Brrrrrrrr! The alarm rang at 5 am as it did every day for 25 years. From a young age, carter Lawrence had been placed into a systematic household. His mother was a lawyer. His father was a doctor. They were good people but not the best parents. In their eyes what mattered was the future not now. Childhood was regarded as a waste of time and they believe that you should constantly work harder and better as the sky is the limit. It seemed to had worked from a faraway glance. Carter had a stable job a nice apartment and good companions. The only thing missing was a family. As a 35-year-old man, it was expected of him to have a good wife and a few kids to keep the legacy going. But that's seemed to not be the case for mr.Lawrence. He urged himself out of bed and executed his daily routine. And just like that, he was up and atom ready for the day. As he strolled down the streets of Brooklyn he realised how little people were out today. The weather was bleak but not enough to justify the sudden emptiness of roads and surrounding buildings. Strange. He thought to himself.
-------_______\___\__
------------//--/--/--/-
After hours of repeated phrases, Carter found himself at his favourite cafe with his favourite person: Lois Clayton. He was a police officer and a good friend to carter. The only friend he really trusted. "So how's the job going?"Lois smirked. Remotely Carter thought subconsciously how his teeth shone when he smiled at him. Shaking the thought aside he started telling the story of the strange calls he's been having today. To his surprise, Lois looked concerned instead of joking around laughing at his crazy superstitions. " I knew it was weird," he said finally after a long time of waiting thinking of what to say next.with that officer Clayton began his encounter with this strange phrase. "Wed come to the scene and the victim would be dead, leaving no trace except for the faint scratching of that phrase it's too-" he was cut off by a teenage girl running into the cafe and breathlessly strode over to the counter. Loudly she begged through loose breaths and sobbing for the man to help " please I tried. I tried to get away c- could you call the p police !" she shivered soaked to the bone. Carter didn't think it was that wet outside but it was for her to be dripping wet, her dark tendrils of hair dropping water droplets sown to form a puddle beneath her feet. when he turned around again Lois had already risen to his feet ready to aid the girl. However, when he met her eyes they were bleak and unstable. "Hey hey it's ok we can help you," he said soothing her. She faced him and with a sad and shameful face, she said " it's too late !" a gunshot fired through the air and hit perfectly in her spine to cause severe damage. Carter leapt from his chair in an attempt to help the girl but it was already too late. The girl was dead. Lois got up and immediately called the station. Leaving carter with the lifeless corpse.
-----------//-/-/--------__
When he got home Carter threw off his clothes and shoved them into the washing machine. Then he had a hit shower to rinse the blood off his hands. The day was weird and disturbing however he still found himself thinking about Lois. His muscular dark skin tensing under his tight navy blue shirt. His courage and selflessness when the girl entered. But this was short-lived for he found himself thinking again about the girl who had died in front of Lois. what a day he thought to himself. Maybe he did have a little bit of rainbow in his veins?
/::://----/////------------
As the familiar alarm rang again Carter found himself already up early due to his lack of sleep. It had been a week since the girl and more strange things have been happening. Lois and Carter met up more often discussing the recent happenings. it's too late! It's too late! It's too late! It's too late! It's too late! That phrase was playing constantly in his head and he did not dare say it out loud. It was a Saturday so he found himself striding down the path towards the office. He knew now. What people were talking about. The deaths. He witnessed one. So when he placed the earpiece in and answered a call he immediately put his address in from the track of the phone ."911 what's your emergency?" he said. " I don't know if you know this but there is a certain phrase going around that I can not say, " the voice whispered. Intrigued carter replied" yes yes I do..." " well I was part of the gang that was doing that they want to start a better world by eliminating those not worthy. They do this by presenting people with a phrase that disguising an order, a test. If you say it your doomed if you don't someone else is. You understand... I don't have enough time but the reason I'm telling you this is that there threatening my family I am already a goner but you can save them." he explained. "Hang there we can save you too-" carter pleaded. "No it's too late!" he confessed and he heard that sadly familiar thump to the floor. After already sending police units and ambulances to the address he called Lois to take him there. Carter had not been in full conflict but he was determined to stop this madness before it was... We'll... You know. moments later Lois arrived at the entrance and carter met him at the car. After he had slid in Lois looked at him in the face seriously. "Are you sure you want to do this!?" he reasoned. Carter looked up at his handsome face and said carefully, " do you trust me?"Lois gazed at carter. " of course I do." with that, they continued to stare for moments before they realised what was at stake. They drove off hastily, sirens blazing. Then they approached the scene.
-///--------///----------
What they saw was an empty-looking rusty warehouse. Pretty basic. As they approached the building a piercing noise rang in their ears and they rushed to cover them as best they could. With one more look at each other, they pressed on. Police units were already at the scene scanning the area. They appeared to be unsuccessful. As they neared the corner furthest from the sirens and lights, they saw a parking lot entrance. Without a seconds hesitation, Lois stride through. "Wait!" Carter called after him. "Im coming with you!"
