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It started, like so many disasters in Henry's life, with just a simple slip up. A little argument with his wormy little brother that snowballed out of his cold hands. He didn’t even know how it happened, how the yelling got so loud that it bounced off the house’s walls. It was very late in the afternoon. They were in the hallway, home alone because their parents had gone out to dinner with business partners, just screaming whatever popped into mind at each other. That’s when it all happened.
“Someone as horrid as you…couldn’t possibly be my brother!!” Peter wailed, his eyes glazed with tears and his voice loud but shaky. Henry’s face was a complex shade of red, and he was trying to hold back his angry tears. “I bet you and I…. aren't even related by blood!! Because we’re nothing alike!!” His little brother stood completely still, hands slightly balled to fists at his sides. He attempted to grit his teeth, but he just looked like his gums were rearranging. He looked like he didn’t want to say whatever he was going to say. “Y-YOU’RE S-SELFISH! AND I’M NOT!”
Henry just couldn’t control himself after Peter said that. Selfish? After everything he’s done? After being trapped in the pitch-black void for so long while Peter shined in the spotlight? He didn’t know why his mind chose to take over his emotions, or why he let it control him, but he sprinted to him and slapped him across the face, the loud crackling sound and Peter's short-lived scream polluting the air. He stumbled into the wall, an angry ruby red bruise forming on his cheek. His eyes widened so much that his pupils almost looked like coloured dots, and chunky tears poured down his face. Henry’s mind spoke before he could.
“I can’t fucking believe I wasted my entire life protecting someone as worthless as you…” He muttered, lowering his still-red hand. Peter just looked at him with a pleading look, speechless, as if the words had been ripped from his mouth. Henry’s voice got louder, like a monster was unleashing from his throat after years of nesting in the shadows. “MAYBE IF YOU HADN’T BEEN BORN I WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING WITH MY LIFE! MAYBE I WOULDN’T BE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW!” He barked, and Peter’s posture just crumbled. He started crying even more, pressing his hand against the red mark. The horrid boy continued. “YOU’RE THE WORTHLESS ONE HERE!”
Peter manages to bring himself upward, running down the halls to his room and shoving Henry aside, almost pushing him down the stairs. His high wails could still be heard, and he slammed his bedroom door. He never did that. Henry finally realized what he did, his entire body dissolving into tremors as he sauntered to his room, mentally cursing himself. It didn’t take long for his own tears to pour down his crimson cheeks, and he collapsed onto his bed. He thought over his options as he sniffled into his pillow. He could go and apologize to Peter with his entire heart and beg for his forgiveness, he could go to the nearest convenience store and smoke his brains out, or he could just ignore everything that just happened. None of those options seemed trustworthy. But there was something in the back of his head, like a voice, or a chant…or a promise.
His mind trailed off and shut down, as he drifted off to sleep. He would deal with all of this in the morning, when Peter would tattle to his parents like he always did and he would either get beat again or get his breakfast snatched away. Maybe he deserved every punishment that life threw his way. At least that’s the only thing that he and his parents had in common thought-wise.
All of a sudden, he was sitting up in a black void, and he could feel weird, faint marks on his face and arms. There was a very warm, popping feeling on his face. What was this place? He stood up, his insides and heart feeling a hundred times heavier. He pried his eyes open, and gasped loudly. Just a few meters away, there were layers and layers of booming fire. Flaring up like it was waiting for him. This is just your typical nightmare, Henry thought to himself. You’ll wake up eventually. Then why did he feel the urge to walk in the flames? To crash and burn like he’d always done?
He took a step, then another, each one feeling like he was slowly becoming a controlled disciple. He would have ran, but his organs felt like rocks, so he couldn’t. He felt way older than he was, and his knees and hands felt bonier by the minute. Then he heard a familiar, high-pitched voice behind him. “Henry?”
Henry immediately spun around on his ankle, being met with his little brother, with a huge white glow illuminating from behind him. Of course he had heaven behind him. But Peter looked younger, like about 5 years younger. He still looked like a kid, vague and fair freckles displayed across his face. The same freckles that withered away when he got older. His fancy clothes looked brand new and his curly bright yellow hair was brushed into complicated swirls. His eyes looked unknowing, like little bubbles. He approached Henry daintily, his innocent expression matching his posture. Henry wanted to yell at him, tell him not to get too close to him, anything.
