes him a moment to realize what today is. He wipes his long black hair away from his eyes and rubs them. Today is the day. The day Jack dies. He slaps his face a little bit, it’s time for him to get serious. Damon hasn’t taken most things in his life serious before, but today, he can’t mess up. This is his one chance to kill Jack, and he isn’t going to let it go to waste.

Damon reaches for the gun under his pillow. He takes aim at the door, making sure he his sighting looks okay. Thinking they’re loud and obnoxious, he rarely uses guns. His thoughts are suddenly interrupted when he hears the door open. He quickly hides the gun under his pillow and pretends he’s just waking up.

His older sister Isabella walks in, a brown assault rifle strapped around her and her black sword with a green hilt. Her black hair falls to her shoulder, and she has a cute but stern face.

“You’re up already?” Isabella says, quickly closing the door behind her.

Damon stretches, cracking his arms and knuckles.

“Of course, gotta give Jack his breakfast.” He says.

“What?” Isabella says confused.

Damon grabs the gun again, “He’s gonna eat a bullet.”

“Cute.” she smugly responds.

“Whatever. How much ammo do you have?”

Isabella releases the magazine of the rifle, “About half a clip.”

“Better than nothing.” Damon says.

He gets out of bed and changes his clothes; putting on black boots, a black leather jacket, and jeans.

“Are you ready?” He says, pushing his black hair back.

“Are you?” Isabella answers her brother with another question.

Damon smirks at his sister.

“Don’t worry about me.” He says.

Damon grabs his large black knife and ax and sheathes them both.

Isabella gives her brother a serious look, “Damon.”

“Ya?”

“What’s your purpose?” she asks.

“My what?” Damon says, not understanding what his sister is talking about.

“What keeps you going in this dead world? What’s your reason to continue surviving? To continue fighting the dead and the living?” Isabella elaborates more.

“What kind of damn question is that? Why do you care?”

Isabella stays silent, staring down her brother and waiting for his answer.

Damon sighs, “I’m not too sure.” He utters.

“You’re not sure why you try so hard to survive?” she asks.

“Well.” Damon becomes serious, a side his sister never sees. “I guess I’m afraid of death.”

Isabella is surprised. “You’re afraid of dying?”

He looks down, “Well ya, aren’t you?”

Isabella walks to her brother and hugs him. Something they barely do. It makes Damon feel safe.

“I’m afraid of losing you.” she says. “But killing Jack won’t help your fear. If anything, he’ll help prevent it. He's helped us survive for years and can continue to help.”

Damon jerks her away,

“He's insane and needs to die. After I put a bullet in between his eyes, I intend to mount his head on the wall.”

Damon heads for the door. Isabella keeps a stern look,

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Damon stops at the door, “I don’t know why you keep asking me that. My mind is made up. Is yours?”

Isabella is silent. She ignores the question and walks out the room.

“Let’s get this over with.” she mutters and pushes by Damon.

He follows and the two leave the room, heading to Jack’s office.

*********

In a large study, with a gorgeous view of the mountains at the back of the room is Jack, relaxing in a black office chair, drunk and his red sunglasses lay folded on the desk. He spins an empty bottle of whiskey he finished on the wooden desk.

“Spin the bottle for a kiss, really hope I do not miss.” He mutters to himself, followed by a laughter.

The bottle spins and spins until it stops, pointing to the double doors leading out.

Suddenly the doors slam open, Damon walks in with his gun pointed at Jack. Followed behind him is Isabella , her assault rifle pointed up.

“Morning Jack!” Damon speaks, grinning.

Jack sits himself up, and brushes his diry blonde hair back. “Oh? What a surprise to see you up Damon. I thought you still be unconscious after that fight I won.”

“How’s the arm asshole?” Damon retorts.

Jack shows his bloody bandaged arm. He wheezes a laugh, “It’ll heal soon. Very soon.”

“You’re delusional.” Damon says.

The siblings walk a bit closer to Jack, now standing about eight feet from him. Isabella stands behind Damon, her gun raised to Jack as well. His cold blue eyes stay locked on them.

“You’ve come to kill me, is that it?” he utters.

