The exploding thunder added to the pounding sound of the rain as it heavily poured down from the night sky. There were red and blue lights that continued to flash around. He was surrounded by people in black with guns drawn towards him.

Grey cared nothing of all this. All his attention was focused on the bleeding man kneeling before him. He didn't dare take his eyes off him. His hand was firm and steady as he pointed his gun at the bleeding man. The people surrounding him were all shouting at him. Telling him something. But he couldn't hear them. It was very silent in his head.

There was only one thing that kept playing in his mind over and over again. It was his little brother, head cracked open and bleeding on their basement floor. Cold and dead. His little brother who would never wake and smile again. He would never again play baseball or basketball or any other game. Grey would never again hear his brother's laugh or get played by his pranks. Because of the monster in front of him, the only person he considered family in the world was now gone.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

Riley was dead.

The more he thought about it, the colder his mind went.

He couldn't protect him. He thought that as long as he was the one who took the hits and abuse of their old man, then he could keep Riley safe. He was only waiting for one more year. One more year and he would be eighteen then they could escape this good-for-nothing man.

He kept thinking about the ifs. If only I came home early, If only I hadn't refuse that ride home from that lady, If only that bus hadn't broke down, if only...

But it was useless. His brother's gone. And it was time for the monster to die to.

Without any hesitation he pulled the trigger.

The monster died.

But Grey did, too.