“I-Is the exit that way?” The little blonde boy asked, his fingers spread out and pressed onto his chest, as Henry turned and started sauntering to the fire again. “Please worm…You don’t have to follow me anymore. Turn around and go into the light. That’s where you belong.” His voice sounded detached but truthful. Peter let out a loud gasp, inching closer. “W-What do you mean Henry? Of course I’ll follow you! I’ll always-”
“DON’T FOLLOW ME!” Henry snapped back. That’s all he could do, was just snap. Even if this was just a dream, Peter had no reason to run with him. The silence was deafening, and Peter’s small face now held a sad and conflicting expression. “From now on, you’re not my little brother anymore. You’re nothing to me.” The gingerette’s eyes blurred with warm tears as he glanced back at Peter and approached a little closer to the fire. Peter’s body jerked, and he failed at choking back a sob.
His eyes filled with large tears, already running down his face, and then he did something that Henry didn’t expect. He walked back, bent his knees and then ran to Henry as fast as his small legs could take him. He pounced hard on Henry’s aching back, his arms clinging onto his neck and his legs trying to grapple on. “STOP!” Henry tried to protest, but he just scowled and held onto Peter’s healthy arms with his trembling, pale hands. He sobbed into his older brother’s neck, sniffling and crying out loud, holding onto him. Why didn’t he just go to the bright side? It would have been easier for both of them if Peter just went with the angels.
“BROTHER, PLEASE!” The little boy wailed, huge tears streaming down his face like chunky, clear waterfalls. Henry halted to a stop, finally allowing his eyes to widen. “Please don’t leave me! You can’t! I won’t let go!” Peter weeped, clinging onto Henry harder. “Don’t you remember the promise we made?!” Everything suddenly snapped into place like a dysfunctional puzzle. The promise. THAT’S what was stuck in the back of his head. Only the crackling sound of the fire and the sounds of Peter sobbing could be heard, as Henry mentally tied everything together.
The promise he made, when they were 10 and 8, in the small pathetic treehouse they attempted to put together. He could still remember that the snow was falling harder than ever, and they were trapped in there. Peter was shaking and stammering about how they were going to die of frostbite, but since Henry still had a bit of good left in his heart, he pulled his little brother close and promised something.
Henry promised that they would always be brothers, that they would always be family no matter what situation they ended up in. No matter what happened, they would stay together. Love each other, remain brothers until the very end of humanity. Henry took a step. Then another. And then Peter stopped crying, his sniffles dissolved away as he buried his face into Henry’s shoulder. They both highly contrasted, personality and appearance-wise. But he kept walking, getting closer and closer to the fire, smears of red and orange parading his vision. He collapsed in the flames, but he didn't actually burn. He felt no pain. And then he woke up, gasping, covered in sweat.
He took in his surroundings, his room was the colour of dark navy blue. His vision loaded, and he realized something. On the floor, there was a familiar figure with a scrawny build and sun-coloured curls. Peter? What was he doing here? Henry had expected that after their fight, he would never want to see him again. But there his little brother was, breathing slowly, deep asleep on his bedroom floor. He must be cold, a small childlike voice in the back of Henry's mind spoke.
He gained the energy to bend over his bed, grabbing the blanket at the bottom of his feet and draping it over Peter. He slowly crouched down onto the floor, crawling over to Peter, his voice barely a whisper. Tears were prickling at the edges of his tired eyes, threatening to spill. “I'm sorry I'm such a bad big brother. I'm a fuck up. Forgive me.” He rasped. A small, hurt smile tugged at Peter's lips, and his eyebrows crinkled upwards. His expression was both apologetic and forgiving. Henry couldn't physically smile back, because if he did, he would just completely break inside. His heart would shatter inside his ribcage, and his words would feel like they were being run over by a freight train.
He just sat there, trying to force his eyes open but failing a couple of times, watching over his little brother. He was keeping his promise. That no matter what happened, he would still live and die Peter's brother. A small, microscopic chunk of his heart was still pure and loving, and he had to keep his word after that dream or nightmare, whatever it was. It seemed dangerously close to a memory that hadn't happened yet.
But whatever the reason, this is the promise that they'll keep, until the end of humanity. Until the earth crumbles into two and heaven and hell open up. Until the silly piggyback rides turn into walking into crimson, undeserving, bursting flames. Brothers forever, family forever. This is the promise they will keep for both of their entire life, no matter what got in the way.