The Life Of Gamemaker Z

June 14th age 13

"W-where are y-you taking me?" I scream. The second time in my life I'm being taken from my home with no explanation. Except this time, it's not my parents who are taking me and my sister Zoey away. For some reason they know our names. Even my nickname. "They" are two tall, dark-skinned men with almond-shaped gray eyes, they are wearing black clothing, and they have powerful flashlights in their hand. 

We are all outside the room I share with Zoey. One of the men nods to the other as I hear my dad calling my name from down the hall, and the two men cup their hands over me and Zoey's mouths. It's barely midnight, and no one is in my parents' room yet. So the two men race inside, shut the door, and barricade it. 

"We're twins, Z," the man previously holding me whispers, as he fiddles with the keys in his hands, and he's wearing a shirt with a big white "2" on it, "Just like the two of you."

"Two's the annoying one." The other man, wearing a shirt with a big white "1" laughs quietly. 

"No, you're the annoying one, One." Two shoves him.

This interaction lasts only seconds, and Two presses a button on one of the keys. I hear a car turn on and unlock. One takes a turn, this time picking me up much more comfortably, and starts climbing out the window. We are on the second story, the last story, of our two-story house. I wonder how he does it. 

One, with me on his back, lands gently on his feet and scrambles to the car. He leads me in, and seconds later, Two arrives with Zoey. 

In the window, when we are both seated, I see my father's distorted, enraged expression. 

"Hey, One, you've forgotten something!" Max yells 

One leaps out of the front seat. Two motions for us to put our seat belts on and stay calm. For some reason, we silently obey. 

One sprints toward his keys, still on the ground. My father is preparing to jump and land on top of him. I have no idea what Max's huge body could do to that man. I have no idea what's going on but I know, deep in my heart, that One doesn't deserve to be that badly broken. 

"One!" I shout. One glances up, snatches the keys, and becomes a simple streak heading to the car door.     

Max lands on his feet and shakes himself off. He growls. This very fat man, acting like a complete animal, somehow trained in fighting arts, yet acting on complete hunger, drive, instinct. This is the side of my father I never saw, and I'm seeing it tonight.  

One throws open the door, but Max is behind him. One tosses the keys to Two, and Two screams. My father is holding a long knife. I'm scared he might hurt me by accident in this state.  

One holds up a gun and shoots him in the head. 

Max twists around, falling to the ground.  

One didn't deserve to get squashed by my father, and my daddy, my daddy, didn't deserve to get killed. I guess you could say I'm a pacifist, but I don't think anyone deserves to die or get hurt. 

But then I see One's face, and I know, it was a reflex. 

But then I see Max's face, drenched in blood, but still recognizable as my father, the one who asked for a break every time he had to kill, and came home sobbing every time, and he came home, and drank. Alcohol. My father, who dressed up as a troll one time for Halloween just to make me laugh after my fourth grade crush rejected me that day. My father, who would pick Zoey up and spin her around whenever she started feeling down, and then she'd start laughing instead. My father, who would give my mother Daria flowers and breakfast in bed when she lost a job. 

My father, who was about to brutally slice a man to death.

But then One, that man about to be sliced to death, who I don't even know, who shot my father.

I look at Zoey.          

She is smiling. 

I put my head in my hands to try and get away. One sits in the driver's seat and starts the car. Two puts his hand on One's shoulder, than withdraws his hand, frowning. I don't want to want to know where we're going anymore.  

As the car moves, I lift my head up and look back. 

My mother is outside now. 

One had dropped the gun.

She picks it up. 

And then bang, and then fall, and then blue, dark blood. 

Zoey still smiles. 

I feel totally fine. Best day of my life. Dandy. 

Zoey still smiles.