He reached for Lois' arm. Lois gazed into Carters eyes longingly. "Wait here Carter... For me." and with that he charged through the doors with his gun out and torch shining.
----------//---/---/-//----
With all the recent calls and the repeated phrase, Carter was fearful when the phone rang in case it was a family member like his brother calling and saying that dreaded phrase. Except they had called all of his family asking about him, worried about him.and he hadn't replied. 20 minutes went by and lois still hadn't returned. It was time ,he thought, to take it into his own hands. He rushed through the double doors and found himself confronted by darkness. "Ah here he is..." whispered a gruff voice. "We've heard a lot about you..." another said. " hey that's the one who sold us out. Well that traitor has been taken care of..." he said maniacally. Then the light switched on and illuminated the three contenders. As well as 10 other men and women bulky and brawny yet still visibly agile. "Why?" Carter said choosing his next words carefully. " I was told you wanted better place, what does that mean?"the man in the middle stepped aside revealing an Italian woman who seemed at least 40. "People are stupid..." she said at last her accent flowed softly, merging with American and Italian. " they do stupid things and expect forgiveness!" She shot a deadly stare. " my son-" she paused momentarily as though to fully picture the image and to remember what seemed like a physical flashback "my son was 17 , he had started a new school so many people didn't understand what happened to his father - dead by the way- people were often kind enough but this group of pathetic boys and girls found out and teased him mocked him pushed him around. If he had told me I would have helped but I-"
"How?" Carter began opposingly "how would you have helped?"
She gave him a dagger like look with a hint of amusement. "You are very dull boy. I know I am a leader of a gang but you think I have no sympathy for my own kid?" Carter looked shameful. " I would have talked to him helped him but no he took the abuse day after day until somebody said the wrong thing ... he ran out of school ran home and wrote a letter to me then died . I won't tell you how I wish not to tell the tale. But that's how he died somebody said the wrong thing and somebody else got hurt." She said venomously.
" how does this help , there are parents who have lost there kids to this?!" He confronted thinking of his mother. Praying for his brother.hoping for his father.
" by eliminating stupidity the world will overcome the bad in the world. There will be no mistakes or problems-"
" there will always be problems! Don't you see that?! This is helping no one -"
"ENOUGH BOY!" She belted
" I've had enough of you !you ruined it , you told them our hideout I've spent ages working on these people making them see the wrongness of the world now look at them ... perfection. But you are the stupidest of them all . A 911 operator getting all high and mighty against what you think is wrong well I've got news for you - no wait he's got news for you!" Two muscular men came in dragging Lois' limp body and the woman strode over to him. Smirking, she held up his face. Carter met his tired dazed eyes and felt his eyes prick, tears threatening. "Wha- I- ho- Lois?!" He managed to get out
"Aww is your boyfriend speechless , pathetic please I'd tell him but I think you should do the honours !" The woman said maliciously. Lois' brave face was gone, replaced by one much more guilty and covered in bruises.
" I'm sorry Carter I'm so so sorry . I told you I didn't want to do this. It's just your too-" Lois' stopped for a moment to blink back the heavy tears . "It's too late!" Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Carter knew what was going to happen. He moved towards Lois as fast as he could and shielded him from the bullet piercing the air. Sirens rang . Voices grew nearer. The Italian woman yelled. Shots were fired. People arrested. Blood pooling . He could feel himself dampening. his shirt was wet with liquid. Looking down at himself he found Scarlett red fluid spreading like ink on cartridge paper. Around him he could hear Lois' whimpers . Cradled in Lois' arms he thought again about how beautiful he was . " it's ok your ok just stay stay awake ok I love you I love you stay with me please-" he pleaded. That was it. Carter blacked out.
----//----//--___\\________
When Carter awoke it was the next day. Feeling tired he attempted to get up and failed. His shoulder blade felt immense pain when he moved. "Hey.!" said a kind familiar voice. "Lois?" he said oblivious to the situation. " Are they?.. Are we.? Are you.?" he said croakily confronting the happenings of last night. " I'm fine." Lois replied laughing a little. " a few bruises and trauma but I think you should be worried about yourself..." he said a rating the back of his neck. "I mean you did take a bullet for me... THANK you by the way probably should have said that earlier. But thank you I never expected you to do that for me-"
"Of course I would!" Carter replied hastily. Lois looked at him intently.
"I love you too Lois, I guess we both have rainbows in our veins," he confessed. As they gazed into the eyes of each other they were shortly interrupted. Carter's brother burst through the door with his parents following after. " oh thank God your ok! Lois called us and said what happened. I didn't think you were going to see your niece!" he let out. Carter hauled himself up. "Wait you mean the baby's here!" he said eyes lighting up. That's when his brother's wife walked in holding a tiny bundle of blankets. Inside was a beautiful baby girl. " her name is-
