Brother's Treasure

Brother


 * 1) 1 My Big Brother

I don't remember much, but that's cuz of the accident. I guess it could have been much worse. There wasn't much damage done. Physically I'm almost perfectly fine. I may be really short for my age... and maybe a little thin, but I can run and lift and everything else a ten year old can do. I just have a bit of sensitivity to light. It hurts my eyes. The only other problem is just that I can't remember.

I was told it was a car accident. Dad was mad at mom. I hear they fought all the time. He left with me saying he'd never come back. In his anger, he was speeding. Police report says it was what made him loose control of the car. We drove into the river. If I try REALLY hard, I THINK I remember my throat burning. Big Brother says I drown. I don't remember any of it. Not even before the accident. But apparently Dad didn't make it out like I did.

My first memory is waking up in our room, Big Brother's and mine. His face is the first memory I have. He was smiling down at me, telling me to calm down in the most soothing voice. His face was so kind, and flickering flames from candles that lit the room seemed to soften his features. He said I was having a nightmare, but i don't remember. I asked who he was, hoping the question wouldn't offend the nice smiling boy. I didn't. No it seemed as though I asked the right question. He was relieved.

He told me he was my Big Brother, Trace. He said my name was Vladimir, but I liked to be called Vladi. He told me I was only nine, and that he was sixteen. When I asked him about the candle, he said that they were because of my eyes, that regular lights were to strong for me so we use candles. He also said that he knew I would forget him one day, but now that I did, I could get better. He told me that there was a bad accident, and I was never the same afterwords. That I went through the days just barely living. But he said that the doctor was worried about the hit to my head that I got in the accident. The doctor told him that I needed to be watched, because even though I didn't forget right away, that I still could at any time. Brother told me that it was good that I finally forgot, because now I could start over. That I can be happy now. He was right. I am very happy now, so long as Brother is there. He loves me, says I am his greatest treasure. His greatest fear is loosing me.

But when Brother isn't there, I am always sad. Mom hates me. She says that I am no son of hers. She says I should be dead. But she never talks like that when Brother is near. She is always quiet when Brother is around. I liked her better that way.

I asked Brother why she wants me dead once. It was the first time i was ever scared of him. He got mad, REALLY mad. The look on his face... i think that's what Satan from the Bible would look like. He told me that he wasn't mad at me, he'd never be mad at me. He told me that she only thinks that because she still loved Dad. She was mad that I'm here when dad died. But he said it wasn't my fault, it was hers. She was the reason he left angry. She failed us once because she couldn't keep us from leaving. And now she was failing us again because she couldn't be a proper mother for me. That night i heard a voice yelling. I don't know what was being said, but i recognized my Brother's voice. Mom doesn't look at me anymore, but I like her better this way.

School is horrible. I was home schooled before (apparently) so I became the newbie. Nobody talks to me, but that's okay. None of them are good enough. I rather be with my Brother. But I hate how school keeps us apart. I study really hard, so that I never have to spend more time than I have to there. I even skipped a grade, that's one step closer to Brother. But getting smarter is apparently a good reason to hate me. They used to bully me for it. That and because I had to wear sunglasses to school, but my Brother put a stop to that early on. Now they stay away, like mom. Even the teachers. But I can hear them whispering about the "freak". hey just don't understand. I'm better, special. After all, Brother says I'm a treasure, and Brother never lies.

I wouldn't be able to live without Brother. He always knows just how to take care of me. A month after I first "Woke Up" as we call it, I started to get a weird rash. When I showed Brother, he said that I have an allergy. He didn't tell me to what, but he said that he had a "Secret Remedy" that would fix it. He said he'd make it that night. When I was called down for dinner, all the candles were out. It was pitch dark. Brother was at the bottom of the stairs, waiting. When asked, he told me it was dark because he didn't want want me to know the "Secret Remedy". He said that it was better that way so I didn't question him. I never do, why would I need to?

It was just me and him, but that's normal. Mom is hardly around, throwing herself into her work. Maybe one day she just wont come back and it'll just be me and Big Brother... a boy can dream, right? The remedy was food. I don't know what type, even now, but it was really good. My Brother isn't the best cook though, so it wasn't exactly fall-off-the-bone. But it tasted wonderful. My favorite part is the sauce, even now. It's always so tender and juicy. The next day, the rash was gone. It's tradition now. Whenever the rash comes back, Brother makes an amazing dinner that we eat in the dark, just the two of us. it's my favorite times.