Damon shakes his head in disappointment. “Look at you, crazy, bleeding to death and drunk. It’s like I’m putting a damn animal down.”

Jack tilts his head and makes eye contact with Isabella,

“So you too? I thought you believed in me Isabella ?”

She stays silent but avoids eye contact with Jack’s cold eyes.

“Don’t talk to her, she’s here as back up.” Damon comes in.

Jack snickers, “Little brother couldn’t do it himself huh? Need your big sister to help?”

Damon fires his gun, hitting the empty bottle, making it explode.

Jack flinched back in his chair.

“Shut up. That was a warning shot.” he mutters.

Jack becomes serious. “How dare you. After everything I’ve done for you two.”

Damon smiles, “Ya. A damn shame you’re bat shit crazy. Or I wouldn’t be doing this. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your help over the years, but all things must come to an end. As well as your life.”

“I took both of you in. Fed you! Protected you! Trained you!” Jack shouts. “You’d both be lunch for the dead if it wasn’t for me! ”

Damon keeps his focus on Jack, keeping his gun pointed at his head.

“We were using you. Me and my sister have been since the beginning.” He says.

Jack says nothing, filled with frustration.

“We have a good thing here. A mansion and supplies to last us. We can live like kings here and you want to throw it all away for some bullshit about a cure to the virus??” Damon explains.

“You’re not seeing the big picture here boy. Your idea that this will last forever is delusional. The human species won’t last if this continues. This cure is a new opportunity for a great future.” Jack explains.

Damon laughs, “I think the blood loss is messing with you. Of course humanity won’t last. We’re not meant to! There’s no coming back from this. The world is dying and so are we. Might as well live comfortably until that day comes.”

Jack has a stern expression.

“We’ll this was nice. But now you die Jack.” Damon says.

Damon readies to pull the trigger, preparing to kill this man he hates. Until suddenly he stops himself. He takes a good look at Jack again.

“What?” He mutters under his breath.

Jack is smiling. His large devilish grin spread across his face.

“What’s so damn funny?” Damon asks with an angry tone.

“Do it.” He mutters.

“Wow, you’ve already accepted death?”

“Do it.” Jack says again, louder.

Damon has a smug look. “You’re taking the fun out of this.”

“Do it!” Jack shouts this time.

This angers Damon.

“You really want to die that badly?!” Damon shouts back.

“DO IT!!” Jack yells at the top of his lungs.

“Fine you son ova bitch! Fuck you!!” Damon yells.

Damon fires his gun, and at the same time, a sudden sharp pain strikes his chest.

Fear begins to fill in. Jack is still breathing, smiling. His shot missed, hitting the wall.

The tremendous pain in Damon’s chest grows stronger. Blood leaks from his mouth. His arm falls, and the gun drops to the floor.

Damon coughs. Blood sprays from his mouth. He looks down, and his eyes widen with terror. The tip of a blade is impaled through his chest.

“What..” he mutters.

The terrible pain is growing only stronger.

Damon is trembling, he fears to turn his head around to see his killer. However, his curiosity overpowers his fear and Damon slowly turns his head to look behind.

His eyes widen in shock.

There stands Isabella , sorrow in her eyes and her sword pierced through Damon.

Isabella pulls her sword out from Damon’s body.

He gasps with pain. Then, under his dying breath, he mutters. “Izzy... Why?”

He falls to the ground, hitting it hard enough that his body bounces once.

Damon’s vision goes blurry.

I really am dying. He thinks.

He will never have an explanation from his sister for her betrayal. The last thing he hears is Isabella’s voice.

“I’m sorry Damon.” She says.

*********

“I thought you believed in me Isabella ?” Jack says, looking at her.

She shifts her head down, avoiding eye contact with Jack.

She feels ashamed inside. She truly does believe in Jack’s vision for a new future with the cure, but her brother doesn’t. Isabella lowers her gun, still not looking directly at Jack. She stares at the floor, fighting with herself.

This isn’t right. She thinks. Jack is our friend. We can’t kill him.

Suddenly Isabella flinches from the loud bang of a gunshot. She quickly turns her direction back to Jack, fearing that Damon already killed him.

Jack is still alive, but now he looks furious.

“That was a warning shot. ” Damon says.

Isabella is relieved. Not yet.

