ONE WEEK CHAPTER TWELVE

“What is this brat doing over here?”, one of the men questions seeing Andrew over here, but the boy in question doesn't say anything and just keeps mute. “I know now. We could put the blame on this boy over here that he was the one who did it”, the one who had stabbed Francis says seeing a fickle ray of hope. “That would do it, right? The boss won’t get angry at me over that right?”, the man says with a deranged expression. “Well, I guess we could try”, another man says supporting his idea of shifting the blame to this boy.

“There is no way he won’t believe it. If all of us agree then it’s settled”, the man says. It was funny how a man who was fighting with no regard for his life formerly, could now act so fearful. There is still a fact that remains shocking, which was the fact that Francis’ father was the boss of just not one group but of both of the groups. Why were they fighting each other then? Probably because they were of different factions and Francis’ father who was supporting them didn’t see anything wrong in the chaos they were causing as a result as it would help to curb them. It was good for him as he didn’t have to raise a finger to decrease their might or even spend any little bit of money to perform such an act. But never would he expect that such actions would result in his only son being in such a situation.

“Hey, little boy. Come with me nicely if you don’t want to get hurt”, the man who had stabbed Francis says. Seems like they all had agreed with him putting the blame on Andrew. But this scenario seems way too familiar as it had happened not too long ago and it resulted in the death of a lot of people.

Andrew’s mind currently wasn’t here, he was thinking about all the times he had spent with Francis and the memories were hitting him badly, in the process increasing his adrenaline. After washing up the blood from his previous fight, he was quietly going home, but since there was no way to transport back due to the ongoing crisis, he decides to trek back. And coincidentally, he happens to come here exactly the moment when the car hit the group and got damaged. He had decided to mind his business and keep on going, but he noticed something odd, this car seems way too familiar although it was rare to see cars this familiar. The same stuff was inside the car and he happened to have caught a glimpse of the person after the car hit an obstruction and stopped. The windows had broken and the driver’s face was barely visible, but he shook it off thinking that it was impossible.

But now, he wish he hadn’t shaken off that feeling as he moved closer to the car and saw clearly that it was the same person whom he had come to regard as his big brother. He has already been stabbed and was currently bleeding out profusely. He wished he had moved here sooner, he wished he had recognized the car earlier, then maybe he could have stopped this from happening, but maybe there was still hope, maybe he could be saved in the hospital, he finally raises his head and stare at the man who was speaking to him, trying to disrupt his thoughts for a while now.

His eyes were red, Andrew finally moves like a deranged person. If this was an anime, thunder would have crackled as if signifying the final fight. Andrew fights once again with increased adrenaline and anger in his heart. The fight didn’t last long though as all the men were strewn on the floor, all dead with no exception, with various degrees of injury.

He quickly moves up to meet Francis who was still bleeding, he hurriedly tries to open the door, and after a bit of struggle, he finally opens the door, and that was when he becomes more shocked.

A rod was currently penetrating the stomach of Francis. Seems like it has damaged an organ. It was shocking how Francis was still able to stay alive till this point though. Andrew didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh at this point, he didn’t see any hope of Francis surviving, but that doesn’t mean that he had given up as he still tries his best to get Francis out.

“Ohh, it’s you Andrew”, seems like Francis is finally aware of his surrounding as he looks at Andrew gently, but just saying those words causes him to cough hard probably with some innards flowing out as a result. “Don’t say anything. I would try to get you out of here as soon as possible”, Andrew tries to stop him from saying anything and worsening the situation.

“No need to bother. I know my state at this point. I think I can see myself slowly slipping to the other side”, Francis says slowly and barely audible. “You aren’t going anywhere. Stop saying such words”, Andrew replies immediately.

“I have come to take you as my brother, and I think my mother has started recognizing you as her son. I haven’t seen her acting so caring for anyone apart from me, but my death would turn that around right?”, Francis says with a smile, but his eyes rim get wet and tears start slipping through as he continues in a sobbing tone, “And it was right after she had promised to send you to school and bring your brother in”. Andrew was shocked at this revelation, and this makes him hasten his actions of trying to get Francis out, but he couldn’t find a way no matter how he tries.

“I am sorry for not always listening Andrew. I am deeply sorry for leaving the house, and not going back even after seeing the state of things in the surrounding. But I was just so worried about my little brother. But I guess I was getting unnecessarily worried. It turns out you are stronger than me. And as a result of my impulsiveness, I got myself into this mess”, Francis continues with a sobbing tone while he tries to move his hand to touch the hair of Andrew.

Seeing him perform such an action, Andrew willingly holds his hands and places it on his head. It was possible to see tears running down the face of Andrew, but his head was lowered as he replies, “None of this is your fault”.

Francis on the other hand smiles while he says, “You finally allowed me to touch your hair”. This creates a second or two of silence before he continues, “Tell Mother that I love her. That I was just feeling lonely, hence my prior behavior. Please always stay by her side especially now after I die, she would need someone to get her through this period”, while saying this, the light from his eyes were slowly fading away, while his hands which were tussling the hair of Andrew has started dropping off. “Lastly, remember that your big bro will be watching over you from the other side. So you can go on and act all impulsive, I have your back. Also, I would... always... love..... you”.

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With that, Francis, the person Andrew took as his elder brother, passed on to the other side. Andrew both laughed and cried so hard at this moment. He seemed to have slipped into a state of mental imbalance. He slowly moves away from the car and starts going home.

After moving away for a bit, not sure how it occurred, but the car explodes with various parts flying in different directions. And that is how we get to this current scenario where Francis’ mother is currently screaming and wailing hard while talking to Andrew. It was very possible to understand her feeling at this moment.

