Abstract Tales

Stuck in the Middle

3/29/18

The knife shined brightly in the midst of the night. The blade was held in a hand that dare not tremble. It contrasted strongly with the pale white skin that belonged to a middle aged woman. Her sharp green eyes stared straight into the young man's soul, freezing him in his place.

The woman dismissed the brunette quickly, turning back to her previous activity. Trapped in her arms was a young girl desperately clinging to the steel arms that caged her. Her quick gasps exhibited the fear she held as the knife was thrust towards her throat.

"Wait!" The protest burst from his lips before he could rethink it.

The woman paused. His heart beat wildly inside of his chest as he cautiously approached the two. He held his hands out in front of him as a sign of submission, growing closer to the situation. Once he got within three feet of the two, the woman pushed the blade against the girl's throat as a warning.

"What?" The woman demanded.

"Don't—don't kill her. Please, spare her life." He pleaded.

Her icy reply echoed around the room,"That's not how it works."

***

When a baby is born, someone must die.

This echoed through a young boy's brain over and over again. The phrase was plastered everywhere, yet no one seemed alarmed by it. Was he the only one to realize what it meant? Was he the only one able to sense the wrongness in the quote? Jamie could only stare at the large sign trying to comprehend why the blonde woman in the same poster was smiling.

He turned to look at his mother who was walking through the streets as if nothing was wrong. The young boy pulled determinedly on the woman's hand to grab her attention. His mother payed no heed, dragging him by his heels back to their apartment.

"Mother, wait!"

He received no response for the continuous whine that erupted from his mouth. His mother remained silent throughout their whole trip. Only when their feet crossed the threshold of their home did she acknowledge his presence.

She gently led her son into the common room, summoning his little sibling as well. The children's father followed his daughter into the room. The parents sat down both of their kids and knelt in front of them, holding their little hands.

"I know you have questions, but you mustn't ask them." Jamie's mother stated evenly.

His father nodded solemnly in agreement,"This world is in a fixed position. It won't change."

"What do you mean?" His little sister asked.

Both adults glanced at the boy whose eyes lit up in realization. His eyebrows furrowed as he started putting everything together. He slowly looked around the room, connecting eyes with his mother and his father. Then he stared at his reflection in the mirror, his little sister crying out in confusion next to him.

"Who died for us?"

***

"Jamie, you've been causing us a lot of problems lately." The school counselor scolded.

"I haven't done anything!" He argued heatedly,"I just want to know why—"

The counselor cut him off,"—You can't change anything. Nothing will ever change, and if you try and fight it, you'll just end up in a worse place than before."

The meeting ended hours later with the school sending the dejected boy home. He walked defeatedly along the path, not taking notice of his surroundings. As he passed the corridor between his apartment and the building next to it, a high pitched whistle drew his attention.