This is my life now, and I hope it stays like this forever. Brother takes care of me, Mom and everyone else stays away from me, and I get to be happy forever. Brother promised. Who needs to remember?


 * 1) 2 My Treasure

The day of the accident was the worst day of my life. I was nine when it happened, when I lost my treasure. I was staying the night at a friends house at the time, when I got the call. Mom was hysterical. She and dad got into another fight, but it was different this time. He left in a fit of anger, taking my twin, Vladi with him. It only got worse. They were in an accident. Neither survived. I didn't believe any of it. Not until i was standing over my brother's coffin, saying "goodbye". But i couldn't. It hit me then. I lost him, my twin, my other half. Without him I would never be whole. I hated dad for taking him that night. How could he drag Vladi into this? But most of all, I hated that woman. The one that claims to be my Mother. She didn't stop them. It was HER FAULT. But i was nothing if not smart. I would have to fix her mistake. We moved a month later, but I never gave up hope. That woman never noticed the... extra package i brought. I couldn't leave my Brother behind after all.

It took me seven years, seven LONG years before I could fix it. After all, there was only one way to make this right, but you had to be BORN with it to do it right. It was in ones blood. At first I looked for those who was born to it, but they all turned me away. They told me I had to accept it and move on. But I knew I never would, never could. So after a year I gave up asking. I had to learn. I would be able to do it perfectly, not like if I had the blood gift for it, but I didn't care. I was willing to deal with the consequences. I studied for six years before I could do it for a human. he was young and small, so it'd be easier. Easier but not perfect. The difference between Blood Gifted and Learned Necromancy.

I was so excited to have him back. I fixed my -our- room, to make room for him and even took out all the lights in the house. He hasn't seen light for seven years, he'll be sensitive. Even coming up with the story (a bunch of half truths) for him was easily done. With the candles lit, I was ready. I would have my Brother back, TONIGHT! Reanimating the body wasn't hard, even when I had to fix all the decay. A little life blood from my own arm had him all set. The hardest part was ripping his soul back from the afterlife. But I did it. I DID IT.

When he opened his eyes that first time, I felt the most joy I had in years. It took all I had not to cry. He couldn't remember, and for that I was grateful. It would be a new start, for us both. I had everything studied, I knew all the side-effects. I was ready for my "Little Brother".

It was a good thing he was so dazed that first night. He didn't see the look of shock and horror on that woman's face when she saw him. When I put Vladi to bed, we had a good conversation. I told her that I fixed her mistake, that she better not make it again. Because if I were to loose my Brother because of her, I would kill her, and no one would even notice. The next day she called the school and put her "home schooled" son into public. I thought she got the message. I was wrong.

When I had learned of what she said to him that following week when I wasn't there, I went into a rage. How dare she treat him like that! It was HER fault he was gone in the first place! She should be grateful he was back! I took care of her that night. She begged for her life, but she didn't deserve mercy. I enjoyed watching the light slowly faded from her eyes as she clawed at my hand, desperate for air. After she was gone, I reanimated her body, but I didn't bring back her soul. All I needed was for her to work and provide. She was useless otherwise. I knew what I did was right. Vladi's increased happiness was proof enough.

A Month after I got my brother back was the first major side-effect of Learned Soul-Resurrecting Necromancy. He came to my with a "rash". but I knew the truth. He was beginning to decay again. There was, however, a way to fix this as well. One that I had twistedly been looking forward to.

The man wasn't easy to kill. He had some weight on him as advantage. I needed the fat, easier to chew. He fought hard, but I won. It was like a hot knife through butter, slitting his throat ear to ear. The gurgle as he tried to breath through his own blood was like music. I didn't even cook him, didn't need to. Just chopped him up, small as I could. Vladi loved him. I listened in the dark as he ripped the man apart with his teeth, slurping the man's blood. I was glad he liked it, even more glad when the decay was gone the next day.

Life has continued this way, and I couldn't be happier. After all, I have my treasure. and NOTHING will take him from me.