Damon continues to talk but Isabella mutes him out, getting lost in thought again.

She really doesn’t want Jack to die, but she also wants to protect her brother. It’s her purpose, her reason to live. Isabella can’t have both, and it’s eating her away.

What am I supposed to do? Dammit! She fights with herself.

The sound of Damon’s laugh brings her back to reality.

“I think the blood loss is messing with you. Of course, humanity won’t last. We’re not meant to! There’s no coming back from this. The world is dying and so are we. Might as well live comfortably until that day comes.” Damon says.

Isabella can’t believe her brother’s words.

He has no plan? He really believes there’s no future.

Isabella sets down her rifle on the floor.

All she wants to do is protect her brother. No matter what. However, Damon’s idea of a future is clouded. He wants nothing.

There’s only one thing I can do. She thinks.

Isabella slowly draws her black sword with the green clothed hilt.

Damon. I will protect you. Protect you from this world. I will release you from your hell and set you free. It’s the only way I can protect you.

Isabella tightens her grip on the handle of her sword. She points it to Damon’s back. The sword shakes in her hands.

Can she do it?

Isabella looks away for a moment, then she notices Jack. He’s smiling.

Jack says something but she can’t make out what he said.

He speaks again. “Do it.” Isabella hears.

The blade is shaking more now.

She hears her brother yell back. He’s clueless on what his sister’s intentions are.

“DO IT!!” Jack yells.

“FINE!!”

Isabella thrusts her blade forward and it easily goes through her brother’s chest.

Damon’s gun fired at the same time. Isabella strike just the right moment, her brother’s shot missed Jack.

She sees her brother cough out blood, the pain must be terrible.

Blood begins to leaked down the blade as well. Isabella is frozen in place.

What have I done?

She looks to Jack again. His evil smile is spread across his face. He looks satisfied with the scene that just took place.

Isabella can feel Damon’s body begin to shiver through the sword. He’s dying. Damon turns his head back and their eyes meet.

Isabella can see the fear and heartbreak in her brother’s eyes.

“Izzy... Why?” he mutters.

Guilt hits her hard. She’s filled with sorrow.

She pulls the blade out from her brother’s body. Damon shows the pain in his face. Then, his body flops to the ground.

Isabella drops her sword, the metal hitting the granite floor echoes.

She is able to muster up some words. “I’m sorry Damon.” she says.

Those are her last words to her younger brother.

Isabella drops to her knees. She’s petrified. She doesn’t know what to do now. She’s beginning to regret her decision.

Jack laughs. It fills the room up. His laugh makes Isabella feel uncomfortable.

Jack stands from his office chair and slowly walks over to her.

“I’m impressed.” he says.

Isabella doesn’t look at Jack when he walks up, she just stares coldly at Damon’s body.

“You said you stop him if he got out of control and you did. Must have been hard to kill him huh?” Jack talks. “The amount of betrayal he must have felt before dying. A shame really. However...”

Jack takes his gun out from his back pocket, aims it towards Damon’s head and shoots. The shot makes Isabella flinch and look up at him.

“You should make sure you kill the brain so he doesn't come back as the undead. Unless you want to kill him again.” he chuckles.

“I... I don’t know what to do.” she mutters.

“What is your purpose now?” Jack asks.

Isabella stares at him intently. “I...” she can’t think.

“You killed your brother, even though your purpose in this world was to protect him. Why did you do it?”

“Because.” she licks her lips. “I promised you that I would if he interfered with your plans.” she answers.

“Wrong answer.” Jack says.

“I...” Isabella thinks for a moment. She looks at her dead brother and swallows. “I was protecting him.”

Jack smiles. “Do explain.”

“He had no purpose. He just wanted to survive until he died. He hated this world and I can tell he was not happy.” she explains. “Keeping my brother alive in a world he hated is cruel. So I killed him. Released him from suffering. It was the only true way to protect him.”

“What is your purpose now?”

Isabella looks up to Jack. Her expression goes from sorrow to a stern look. She slowly stands half way up and kneels down on one knee. She’s kneeling to Jack.

“To serve and protect you Jack. I will be with you till the day I die.”

“Wonderful." He chuckles menacingly.