But Andrew didn’t forget Francis’ words as he moves closer to console her, but perhaps out of anger, she pushes Andrew away. Andrew still didn’t relent as he tries, but the same situation happened all over again, this time around, she shouts at Andrew, “Don’t get close to me. If not for you, my son won’t be dead. You are the cause of it all”. After dropping those words, she storms into the house, probably going to continue crying.

Andrew just stood outside staring into the skies and this was the same moment that rain chooses to start falling, drenching his body and watching some part of the blood which hasn’t gotten dried. It seems like even the skies were sad over what has happened and were in their way trying to console Andrew over what has happened, but Andrew just stares at the sky for a very long time, his thoughts unknown.

The next day, no matter what Andrew did, Francis’ mother gave Andrew the cold shoulder and Francis’ father has not yet come home. It got worse the next day when Francis’ father got home. Didn’t know what kind of conversation they had but the treatment Francis’ mother gave him become worse, the father on the other hand didn’t pay any attention to him.

This went on for a week until when Francis's burial was carried out. Few parts of his body could be found if that was truly his body though, hence just an empty casket was buried. On that day, Andrew disappears, seems like he was fond of disappearing during burials as not a trace of him could be found, even his luggage has gone.

The woman was shocked about the disappearance of Andrew, as no matter how much she searched for him, she couldn’t find a trace of him. She felt her heart tightened while going through the house over and over again. She searches through every nook and crony but she couldn’t get a glimpse of him. She felt like a huge part of her has gone like she has lost another child, she didn’t notice why she would have such a feeling at first, but she gradually began to.

“He has already left”, a voice sounds out when she was still trying to convince herself frantically that Andrew was still somewhere in the house trying to hide away. She stops and stares at the person who has just spoken. It turns out to be Joe who was standing by the side, dressed up.

“Not just him, but I would be leaving pretty soon too”, Joe says once again after noticing he has fully grabbed her attention. “You do know that deep down, you have already recognized that kid as your son, but you still went ahead and treat him that way. I do understand that you just lost your biological son, but would your son have wanted you to treat him that way?”, he continues saying. “Do you think your son would be happy in the afterlife seeing the way you are currently acting? Or do you feel taking out the grief of losing your son on the poor kid who is trying his best to console you would bring him back? Well, whom am I to say anything to you? After all, you know what is best and how to make the right decisions”.

After dropping those last sets of words, Joe quickly moves out in an attempt to leave the house, but he was quickly held back.

“Hmm”, he was shocked as to why he was held back, but he quickly tries to get rid of this woman’s grasp on his hands, but her words stops him, “Please, help me find my child”, she says with tears dripping down her face, “Please I beg of you. I don’t want to lose another child”.

Her voice and tears cause Joe to feel weak, this was the first time that he has saw this woman cry or beg for something. It went to show how serious she was, “Please, help me. I can’t look for him alone”, she says once again.

The next scene shows the woman and Joe frantically looking everywhere for Andrew, but to no avail though. It seems like he just disappeared into thin air. No matter how hard they searched or who they asked if they had seen him, it was all fruitless.

Andrew whom they were looking for, was currently before a building, which was well decorated with his luggage. After standing there for a while, he slowly enters the building. It also happens to be the same moment that someone familiar was coming out of the building. This was the same man whom he had clashed with a week ago, and who had invited him over.

The man on seeing him was shocked at first, but he quickly smiled. “I didn’t think that you would come. I had lost all hope of seeing you, and was currently thinking of ways to end your life”, the man says in greeting. “I am not here to chit-chat with you. I need a place to stay for a while before I get myself an apartment”, Andrew replies not annoyed a bit by his plans.

“Ohh. That isn’t something to discuss outside. Let’s go in. You would be shocked to find out, but your two friends are here too. They came earlier than you did”, the man says. Andrew sights the two boys whom he had originally chatted with while going home almost every day. He isn’t too shocked as he quickly moves his view away from them. He didn’t have time to bother with them.

‘Sorry Francis, I take you as my big brother. But I have a junior brother to take care of. I have been gone for too long. I don’t know the kind of hardship he must be going through now. He must be angry at me right now, thinking that I have abandoned him. I won’t be able to take care of your mother, I have my responsibilities too’, Andrew thought while walking with the man.

We move back to the future where Lucious is currently sitting down in front of the tv, it was still nighttime or probably midnight, and the news channel was on as the reporter read, “We have come to know that Andrew, the billionaire business tycoon who was arrested earlier today has been taken hostage from the prison by unknown gunmen”.

A video was uploaded where Andrew was being dragged into a vehicle with his face masked. It seems like the people didn’t come to kill him, but to abduct him.

Lucious phone begins ringing almost immediately, his family member or business partners were calling him to congratulate him on such an action. They all believed he was the one who made that call, although it would cause a bit of havoc if they were caught up in this mess, they could always pay off the right people and get the case closed. Lucious on the other hand smiled as he received their praise, acting all modestly over the phone.

“I didn’t expect them to be this good”, he said to himself. His son who just entered his room asks, “So you were the one who ordered them to do it? You want to take care of him yourself?”. He was getting more proud of his father’s achievement in this issue, he couldn’t wait to prove that he could make a stand also.

“I didn’t”, Lucious confesses, which gets his son shocked. “But I guess, they did. I should probably call them to confirm”, he continues while dialing a number on his phone. After a while of ringing, the person on the other side of the line picks up the phone. “I didn’t do anything”, the person didn’t allow Lucious to speak before dropping those words.

“Huh, I don’t understand you”, Lucious couldn’t help to ask. “I wasn’t the one who got him out of prison. This isn’t something I could boldly do”, the voice explains calmly, but a little trembling could be felt from the voice from which it used to talk, the call was immediately hung up on the other end.

“You didn’t. Then who did?”, Lucious asks but nobody was on the other side to answer him.